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ED Magedson – Founder
Ripoff Report
GiftCardrescue.com6230 Old Dobbin Lane, Suite 190 columbia, Maryland USA
GiftCardrescue.com giftcardrescue.com, LLC Deceptive Practice columbia Maryland
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When I sent in my gift cards I was not told by Clarence that I would have to pay postage back to have them returned to me. As a matter of fact, I was instructed to just send them in by Clarence. So the week of August 4th, I sent in my gift cards for my order. The order was suppose to arrive one week later.
On August 12, 2014, I sent in an additional packet of McDonalds Gift Cards to Gift Card Rescue. They were supposed to receive the McDonalds gift cards on Friday August 15, which they did. I have a copy of the receipt from the post office.
I spoke with Gift Card Rescue more than once and they told me they did not get the cards. I even chatted with them and then got an email stating they never got the cards.
On August 21, 2014, at 1:10pm I was informed that Giftcardrescue has not received my gift cards for order J4QC.
"This is a friendly reminder from GiftCardRescue.com that as of 2014-08-19, we have not yet received your gift card for order (J4QC)."
Since I was informed my gift cards were not received I had to open a case with the Post Office. I got a call back from the Post Office Branch Manager and I was informed that the cards were sent. Giftcardrescue continued to insist they never received the gift cards. I was also mailed a mail recovery from by the post office to trace the gift cards.
Later in the day on August 21, 2014 Gift Card Rescue informed me that they received the cards.
The other issue I have is that they were going to buy my cards and then backed out. I was informed yes we want to buy your cards. Then I was informed to sign paperwork to complete the sale. I did this and sent my drivers license I feel like I they did a bait and switch on me.
It is worth mentioning this company is not an accredited business and has a 0.8 rating on resellerratings.com
I was hoping to workout these problems with this company, but have not been able to. I have paid more than $5 to ship my items. Now they want me to pay the bill to return the cards with a self-addressed envelope
This is not simple because I have to calculate how much the gift cards weight and buy the postage to ship back, which is a complete nightmare. I have sold similar McDonalds gift cards with giftcards.com and they accepted my gift cards without any issues. They also verified the balance and everything was fine.
In the end, several issues could have been avoided. If they did not want to buy my gift cards they should have processed the first order in a timelier manner to avoid me sending in the additional cards. I should have been informed right before sending my cards I would have to pay for return shipping. I have sent in receipts with proof of purchase for the McDonalds cards. There was no suspicious activity or fraud involved. I was also willing to send the credit card statement in which I bought the cards with. I was even informed not to send in my credit card statement with the proof of purchase.
When this type of issues arrives companies make an effort to resolve the problem with the customer. Gift Card Rescue has not given me any compensation or replacement for all of my inconveniences. Instead Giftcardrescue has ripped me off and made me feel like crap.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/31/2014 10:14 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/giftcardrescuecom/columbia-maryland-21045/giftcardrescuecom-giftcardrescuecom-llc-deceptive-practice-columbia-maryland-1173535. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Protecting the Legacy dollars
Substitute or supplement?
The definition of those words, as they apply to state conservation program and Legacy Amendment funds, is at the crux of a discussion between lawmakers and proponents of the 2008 constitutional amendment voters approved. The amendment authorized raising the sales tax by three-eighths of 1 percent with one fifth of that new revenue going to arts and culture projects.
The Legacy Amendment says the newly dedicated funds "must supplement traditional sources of funding for these purposes and may not be used as a substitute."
Paul Austin, director of Conservation Minnesota, and Sheila Smith, executive director, of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, began a tour of outstate Minnesota Friday objecting to incidents where they maintain state budgets were severely cut and then backfilled with money from the Legacy fund. Austin, in an analysis of recent state budgets said Legacy money should be used for the long-term benefit of the state's natural resources and not to solve short-term budget problems.
"It's inconceivable the voters would tax themselves so they could do the same or less (for the environment)," Austin said.
Austin claimed the deal that ended a three-week government shutdown yielded deep and disproportionate general fund cuts to conservation agencies. His study maintained that where most state agencies were cut by 5 to 10 percent the five primary conservation agencies were cut by 16.5 percent and the Pollution Control Agency was cut by nearly 40 percent.
Austin said Conservation Minnesota suggested three parameters or standards that would help the Legislature make common sense decisions.
One of these was that conservation agency funding, which was at about 1 percent of the general fund budget before the Legacy Amendment, should not drop below that level just because Legacy money is being used. The organization also is against the raiding of dedicated outdoor license funds to solve budget shortfalls and that bonding bill continue to include traditional dollar amounts for conservation.
Smith said most of the Legacy money for the arts goes through regional arts councils such as the Five Wings Arts Council and the State Arts Board. She said 98 percent of the Legacy money is going where it should, including to multiple outstate artists.
"We're watching the border, the edges of things," she said.
Millie Engisch Morris, artist director of the Crossing Arts Alliance in Brainerd joined Austin and Smith in Brainerd and said many Brainerd area projects have received Legacy funding. The money, she said, benefits the local arts and those who appreciate arts. Among programs receiving the funding have been the Lakes Area Music Festival, concerts by Seth Doud and Wayne Renn and EgoFest, a showing of independent films that drew people from as far away as Chicago and Canada. In the last two years, Morris said, $82,444 in Legacy money has gone to support local projects and individual artists.
Among grants using Legacy money in the Brainerd area through the Five Wings Arts Council were ones that went to the Legacy Chorale, the Crossing Art Alliance, the Central Lakes College Foundation and the CLC Theatre Department, Pequot Lakes Community Theatre and elementary schools in Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Remer and Longville.
Morris said individual Five Wings Arts Council recipients include Phil Holbrook, project director for EgoFest; and Jess Cavazos.
Arts activities, Smith said, help local economies, noting that when the community theatres offer a production it generates business in area restaurants.
Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, who chairs the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee, acknowledges the issue surrounding the proper spending of Legacy money can be confusing.
"It's a tough area," he said. "It's a gray area. We in the Legislature try not to do that (backfill with Legacy money where funds have been cut)."
Ingebrigtsen, whose district includes Todd County, also sits on the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which disburses Legacy money. He said the recent deficits have put state legislators in a difficult position and they're not trying to merely supplant money that has been cut by the Legislature.
"If it's done, it's certainly not done intentionally," he said. While he said he understands the thrust of the arts and conservation groups' arguments, there are outside factors.
"When these budgets are cut their areas are going to be cut as well," the lawmaker said.
He noted that there is about $184 million going to environmental projects that Conservation Minnesota is not counting when it figures its traditional 1 percent of the general fund money.
"The bottom line is it's still going into the environment," Ingebrigtsen said.
On one point the legislator and the arts and conservation supporters all agree. They don't want to see Legacy money going to fund a Vikings stadium.
"Absolutely not," Ingebrigtsen said. "It doesn't cut it."
Smith termed the notion of such use for the funds as outrageous and said polls identified that potential funding source for the stadium as the least popular option with 77 percent opposed. She said that when the idea first came up a few months ago legislators were "freaked out" by the negative response. She said lawmakers received about 13,000 letters against the idea in two weeks — what she described as a huge wave of public disgust. While the notion has not been publicly discussed lately, Smith said citizens opposed to the idea should not feel safe, fearing that a last-minute stadium deal may yet try to use Legacy funds.
"It's a betrayal to the voters," she said of the possible stadium funding with Legacy dollars, in part because that was never discussed in the campaign to pass the constitutional amendment.
She and Morris said they're not opposed to a Vikings stadium, they just feel that Legacy funds are an inappropriate source.
On the positive side, Austin said there has been an increase in the number of lakes that have been tested for water quality and a large number of acres of prairie and wetlands have been protected or restored.
Austin said conservation groups understand they're competing with legitimate spending requests by education and health care proponents but he is concerned the lawmakers will adopt an attitude of "we'll take care of it later," when it comes to the environment.
If they do, he said it could have serious repercussions for Minnesota's future.
"You're slowly degrading the things people love about the state," Austin said.


