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Winter Wonderland
I'm going back to New York on Friday with mixed feelings. I had a really nice time visiting my home town and spending quality time with family and old friends. There is a certain comfort and understanding that comes with knowing people for fifteen years. A bond that runs deep and no matter how much you've changed, its as if nothing has changed once you're together.
I felt a true sense of family and togetherness this trip, something I miss living in New York City. Its not that I dont have fabulous friends, I do. Its that our way of life in the city doesn't allow the same kind of closeness. We have our schedules, our jam packed work weeks, having to make plans weeks in advance for a simple coffee date. And truth be told, New York brings out the flakiness is all of us. While this is my life now and I do love it. I miss the simplicity of just being able to hang around and do nothing, the ease of small town living with no pretense.
We spent evenings huddled around fireplaces, hot tubbing under a blanket of stars, tip toeing through the snow, celebrating with champagne toasts and sharing old stories. Spending the days doing a whole lot of nothing and that being alright. Winter walks deep in fresh powder and vibrant blue skies unlike any other place. I thought I had lost the New Mexican in me, but the truth is shes still there. Just one of my many layers. Somethings come back easier then you would expect, a country girl at heart.
14 comments:
it feels so good being a country girl again...even if it's just on Christmas Time!ReplyDelete
Happy New Year!
Marry Xmas Nicole amazing photos *.*ReplyDelete
I think once you've lived there in any real way, it sticks with you no matter what. I haven't found any other place like it.ReplyDelete
I should add - it's been such a treat to see your NM posts. I could look at these photos for days.ReplyDelete
I feel the same way about hometown friends vs. big city friends! There's something to be said that the bond you have through a shared history with a person or a group of people, and if you move somewhere new, you have to wait for those new histories and relationships to evolve. It's also harder because you are so much more spread out, schedule-wise and life-wise. Growing up is hard...=]ReplyDelete
Oh how I understand your words..such a beautiful photos !!ReplyDelete
I am from Lisbon Portugal and don't get to go home often but you so clearly captured how I feel when i go home, so very easy to spend time with family and friends without advance planning and maybe just a knock on the door. Thank you for the photos, incredible!ReplyDelete
I love going home for the holidays and getting away from the city, but I do miss it while I'm gone.ReplyDelete
Beautiful shots of the snow.
Beautiful photos. Happy Holidays, Nicole! I know what you mean about small town days versus big city days, friends, and plans, and I think my years are most full with them both. I could never appreciate slowing down in the same way without the hustle and bustle of New York... or Paris, for that matter. And it's wonderful how every now and then, the two converge when a lifelong friend visits you in your new home.ReplyDelete
I wish that I was lucky enough to have a little bit of New Mexico in me as well. Just stunning photos! Seriously, those red berries, the white snow, and that blue, blue sky - be still my heart.ReplyDelete
I definitely feel that way as well when I go home. Although Austin is nowhere near as big or hectic as NYC, I find similarities here. People are so busy it can take weeks or months to plan seeing friends where someone doesn't have to cancel. With the relaxing nature of going home, I tell myself I need to do it more often. But I almost think I wouldn't appreciate it quite as much without the busyness of normal life.ReplyDelete
Anyways, Merry Christmas and as always, it's lovely seeing your photos!
Awww! This is so heartwarming. It's good that you can always go back home and have your family and friends waiting for you. ;)ReplyDelete
You hit the nail on the head describing the vibe in New York. It's not til I get out that I remember how much I love hanging out and not flaking out.ReplyDelete
I love your photos!ReplyDelete


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Career Development >> Testing
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/10/2013 (1410 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It's fascinating, and a bit creepy, to gaze upon the ancient face of the dead.
That's exactly what everyone can do when a three-metre sarcophagus goes up on Main Street in front of the Manitoba Museum on Tuesday.
Two local artists and an architect have created a huge sarcophagus -- the ornate container ancient Egyptians used to house the coffin containing the mummified body of a deceased individual.
It will be a towering four metres once mounted and will herald the Manitoba Museum's Wrapped: Mummy of Pesed temporary exhibit running Oct. 25 to April 6.
Pesed was a woman born around 350 BC and is believed to have died 55 to 70 years later. The exhibit will include 60 ancient Egyptian artifacts, cat and falcon mummies, and forensic facial reconstructions of human mummies.
The sarcophagus will be set at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the museum's courtyard, next to the Planetarium, where a 4.6-metre animatronic model of a dinosaur stood earlier this year, where the public can view it.
"I've done everything from movies, to houses to hats but this is a first for me. I'm just thrilled, we all are, to be part of this project," said Kim Forrest, the veteran artist who hand-painted the sarcophagus. She used a historically correct deep orange overlaid with intricate designs, scenes and figures inspired by research on ancient Egypt, but with a flavour of Manitoba's indigenous people in the colours and detail.
"I hope it draws people to the museum. There's a whole new energy around the museum right now. This was made and manufactured in Winnipeg, so this is something for the whole community to share," Forrest said.
The sarcophagus was designed by Anne Armit of Winnipeg, internationally renowned for her 30-year career as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's wardrobe director. The creation of the sarcophagus also involved architect Peter Hargraves of Sputnik Architecture and the University of Manitoba. At the U of M, the design was laser-cut into layers of dense foam to build the structure which was then sprayed with a truck-bed liner coating to seal it. The finished product was sprayed with a protective clear coat.
"We tried to find a balance; we didn't make it a dead representation of history. We had some artistic licence, but it had to be something people would recognize and have some appeal for children," said Armit, who drew 15 concepts before this one was chosen.
"It was a bit daunting for me to think outside of the box and come up with this, but I've had so much support and the museum has been fantastic to work with."e
The ancient Egyptians believed people needed their bodies in the afterlife, so great care was taken in protecting the body. Sarcophagi were usually for prominent people of the time, such as royalty, and elaborately decorated to show the dead person's talents or achievements.
Features of the person were often painted where the face would be. Some contained items thought to be needed in the afterlife, such as pets or valuables.
This sarcophagus can't be opened, but one only needs imagination to think of what would be inside if it could be opened.
"I really hope that every child in Winnipeg wants to be photographed with it. This is the beginning of the museum spilling out of its doors and greeting Winnipeggers and Manitobans and saying, 'Come and see what we've got going on here,' " said Greg Klassen, the museum's marketing and communications manager.
"This is a really great way to engage people, to create an energy outside of the museum to draw people in, be visually exciting and colourful. I really believe in outdoor art and that it should be accessible to everyone."
There will be QR codes on its base for people to scan with their smartphones to link to the museum's website for information about the exhibit.


text:
You won't be able to dismiss this by usual means (escape or click button), but you can close it programatically based on user choices or actions.
"- The person who reviewed my order and made the changes that I asked did a great job and did it fast! - I would recommend an option for different size envelopes, as I had to go buy bigger ones because the card would not fit with a bow tied around it."
"This was a perfect bachelorette invitation. Great quality, classy, cute. I got lots of compliments from the party guests. Very impressed :)"
"I ordered these in pink for my sister's bachelorette party. They paper is thick and sturdy but its design is delicate and lovely. Everyone love the invitations and raved about them!! So happy with this purchase."
"I ordered these for my sisters bachelorette weekend and we loved them! So many compliments, they were a really good quality invitation."
"These cards are amazing! They came out beautifully! I ordered them in purple and I just can't express how beautiful they were! Very impressed with quality, color, design the works. They were a huge hit."


text:
Divide and Conquer: How to Make a Balanced Mealby From Our Sponsor in Uncategorized, August 8, 2012
From our Sponsor: Hill's Science Diet®
There's nothing "square" about eating balanced meals. We've all heard it's important to get proper portions of lean protein, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats, but sometimes it's the last thing we have time to plan. All of a sudden, the "What's for (breakfast, lunch, dinner)?" question is looming.
Rather than hoping for the best, visually divide your plate into three sections: half for fruits and veggies, one quarter for protein and the other quarter for grains. Try out some of these healthy recipes if you're not sure where to get started. It's easy to fill in any missing areas of the plate by adding foods like brown rice, quinoa, green salad dressed with olive oil, or fresh fruit. Also, search online for balanced meal planners to take the guesswork out of it. Again, the real key is to be mindful of the portion needs and sizes.
Try these additional tips to achieve balance when eating:
- Eat a larger lunch (to stay satiated until what, for many, is a long time before dinner).
- Drink water or milk rather than sugary drinks.
- Avoid added sugars, but "everything in moderation" is always good to avoid feeling deprived.
- Eat at least three meals a day.
And remember, it's just as important to feed your pet as well as you feed your family.
TELL US: What's your favorite well-balanced meal?