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Community Roll Call
Members of the Wauwatosa Police Department's Community Support Division, with backup provided by the folks at WauwatosaNow.com, are now blogging. We will be providing you with an ongoing series of crime prevention tips, any current crime trends as well as pertinent news and notes as it relates to your Police Department.
Christmas / Holiday Season Scams
1. Dubious Web Merchants. Each holiday season features an item so desirable that many store shelves are quickly emptied of it. To exploit scarcity, scammers set up websites offering this product, as do dishonest online auction sellers.
After raking in the money, the scammers shut down their "stores" and disappear. If you're "lucky," you are simply left with no gift item. If you're unlucky, you are further victimized by a phishing scam.
2. Phishing Scam, run by someone who will use your credit card information to charge more products and services to your account and/or sell the information to identity thieves.
In most cases, however, phishing scammers launch websites that look nearly identical to those of larger, reputable merchants or financial institutions. Typically you're contacted by email with a tempting offer or dire warning, and then directed to click on a link, which takes you to a fake website. Once there, you're told to enter personal and financial information wanted by the thieves.
Remember, your financial institution will never ask you for any personal information online or over the telephone as they already have that information.
3. Charity Scams. Scammers may pose as representatives of charitable organizations that are real (or merely sound real). At this time of year, their emotionally-charged appeals are more likely to sway normally savvy people and those with a giving nature.
Avoid "charities" whose representatives won't answer reasonable questions, such as how the money will be spent, those that will not send you printed information or cannot provide an address of a physical building instead of just a PO Box. Whether you're approached by email, telephone or in person, be very wary of high-pressure and those donate "NOW" pitches.
Never supply credit card, checking or savings account information via email or telephone. Don't write checks payable to an individual solicitor. If you've never heard of an organization, confirm for yourself that it's real.
4. Gift Card Scams. Nearly every major retailer offers gift cards, many of which hang on racks at checkout counters. Today, most cards are protected by scratch-off security codes and protective packaging to prevent information theft.
If cards are not protected, however, scammers can write down the numbers while the cards are on display, and then call a toll free telephone number to learn when the cards have been activated and the balance available. After that, stealing is as simple as rushing to the merchant and or more likely, going to the merchant's website to make purchases before the real cardholder can.
5. Holiday E-Card Scams. You may receive an email from an unnamed relative, neighbor, or friend who has supposedly sent you an e-card that can be viewed by clicking on a link. Clicking on that link, however, may unleash anything from spyware and pop-up ads to viruses and Trojans. In some cases, nothing bad happens until you first download software from the e-card website; the software is supposedly needed to "run" your e-card.
It is highly recommended that you install antivirus and anti-spyware software and keep it up to date.
Special thanks to the folks at ScamBusters.Org
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David Clark Collection
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9 People like this | I like this too
Primary Format and Extent
video (50 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
Collection contains a documentary, "Tales of Wood and Water," which explores Maine's contemporary wooden boat building and use. The video employs an episodic format and includes scenes of boatyards and the WoodenBoat School (Brooklin), windjammers, Friendship sloops, schooners, lobster boats and yachts. Also included are portraits of men and women involved in building and sailing wooden boats, sailmaking and carving. In this video Clark used NHF stock footage of the launching of the schooner "Doris Hamlin" in Harrington. See also Edna Frye Collection.
Biographical/Historical Notes
David Clark is an independent producer/director who has produced works for the National Geographic Explorer series and the Discovery Channel. He produced "Tales of Wood and Water" for the Discovery Channel. It was cablecast in 1991 and then distributed on videocassette by the Discovery Channel and NHF.
Subject(s)Boats and boating, Handicraft, Lobster industry, Outdoor Life, Recreation, Sailboats, Transportation, Women
Items in this collection: 1
Showing 1 - 1 of 1:
1) Tales of Wood and Water
Documentary program on Maine's contemporary wooden boat building and use. The video employs an episodic format. FOR REFERENCE ONLY. Cataloguing notes: Horses twitch logs in winter. Jon...more
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Poor Chris Brown! He's clearly down in the dumps about something — just look at this pic he tweeted on April 10. Is it because of Rihanna?
Sad pic take two. In case Rihanna didn't see the first sad pic on April 8 — he's done it again.
Chris Brown, 22, tweeted the depressing pic above on April 10 and without a message! Is it because he feels sad about his break-up with Rihanna?
Rihanna, 24, has become ruthless in her attempt to steal Chris back from his current girlfriend Karrueche Tran. Riri tweeted a slew of heartbreaking tweets on April 9.
"So if u love me baby, this is how u let me know, don't eva let me go…
#baby #foreveryoung #1LOVE" she tweeted, followed by, "Warriors don't cry."
She's clearly suffering from heartache and indulging in self-destructive behavior — like hooking up with Ashton Kutcher. Maybe she's finally caught Chris' attention and made him realize that they are meant to be together.
What do think, HollywoodLifers? Is Chris finally realizing that he wants Rihanna back? Is that why he's been so sad? Vote and weigh in below.
— Nicole Karlis
More Rihanna News:
- Rihanna Will Do Anything To Reunite With Chris Brown
- Karrueche Tran's Sad Tweet: Are She & Chris Brown On The Rocks?
- Rihanna Admits She Wants Chris Brown To Herself
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This program offers an ideal combination of basic and applied science. Students in the Cooperative (three-two) Physics-Engineering Program attend the college for three years pursuing a liberal arts curriculum in physics. After three years, students transfer to the engineering school of their choice and complete the requirements for an engineering degree in two more years. Cooperating engineering schools include Binghamton University and the University at Buffalo (both SUNY universities), and Clarkson University.
For more information, contact the Physics Department.


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2007-05-04 / Sports
Empire State Girls Tryouts
Tryouts will take place on May 5 for the New York City Empire State Scholastic Girls high school team.
The tryout will take place on Saturday, May 5 at 3 p.m. at Bishop Kearney High School, which is located at 2202 60th Street in Brooklyn.
Please bring to the tryouts the ESG application form, which can be downloaded at www.empirestategames.org


text: Rebecca McCarthy Become a Fan × BECOME A FAN Get updates about Rebecca McCarthy and recommended reads from Simon & Schuster. Plus, get a FREE eBook when you sign up! Email Address Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Offer redeemable at Simon & Schuster's ebook fulfillment partner.Offer expires in three months, unless otherwise indicated. See full terms and conditions. By clicking SIGN UP, I acknowledge that I have read and agreed to the Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use. Books by this Author Laugh Your Rabbids Off! By Rebecca McCarthy By Rebecca McCarthy Laugh Your Rabbids Off! Laugh alert! This illustrated joke book starring the curious, fearless, crazy Rabbids will have you cracking up!Hold on to your plungers…Hide your toilet brushes…Because the Rabbids are coming! They've already started to invade the planet we humans call home, and now they're taking over this joke book! Get ready to guffaw as they invade the funny farm, the gym class jokes, and even the potty humor pages! Rabbid or not, here they come! This book includes black-and-white (and Rabbid all over!)... Read more about this book Read more Get a FREE eBook when you join our mailing list. Plus, receive updates about Rebecca McCarthy,recommended reads and more from Simon & Schuster. Email Address Free eBook available to NEW subscribers only. Offer redeemable at Simon & Schuster's ebook fulfillment partner.Offer expires in three months, unless otherwise indicated.See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. Activity Sheets To download a file to your computer right-click on the link and choose 'save file as'. Bookmarks.pdf (pdf) Build Dreamhouse.pdf (pdf) Crossword.pdf (pdf) Mask.pdf (pdf) Maze.pdf (pdf) SpongeBob Squarepants Activity Kit (pdf) Word Search.pdf (pdf)


text: Oct 15, 2013 - I picked this up at Walmart cause I thought the scent was delightful. I decided to try it in my hair by itself and after a low poo and conditioning I went a head and finger combed this through my wet hair. I thought it helped clump really well and I loved the consistency ! It does smell like peppermint and it did make my scalp and skin tingle but it wasn't terrible. My hair dried with just enough hold..a tiny bit crunchy but not terrible. The smell does seem to linger but I don't think its bad...makes me feel fresh ;) would be perfect for Christmas!! Lol


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Receive alerts from our resorts.
Receive snow alerts, and check out quickly and easily.
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Please select a product.
Express Lift Coffee House - just steps away from Gondola One in Vail Village. Serving breakfast, lunch and apres!
Cuisine Type:
Vail Village
Enjoy hot delicious breakfast sandwiches, a variety of breakfast pastries and choose a specialty coffee to get your morning started! For lunch, we feature fresh deli sandwiches, soups and salads. For apres, we have a variety of craft, import and domestic brews and be sure to check out the bottoms-up keg system exclusively at Express Lift. We also offer hand-crafted cocktails and wine along with signature ski snacks that are fun to share with your group of friends after a spectacular day of skiing including our Chicken Wings hand tossed in Spicy Thai or Sriracha Lime, Colorado Sausage & Cheese Platter, Beer & Pretzel Battered Wisconsin Cheese Curds, and Hummus & Veggies with Warm Pita Bread. Open 8am to 5pm (times vary depending on Resort operating hours). Located at Mountain Plaza in Vail Village at the base of Gondola One.
To get the best possible experience using our websites we recommend that you upgrade to a newer browser. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
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Brave mum cuddled new baby Blake – having given birth just 20 hours after breaking her leg.
Emma Ramsay, 32, slipped on ice outside her home and fought through the agony to crawl inside and phone for help.
Her badly broken leg required emergency surgery to insert a pin - but docs had to rush her to maternity when her labour began.
She then had to endure the agony of childbirth while still reeling from painful broken limb.
The 32-year-old single mum from Menstrie, Clackmannanshire in Scotland, was due to give birth in just over a week when she slipped on black ice outside her home on the morning of Saturday, January 26.
She'd gone to hospital the night before thinking she might be in labour - but had been sent home.
"I thought my labour might have started but when I left hospital one of the ladies said, 'Watch you don't break a leg when you leave - it's icy out there'," she explained.
"Then the next morning I went out the front of my house to get a gas meter reading and on the way back inside I slipped on black ice," she explained.
"Once I fell, my initial thought was for my stomach and I worried about my baby.
"Then I looked at my leg and it was swollen and I couldn't move it at all.
"I didn't have my phone on me so I had to crawl back in my front door and up the stairs on my hands and knees to find my mobile.
"It got sorer and sorer on the way up - but the thought of my baby pushed me on.
"Once I got upstairs I grabbed my phone, lay down and phoned my mum and dad. I thought I'd broken just the ankle at that point."
Emma's parents Violet and Clive, who own the Clive Ramsay sports café at Stirling University, rushed from their homes nearby and called an ambulance on the way.
Emma decided to crawl back downstairs to the door to wait for help.
"Once I'd got downstairs the realisation of what I'd done sank in and I was cold and shaking with shock," she explained.
"Even though I didn't land on my stomach I was worried about whether my baby would be affected by the stress and shock."
She was taken to the accident and emergency department of the Forth Valley Royal Hospital at Larbert where her leg was x-rayed with a lead jacket over her stomach.
Doctors told her she'd broken both sides of her left ankle and her leg and would need surgery to insert pins and a plate.
But then when she was examined by a maternity doctor, they discovered she was in labour and her cervix was 5cm dilated.
"I was sore but I didn't really feel contractions at that point," explained Emma. "I think the pain in my leg was bigger at first.
"Doctors said they couldn't operate on my leg - I'd have to have my baby first."
Her broken leg was put in a temporary cast to hold it in place while she tried to cope with just gas and air during labour.
She was placed on a drip to speed up the labour, but admits the pain became unbearable.
"I'd get a contraction and take gas and air - but then I'd be hit by the pain in my leg." She had a diamorphine injection and then an epidural.
But the baby was in a posterior position face down and stuck so she had to have an emergency c-section.
Blake was born at 5.55am on Sunday, January 27 - around 20 hours after Emma had fallen over.
Then on the Tuesday, Emma underwent a three-hour op to have a plate put in her left leg and pins and screws through her ankle and top of her foot.
But she was discharged from hospital on Saturday and has taken her newborn with her to stay with her mum.
"I can laugh about it now," she said. "I'm just relieved my baby was okay.
"When I said the baby was called Blake someone said, 'Blake a leg', but I hadn't thought that when I named him.
"Everyone at the hospital was amazing - I'm so grateful. I'm sure Blake will be sick of us telling him the story when he's older.
"I'm probably going to be in plaster for four weeks so I can't take him out for a walk in the pram yet, but I'm managing to cope with the help of my mum and dad.
"I know looking after a newborn is tough but I keep thinking how easy it's going to be once I manage to even walk to the kitchen.
"Looking back I can't believe I managed to get up and down the stairs with a broken leg and in labour - but I think my maternal instinct kicked in."