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We are grateful to Dr. Bianchi and colleagues for summarizing questions about our recent paper associating hypnotics with excess mortality and cancer.1 We are grateful to the Journal for this opportunity to provide organized answers to these questions.
In the absence of adequate randomized trials extending for years, it is clinically important to assess the long-term risks and benefits of commonly prescribed hypnotics, using the best data now available and employing the most conservative analytic strategies possible. We have done that. Dr. Bianchi and colleagues asserted that we confused correlation with causality. We did not. We took pains to be clear that ours was an observational study and that some residual confounding was likely. Nonetheless, the robust associations of hypnotics with mortality and cancer that we found, increasing stepwise with increasing exposure, and virtually unchanged with multiple strategies for control, command attention and reassessment of common practice.
It has been hard to report calmly that hypnotic use was associated with 3.60- to 5.32-fold mortality risks. It would be wonderful if somebody could prove it is not so—and the risk could be overestimated—but scientific ethics require us to report what our data showed and to explain the possible implications. Though the main responsibility for warning falls on the manufacturers who were informed of these risks years ago and on their FDA supervision, we physicians have a duty to warn also. We cannot hide risks, even if they might frighten patients out of taking hypnotics. Patients have a right to know.
Some suppose that the increased mortality of hypnotic users was due to their insomnia, and that insomnia might explain the 3.60- to 5.32-fold mortality excess. It is true that because of the IRB's interpretation of Pennsylvania law, we were unable to control explicitly for insomnia or depression. However, in our paper,1 we referenced several studies which have found that insomnia is NOT associated with significant mortality. We know of no evidence that insomnia significantly predicts mortality when hypnotic use, comorbidities, and other confounders are adequately controlled. A new example is found in the recently published representative national sample from Taiwan, where those with sleep disorders had significantly less cancer incidence than those without sleep disorders among participants who had not received zolpidem, HR = 0.69 (0.62-0.78 95% CI).2 Use of ≥ 300 mg/y zolpidem without benzodiazepines was associated with a cancer hazard ratio of 6.24 (4.13-9.43 95% CI), but even among the zolpidem users, those with sleep disorders had lower risk. Thus, sleep disorders could not conceivably explain the excess mortality or cancer associated with zolpidem prescriptions.
Our paper also referenced studies showing that depression does not confound the association of hypnotic use with mortality. In Belleville's Canadian sample, control for depression only reduced the hypnotics and tranquilizers mortality odds ratio from 1.40 (1.13-1.75, 95% CI) to 1.36 (1.09-1.70, 95% CI), which was not significant.3 Depression was not even a significant mortality risk factor when benzodiazepine use and other covariates were controlled.4 In the Taiwan sample, the cancer hazard ratio for depression was 0.68 (0.53-0.88, 95% CI).2 Thus, confounding with depression could not explain mortality and cancer associated with hypnotic prescriptions.
What about sleep apnea as an explanation? Young and colleagues reported that apnea-hypopnea indices < 30 were NOT significantly associated with excess mortality in an adjusted model.5 With AHI ≥ 30, the risk ratio was only 3.0 (1.4-6.3, 95% CI). The Sleep Heart Health Study had even more surprising results, wherein women (who use more hypnotics than men) had no significant increase in mortality associated with any level of sleep apnea. Among men, significant excess mortality was associated with AHI ≥ 30 only among those age ≤ 70 years.6 Among both sexes of all ages combined, AHI ≥ 30 was associated with a hazard ratio of only 1.46 (1.14-1.86 95% CI). These apnea studies were not as extensively controlled for comorbidities as our study. Our hypnotic-associated risk ratios of 3.60 to 5.32 could not be caused by apnea risk ratios of only 1.46 or 3, even in the implausible event that all the patients prescribed hypnotics had AHI ≥ 30 but none of the controls.
Could excess comorbidities among hypnotic users account for our 3.60- to 5.32-fold hazard ratios? Let us recall the data. In our stratified analyses, we compared hypnotic users with controls having exactly the same classes of comorbidities, so comorbidity diagnoses were matched. Even had we not employed matching and alternative forms of adjustment to control for comorbidities, how could a 45% excess of comorbidities among the hypnotic users account for a 3.60- to 5.32-fold mortality hazard? It is true that we were unable to adjust for severity of comorbidities when they occurred, but since the diagnoses of comorbidities accounted for only a small amount of the mortality hazard, where is the evidence that severity of comorbidities or uncommon comorbidities could account additionally for a much larger portion of the mortality hazard?
No one has offered any explanation of how confounding could produce the significantly different hazard ratios we observed between hypnotics and different cancers. Sanofi Aventis was cited in the New York Times, arguing that our 2.5 years mean follow-up was not long enough to study cancer initiation, but they have done no randomized zolpidem trials of 1 year or longer. Sanofi should be better satisfied with the new Taiwan study, with the high-dose zolpidem cancer hazard ratio of 6.24 observed after more than 8 years of follow-up.2
In answer to the query of Bianchi et al., one should not surmise that patients using drugs for occasional anxiety or allergic rhinitis "are dying at 4-6 fold increased risk," since we explicitly stated that such indications for the compounds studied were excluded. The low-dose mortality hazard ratio for participants with NO comorbidities was only 1.93, but the hazard ratio for all those taking 1-18 doses per year was 3.60. Higher hazard levels of 4- to 6-fold were only observed in subgroups with specific comorbidities, in which the lower limit of the confidence intervals was always < 4.0.
As the authors of the commentary know, objective performance testing generally does not demonstrate any restorative benefits of hypnotic agents, whether by neuroplasticity or otherwise. The more favorable subjective responses are best explained by the amnesic properties of hypnotics, like the waters of Lethe, erasing memories of poor sleep.
Our critics pointed out that our mortality hazard ratios were much higher than those of most (but not all) previous studies. We suppose that the higher hazard ratios were observed because we explicitly identified the hypnotic drugs studied, whereas almost all previous studies confounded risks of hypnotics with any risks of tranquilizers, antidepressants, and other unidentified compounds. Also, previous studies had largely failed to monitor the quantity of hypnotics prescribed during the follow-up intervals to confirm which participants did or did not receive hypnotics during the observation. Methodologic improvements in our study compared to prior work may have yielded more accurate estimates.
Since the multiple controls for comorbidities that we employed, along with control for age, gender, smoking, etc., only reduced the raw death hazard ratio in hypnotic users from 4.86 to 4.56, it is highly unlikely that other confounding could explain all of the excess mortality associated with hypnotics. Is there any scientific evidence that uncontrolled confounders could produce such large hazard ratios, or is that just the speculation of people groping for a way to avoid bad news? There is no evidence that the neoplasm-specific risks we observed can be due to confounding, especially recognizing the parallel study from Taiwan. Furthermore, our critics recognized that limitations in our study design leading to underestimation of the hazard ratios would, to some extent, counterbalance residual confounding that might have resulted in some overestimation of the hazard ratios.
We remind readers that there are now 21 published studies suggesting excess mortality or cancer associated with hypnotic use, with no published studies suggesting mortality reduction or cancer prevention. It is good to recognize the limitations of published studies, but the current weight of evidence does not favor prescribing even 18 hypnotic doses per year. We encourage others to conduct replication studies and hope that new investigators can learn from the limitations of past work and do still better studies. Perhaps others have the ingenuity to devise ethical randomization for drugs consistently associated with excess mortality and cancer. For hypnotics with unknown mortality and cancer risks, there is a pressing need for randomized clinical trials to explore long-term hypnotic safety.
We concede that it is theoretically possible that there is no hypnotic causality underlying our mortality association findings. However, we do not advise patients to bet their lives that suspicion of causality with associations as robust as these is entirely mistaken. Perhaps our critics agree, saying, "it remains plausible that hypnotics confer some degree of mortality risk." How much risk of death would they counsel patients to accept for the sake of using hypnotics? How much risk of cancer? Doesn't a mortality or cancer hazard ratio "some degree" exceeding 1.0 signify more harm than good? Do our critics suggest to "some degree" ignoring the ethics of "Do no harm"?
The authors have indicated no financial conflicts of interest.
Kripke DF; Langer RD; Kline LE. Do no harm: not even to some degree. J Clin Sleep Med 2012;8(4):353-354.
Kripke DF, Langer RD, Kline LE, authors. Hypnotics' association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study. BMJ Open. 2012;2:e000850[PubMed Central][PubMed]
Kao CH, Sun LM, Liang JA, Chang SN, Sung FC, Muo CH, authors. Relationship of zolpidem and cancer risk: a Taiwanese population-based cohort study. Mayo Clin Proc. 2012;87:430–6. [PubMed]
Belleville G, author. Mortality hazard associated with anxiolytic and hypnotic drug use in the national population health survey. Can J Psychiatry. 2010;55:137–46
Patten SB, Williams JV, Lavorato D, Li WJ, Khaled S, Bulloch AG, authors. Mortality associated with major depression in a Canadian community cohort. Can J Psychiatry. 2011;56:658–66. [PubMed]
Young T, Finn L, Peppard PE, et al., authors. Sleep disordered breathing and mortality: eighteen-year follow-up of the Wisconsin sleep cohort. Sleep. 2008;31:1071–8. [PubMed Central][PubMed]
Punjabi NM, Caffo BS, Goodwin JL, et al., authors. Sleep-disordered breathing and mortality: a prospective cohort study. PLoS Med. 2009;6:e1000132[PubMed Central][PubMed]