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Today, I'm featuring Wei Yang, 27, from CallforSitters.com, a site that connects babysitters and parents. It's cool because it has the classic chicken-and-egg problem, yet it has nearly 100,000 users! If any of you have business ideas that only become useful after a lot of people join, check this one out. As you read below, note a few things:
- Wei Yang's site removes barriers in some places, but intentionally adds them in other places (e.g., charging parents). Think about how you can use barriers strategically, as I wrote about here.
- He's hiring for equity. If you're interested, let me know and I'll connect you. (If you're not sure, ask yourself if the skills you'd learn would be applicable to things you'll do in the future.) One email never hurt anybody.
- He funded it with credit cards!
- The advice to really do your research about your competitors is right on. Every week, I get emails from people thinking they have a secret idea. They say something like, "Ramit, what do you think about starting…an online video site??? This is when I throw a large piece of metal through a window. PLEASE DO SOME HOMEWORK AND SEE WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE!!! This was the basis for my article, 8 stupid frat-boy business ideas.
- He talks about how he skipped a week of classes to polish an executive summary, submit it to an entrepreneurship program, and take this thing live. Think back to your last week of work or classes. Did you do something that could change your life?
I love this. But I can't figure out how you got around the chicken-and-egg problem. (The chicken-and-egg problem is when your site needs a lot of people to be useful.)
The chicken-or-the-egg problem prompted a long debate when we first thought of the CallforSitters.com idea. For our service, we started by defining our core markets (parents that need babysitters and babysitters that need jobs) and then we looked towards traditional communication channels to see how the two groups previously interacted. We debated a number of models including: charging only the parents, charging only the sitters or making the site entirely free for everyone. While the latter option sounded great on paper for attracting new users, we decided that a safer option for our members and to keep out unwanted guests would be to setup a barrier of entry so that only the people who truly needed the service would be signing up to our website.
Traditionally, parents who don't have friends or relatives to rely on would use newspaper classifieds and bulletin boards to find local babysitters. We wanted to improve this exchange by providing an enhanced online version with a faster turn-around time. Our babysitter profiles answer common interview questions, so parents can pre-screen sitters online and contact only those who they feel are qualified. We also provide the emails and phone numbers of our members so that parents will have more options to contact the sitters after putting their ads out.
While there are competing services out there that charge the babysitters membership fees and let the parents post jobs for free, we went with the more traditional model where we charged the parents for access and built up a reserve of babysitters by letting them sign up for free. We felt that in our niche, the people that are looking for jobs are most likely the people that are in need of money, therefore we wanted to help them by sharing this resource without making it difficult for them to participate.
How successful is the site now?
The site over all has been receiving great feedback from our users. We have just shy of 100,000 users and we have babysitters registered in every state. Numbers aside, the fact that we are helping parents who are in dire need of child care so they can take a break from the daily grind or confidently accept a full-time job without scheduling concerns is what makes this website a worthwhile venture.
Every now and then, mixed in between the customer service emails are the letters of praise and appreciation and these letters are the ones that really help reinforce what we're doing.
Do you have any business partners?
Right now the site is co-owned by myself and a few friends and family members. Most of the co-owners compliment my skills in one way or another. However, if there's anyone out there that would like to help us grow for equity, we would certainly be open to discussion.
How did you initially get started? (Be specific, including how you noticed the need—was there a personal reason?—came up with a solution, created the web site, and went through other logistics.)
The idea was started in my dorm room like most other college start-ups. At the time, I needed a job and the only advertised jobs near my campus were jobs selling Ginsu knifes or scissors that can cut pennies (if for some reason that is your forte). Frustrated by the lot of disappointing options, I wanted to develop an online forum where students could go online and actually find a decent, worthwhile job that paid more than minimum wage. At the time, Monster and HotJobs were all pretty hot, but most of these websites offered career options and not so much part-time gigs. So instead of trying to compete directly with the big boys, I wanted to create something that served a different audience. Flipping through the school newspaper, the child care section always had the most number of ads and many of them I had seen running for a few weeks probably due to a lack of good responses. Based on my knowledge of the web, I felt that this was probably one niche I could do a lot of improvement on; thus the idea of CallforSitters.com was born.
However, what really pushed the idea forward during my brainstorming phase was a new opportunity that had popped up at my university for entrepreneurs. My university started a new entrepreneurship program which I was really interested in. Luckily for me, the program was open to anyone interested whether they were in the business school or not. The only catch was that an idea had to be submitted and be accepted by the dean of the new program. I skipped a week of classes, polished my idea, and submitted the executive summary as my entry. When I was finally accepted into the program, I decided to use the project as my thesis, and I built out and refined the rest of the details from there.
How did you fund it at the beginning?
The project was started mostly off of credit cards, possibly some student loans and whatever the website made back in the monthly revenue. I tried to do a good amount of networking while in college so the original website was actually created by myself and a group of friends with very little overhead. I was lucky enough to have some friends and family invest in the idea about a year after the initial launch to help grow the business. However, for the most part, the project has been self sustaining and maturing on its own.
I know a lot of articles out there suggest hitting up friends, family and fools to start but I will be the first one to say that is not always a viable or easy option, especially when the project is still just an idea. I mean, does everyone have rich friends out there? I certainly didn't. I think if you truly believe in your product, even your friends and family would want to see that you're committing some of your own money and sweat into the project. Sometimes you come out on top and win, but sometimes you also learn the hard way why some things just don't work out.
And then what?
Funding today is a little easier as we now have more cash flow to work with. However, in my opinion we are still on the ground floor with a lot of potential for growth. I would honestly love to have a couple of million dollars to work with and do as I please, but I've also learned that with a smaller budget, you learn to be a lot more careful with your testing, analytics and growth strategy. In the end, I think it's a fair trade-off to get that experience as well as learning to adapt with the industry changes.
What are some of the growth challenges you've had to face?
I think one of the biggest challenges we've faced is getting the word out so that we can be in all the markets we want to be in. The technology on the website (search by zip code) is in place for us to serve the entire U.S. but without the large corporate marketing budgets backing the product, it's been a challenge to get both the parents and the babysitters from a new area to find us and completely fill up an area at the same time.
I remember reading somewhere that it takes about $80 million dollars to create a household brand name in the U.S. I guess we have quite a ways to go… =)
What's been your biggest surprise?
My biggest surprise would have to be the amount of work that is involved with building up a brand and keeping the business running smoothly. You hear phrases like "A successful business is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." As much effort as my team has been putting in, sometimes I think we still underestimate that 99%…
Do you make money?
I won't get into the specifics but I think we are doing okay for now. I can say like most start-ups, we would like to be higher in the list of "websites you can't live without." However, as long as the service does its job of helping people, I am happy with its accomplishments.
Ok, seriously: Why are all babysitters women?
Heh, this is a good question. Even though about 92% of the sitters registered on CallforSitters.com are female, I don't necessarily think one gender or the other would be a bad fit in the babysitting role; I guess it all comes down to what the individuals want to do as their jobs. This is certainly one question that would make for a good discussion on BabysittingForums.com!
What's next from here? Do you want to grow? What does that look like?
We are currently working on a newer version of the website that will provide a more enhanced experience for our users than the current edition. We are definitely looking to grow within our industry as well as possibly expanding into other fields that can benefit from the addition of people-matching services.
At this point in time, I would like to focus more of our team's efforts into marketing. If you view website development as the sprint portion of the race, then marketing is the marathon. You need to succeed in both parts in order to get to the end.
Should entrepreneurs keep their ideas secret? Did you? Should you have?
I think depending on what stage of the game you're at, you should find a good balance between guarding your trade secrets vs. getting your ideas out to the open public. Obviously if you have the mechanics of teleportation figured out, I would guard that secret, file a patent and create a working prototype before letting the public know what you've been up to.
On the other hand, if you have yet another web idea, I would probably follow Google's lead and build a beta, throw it out there and let your users tell you what they like and don't like about your service and respond accordingly. As far as web based technology goes, I don't think there's much left that can be protected. YouTube only went mainstream about 3 months ago and already all of the major community websites have their own version of video players that can stream videos without hiccups. I feel like the only barrier to entry one can put up with websites is to build up the core group of audience and hope that the next copy-cat won't be able to build up their audience faster than you can.
In my particular case, I have a group of entrepreneurial friends with whom I brainstorm and juggle ideas who I have always included when something new sparks in my head. I find that having multiple points of view and open discussions helps me see through flaws and weaknesses that I may have otherwise overlooked. However, for the general public, I wouldn't necessarily announce our plans unless I am sure we are near completion on those features. If you can't get any constructive feedback from the crowd especially at the early ideas stage, then there's really no point for them to be in the know. However, if you are at a point where you are ready for debut, I'd say go for it; write a press release and let it all out.
It seems to me that your site is a great example of something removing barriers. Can you talk about that?
The one thing I love about CallforSitters.com is that it does work and it does save both the parents and babysitters time in their search for each other. The benefits we offer our sitters over Craigslist and regular bulletin boards is that you come, you create a profile, and you can link to it anywhere on the web. Unlike online classifieds, you don't have to come back every 2 weeks and re-post your ad, which can be time consuming. Also, we send out daily emails to sitters when new jobs are posted in their area; this feature alone can save many frustrated job seekers hours a day knowing that the system has their back.
For parents, we implemented many features to help speed up their searching process over traditional media. If a parent was to look for a babysitter in the newspapers, they would first have to come up with an ad, re-word the ad so it can fit in four short lines of the classifieds, play phone tag for a few days or weeks and finally interview a few candidates and hire one that they hope is the best out of the group.
With our system, you sign up, browse the available profiles and you can choose who you want to interview within that hour. If there are too many profiles to check out, we also allow you to post a job with your needs and let sitters that fit the description respond to your job so you can see who out of the group of respondents fit what you're looking for. To help you save time asking all the basic questions, the sitters on the site have answers to common questions filled out as well as available references listed in their profiles. All in all, we do our best to make sure parents can make an informed decision and get the best possible results from our service.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm currently 27 and live in the city of Atlanta. I graduated from the University of Maryland (Go Terps!) and I probably spent too much time in front of a computer day-to-day. =P I started working with the web in college and have done everything from design to coding to marketing (basically whatever the website needed). I'm always looking to meet other entrepreneurs out there who share the same passion for their projects as I do mine. I find chatting with fellow entrepreneurs can be very enlightening and the networking is always fun.
What advice can you give us about starting something successful?
My one advice for anyone trying to do Internet related businesses would be to stay abreast of the industry news and don't reinvent the wheel. Make sure you do your research so that you are not unnecessarily creating everything from scratch when the parts that make up your service are widely available. If your idea needs certain components or code to make it work, see if you can find them on the web (free or for a fee) and put them together. I've come across so many development teams that insist on making every piece of code from scratch which just ends up being months of wasted time. Chances are someone out there is already working on your idea so take smart short cuts where and when you can.
If you're interested, check out CallForSitters.com. Still looking for more? Read other Friday Entrepreneurs, sign up for my newsletter, and submit yourself as a Friday Entrepreneur.
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If you were given the chance to start a new set of chambers with a free hand, what would it be like? I asked myself that last year, and these were my answers.
First of all, we should be inside one of the Inns. We need these ivory towers to remind us who we are and, at the same time, to protect our independence from one another.
The first part of that is obvious. The separate role of the bar, the genuinely collegiate nature of the profession and the organic interdependence between the bar and the judiciary are all manifested and preserved by the Inns and would not survive without them.
The other part is less obvious. Our individual and personal independence, which is the most important element of our function within the legal system, depends on keeping to a minimum our financial ties with other members of the bar. Chambers outside the Inns may represent a good investment and may seem to offer better facilities at lower rents, but they are bound to involve a joint financial commitment that is likely to grow and engender a corporate attitude. Chambers inside the Inns provide complete security whatever the terms of your tenancy. The Inns are never going to turn out chambers who pay their rent and behave themselves, and yet they ask for minimal commitment as there is always a break clause.
Second, we should allow ourselves to be defined by the geography of the place. Sets of chambers began as convenient sharing arrangements, defined by a group of rooms or a staircase which formed a natural community. That has turned out to be an important factor in preserving our individual independence because it produces a form of association that can, and should, provide support and security for members – particularly beginners – without contractual or other formal ties.
But there is no point in being bigger than a staircase, or perhaps two adjacent staircases. When chambers get too big for all the members to know one another they lose their point. The opportunities for economies of scale are limited and the idea that chambers can offer the services of 'teams' or 'departments' is either illusory or unprofessional. We can operate very effectively in ad hoc teams for particular cases, but anything more is the first step towards partnership and that would be the end of the bar as a separate profession.
Third, today's chambers must have state-of-the-art IT. CDs, online publications and databases and receiving instructions and transmitting our work by email have transformed the way we work and will go on doing so in ways we cannot fully predict. They have increased our independence and mobility because we are less dependent on the library and the chambers' copying and fax facilities – the chambers typist is an extinct species. We have to go with that and it suits us. The court will be paperless before we are much older.
But contrary to our expectations a few years ago, state-of-the-art technology is not prohibitively expensive. High-speed cabling and switching, fast and sophisticated document-handling and SDSL – so that you are transmitting your data as fast as you are receiving it – are essential. But if chambers are too big, the hardware has to be duplicated and extending your network beyond a single staircase may be difficult or impossible.
Finally, the most important requirement, apart from, of course, high-calibre members, is high-calibre traditional clerks. Again, this is vital for our independence. A chambers should be managed by its senior clerk and a team chosen by them and loyal to chambers through them. The head of chambers should not have time to manage chambers and a committee of busybodies who do have time is a recipe for disaster. The clerk should be regarded as responsible equally and independently to each member and not as employed collectively – two chancery judges have described the position of senior clerk as "an office". That is the correct legal analysis of the position and an artificial contract should not be superimposed. In my view, these contracts are generally either shams or liable to be set aside for undue influence, but that topic requires an article to itself.
The fraternity of traditional barristers' clerks – including those who have followed governors when they took their seats on the bench – provide an invisible but indispensable network that smooths and lubricates the court process. Chambers which are not managed by such a clerk are severely hampered in serving their clients.
John McDonnell QC is head of chambers at Thirteen Old Square