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Re: A Dispute's Been Resolved
Hi Danny,
Thanks for your help. Flippa has charged the Success Fees via Paypal, when will I get the refund? Thank you!
Best Regards,Kevin
From: Flippa.comDate: 2012-05-14 15:42:49To: adminSubject: A Dispute's Been Resolved
Hi digminigames,The dispute you were involved in for listing #2725215(http://www.digminigames.com/) has been resolved.Success Fees waived or credited, if applicable. Listing Upgrades to be reapplied to relisted item upon activation.Unsold item has been placed into a new listing in a Draft status, and appears under the " Auctions You're Creating "section of your Flippa My Account Overview screen.Please let me know as soon as possible if there are any further problems.Kind Regards,Danny PentlandFlippa Customer Support
FlippaThanks for contacting Flippa Customer Support.
The listing as been processed and should be returned to you ASAP.
Please let us know if you need further information or assistance.
Kind Regards,
Flippa Customer Support.May 15, 2012 10:42 am
digminigamesHi Tim,
It has been 3 day since I required the refund, but now I have not got it. Would you please tell me when I will get it? Thank you!
From: Flippa Customer SupportDate: 2012-05-15 08:42:30To: digminigamesSUbject: [Flippa Customer Support] Re: Re: A Dispute's Been Resolved (ticket #71833)
May 17, 2012 11:52 amdigminigamesNo response? Would you please tell me when I will get the refund? Thank you!
May 19, 2012 12:18 amTim @ Flippa Customer SupportFlippaKevin, Flippa processed a full refund 5 days ago.
The refund is returned to you in the same method you paid us originally.
Flippa recommends you check all of your accounts, PayPal etc first as our system is telling is that you've been refunded.
Flippa Customer Support
May 19, 2012 05:31 pm
digminigamesYou charged me from my Paypal acoount email@example.com, I've contacted the Paypal and they told me no refund received! I recommend you check all of your processes, PayPal told me that I've not been refunded.
May 19, 2012 06:50 pm
digminigamesI hope you can give me a reply in 12 hours, or I will take legal action. First, you charged me but the Transaction is not successful! Second, I did not get any refund but you told me it has been returned. I'm very disappointed in the service I received.
May 19, 2012 07:21 pm
Flippa Customer SupportFlippaThanks for contacting Flippa Customer Support.
We have confirmed directly through our Commerce system that your refund for the Success Fee was processed on 14th May 2012.If you had attempted a PayPal payment reversal on this Success Fee, this may be preventing your refund from processing - please check if a payment reversal was submitted, and if so, please cancel this reversal, to allow us to refund your fees.
Flippa Customer Support.
May 21, 2012 11:09 am
digminigamesI also have confirmed with Paypal that I did not get any refund. I never attempted a PayPal payment reversal on this Success Fee before! I've submitted the dispute to Paypal just now because of your bad support! Please do not tell me to check something, you should check your bad Commerce System first!
PayPal.jpg (quick view)May 21, 2012 11:33 am
digminigamesYou said the the Success Fee was processed on 14th May 2012. Can you provide me the screenshot of the transaction details via PayPal?
May 21, 2012 11:44 am
We have resolved your PayPal Dispute, and refunded Success Fees should be in your PayPal account shortly.
May 21, 2012 01:49 pm
digminigamesThanks for contacting Flippa Customer Support.
We will continue to investigate the issues with your PayPal refund, and will provide an update to you through Support Request # 71833. Legal involvement will not be required in this matter.
Kind Regards,Flippa Customer Support.
Why you told me legal involvement will not be required in this matter? I don't think so! First, you charged me without checking weather the transaction is successful. Second, you told me the refund was returned to me on 14th May 2012, but in fact, you did not do it! It is your fault, but you never say sorry to me.
Mail ContactFlippa.com Pty Ltd PO Box 1516, Collingwood, VIC 3066. Australia
Please get ready for my Lawyer's Letter.
May 21, 2012 02:59 pm
digminigamesWhy did you close the ticket without response? Please look reality in your fault! If you close the ticket again, I will post the whole things on sitepoint, WHT and so on.
May 21, 2012 03:21 pm
Please advise what further information you require on this matter.
May 21, 2012 03:40 pm
digminigamesIs it difficult for you to say sorry? Your mistake, never say sorry. OK! I say sorry. I'm sorry to trouble you! You provide the best service I've received. Thank you!
May 21, 2012 03:56 pm
It seems like they are trying to be as helpful as they can to me.
But I'm very disappointed in the service I received. Flippa never say sorry to me for the mistake.
O well, at least they have tried to resolve the issue. That's a way of saying sorry. Many companies are far less helpful, so at least they've addressed the issue. Mistakes happen.
People on help desks tend not to get emotionally involved—probably because they feel it doesn't help much. A "sorry" would be nice, but in the end, as long as a situation is resolved, that's the main thing I care about. A "sorry" from a help desk employee isn't really worth all that much, when you think about it.
Hi Kevin.
I'm afraid we rely on the buyer or seller notifying us if a sale does not go through via our dispute system.
Where a success fee has been paid before the dispute has been lodged, we refund the success fee (as well as credit the seller's account with all listing and upgrade fees).
For some reason this did not seem to go through automatically in this instance so our support guys did a manual refund. Hopefully you already have the refund now - by all means let us know if not.
Agree this was arguably a bug on our end wrt the initial automated refund failing. Happy to provide the apology if you like ... but expect you prefer us adding $50 in credits to your account for the inconvenience.
Be assured we're not in the business of claiming a success fee (or retaining listing/upgrade fees) in the instances when sales don't go through. Hope the relist is more successful.
Good luck.A
I've nothing to say
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your reply. I think this is the best way I can accept for the bug. The sale does go through via your dispute system, you can check it via your system. I have got the refund because I submitted a dispute to Paypal. If the support guys can explain the reason as you posted, no apology provided for me, I can understand the bug. But they did not, they just told me check my account again and again, which is so irresponsible I think.
I never doubted your business, your product is excellent, but I'm very disappointed in the support service I received
OK, thanks for your help and I am very satisfied with your explanation. It's your choice whether adding $50 in credits to my account for the inconvenience.
Best Regards
As a rule of life when you start threatening legal action to a company words like sorry is going to disappear along with all responses that are beyond facts. Perhaps you didn't like the service level before that point but avoiding an admission of guilt when someone is threatening to sue you, well, that's just practical.
Although from your last post it sounds like your goal wasn't so much about getting an apology as it was about getting compensation above and beyond the full refund --and when someone is asking for that outright makes it hard to take any critique seriously.
First, please be careful to read the whole story. I want to take legal actions, not that I did not get an apology, but because Flippa continued to insist that the refund has been returned. They told me to check my account again and again. I got the refund after I submitted a dispute to Paypal. When someone refused to admit the mistake, why can not I take legal actions? But you think it's the threatening legal action.
In the heart of a gentleman villain belly(以小人之心度君子之腹) - A Chinese proverb for you. I do not care about getting an apology if you give a reasonable explanation. I also want to say if you make a mistake, you have to pay for it. If I were in urgent need of the refund to deal with something, but you take up the refund for your mistake. Should I not be compensated? I also said it's Flippa's choice whether adding $50 in credits to my account for the inconvenience, I never require it before.
I think we're talking past each other. I'm not questioning your threat (at least not in the post I made... I'd certainly challenge threatening to sue a company a week into a refund process but I'll chalk that up to hot air anyways -- a lawsuit at that point would have clearly been silly) -- I'm explaining that when you do so the company is naturally going to "lock up". Words like sorry take fault. It's not unheard of for a company threatened with legal action to respond stopping all communication unless it's to the legal department -- it's you may feel it's the right route to take but once you make that choice you exclude other responses and options.
To be clear I'm a fan of a company owning up to an issue when it's their fault. Not to utter the meaningless letters s-o-r-r-y but to take responsibility for resolving the issue -- is simply best. Of course there are times you don't believe you're at fault and while sometimes you bend (the customer comes first), sometimes you don't.
As far as compensation the answer is no. You deserve to be replied to swiftly and refunded promptly. If the company wants to keep your business they may opt to do more to make it up to you but that's not something you ask for, it's something they offer as a gesture of good-will, an embodiment of taking fault to the next level, of showing you they value your business. But asking for it, that's compensation jumping at a minimum and often becomes reputation extortion (the emails start with you "you can" and then someone else moves too "or i'll post about it"). It's a practice companies have to protect themselves from or they end up with a siege of letters trying to game them -- not from you but from everyone who reads your post and sees how "easy it was".
When you you say they could it means they should and that changes the equation.
You're a company and I'm a customer, it's the difference, different viewpoints, different attitude and so on. Anyway, thanks for your sharing opinion with me.
Not so much. Staff on the forums are all voluntary and are not directly part of Sitepoint HQ or Flippa et al.Ted is giving you his perspective as a customer/client as well as seasoned businessman.
No problem. Just to be clear, those credits were added to your account before we even posted here.Regards,andrew
Just to expand on that:
Mentors ()Advisors ()Team Leaders ()
^ ^ ^ are volunteers, non of us are employees of SitePoint.Administrators () are employees of SitePoint.SitePoint Staff () are empoyees of SitePoint. SitePoint Author () AFAIK no current holders of this badge are SitePoint Employees.The Alumnus () Ex Administrators (I don't know if any holders of an Alumnus badge are current SitePoint Employees)Podcast Host () I don't think anyone currently holds a Podcast host badgePrivate Advisor () they are moderators for a specific forum (@HAWK; I can't remember, are they SitePoint employees or volunteers)
I hope that helps
Looks like a lot of pre-set templates to me. Maybe it's just happened that they don't have the word "sorry" in these template. Whatever, they did try to help, didn't they?
Just so we're perfectly clear here... I'm far from an employee, representative or any sort of agent of Flippa. Like you I'm a member of this community and, after several years of contributing was given the opportunity to take a volunteer role, under the watch of other volunteers, to help moderate discussions. Aside from free sitepoint books there's no compensation, no discussion of the business end of the network, nor have I met the team behind that business -- And as Hawk noted below, SitePoint is not Flippa.
Perhaps one day I'll have a reason to use Flippa myself but for now I'm simply responding to your critique on a service with my own $0.02 on the issue and since this is not a Flippa support forum, the larger implications of it on customer experience and business.
They are volunteers. I am the only person that is paid to do this job. Having said that, I'm paid by SitePoint, not Flippa. We are completely separate companies.