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What Types of Information Does ivPolePals.com Collect From Me?
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We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the Personal Information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. However, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. Therefore, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
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From time to time, we may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at some time in the future we will post the policy changes to our Web site to notify you of these changes and we will use for these new purposes only data collected from the time of the policy change forward. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our Web site periodically.
If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us at the above addresses or phone number, state or local chapters of the Better Business Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission by phone at 202.FTC-HELP (202.382.4357) or electronically at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/complaint.htm.


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News & Events
Articles posted in December 2012
← Back to all articles
We pride ourselves on helping you to stay protected and informed. Stay up-to-date on the latest fraud and scams, as well as what's happening at Ossian State Bank.
Special FDIC Consumer News Edition for Young Adults and Teens
The FDIC has published some great materials to help Young Adults with their finances. This is a great resource for both Teens and Parents! You can view this article at www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/news/cnfall12. Some of the topics covered...Read More »


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Article Preview
SENATORS IN FRONT, 7-4; Hand Athletics Seventh Straight Defeat on 6 Runs in Sixth
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 2 (AP) -- A big sixth inning carried the Senators to their third straight victory and cost the Athletics their seventh consecutive defeat tonight, 7--4.
September 03, 1947
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Deer Hunting Forums (http://www.deerhuntersclub.com/forums/)
- DHC Classifieds (http://www.deerhuntersclub.com/forums/dhc-classifieds/)
- - 4 x 4 Utility Vehicle (http://www.deerhuntersclub.com/forums/dhc-classifieds/1690-4-x-4-utility-vehicle.html)
4 x 4 Utility Vehicle
Treker Utility Vehicle
It is a heavy duty farm grade vehicle. The color is green with the following options:
20 HP Honda engine, Bench Seat, Windshield, 2000 lb Warn Winch, Electric Dump, Canopy, Gun Racks, Front Basket, Back Screen, Head Rests, Bed Liner, Skid Plate, Front receiver plate, Rear receiver plate, 60" Scraping blade, Headlights, Constant Variable Transmission, 1000 lb to capacity, 800 lb load capacity
Retail on the unit was roughly $13,000. My cost with accessories was $9,600.
I am willing to let it go for around $7,800 and will throw in a deluxe saddle bag and a couple of combo bag kits for a 4 wheeler.
Need to sell asap. Will take $6,999.
What year is it? How many miles on it? does it have a warranty?
It is a 2006 with only 8 hours on it. It is really in like new condition. I have only used it around the house for light hauling.
The warranty priod has ended. It came with a one year warranty on tghe vehicle and a two year warranty on the engine.
I have motor manuals and a few extra items that go with it as well.
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House Vacated: Another One Bites The Dust
Another Rockaway Park house was issued a vacate order on the heels of last weeks closing of two unsafe homes and partial vacate of a third.
168 Beach 115 street was closed by the Buildings Department after numerous violations were found, including flooding and waste in the basement. Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14, called the house a "nightmare.
The Wave reported last week that 118-07 Rockaway Beach boulevard and 172 Beach 115 street were closed and tenants were told they had to leave. Gaska explained that the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development (HPD) will be locking up the doors and boarding up the windows of these locations within a few days.
Captain Scirica of the 100 Precinct said that if former tenants or any other individual tries to go into these locations, they will be charged with trespassing. For tenants that still need to remove clothing or furniture, Scirica said that they must notify HPD before they enter.


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I think I rolled my queen last week when performing a split. The hive is rocking, capped and uncapped brood, two honey supers on. There are no eggs and the bottom deep is honey bound.
There are thirty emergency queen cells on the frames in the top deep. Some are uncapped with larvae and some are capped.
So is there any reason why I can't split the hive into quarters with emergency cells in each nuc and an equal amount of nurse bees in each?
I know I won't get as much honey and here it is July 3rd.
Bueller? Bueller?


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Mapletree Said to Prepare $1.2 Billion IPO of Property AssetsJoyce Koh
Mapletree Investments Pte plans to raise more than S$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) through the initial public offering of a real estate investment trust backed by assets in Hong Kong and China, said two people with knowledge of the matter.
Mapletree Greater China Commercial Trust may start trading in Singapore in March and will include the Festival Walk shopping mall in Hong Kong and Gateway Plaza office complex in Beijing, said the people, who asked not to be be identified as the information is private.
The deal would mark the biggest IPO of a real estate investment trust in Singapore, surpassing two earlier offerings by Mapletree. Mapletree Commercial Trust, which raised $754 million in April 2011, and Mapletree Industrial Trust, which completed a $714 million IPO in September 2010, are both up more than 40 percent from their offer prices, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
"As a capital manager, we are always looking at ways to syndicate new private equity funds or REITs," Mapletree said in an e-mailed response to questions today. "We will update the market as and when appropriate."
Mapletree, the real estate unit of Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore's investment company, is likely to own more than 30 percent of the REIT after the listing, one of the people said. The International Financing Review reported on the IPO yesterday.
Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., DBS Group Holdings Ltd. and HSBC Holdings Plc are managing the offer, the people said.
Festival Walk
ARA Asset Management last year canceled the IPO of Dynasty REIT, which would have been backed by commercial real estate in China and was planning to raise as much as 5.4 billion yuan ($867 million).
Swire Pacific Ltd., a Hong Kong office and shopping mall landlord, agreed to sell the Festival Walk shopping center to Mapletree for HK$18.8 billion ($2.4 billion) in July 2011. Beijing Gateway Plaza is an office complex consisting of two 25-floor office towers, connected by a retail podium and basement car parks.
Mapletree owned and managed S$19.9 billion of office, logistics, industrial, retail and mixed-use properties across Asia at the end of March 2012, according to its website.