text:
Needles nets 27 points, collects school record for most 3-pointers
Published: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 11:47 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 11:47 p.m.
Redshirt freshman Carlie Needles scored a career-high 27 points, all coming off a program-record nine 3-pointers, and Florida earned a 74-44 win against North Florida at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center Monday.
With 1:24 to play in the contest, Needles hit her ninth and final shot from long distance and finished 9-of-17 on the night, making her just the fifth player in Southeastern Conference women's basketball history to make nine 3-point baskets in a single game and tying her for the second-most 3's in a game by an SEC women's basketball player.
Needles broke a 20-year Florida Gator record held by Bridget Pettis, who drained eight 3-pointers versus Georgia in 1993.
"It's pretty cool. It's not about the individual record; it's about what we do as a team" said Needles about breaking the program record. "My teammates really looked for me and so without them, I wouldn't have shot the ball well. I noticed they had a couple good screens, and they really found me well. It wasn't just me."
Jaterra Bonds and Lily Svete joined in on the 3-point shooting spree for the Gators by adding a long range jumper of their own and helped Florida sink 11 from the arc, the most 3-pointers since hitting 11 at Ole Miss on Jan. 31, 2010.
The largest lead of the night for UF was 34, which had Florida up 54-20 with 19:07 remaining in the game and came the same way that the first bucket of the game did for the Gators, a Lewis layup from Bonds.
UF now owns a 3-0 record all-time against North Florida.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text:
Burning wood is making a surprising comeback as a cheap and environmentally friendly way to heat the home, says Stourbridge energy expert Colin Priest.
An extra bonus is that for the next three months the Government is offering a one-off Renewable Heat Premium Payment of £950 for those who install wood-fuelled heating, also known as a biomass system.
Another incentive is that the Coalition may announce later this year tariff payments to householders for each kilowatt-hour of renewable heat produced to encourage low carbon heating. Installing a boiler to burn logs, pellets or chips and which is connected to a central heating and hot water system can cut heating bills by nearly £600 a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by many tonnes a year. The savings for large commercial buildings are also extremely cost effective.
"Many people do not realise how environmentally friendly burning wood can be," said Colin, who lives in Quarry Bank and works for Noreus Ltd in Stafford. "The carbon dioxide emitted when wood is burned is the same amount that was absorbed over the years the tree was growing, whereas using oil and liquefied petroleum gas produced millions of years ago is bringing C02 into the atmosphere."
He added: "Obviously, this process is sustainable as long as new trees are planted to replace those used for fuel."
One of the many other advantages of installing a wood-fuelled heating system, said Colin, is that permission is not normally needed for the four kilowatt system for a home; VAT on installations costs is only 5 per cent and it won't affect the insurance of the property, though it is advisable to tell the company of the change.
He pointed out that the bigger wood fuelled boilers could be used in place of a standard gas or oil boiler to heat radiators for a whole house and to heat the hot water. Biomass stoves can heat a single room, usually together with other heating systems, but may also have a back boiler to provide water. However, only the boilers are eligible for Renewable Heat Premium Payments and the stoves are not expected to be supported by the Renewable Heat Incentive.
For homes Colin suggests using pellets or wood chips whereas logs may be more suitable for schools, hotels and offices.
He says it is important to have a reliable and economical wood supply. Those who have a large place to store the fuel and can buy in bulk will save more money.
Residents wanting a wood burning system would need a new stainless steel flue pipe or an existing chimney which must be swept regularly.
If you have a thatched roof Colin recommends contacting HETAS, the official body recognised by the Government to approve biomass heating appliances, at www.heats.co.uk for advice.
However, he concluded: "I always recommend that first people insulate their homes properly with foam insulation such as the environmentally friendly Icynene before considering installing renewable energy systems to make the investment even more effective."
For more details about biomass systems and energy saving ideas call Colin on 0845 474 6641.


text:
• enchant •
Pronunciation: in-chænt • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb, transitive
Meaning: 1. To cast a spell over, to bewitch, entrance. 2. To overwhelm with charm, enthrall, captivate, beguile.
Notes: Enchant is usually encountered as a participle, the present, enchanting, or the past enchanted. These are now adjectives best used to refer to women. Enchanting means "extremely charming" and enchanted means "totally charmed". Of course men can be enchanting, but another man would hardly say so. The noun is enchantment.
In Play: First, let's use the basic meaning, "to cast an actual spell". Every parent wishes they could enchant their children to obey them by simply giving them a magic potion. The children's upbringing would be much less messy. Evenings may be enchanting, as in the Rodgers and Hammerstein song, "Some Enchanted Evening". This song is about an evening that is made magic by meeting the man or woman you fall in love with. Magic today is extremely positive, as all the synonyms of enchanted above bear witness to, far from the scary black magic of old.
Word History: Today's Good Word comes from Old French enchanter "to enchant", inherited from Latin incantare "to cast a spell". This word was made up of in en- "in, on, against" + cantare "to sing". English borrowed the noun from this verb directly from Latin for its incantation, which retains its black magic insinuation. Cantare is a variant of canere "to sing", which went on to become chanter in French. English borrowed it as chant and, while it was there, picked up the feminine noun, chanteuse "female vocalist", as well. The original root of this word, kan-, became hen in English, perhaps as a result of confusing chanticleer the rooster with the objects of his affection. (We owe a debt of gratitude to Marianne Spottswood for suggesting today's enchanted and enchanting Good Word.)


text:
Records of the court available on the Internet.
Call if you have a legal issue w/ an upcoming deadline to see if you are eligible! Need phone number to your local office? Click here. Otherwise, you can go to applyonlinecls.org and apply online. Important! If you complete an online application, and then call your local CLS office, let them know you completed an online application.
Go to About Us to see whether you might be eligible for CLS services. If you have any question about your eligibility, you can call the CLS office closest to where you live.
Colorado Legal Services has fourteen offices around the state to help Coloradans statewide. Use our office list to find the office near you.
Colorado Legal Services has a library of court forms that you can fill out online. You can also visit the state court website to see their list of forms for you to download and fill out.
Colorado Bar Association, Metro Volunteer Lawyers, Pro Bono Net


text:
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Member Dues
14 day free trial
No credit card required
After the trial you must pay dues to continue attending Meetups.
Cancel dues at any time.
Dues are billed each year.
Pleasure can come by many faces!
It's whatever pleases you...makes
you smile, both inwardly and
outwardly. It's what can warm you
on a cold day just reminiscing of
something you fondly remember.
Or catching a glimpse of
something that takes you to
another place. It can be something
excitingly new and different or
distant memories of things past.
If you could go anywhere in the world, WHERE would you go???
The Great Pyramids of Egypt, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Night Lights of Vegas, The Great Wall of China, The Himilayas, The Great Thunderous Falls of Niagara, The Lush Rainforest of Brazil, A Cruise around the Grecian Isles, The Magnificent Northern Lights, Fjords and Glaciers of Alaska, The Rolling Hills of Tuscany, The Majestic Castles and Countryside of Ireland and Scotland, The Black Lava Beaches of Punalu'u????!!
Seen a Broadway play lately or savored exquisite cuisine?
Been mesmerized by local talent or encountered something new and exciting
Ooohed and aaahhhhed at something so completely different and mindbending??
Please Note:
We are a Philadelphia based, aged 30+ group, with most events planned in the city...not just a Happy Hour or Bar Crawl group. We are NOT a matchmaking site, dating organization, swingers group or hookup site
By RSVP'ing, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Passport To Pleasure Organizers, Co-Organizers, Asst. Organizers, Event Organizers, and/or Host(s) of and from any injuries, damages, or liabilities incurred before, during, or after any event.*.
Tasted a nouveau cocktail or found that new favorite place?
Now's your chance!!
We extend the invitation to you to elevate and titillate all FIVE SENSES!!
(Be grateful you don't have six or seven ;-)
Join us...and experience Our World!!
There is a nominal $10.00 annual membership fee that will be collected to join us. This small fee will help defray the costs of maintaining and running Passport To Pleasure.
Nothing limits you but......your mind!!!
We are a Philadelphia based, aged 30+ group, with most events planned in the city...not just a Happy Hour or Bar Crawl group. We are NOT a matchmaking site, dating organization, swingers group or hookup site.
Please Note:
Disrespect of an organizer, co-organizer, another member of this group, or the owner, staff or guests of a venue we attend will not be tolerated. Such actions will warrant your IMMEDIATELY being removed and banned from this group.
We do ask that you attend a minimum of THREE events in a calendar year.
I truly appreciate your joining our group. I want to keep it a live, viable fun group to belong to. When you respond with a 'Yes' RSVP, please adhere to that positive answer. 'No' RSVP's are not necessary when responding initially to an event. I do realize that things can just pop up to thwart your plans. In those cases, please change your RSVP to "No" or contact me by phone or email please to update your RSVP. Some events have limited availability and your consciously changing your RSVP will allow someone who's waiting to attend. In all fairness, after you have 3 "no calls" or "no shows" or 3 "Short Notice cancellations" (within 3 hours of the event start) after a " Yes" RSVP, you will be removed from the membership roster.
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text:
Can't wait. Seriously. I may be able to get Mr. Bargains to the theater for this one. The Muppets, on the big screen. I've seen several previews for this, and OMG. Mark your calendars.
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, "The Muppets" hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.
· Funnyman Jason Segel (TV's "How I Met Your Mother," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") stars in, co-writes and executive produces "The Muppets."
· "The Muppets" is directed by James Bobin, who was a director/writer/EP for HBO's "Flight of the Conchords."
· Kermit received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2002. His song "The Rainbow Connection" was nominated for an Academy Award®.
· Bret McKenzie, who starred in, wrote for and served as composer for HBO's "Flight of the Conchords," is the music supervisor for "The Muppets," as well as the writer/producer on some of the songs, which include big Muppet-style opening and closing numbers.
· It's been 11 years since the Muppets' last big-screen feature film.
When Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater, they help Kermit reunite the Muppets to stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater.


text:
HOUSTON - A Houston mom said she turned her back for only a minute while running inside to pick her son up from school, when she came out she said someone had gone into her car and stole her purse.
"This is the first time this has happened to me, ever," said Janil Trahan.
The single mom with three kids said she had almost $400 in her purse, money she had been saving and setting aside for Christmas gifts. Now, it's all gone.
"Within 60 seconds everything was gone, my phone, my purse," she said.
Trahan admits she left her purse inside her car and the door unlocked, but thought she'd be safe because she was only gone for a minute. She said what upsets her even more is she's not the first victim.
There were four other police reports filed that same day for motor vehicle break-ins. Some of the cars were unlocked, like Trahan's, but not all of them.
The crimes happened in 3100 block of Cleburne Street in the Third Ward near Texas Southern University. Trahan's son goes to school on campus.
University officials did not return KPRC Local 2's phone calls, but Trahan is hoping that the police are investigating and that this crook is caught before he gets his hands on someone else's car.
"I'm glad we weren't hurt," she said. "But I still can't get over the fact that my kid's Christmas is gone that quick."
Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
HOUSTON - A Louisiana man and his former girlfriend have filed a lawsuit in Harris County claiming another woman illegally obtained the man's sperm from a clinic, was inseminated and now has his son.
In January 2002, Layne Hardin of Louisiana and his then-girlfriend Katherine Leblanc made deposits at a clinic now known as Texas Andrology Services. They said a contract gave Leblanc ownership of the vials. The lawsuit claims in 2009 Tobie Devall, who had had an on-again off-again relationship with Hardin, walked into the clinic, was able to obtain two vials in a brown paper bag, then go to a doctor's office in the same building to be inseminated. In 2010, she gave birth to a son who is now 2 years old.
In a statement to Local 2, Devall's attorney said Devall "relied on everything he (Hardin) told her that he was the owner of the sperm and never showed her any contracts and in fact" told a doctor that "he had eight vials of sperm and that he intended for Ms. Devall to be inseminated with them to have a child."
Despite the tawdry details, both sides acknowledge the seriousness of the case.
"We're not talking about merchandise," said Cade Bernsen, an attorney representing Hardin and Leblanc. "We're talking about sperm, and we're not talking about eggs, we're talking about the power to create life."
Attorneys said this is such an emotional case it likely will not be settled out of court. The trial is scheduled to begin in Harris County on April 22.
Copyright 2013 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
The first uses a regular convert surface with a color-key. This is found below in the function make_hole. With this method you are fairly restricted on how much you can play with the alpha, but you can still have two types (clear and semi-clear if desired). You can play with changing the fill color and the set_alpha value to illustrate.
The second method uses convert_alpha surface. This is found in the function make_hole_alpha. This method is perhaps simpler than the previous but possibly a little slower. Here you can play with changing the fill color which includes the alpha value with it.
Lastly I implemented another version of the convert_alpha to create a gradient effect in the function gradient_hole. I'm still trying to improve this one but it is quite fun. So far you can change the amount the alpha drops per step, the shape of the next steps ellipse (how much to decrease the size of the width/height of the rect by), and of course the fill color. I used an actual pygame.Color here instead of a regular tuple so that I could change and get the alpha value more easily.
To try each technique just uncomment the desired method call and comment out the other two in the Control.update() method.
The hole will follow the mouse cursor.
- Code: Select all
import pygame as pg
import sys,os
class Control:
def __init__(self):
self.done = False
self.Clock = pg.time.Clock()
self.rect = pg.Rect((0,0,600,600))
def event_loop(self):
keys = pg.key.get_pressed()
for event in pg.event.get():
if event.type == pg.QUIT or keys[pg.K_ESCAPE]:
self.done = True
def make_hole(self,Surf):
hole = pg.Surface((Surf.get_size())).convert()
hole.fill((0,0,0)) #Experiment with changing this color.
pg.draw.ellipse(hole,(255,0,255), self.rect)
## hole.set_alpha(200) #Uncomment and experiment with changing this value.
def make_hole_alpha(self,Surf):
hole = pg.Surface((Surf.get_size())).convert_alpha()
hole.fill((255,255,255,200)) #Experiment with changing this color
pg.draw.ellipse(hole,(0,0,0,0), self.rect)
def gradient_hole(self,Surf):
hole = pg.Surface((Surf.get_size())).convert_alpha()
Color = pg.Color(50,0,0,255) #Experiment with changing this color
step = (-50,-10) #Change ammount to shrink each rect by
alpha_step = 20 #Change amount to change transparency per step
steps = min(self.rect.width//abs(step[0]),self.rect.height//abs(step[1]))
shrink_rect = self.rect.copy()
for i in range(steps):
if Color.a-alpha_step >= 0:
Color.a -= alpha_step
Color.a = 0
#inflate should auto-adjust center, but in the case of a step of -1,-1 it fails.
shrink_rect.center = self.rect.center
def update(self,Surf):
"""Uncomment the version you want to test."""
self.rect.center = pg.mouse.get_pos()
## self.make_hole(Surf)
## self.make_hole_alpha(Surf)
def main(self,Surf):
while not self.done:
if __name__ == "__main__":
os.environ['SDL_VIDEO_CENTERED'] = '1'
SCREEN = pg.display.set_mode(SCREENSIZE)
FRACTAL = pg.image.load("frac.jpg").convert()
RunIt = Control()
I used the image found here:
renamed to "frac.jpg"
Edit: Fixed a division glitch when using python 3.