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Hello Beauties,
Today's post is just a really simple outfit that's super comfortable to wear in this warm weather. Recently it's been really hot!! Spring is definitely here.
I never used to wear hats when I was younger and only started recently because the sun has been quite strong. When I was younger I'd always worry that hats would make my face look rounder. I had/still have a pretty chubby face x__x
I still wear cardigans or long sleeves (even though it's really warm out) when I head out because I hate the look of uneven tans. My brother and Tubbie both have farmer tans hahaha.
I really love Pink x Black combos.
Top is actually a bralette with a cute bow design in the back.
Shorts are high-waisted, from Japan.
Cardigan is from Uniqlo.
Fun Fact: I really am not a big fan of the extreme heat.. or the extreme cold.
I love weather thats in between, just like how Goldilocks liked her porridge ✩
|The back of the top
What are you wearing and what is your weather like?
Leave me a link below to your blog and I will gladly check it out :3
✿ Happy Spring ✿
xoxoxo, Cindy⭐☽
, by Cindy Anne


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Internio Taste Tests The New Lays Chip Flavors
I was only able to find Cappuccino & Wasbai Ginger. If anyone knows where I can find Bacon Mac and Cheese & Mango Salsa, let me know! - Dj Internio
Born and Raised in West Michigan . Most of your probably know me as 'Internio'. I started as an intern and the name stuck. But after years of explaining it and NOT being an intern, I decided it was time for a change.
I am a huge fan of the Detroit lions and the NFL in general. Which has caused me to play a ton of Fantasy Football.
I am a fashion nerd --mostly shoes, but really everything.
I love food, but also try to watch my fitness. Sometimes the two don't line up!
I couldn't go a day with out my phone, laptop or PS4. Yes in that order.
Snapchat has taken over my life: mikeonmyradio
Mike is the recent addition to the Mojo in the Morning show. Which can now be heard on the east and west side of Michigan. He can also be heard (M-Fri) starting on 10a on 1045 SNX.
Mike has shared the stage with Justin Bieber, Flo Rida, B.O.B, Ludacris, LMFAO, Ed Sheeran and some of today's biggest artist. His DJ mixes have been featured on West Michigan's #1 Afternoon drive mix show 'The Beatdown'.
Mikeis a huge believer in giving back to the community and has teamed up with several organizations to show his support: The Salvation Army, Kent County Prevention Coalition, Special Olympics Michigan, and the Gilda's Club.
Recently Mike worked alongside President Ford's Daughter, Susan Ford, as a guest Emcee/DJ for the Spectrum Health: Ribbon of Hope "A Betty Ford Breast Cancer Awareness Event."


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According to my (child-free) colleague, budget airline Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, are on to a good thing.
For a $17.95 top-up fee, Scoot passengers can fly "in peace and quiet" with an upgrade to the ScootinSilence cabin, where they can enjoy "exclusivity and privacy ... as under-12s will be some place else".
Scoot's new plan bans pre-teens from the first seven rows of its economy-class section.
Having flown plenty with our two kids, I can see the attraction. I often feel sorry for passengers sitting near us (even though my kids are - mostly - absolute angels) and, like most parents, I'm always grateful for the extra attention of the cabin crew and ground staff. Not to mention the loads of extra free luggage the big carriers let parents get into the hold.
Air New Zealand, Jetstar and Qantas say they have no plans to bring in kiddy-free class.
Putting up with someone else's kids squawking seems no biggie on short domestic hops, but I reckon there would be plenty of people willing to pay a little extra coin for some peace and quiet on long-haul. There's an advantage for the parents too, as kids will often interact with other kids sitting nearby and your fellow parents are usually understanding about kiddy dramas.


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From the http://www.odysseytransmission.com/ website's forum, the lawyer handling a prospective class action lawsuit on the Odyssey Transmission failures is Jared Stamell and his office's telephone number is 212-566-4356. The goal is to hold Honda accountable for their poor quality and design. Jared can be reached at 212-566-4356, he is at One Liberty Plaza, NY, NY (25th Floor).
Following is the website's content:
Welcome to the Odyssey Transmission site, where you will find a lot of useful information for dealing with your Odyssey transmission problems. You probably found this site after experiencing problems with your Odyssey transmission. Maybe it started slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear, which is the most common thing that people first notice. Perhaps your check engine light came on after a slip occurred, or maybe the TCS light came on while on a road trip, which is another indicator of transmission problems. Whatever the case may be you have a battle ahead, which may cost you on average around $3000.
A brief history of the Odyssey transmission failure, it started with the 1999 model. In December of 2006 a class action settlement was approved, which would give Odyssey owners of 1999-2001 model years an extended warranty on the transmission until 109,000 miles. See hondatransmissionsettlement.com for more information, and to see if you are included in this class. For newer Odyssey models, a recall was announced to revise the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. This recall was supposed to fix the Odyssey transmission issue that previously occurred in the 1999-2001 models.
But as you probably already know this recall did not solve the problem for all. The majority of the cases are from 2002 to 2004. However, there are also some 2005's and 2006's with problems. Supposedly in 2007 they started using a stronger transmission, like the one used in a Ridgeline. You can review some of the forums that are linked on the left of this page, and find thousands of people with failed Odyssey transmissions even with newer models. Several people are on their second transmission replacement, and some are even on their third replacement. Visit the AutomobileMag Forums for information on a second class action lawsuit, which is in the works for other model years.
Once you have noticed a problem with your Odyssey transmission, typically you should take it to a dealership to have them diagnose the problem. Once they have confirmed that you do indeed need a new transmission, you are at the mercy of the dealership. If you are a one owner, and have done all your service at that dealership, they will typically go to bat for you when calling Honda. At this point they will come back with an offer from Honda to cover from 0% to 100% of the total bill. In some cases they will come back with covering 100% of the replacement cost. However, if you are not the original owner, and did not service your vehicle at the dealership there is no telling what they will offer. Honda claims to handle each case differently, and typically a regional Honda manger will review your case first an make an offer to the dealership. Original owners usually get more help, than second owners. Once you receive your estimate and any offer of financial assistance from Honda, you have the option of opening a case with Honda America (Phone Number: 1-800-999-1009). Someone will take down your information, and then they will have a case manager call you. The case manger will review your information and make a final decision. 25% seems to be the average rate for second owners, which brings your cost to around $3000. However each case is handled differently, some people get more and others get no help. When you try to persuade them for more help or argue your case, the case managers quickly become extremely rude and will talk you in circles. You may notice they sound like broken records (or robots), and will continue to repeat scripted information. They will tell you there is no known issue with the Odyssey transmission other than the recall. They will also try to tell you that everything you read on the internet in the forums is not true. At this point you don't have a lot of options, either take the deal or go to a non-dealership transmission shop. Some people are offered a 3yr/36K mile warranty, so in that case you may want to take the deal with Honda. However, not everyone is offered the warranty.
In conclusion, Honda obviously has acknowledged there is still a problem with the Odyssey transmission, or they would not be offering financial assistance to anyone. Why they offer different amounts to different owners, or why some people are offered a warranty on the replacement transmission and others are not is still a mystery. The problem is the same no matter who you are, where you live, or where you bought and serviced your Odyssey. Since Honda has chosen to handle this on a case-by-case basis, we would like everyone to share his or her "case". If you have gone through this process, we would like for you to share your story. Click the "Share Your Case" link.