text:
epilepsy has ruined my life.
and it pisses me off how people think nothing of the diagnosis. it doesn't get the attention it needs for sure.
when i was a kid, i didn't plan to NOT get a drivers license. i didn't plan on spending money on medicine for the rest of my life. i didn't plan that in the future it would be life-threatning to cross the road, cuz what if i have a seizure there?
i hate this shit, and pardon my french, but this shit is too much, and it needs to get way more attention.
epilepsy has ruined my life.
epilepsy has ruined my life.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Hey sesat13,
It sounds like your having a tough time and beating yourself up a little bit. Don't feel alone, I do the same thing from time to time. A very smart man once told me that life places the heaviest burdens on only those who can carry the weight. Epilepsy does limit certain things in life, but it also grants you the opportunity to REALLY take a look at the beautiful things in life that most people take for granted. Keep your head up!
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Hey sesat13
I get what you are saying! We all do. Everyone on this website is effected with seizures and get what you are saying!!
You are not alone. Stay strong.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Welcome to the club , take it from a Frenchman with over 46 years history in epilepsy . You are paying too much attention on the negative , driving is not a benefit it is a waste of money in gas insurance maintenance in short your worste investement .
Can you die from Epilepsy , sure , when you compare with the normal population your odds are pretty similar . By the way I went to the funeral of 6 of my own MD . Sound like they all should have been epileptic.
Follow your MD advice take your meds and I will talk to you again in 46 years
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Sorry to hear what you are dealing with Sesat.
If misery loves company though i deal with the same anger towards E every day. Personally i get a little tired of the "kum by yah" do as you're told and everything will be fine message. Please hit me up on the side if you'd like someone to vent back and forth with!
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Oh my, please ont say that. Cancer is such a terrible disease. I don't have epilepsy, but my son does. I am grateful everyday I get to spend with my son., he is my inspiration and I love him. Cancer takes your life away. I have seen families devastated by the loss of precious little children due to cancer. I know personally one friend loss their 4 year old to leukemia. Parents later divorced because thy could not cope with their loss. A neighbor loss her precious 3 year old daughter from a cancerous brain tumor, I just met a family with a two year old that has a face tumor that has pretty much ate his face off. I could go on and on.
Please, I am not saying that epilepsy doesn't suck or that people should not complain, everyone is entitled to their feelings. With that being said when my son was first diagnosed I was angry and very upset, his first neuro appointment was in a pediatric neuro office. There I waited with other families and their children. Children wheelchair bound, children that will never be able to walk, play, talk or make a friend, leave alone complain. That night, I went on my knees and thank the good Lord for my problems.
No doubt, epilepsy is a scary thing to have, but there are worse things out there. I am sure the families of those children would trade anytime. Count you blessings. Best wishes. Be strong.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
My father would have loved having epilepsy rather then having cancer.
You see he had surgery for cancer and had check up every month for a year then thos check ups were every 3 months. Yhen they were every 6 months. well those went find and he had yearly check ups for a couple of years he then had 5 year check ups, He was a great man and did a lot for the people around him. I watched him take a grear out of a transmission a old farmer has in his tractor. a lot of teech had been broken off and the transmission was not available. Watching my Dad hook up he arc welder and lay beads down then grind them off and lay more beads down was something to watch. When he was finished the farmer had basically new rears for his transmission. But he had another check up and in that check up they saw something they thought was cancer in the lung. Surgery was set up and they opened him up then closed him. The cancer was not in his lung but wrapped around his heart. He was given 3 months to live. He died 2 days after getting home due to a blood clot hitting his heart making it explode.
He would much rather have had epilepsy because we could have been out fishing or watching the waves rol up on the beach. Or working on the old 56 chevy. You see I am well aware of issues due to having epilepsy since I have been living and dealing with epilepsy for 50+ years. Dad was one of the people in my life that made me look at other things and see the beauty in them..
Seizures are not fun and never have been but helping others with issues can be good. People may see beauty in that.
I do this for me knowing what I went thru. I do this because it was how my Dad worked things in his life. There is beauty in almost everything you just have to be looking for it or you will see nothing other then what will eat you up.
As for the awwwws. Check out the history Breast cancer has been national for about 25 years. National epilepsy awareness has only been national about 4 years.
Have you gone to the trouble of checking with your local paper or city counsel and let them know this month is epilepsy awareness month? If you haven't why not since you want it to be covered by people like cancer is. Have you even checked to find out where your local chapter of EFA is?
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start living and dealing with epilepsy. Promote it yourself by talking to people and telling them what epilepsy is. Let them know that there have been many people with epilepsy go fr in their lives. Research ans study find out the types of seizures educate the masses, Go to schools and give speaches. When I was diagnosed I didn't know chit about what epilepsy was but I did want to know what was causing my seizures. I wrote an essay in 8th grade which was given to the entire student body. The same essay was being used by the school 5 years later. It informed people about the types of seizures what causes the seizures and what needs to be done if they see someone in a seizure. Have you done any of thoose things regarding why you have seizures what type of seizures you have and what should be done if people see you in one?
If not try starting there.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Hi Just_Joe,
Epilepsy is socially worse than cancer, as epilepsy is still stigmatized AND regarded as illegitimate (with (Cell 4*) social consequences), while cancer is sometimes stigmatized (such as with prejudice to regarded causal & chosen "unhealthy lifestyle") BUT regarded as unconditionally legitimate (Cell 6*):
*Preview of "Profession of Medicine: A Study of the Sociology of Applied Knowledge" by Eliot Freidson (1988), page 239, Table 2:
The work of literature I cited previously that posed by character "epilepsy" as a "good choice" for a plethora of excuses and hoped for benefits, was a work of literature often regarded with many instances of satire ("The Mangy Parrot", unabridged has more):
While some studies conclude that the social stigma of chronic migraines is worse than that of epilepsy*, I have never been told to leave a school, university, hospital, nursing facility, etc., because I revealed my migraines, but when I reveal my epilepsy, I've been ordered to leave under threat of arrest otherwise (many people with epilepsy dogs encounter this, too!!!).
* http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130117084641.htm
Then, some epileptic seizures could easily meet the criteria of being "fun". Some individuals can purposely trigger ecstatic seizures, and they will refuse most any attempts at prevention, despite typically unpleasant after effects. I can't trigger mine, but many are divine, being better than opium and/or orgasm, and while Keppra prevents secondarily generalized tonic-clonics during unpleasant clusters of periodic seizures, my daily seizures are unresponsive to such control, and it is as if happiness cannot be tolerated in this society without certified prerequisite pain of a socially acceptable type.
The phrase "Father, why have you forsaken Me", does not indicate an entity necessarily "feeling sorry for themselves".
P.S.: What is the person with the worst to say???:
after being told again "People like you are a real inspiration to me!"
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
I understand where the stigma is and I have lived with this for 50+ years. I have family members who do not ask about my epilepsy because they were not around me when I had the seizures. I know what was done and by whom.
The stigma is there YES but how do you fight the stigma other then talking about it. Is it wrong to try and get people to discuss and think? I know the stigma. I also know that many things are or have been in the national head light for far more years then Epilepsy has.
I know that there were people with epilepsy being put in homes away from the public in the 1960's. I also know that in the 70"s some states were keeping people with epilepsy from getting marriage licenses.
I saw my PCP during the first wek of this month andI asked him if he knew what this month was. His answer was november and thanksgiving. Which is when I told him what this month was for people with epilepsy. I will be seeing him next week to see if his nurses and the office have replaced the pink ribbons to purple.
Am I wrong in trying to get people out and in the public to tell the people around them about epilepsy?
How do you get rid of the stigma?
How do you change the way people are dealing with epilepsy other then teaching them we can do anything they can as well if not better then others do?
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Consider the fact there are always cases worse than your own. Whenever I become depressed about having tried all of the meds and combos of meds available, surgery on LFL once and LTL twice, and the fact I was told "The readings of your seizures are higher than anyone at this institution or any of the 5 institutions it was forwarded to have ever seen. Your next seizure could be your last."
Even through all of that, when in the hospital tested for surgery I seen patients who were in a lot worse condition than myself. Their seizures were far from as extreme as mine, but their epilepsy was only the tip of the ice burg and they would never be able to live at home. I could say "EPILEPSY HAS RUINED MY LIFE" and not be lying as I was an honors student up until high school. At that time the seizures really took a turn for the worse and I underwent the first of many surgeries. When someone sees me now they'd never believe I was one of the top in every one of my classes, as the seizures and surgeries have had a severe impact on my memory and speech. Now I use all of my experience to council other patients considering surgery or VNS, help the Epilepsy Association by a countless number of newspaper interviews, newsletter interviews, and on TV once. Next time you go to see your neurologist, look throughout the waiting room and when you see a patient whose condition is worse than your own use that to overlook your own condition and move forward.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
That is a very positive and healthy way to look at the situation Vande. Good for you if you are able to maintain that 24x7. For me personally though, some of my most therapeutic moments are from taking the glass half emply approach & letting the angry inner beast run free. Certainly we are all different and have different mechanisms to cope. Sesat, we all certainly want to help you find what works best for you!
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
It's not that people don't think nothing, they don't know what to think. I knew a person who became a dear friend when she got cancer because her friends and family at the time could not process it. No biggie for me, I was still dealing with my parents' guilt trip from my diagnosis.
Mine came indefinitely at 18 and I did have a driver's license, so I took scuba lessons, and when the definitive arrived before 19 well I dove the reefs of the Bahamas. How's that for rebellion and denial for you?
I too was that honors student, beginning college to study marine biology, and I could no longer read at the volume required w/o having seizures. I was told instant death waited with every fall, etc. etc. etc.
You know what? doctors have to warn you. It takes time to find the right medicine for you. Five years of hell for me. And sometimes you have to wait for the one that truly works. Only three years ago I actually found out what real sleep is and can read more.
Life doesn't end. You just have to rework it in a different frame. I gave up scuba for backpacking. My "seizure dogs" have been untrained adopted mutts who in their own way let me know I'm not quite right. I never got to finish college, but I never stop trying to educate myself. I keep my limits, but I don't let them dictate to me my goals.
If your friends and family don't understand, there will come new friends who do that look out for you when you can't look out for yourself. I've heard medicine changes you, although I didn't think so, but everyone around me is too many to argue with.
I'm 57 now. I have lived my life, done and seen things some people never do because I didn't roll over and die, I found another way. I'm not rich, I work because I'm blessed in my level of limitations although the older I get the harder it all is..some days thinking is hard and motor functions damn near impossible because my brain has hit its limits.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Epilepsy did not ruin your life. It may have made you take another road to your goal. You seem to think your life is all over and you can not do anything. Do yourself a favor dream and make goals. I have been doing that for 50+ year after being diagnosed. Now I have reached many goals. I may have had to take turns others didn't have to or there may have been a few bumps in the road but dreams and goals can and are met daily by people who have other issues that are far worse then having epilepsy
We all know what it is like to want things to be perfect but life is never perfect. I know what it is like not to drive. I also know that there are many people with epilepsy who can and are driving. As for planing not to do this or that we are never garunteed anything.
If you think you have it hard today you need to look at some history. If you think it is bad now check with your neuro and other doctors. Back in the 1960's people with epilepsy were still being put away in homes. In the 1970's some states were not letting people with epilepsy get marriage licenses.
Go to a corner and watch people crossing the street going in any direction. You see many people with handicaps. Some with canes or walkers, others wearing glasses, Some with hearing aids. Don't forget those with seeing eye dogs. Now think about all the other people crossing. Can you see the diabetics? Did you notice the people who have heart disease? What about the other people who are crossing who have the same thing you are comlaining about did you see the people with epilepsy crossing? Understand that all of those I listed did not plan to have their issues either. As for breast cancer and their funding you might want to check out how long they have been around. If you had you would have seen that they have been out and nationally for about 25 years. Our National drive has only been around for 4 years. So we do have a lot to do and we are getting there.
Have you talked to the leadership in your town? Have you sent letters ti newspapers in your town letting them know that this month was epilepsy awareness month. If you haven't then why haven't you? It was not planed that I have epilepsy but a blow to the head is what caused mine. Ever get hit in the head?
You did not post the type of seizures you have nor did you post the medications you take. You also did not post how long you have been having seizures.
I know what it is like not to have a drivers license. I also use some common sense. What would happen if you were driving and hada seizure? What would happen if you did not take your medication.
You may think I am being hard but it was not the point I was trying to make. We all know what it is like to deal with epilepsy. I have been living and dealing with it probably twice as long as you have been alive.
I hope this helps
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
I had thought the same thing. I experienced 4 seizures in one night due to a reaction to medications I was given. I was told that I would never go back to my nursing position by my neurologist. I was devastated! I loved my job. I worked hard to get my brain function back to near baseline and had neuropsych testing done in order to prove to my doctor and my employer that I could do my nursing duties. I was not able to get my nursing job back as my employer found every reason in the book not to rehire me as a nurse. Although I cannot prove it, I know they saw me as a liability & now I can't blame them for feeling that way. I was bitter for the longest time, but realized that it didn't do me any good because the bitterness spilled over into other aspects of my life. I am happy to say that I have been back to nursing for quite some time and loving every minute of it. My neurologist calls me her miracle patient. She wanted to help me file for disability, but I told her that I wanted to go back to work and that's what I did. Sure, I had bills piling up due to not having a job, but I was brought up not to be a quitter. Months after my seizure episode, I found out that the neurologist didn't think that I was either going to live thru that night or that I would never regain my brain function like I have.
Everyone's situation is different and I see your point. I really feel that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It may not seem like it now, but give it some time. One thing that helped me was getting in touch with my area epilepsy foundation. They are a great help. I actually volunteer when I have time. Get involeved. I know one of the major projects the foundations are working on is getting the definitions of seizures and epilepsy changed. There's a stigma that comes with having this condition sad to say. At least treatments have come a long way as one previous poster mentioned. Can you imagine being institutionalized!!!
I think we've all been in the same boat. You just need to choose whether or not you're going to paddle inland or remain where you are. I wish you luck.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Hi Sesat13,
Welcome to the dystopia delivered upon people with epilepsy, a dystopia generally prodding members into denial of the stigma.
The results of the stigma to epilepsy also gets attention, at the very least, in absurd denial. Discrimination based on this stigma covers every social situation, from the sociology of garbage dumpsters to the sociology involving the federal supreme court. I have my own such experiences with society and epilepsy, and much more generalized accounts can be found in book searches for such as "Goffman epilepsy", for instance:
"Epilepsy" by Graham Scambler (1989), chapter 3 "Lay concepts of epilepsy and stigma", page 50:
"he is denied the ordinary privileges of social life."
The Stigma of Epilepsy has mainly ruined my life in in the legal engagement of gainful activities (both the State & Federal governments have told me so, and all these rulings have been upheld on all ultimate appeals).
Epilepsy doesn't prevent the winning of the State Lottery (seeing predestination through epilepsy may help), but any disability payments will prevent the receiving of the winnings without high priced legal interference.
Trains on railroad tracks will also run epileptics down, and being on close guard for every narrow moment of time is sometimes nearly not narrow enough (I record everything for the effects & affects of Epilepsy).
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
How I understand this. My seizures began at 40, absence seizures they never happened before. For a couple of years they were undiagnosed. They said it was mental:disasociate disorder.During that time I had car accidents, almost oost my job. I had to tip toe around my losing time, losing memory(I could not rember names, simple words,situations) When I had a full grand mal at work, they knew what ite was. They tried a lot of medications. I visited a clinic that was doing surgery and asked the doctor if he thought the surgery would help and he screamed at me "You're and Epileptic get used to it". I left the room and then went to NYU Hosptial in NYC. They did a number of tests and I had right temperol lope surgery. I was seizure free for 4 years and then they began again, worse than before about every four months each worse then the last. I fell once and had to go on dialysis for 10 weeks. When I got out they tried new medications and it all started again. They changed the meication Limital and I had another seizure they added Keppra and I became lost all sexual functioning. They took me off Keppra and put me on Vimpac a couple of weeks ago and when I take it some times i Wheel around and have to lay down till it passes. The doctor says it will pass. the Sexual functions disappeared for about a week and then started again. M y girl friend was it ok, saying "thats all men think about, And it's ok." Yea right the doctor said go get some medications so you and have some functioning. I said that I don't want to use medications to solve problems from seizure medications I am taking. He said nothing and wants me to stay on yempac and limetal and wait to see if I seize again. He oferred psychiatic mediations which I refused. out I think there is only one one way to sovle all these problems.
Problems with:
Work: I took an early retirement)
thinking(i can't read, or think logically, (I dont want to talk about my feeling as if they are an emotional problem that can be solved with mediation, or join a support group (what a Joke.) That I think about suicide is a serious matter but i have been too much a coward and wonder if others will think me a psychiatic cas (and they will). Seizure after sizure, each time lying to myself thinkint that this will be the last, then another, then this medication will work, and then another seizure etc etc etc. Then you get all these pelple who say "look on the sunny side of the street idiots, or it could be worse. I remember each time I wake up in the hospital. The last time they told me I had a stroke because they did not know about seizures. I had to explain to the staff, then they tied me to the bed and would not let me go to the bathroom Some times the doctor would want to give me new medications to add to the two I was taking. Jesus what a joke it all is, and the joke seems to be on me. I hope things go better for you.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Hey Molson,
I read your message and just wanted to throw some ideas your way. I too never knew epilepsy could make some one's life so difficult. Sexual problems...CHECK! In and out of hospitals...CHECK! Intractable seizures...CHECK! But I'll never give up. I'm a 36 yr old man who had a brain tumor taken out in 2007. Then the seizures came out of nowhere. I have a Master's degree in three subjects, yet I can't work. I don't want to sound like a Hallmark Epilepsy Greeting Card, but, giving up is not an option. And, people who say Epilepsy is my FRIEND are out of their minds(no pun intended). I look at Epilepsy as a mean, ugly opponent, who needs to get Knocked Out. Have you found the right doctors? It really does mean a world of diffference. Find one who actually cares. Especially about how you feel. If he or she cannot properly handle your other problems, a truly good doctor will point you in the right direction. If you feel suicidal? Get help. That's larger and more problematic than Epilepsy. There are so many things that people with Epilepsy forget they can enjoy such as movies, speaking with friends, both old and new, and keeping HOPE alive. You may hate the word HOPE, but you did write a long message on this site. And, if you hate Epilepsy Support Groups so much...what do you think you're on now? Keep your head up Molson!
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
How I understand.
My seizures began at 40; absence seizures; they never occured before. For a couple of years they were undiagnosed. They said it was mental: disasociate disorder.During this time I had car accidents, almost lost my job(I had to tip toe around losing time, Ylosing memories(I could not remember names, simple words or tasks) Then when I had a grand mal seizure at work, they knew it was epililosy. They tried a lot of medications. I visited a clinic and asked the doctor "if he thought the seizure would stop with surgery" and he screamed at me "You're an Epileptic, get used to it!". I left the room and did not return. Then I visited NYU Hosptial in NYC. They did a number of tests and I had right temperol lobe surgery. I was seizure free for 4 years; then they started all over again, each seizure worse than the one before, happening about once every four months. They put me on limital. It did not help. They increased it. It did nothing, they added Keppra then another seizure, and when this happened they found , me on the floor my kidneys shut down,I was on dialysis for 10 weeks. When I got out of the hospital they tried new medications and the seizures started again. They added Keppra to the limital and I lost all sexual functioning. it did not stop the seizures.They took me off Keppra and put me on Vimpac and limital a couple of weeks ago and when I take when i take it, sometimes, i Wheel around the room and have to lie down till it passes. The doctor says it will pass with time. Sexual functionng lasted for a week when they took me off the keppra, only to be a problem once again. My girlfriend said it's ok,"that's all men think about anyway" Yea right" The doctor said go on medications to have functioning. I said " I don't want to use one medication to solve problems caused by another". He said nothing but wants me to stay on yimpac and limetal and wait to see if I seize again. He offerred psychiatic mediations which I refused.
Now I see there is only one way out the this never ending situation
Problems with:
Work: (I took an early retirement)
thinking:(i can't read, or think logically)
hope after hope, seizure after sizure, each time lying to myself saying "this will be the last, then another seizure; then this medication will work, and then another seizure etc etc etc. Then you get all these people who say "look on the sunny side of the street(idiots), or "it could be worse". I remember each time I woke up in the hospital. The last time they told me "You had a stroke" they did not know about seizures, and when I explained it to them, they tied me to the bed and would'nt let me go to the bathroom. Some times the doctor would want to add addition medications to the ones I was taking. Jesus what a joke it all is, and the joke seems to be on me. People say I dont want to share my feeling.as if this will solve the problem. Or they say I should tske mediation;that I'm depreseed, or I should join a support group(what a Joke!) That I think about suicide is a serious matter, yes. And if I were notsuch a a coward... and I wonder what others will say, if not "he was psychiatic case" then
he needed medications, he had not friends, he had no suport etc etc.
I hope things go better for you.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
Molson, i see that you took an early retirement and the seizures started at 40. Mind my asking how old you were when you did that & what age you are now? There certainly is no need to view yourself as a coward for having natural thoughts that have occured to many of us. I'd be careful with the medications you are on. I tried many different ones that had very little impact on slowing down my seizures but had a very strong impact on my wishing to die. I stopped taking them and am in a much better place now. Please feel free to email me and i'd be happy to discuss in greater detail with you.
Re: epilepsy has ruined my life.
I am so sorry. My 5 year old was recently diagnosed, and I agree. People seem to think its not a big deal. "Oh, there are meds for that right", and then its like its not that bad. They don't realize how awful it is to give a five year old meds that could have her think of suicide, along with all the other horrible side effects. They don't understand I'm already thinking about her driving, dating ,working, living on her own alone....will this affect her. Everyone is so nonchalant. Even the school nurse tried to make me feel like I was overreacting about my concerns. I wanted to scream at her "you have your child in the hospital a week and then have to leave her every day". It's a horrible feeling. I know you are in a different sage of your life but I completely understand and sympathize with your situation. Good luck.