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In the past, I posted a list of the "Worst Atheist Debaters." I now think that title was a mistake, since it's possible that a single debate performance may not be representative of a person's overall skill in debate. So I am republishing that list now as a list of the "Worst Atheist Debate Performances."Like my list of "Best Atheist Debaters," I don't know of any way to be fully objective about this sort of thing. Also, like the other list, I fully recognize that others may disagree. … [Read more...]
Worst Atheist Debate Performances (revised 22-May-15)
Craig-Carroll Debate Video Now Online
HT: Mikkel Rumraket Rasmussen … [Read more...]
Sean Carroll on His Debate with WLC
LINK … [Read more...]
Why most Animals are not Philosophers: Fatal Flaws in Dr. Craig's Moral Argument for God
LINK … [Read more...]
Craig-Carroll Debate
I missed the opening statements, but watched the rest of the debate live. Based on what I saw, Carroll did as well in his debate with Craig as Shelley Kagan did in his. Off the top of my head, this is the best debate performance I have ever seen by an atheist scientist. … [Read more...]
Breaking News: WLC Disses Aquinas
During the Q&A period of tonight's Craig-Carroll debate on God and cosmology, WLC said this (or something very close to it): "Aquinas' metaphysical principles are just dubious."Shhhhh... Don't tell Ed Feser. … [Read more...]
Angra Mainyu Responds to WLC and Murray on Animal Pain
His response is spread over three posts. Here are the links.IntroductionPart 1Part 2 … [Read more...]
Di Muzio Responds to WLC on "Theism and the Meaning of Life"
LINKHT: Ex-Apologist … [Read more...]


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I've always wanted to visit the Hermitage- thank you for taking me there, Donna!
Conquering the Hermitage
Trip Start Mar 01, 2012
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So I left today in its entirety to visit the world's largest museum. I was hoping for rain, and got my wish when I woke up at 5:30am (to join JRiggs and Matt's wedding by Skype- congratulations!!!!) to a huge thunderstorm. Great museum weather. I emerged about 4.5 hours later, hungry and thirsty since I had to leave all my snacks in the cloakroom, but very satisfied. I've copy/pasted from the Hermitage's official iApp when applicable, but otherwise will let the photos speak for themselves
Trekked down to a photo gallery after a little picnic- this was my last day after all, gotta make the most of it. Cool photos from an exhibit entitled, "City as Habitat."
Sat through the 6pm service at Lady of Kazan Cathedral in order to listen to the soothing singing. Since most of my meals have been about $5 and I've been cooking breakfast every morning, I treated myself to a fancy pasta dinner and a glass of bubbly- heavenly.
By the way, the mosquitoes found me outside.
Dosvidanya Russia- I'll miss you!


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Mine workers and residents gather outside a coal mine after a explosion in Sorange near Quetta, Pakistan on Sunday, March 20, 2011. A methane gas explosion in a coal mine in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 43 miners. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)
I apologize for not getting a Friday roundup done last week. I was busy with some other assignments, but we'll try to catch up here today.
First off, we have a couple of interesting "fact check" items regarding claims about the Obama administration's coal policies.
In one of them, the Lexington Herald-Leader declared to be "mostly false" the allegation by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that "President Obama is on record saying he wants to bankrupt the coal industry." According to the paper's Campaign Watchdog:
There's no evidence President Barack Obama has ever said he wants to bankrupt the coal industry, although Obama has proposed policies that he acknowledged might "bankrupt" anybody who builds a traditional coal-fired power plant.
Next, there's this piece from WSLS-TV in Roanoke and PolitiFact Virginia regarding statements from Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., regarding EPA's guidelines on conductivity and Appalachian coal mining:
Not even expensive bottled water, like Perrier and Evian, are of good enough quality to pump out of mines in Southwest Virginia, according to the EPA regulation.
Here's what they found:
To test the accuracy of Griffith's statement, PolitiFact Virginia Reporter Jacob Geiger went to a lab at VCU where he and a researcher actually tested the pollutants in various samples of water. One sample was from the James River and several others came from bottled water companies including Evian and Perrier.
In the PolitiFact Virginia reporter, Geiger said, "The EPA's standard for conductivity is 500 microsiemans. The distilled water had a conductivity of 2.2 microsiemens. The James River water had a conductivity of 139 microsiemens. Evian 584. The Perrier had 795. And the Pellegrino had 1,266 microsiemens."
What does all of that mean? Technically, that Congressman Griffith's statement was accurate. Perrier and most of the bottled waters did not pass the EPA's regulations for streams near the coal mining areas in Appalachia.
But, PolitiFact Virginia reports that this technically accurate statement misses the point. The EPA guidelines aren't necessarily designed to make human drinking water safe. Instead, an EPA spokesperson says the regulations are in place to protect the environment including fish.
Richard Yost told PolitiFact Virginia, "The science demonstrates that stream life present in waters contaminated by mine waste is killed when salinity levels rise above levels that would not be toxic to humans who may drink such water. Aquatic organisms and people respond to salinity in very different ways, so it is not technically valid to make direct comparisons between healthy levels of salinity in central Appalachian streams and acceptable levels of salinity in drinking water."
Simply put… what might be safe for us to drink could kill fish and other wildlife.
The verdict?
Rep. Griffith's statement is: Barely True. The researchers note that while technically accurate, Griffith's argument misses the point.
Specifically they wrote, "Saying Perrier is good for humans and therefore must be OK for fish seems to us like saying that because humans eat oranges, fish should too."
While we're on the subject of conductivity, John Hale of The Rural Blog had this piece about the issue, reporting:
The future of surface coal mining in Appalachia could depend on a scientific standard that the Obama administration has adopted as a sort of litmus test for water pollution but one that the coal industry says hasn't been proven in the field.
In January the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency vetoed what would have been the largest mountaintop-removal coal mine ever, Arch Coal's Spruce No. 1 Mine in southern West Virginia's Logan County. At the heart of EPA's veto was conductivity, a measure of stream health, which the agency announced last April it would consider in mountaintop removal permitting.
EPA says research has proven that high conductivity, which indicates a high level of salts, damages aquatic life in streams. The coal industry says that research is far from conclusive.
And, our friend Dan Radmacher wrote more about his job change to work as communications director for the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment in this Roanoke Times column:
As one astute observer wrote to me when news broke that I would be leaving the newspaper to join the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, "I had a feeling that concern for the Appalachian environment is where your heart is, but as head of The Roanoke Times editorial page staff you couldn't write about it every day. Now you'll be able to speak freely and often on subjects such as mountaintop removal, associated water pollution, and their impact on Appalachian communities and people."
The center does excellent work in those areas and more, and I'm excited for the opportunity to help Executive Director Joe Lovett and the rest of the staff as they battle against the many abuses perpetrated upon the people and places of Appalachia.
When I left the Gazette, I wrote about how my 10 years there had shaped me as an editorial writer and how I had come to realize tremendous satisfaction in helping give the powerless a voice as they fight the exploitation of the powerful.
That exploitation has been a recurring theme in the history of Appalachia, and fighting it is the mission of the organization I'm joining.
The debate is about coal, climate change, state and federal regulations, the fragile economies of states like Kentucky and West Virginia, and the mountains, rivers and forests of Appalachia. It involves complex, emotionally powerful issues involving people's jobs, their health, their homes and their children.
I am looking forward to retaking a place in that debate.
Also in the Roanoke Times, Metro Columnist Dan Casey wrote a tongue-in-check piece about mountaintop removal:
The best thing about mountaintop removal is that it removes those shade-causing mountains. Have you ever lived on the east side of one of those in the winter? It gets darn cold when the sun drops behind them about 2:30 in the afternoon.
Removing those mountains will warm people's homes, which will cause people to use their electric heaters less, which will mean the power company will need less coal to generate electricity.
Which means the coal company won't have to remove the mountains.
In that sneaky but counterintuitive way, mountaintop removal actually saves mountaintops, though this is not widely understood.
Casey wrote a follow-up column, in which he explained:
You can't say much about the coal mining process known as mountaintop removal without inflaming passions on both sides of the debate.
That was clear in the wake of my Feb. 17 column, which cheekily extolled the controversial practice's many "benefits," such flattened landscapes that would lower road-building costs and spur bicycling and new Super Walmarts.
Some people got the sarcasm, others didn't.
Terry Dotson of Knoxville, Tenn., understood I was kidding. And he blasted me like a peak rich with fossil fuels.
"You sir have no idea what you jest about," he wrote. "Mountaintop mining properly done, as it is today, provides lots of benefits … There are schools, airports, golf courses, shopping centers, soccer fields, horse arenas, football fields, baseball fields, business locations, federal prisons, subdivisions — all above flood stages in the mountains, not down where they are washed away year after year."
Dotson added: "Being unconsciously incompetent is not good when people read your uninformed opinions!!"
But H. Rucker Keister III of Salem begged to disagree.
"Dan, this is best piece I've seen in [The Roanoke Times] in a long time," he wrote. "I KNEW I was tired of walking and driving up and down those bothersome mountains. Now I can thank the coal and energy companies for fixing that for me!"
Jeff Biggers had some interesting international news this week, writing:
When thousands of Bangladeshi take to the streets again on March 28th as part of a decade-long battle to halt a devastating British-owned open-pit coal mine, the world will not only be watching whether Bangladesh's government will honor a coal ban agreement from 2006 or resort to violence.
In light of disturbing WikiLeaks cables, American and worldwide human rights and environmental organizations will also be questioning why the Obama administration is covertly pushing for Bangladesh to reverse course and acquiesce to an internationally condemned open-pit mine that will displace an estimated 100,000-200,000 villagers and ravage desperately needed farmland and water resources.
There were some interesting pieces about the nuclear crisis in Japan that made mention of the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster and would be of interest to Coal Tattoo readers who are interested not just in energy policy, but in how major workplace or environmental disasters can occur, despite the many layers of protections industry sets up.
In one story, the New York Times pointed out:
Three of the world's chief sources of large-scale energy production — coal, oil and nuclear power — have all experienced eye-popping accidents in just the past year. The Upper Big Branch coal mine explosion in West Virginia, the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the unfolding nuclear crisis in Japan have dramatized the dangers of conventional power generation at a time when the world has no workable alternatives able to operate at sufficient scale.
The policy implications for the United States are vexing. "It's not possible to achieve a climate solution based on existing technology without a significant reliance on nuclear power," said Jason Grumet, president of the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington and an energy and climate change adviser to the 2008 Obama campaign. "It's early to reach many conclusions about what happened in Japan and the relevance of what happened to the United States. But the safety of nuclear power will certainly be high on the list of questions for the next several months."
"The world is fundamentally a set of relative risks," Mr. Grumet added, noting the confluence of disasters in coal mining, oil drilling and nuclear plant operations. "The accident certainly has diminished what had been a growing impetus in the environmental community to support nuclear power as part of a broad bargain on energy and climate policy."
And in another piece in its Week in Review section, the Times explained:
The sobering fact is that megadisasters like the Japanese earthquake can overcome the best efforts of our species to protect against them. No matter how high the levee or how flexible the foundation, disaster experts say, nature bats last. Dr. Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, warned that an earthquake in the United States along the New Madrid fault, which caused strong earthquakes early in the 19th century, could kill tens, or even hundreds of thousands of people in the more densely populated cities surrounding the Mississippi River.
All technology can do in the face of such force is to minimize damage to communities and infrastructure, he said, and "on both of those fronts, we're never going to be perfect."
And a Washington Post piece reported:
Many scholars now think that the very complexity of modern life — including our transportation and communication systems, our economy and our social interactions — is directly implicated in the severity of catastrophes. In more complex systems, even small changes or perturbations can have disproportionate and unpredictable effects. The things that make our systems more efficient also make them more effective in spreading the impact of a catastrophe.
The lesson to be drawn from all this is not that we should roll back the clock and return to a simpler and less interconnected existence. It is, rather, that more attention must be paid to the extra risks that come with all the advantages of modern life. There may be a significant cost involved in preventing low-probability disasters, or having sufficient infrastructure to deal with them when they cannot be prevented. But as we are reminded by this week's events in Japan, that cost is likely to be less than the cost of ignoring those risks and doing nothing at all.
Finally, the Spike TV reality show, "Coal" is certainly getting a lot of media coverage, including reviews by The New York Times, The Associated Press, and MetroNews.