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PHILADELPHIA – After concluding Ivy League play tied atop the Gehrig Division at 15-5, the University of Pennsylvania baseball team and Columbia will square off in a one-game playoff, this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Penn's Meiklejohn Stadium, for the right to play in the Ivy League Championship Series.
After splittingits four-game series with the Lions this past weekend, Penn (24-16, 15-5 Ivy) was awarded hosting duties for the playoff game based off of League tiebreaker procedures. The Quakers hold the advantage over Columbia (24-17, 15-5 Ivy) due to the fact that they have the best winning percentage, against the next common opponent with the highest League winning percentage --regardless of division.
The next best winning percentage is Yale currently (11-9), which could potentially tie with Dartmouth (9-9) atop the Rolfe Division, with the Big Green having two games remaining. Penn holds the advantage despite the games remaining, after sweeping Dartmouth and Yale earlier this season, winning all four games, while Columbia went 1-3 against the two schools.
The winner of Penn and Columbia's one-game playoff will represent the Gehrig Division in the Ivy League Championships Series slated to take place May 10-11.


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Rydens Enterprise School has submitted plans to demolish and completely rebuild its school and sixth form, by selling off playing fields for 296 houses.
The school has decided current buildings are no longer fit for purpose, and that a simple update and refurbishment of various parts would not fix all of the issues.
More pupils would also be brought into the school, with numbers expanding from its current maximum of 1,378 to 1,688, with nine forms of entry.
Sport England has been consulted in regards to the loss of playing fields in the initial proposal, and said in a response to the plans: "The applicant refers to '... the utilisation of [a] relatively small part of the existing playing fields for housing development...'.
"The proposed development involves utilisation of 4.3ha, or just over a third, of the existing playing field for the new school building and the housing.
"This cannot be viewed as 'a relatively small part'. It would amount to a significant loss."
Mick Flannigan, of Rydens Road, said: "The proposals give the opportunity for a win-win outcome. The money from the sale of the land will fund the construction of a super new state-of-the-art school, with considerably more student places. The new housing development, if completed sensitively, would provide a lot of much-needed new dwellings in a prime location.
"I do, however, have concerns about the sheer density of the proposed housing. With too many dwellings crammed in, we could see real problems with traffic circulation and parking."
In order to keep up with all areas of the curriculum, the decision has been made to completely redesign the school, to better serve the staff and pupils.
The plans show the new build would completely replace the old, with land on the current site and playing fields redeveloped into housing units.
The school would retain its use of the old building while the new site is being built, despite planning to sell the land beforehand to fund the new project.
Another key element of the outlined proposal is that a new access way would be needed to get to and from the development site.
The council will have to consult on access to the site, which would run through public open space, before the land can be purchased by the school.
Rydens Enterprise School hopes to be in the new school by September 2016.
A public consultation will be held at 3pm-6pm on Monday, September 15 at Hersham Day Centre, Walton.


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Aurora University is an independent, comprehensive institution founded in 1893 offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Our two campuses are located in Aurora, Illinois and on the shores of Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. Additionally, we have an Educational Center in Woodstock, Illinois. We seek people passionately involved in the educational process who will help us realize our vision.
George Williams College is seeking qualified adjunct instructors to teach the following undergraduate course:
- Geographic Information Systems
Please email resume or curriculum vitae, plus cover letter stating the specific areas you are interested in teaching to:
Aurora University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to becoming a model university of the twenty-first century. Toward this effort we are determined to have a faculty, staff, and student body reflecting the cultural demographics of the greater Chicago area.


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David Bowie has assured longtime friends and collaborators who worked with him on his comeback album they won't have to learn how to perform the tracks live - because he has no plans to tour.
The rocker announced new music and released a single on his birthday on January 8 but producer Tony Visconti tells NME.com that fans needn't start saving up for concert tickets.
''He's fairly adamant he's never gonna perform live again ... One of the guys would say, 'Boy, how are we gonna do all this live?' and David said, 'We're not'. He made a point of saying that all the time,'' he said.
Bowie's new album, The Next Day, will be released in March.


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Headlines (Campus Updates)
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Laurier team to compete in the National Public Administration Case Study Competition
Communications, Public Affairs & Marketing
Feb 6/13
A YouTube clip of a First Nations woman's suicide goes viral and sends Canada into a political tailspin leading to protests, public outcry and the threat of violence. The prime minister turns to a group of public servants to analyze the risks and issues and prepare recommendations to resolve and retake control of the situation.
Although based on the political realities of Canada, this is a fictional case study that a group of masters students in the Department of Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University will assess and present policy recommendations on at the National Public Administration Case Study Competition, being held Feb. 8, 2013, in Kingston, Ont.
The Laurier team of Jesse Dhaliwal, Erin Estok, Mike Szabo and Andrew Basso will join nine other teams across Canada to vie for the national championship at the second annual case study competition. Each team has 30 minutes to present its recommendations and answer questions put forward by an expert panel of senior public policy leaders.
"I have a lot of confidence in our team," said Chris Alcantara, an associate professor of political science who will accompany the team to Kingston as their faculty coach. "These students come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a diverse set of skills to the table. They've been working hard over the last several months to prepare for this competition. I think they have a great chance to win it this year."
The team received the policy case study one week in advance of the competition and is currently working hard to prepare their policy response with the help of Kim Rygiel, an assistant professor of political science, and Alcantara.
"The event provides a tremendous opportunity for our students to showcase their skills and knowledge in the area of Canadian politics and public policy," said Rygiel. "It provides our students a chance to leverage what they have learned in the classroom into professional practice, as well as the chance to work collaboratively as part of a team and closely with faculty mentors."
The case competition is being hosted by Queen's University, in conjunction with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and the Canadian Association of Programs in Public Administration (CAPPA). For more information on the competition, visit the website.
View all Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies news
View all Laurier news


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iTunes App Store: New York Mets Baseball Trivia for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
15 days and counting until the Opening Day of Major League Baseball: time to bone up on your trivia Mets fans. And be on the lookout for Jennry Mejia, right-handed pitcher, who could be bringing a bit of luck to your mound this season. Hey, it's a new decade. Anything could happen.


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|The Desire to Blog is No Sign of Anything to Say
I am retired from, though still affiliated with, SLAC. The blog reflects my post-retirement interests both professionally and recreationally plus an occasional touch of philosophizing. It's intended, for both those who know me and those that don't, to add a more personal touch to the content given at http://www.bebowhite.com.
Notice: Blog authors are solely responsible for the content of the blogs listed in the directory. Neither the content of these blogs, nor the links to other web sites, are screened, approved, reviewed or endorsed by Stanford University, the Stanford Alumni Association or any Stanford-affiliated entity ("Stanford"). The text and other material on these blogs are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or information of Stanford.


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ProformaTECH Conference
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 3:30 AM to 6:30 PM (PDT)
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Event Details
ProformaTECH Conference is where finance, accounting and treasury meet technology. Discover how to leverage technology to maximize business results across the enterprise. Experience the latest technology, products and service solutions all under one roof at our one-day conference.
Top 10 Reasons to Attend ProformaTECH 2013
- Discover current and emerging finance, accounting, treasury and related technologies that can deliver efficiencies and support growth at your company
- Learn best practices from practitioners and experts in areas including budgeting, planning & analysis, business intelligence, financial consolidations & reporting, working capital optimization, finance tech implementation and much more
- Stay on top of new, innovative technology spanning on-premise, the cloud, and mobile
- Renowned presenters and practitioners offer actionable advice to address the issues most relevant to you
- Discover how to develop and leverage relationships between finance, accounting, treasury and IT to optimize technology ROI at your company
- Experience the event with your work colleagues in finance, accounting, treasury and IT
- Network with finance execs ranging from SMB up to and including many Fortune 500 companies
- Platforms, demos and providers of finance and technology solutions together under one roof
- Get your training and CPE credits all in one day
- It's free!
Attendees will:
- Address issues and identify opportunities specific to technology optimization
- Learn directly from world-class experts and experienced professionals
- Cultivate long-term professional relationships with your colleagues and network with your peers
- Discuss how other leading organizations solve universal problems
- Gain insight to anticipate and respond to technology challenges
- Learn from the "best practices" of your peers and experts
- Advance your technical expertise
- Refresh and return to your organization ready and excited about new knowledge gained
For more information and to register, click here: http://bit.ly/RoIvme. Follow the session on Twitter with #ProTECH13
Have questions about ProformaTECH Conference? Contact Proformative
When & Where
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
1333 Bayshore Hwy
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 from 3:30 AM to 6:30 PM (PDT)
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A FORMER professional footballer turned award winning York B&B owner is selling his business for £1.2 million.
Marco Gabbiadini and his wife Deborah are selling Bishops Bed and Breakfast in Holgate, after running the venture together since 2003.
Turning his hand to running a B&B after a knee injury forced him to retire from football, Mr and Mrs Gabbiadini went on to win numerous awards for their business, including being named Guest House Accommodation of the Year for two consecutive years in the Visit York Tourism awards in 2012 and 2013.
For £1.2 million prospective buyers can purchase the freehold for both the property and the five star rated business, which comprises of 11 bedroom within a fully converted Victorian villa.
Peter Bean, hotels director at Colliers International, which is handling the sale, said: "Bishops is an attractive Victorian villa which has been extended and beautifully restored and refurbished so that it provides a marvellous variety of letting and private accommodation.
"The business trades with 11 bedrooms and there's scope to operate 13 or 14 if buyers don't need all of the private rooms.
"This is a high quality highly profitable business with very good accommodation for owners.
"The property also includes a delightful private garden, all of which is a tremendous bonus for buyers looking for a combination of home and business in a highly desirable city."
Mr Gabbiadini was educated at Nunthorpe Grammar School and began his football career as a 16-year-old apprentice with the York City.
His career on the pitch saw him play more than 750 including time spent at Sunderland, Northampton Town, Derby County, Darlington, Hartlepool United, and Crystal Palace, scoring a total of 226 league goals he also played for England under-21s and totalled nearly £3 million in transfer fees.
Not to be outdone by her husband, Mrs Gabbiadini also staked a claim to fame when she became Miss Yorkshire Evening Press.