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Imec, together with its partners within the European FP6 Program NeuroProbes, has created a new neural probe enabling electrical and chemical recording and stimulation of single neurons in the brain. Applications of the new technology are vast, ranging from tools for fundamental research on the functioning of the brain, to instruments for more precise diagnosis of brain seizures before brain-surgery.
To discriminate single neurons in the brain, the recording electrode should be positioned very close to the neuron, ideally within 100 micrometers or less. To date, multi-electrode recording probes have relied on trial and error, as it is not possible to mechanically optimize the position of electrodes independently from each other. The new Electronic Depth Control (EDC) technology, introduced by imec and its NeuroProbes partners, enables individual adjustment of the position of the different electrodes without requiring any mechanical displacement. The EDC neural probe has hundreds of electronically switchable electrodes, allowing to scan for the most informative neural signals, to lock onto them, and eventually adjust their position during the course of an experiment.
The new EDC neural probe technology opens the door to dozens of new research tracks, and even promises to refine work currently underway. Next to fundamental brain research, one of the key roles of the EDC technology is pre-operative diagnostics prior to brain surgery for a variety of conditions. "It is known that similar probes have been used for decades to discover the focus of an epileptic seizure, for example," explains Herc Neves, scientist at Belgium's imec and coordinator of the NeuroProbes project. "You have a patient that is about to be operated on, and you want to remove as little tissue as possible. By pinpointing where the seizure is generated, you remove only that tissue, resulting in safer and less invasive surgery."
This work was part of the NeuroProbes project (coordinated by imec), partly funded by the European Commission under Framework Program 6. EDC probes have been validated and used successfully in scientific experiments by neuroscientists at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the University of Parma (Italy). EDC technology is the result of a close collaboration with the Microsystem Materials Laboratory of the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at University of Freiburg (Germany).
Story Source:
Materials provided by Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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Murdered ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko worked as a paid agent for the British security service MI6, it was sensationally claimed today.
He was also employed by Spanish intelligence investigating links between the Kremlin and Russian organised crime, a pre-inquest hearing was told.
The claims were made as a lawyer for the inquest declared that the Russian state had a case to answer over the dissident's death at a London hospital in 2006.
The former KGB agent, 43, was poisoned by radioactive polonium–210 while drinking tea during a meeting in a Mayfair hotel with former security colleagues.
The inquiry team said secret Government documents, which included material submitted by Scotland Yard and intelligence agencies, showed that the Russian state had a prima facie case to answer over its culpability for Mr Litvinenko's death.
Hugh Davies, the counsel to the inquest, said the evidence ruled out the involvement of the Chechens, the Spanish mafia and the British government in his death.
The extraordinary claims are expected to plunge relations between Britain and Russia to a new low.
Lawyers acting for Mr Litvinenko's widow Marina said her husband held meetings with his MI6 handler, a man called Martin, in central London.
Ben Emmerson, QC, representing Mrs Litvinenko, said her husband was employed by the Spanish security services at the behest of MI6. The former Russian spy received payments from both MI6 and the Spanish intelligence service into a joint bank account he held with his wife.
Two Russians — Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB bodyguard, and Dmitri Kovtun, a former military intelligence officer — have both been identified by Scotland Yard as prime suspects in the murder.
Russia has refused to extradite the men, each of whom denies involvement in the killing.
Today Mr Emmerson claimed that Mr Litvinenko and Mr Lugovoi were working together and had planned to travel to Spain to give evidence about links between the Russian mafia, the Kremlin and the country's President Vladimir Putin.
When Mr Litvinenko fell ill he phoned Mr Lugovoi from his bed in University College Hospital to say that he could not make the trip.
The pre-inquest hearing was told that the former spy had a mobile phone to contact MI6 and a separate one to get in touch with Mr Lugovoi.
Mr Emmerson also cited evidence from a Wikileaks cable, which quoted evidence from Mr Litvinenko that the Russian intelligence and security services effectively controlled the nation's mafia. The cable from the United States embassy also talked about evidence that Russia was a mafia state.
Mr Emmerson called for the Russian state to be made an interested party at the inquest.
He told the coroner, Sir Robert Owen, the evidence showed that the inquest should examine "the possible culpability of the British state" in failing to protect Mr Litvinenko.
The findings were revealed at the pre-inquest hearing in Camden Town Hall. Sir Robert announced that the full inquest will take place on May 1 next year.Reuse content