text:
Here are the comments from the bottom of the front page of stephenpiercescam.net
AussieGal says:
I purchased a product and service package from Stephen Pierce International. He was supposed work with me directly to create a product to sell online and supply all the marketing materials and promote my product to his databases. He was SUPPOSED TO do all that.
I begged for months for the support I needed through email, messages to his support team, and finally a formal complaint letter begging him for a refund since he was not going to keep his promise. I felt humiliated. His office apologized and stalled me, then confessed that Mr. Stephen Pierce himself has to approve all refunds and that just doesn't happen.
Until the autumn of 2011, I was still pleading with Stephen Pierce International for a refund and getting the run around. I gave up and hired a lawyer.
Then I reported this company to the Financial Fraud department of the McKinney TX police and to the Consumer Affairs Department of the Dallas Attorney General's office along with the Better Business Bureau in Texas. He is a great salesman and teacher so take his free training, but don't give him your money!
Humiliated customer
Stephen says:
Did you ever get your money back? If not, which I suspect to be the case, talk to me on email@example.com as there is legal action being instigated by a group of scammed "clients" from multiple countries.
See my post below.
Stephen says:
In March 2008, I purchased a program called the Product Creation Lab (PCL) from Stephen Pierce at a live event in Australia for a total of US$20,000 and so far, he has delivered only a minute fraction of the promised program and lots of stalling tactics and outright lies. This year, I began asking for a refund based on the clear gap between what was promised and what was delivered. No response at all so far.
Here is the whole sorry history. Don't let yourself get caught up in his excuses!
2008 – Purchased the program in March; in June I travelled to Stephen Pierce's home in Texas to work with him personally for 3 days on developing my product. However, I spoke with Stephen Pierce for no more than 5 minutes on just 2 occasions. After that I got a logo and an audio person added some music to the start and end of a few of my audio recordings.
2009–The company assigned someone named Marie to get my online business ready to launch made another logo. She quit, and I got Chipo who passed me off to Karol who sent some unpublishable junk.
2010– The staff repeatedly asked for information that I have already sent, then Chipo and Karole quit and the new team handed me off to Francis and Duane. I went through all this information again and resent all the previous documents. Francis admitted that my case had indeed been mishandled.
2011– Francis left the company and Todd took over. Later that year, Francis, Todd, and Duane left the company and the staff downsized to almost nothing. I couldn't get anyone to answer the phone. Finally got through to Stephen Pierce personally (firstname.lastname@example.com), after posting negative comments on one of his web pages. In July he too began failing to meet promised deadlines for an inferior replacement product. By December I gave up on him ever delivering anything so I started asking for a refund.
I have been begging these surfs for service for almost FOUR YEARS so here I am going public everywhere I can.
My story is also headed for the US regulatory authorities, relevant enforcement agencies and anywhere that Stephen Pierce ever plans on speaking in public.
Clearly, I have paid for something that I have not received, nor have I now any reasonable expectation of ever receiving it. Over this time, I have experienced constant emotional stress due to the uncertainty and the doubts over whether my internet business would ever come to life, and whether or not I would receive any outcome from the significant financial investment that I made. This emotional stress and anxiety has taken a heavy toll on my physical health.
That's my story in abbreviated format. If you have any thoughts of every getting involved with ANY product offered by Stephen Pierce, think long and hard before you do – and pay only for what you receive WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT!
Stephen says:
I have had enough and am now instigating legal action as well as lodging a formal complaint with the Attorney General's Office against Stephen Pierce.
This has got to be stopped and after four years of frustration I have retained an attorney in Dallas, TX who will represent YOUR CASE on a contingency fee basis. No up front cash required. If you want to join the fight for your money and your respect, contact me at email@example.com!!
cm says:
I know it says only those that have purchased Stephen Pierce products and services, but I want to share something I observed. Hopefully it helps. It states on the workshop reminder email, a worksheet handed out at the workshop, and on one of his websites that he's been featured on various television channels. When I looked up Stephen Pierce on each of the channels websites most said 0 results. On two of them he came up as an ad. I don't know if that's considered fraud, but I thought I should mention it. Good luck to those seeking retribution.
conned customer says:
Still Waiting for a Refund I was Promised OVER 6 MONTHS AGO
After attending one of the Stephen Pierce Internet Income workshops, I purchased a program for $4,997 because I was promised unprecedented support and that I would be part of a "family" if I invested in this program. I followed the program exactly and was consequently threatened with legal action by another company because, by following the Stephen Pierce program, I was in violation of trademark law.
On April 4, 2011, I requested advice and assistance from the support department via email. I did not receive a response until May 20, 2011, over 7 weeks later. In the interim, I sent an email to a Chelsea Morris (whom I had met at the seminar) on April 25, 2011, after not hearing back from the support department for 3 weeks. I received a response from a Craig Pettit who informed me Ms. Morris no longer worked for the company, and asked me when I reserved the domain names in dispute. I informed him it was in October of 2010, but again he did not respond.
On May 7 I sent Craig Pettit another email and his solution was for me to transfer all of my websites over the Stephen Pierce, International. He also requested I send the complaints I received so he could forward them to their attorneys. I informed him I had already sent the complaints to him and canceled my websites from fear of more complaints. Again, he did not respond.
May 20, 2011 I finally received a response from the support department and requested a refund. TaNoa Kemp in customer support informed me that he would forward my request to the president of the company (Stephen Pierce), and that the president would contact me. 10 days and no response, so I sent Tanoa Kemp another email asking if there was someone else I could forward my request to, and again received no response.
In June I threatened to contact the BBB as well as share my experience with their company with others, and I received an email from Craig Pettit to a Sheila Watson asking if she had any news for me. The same day an email from a Jesse Frye informed me my refund request had been submitted and they were now waiting for approval, and that he should have an answer for me "mid-week". I waited 10 days and followed up with Mr. Frye who immediately told me that my refund had not yet been approved.
July 21 I asked for an update, and on July 25 Gina Watkins informed me that Mr. Frye was no longer with the company and that she was his replacement. She also told me that that Stephen Pierce had to personally authorize refunds but he was out of town so it could be another week of waiting.
August 3, 2011 i explicitly asked Gina Watkins if my refund had been approved and she said "Yes.. he will be coming into the office tomorrow to physically sign-off/sign checks, etc. However you paid will be the way we process your refund."
This was 16 weeks ago. I have sent emails every 2-3 weeks requesting updates, but now no one from the company will respond to me. This has now been going on for 8 months. I have in writing that my refund has been approved, yet they refuse to refund my money.
This company swindled me and my family out of over $6,000 after all said and done. I can only hope that me sharing my experience will prevent others from making the same mistake I made by trusting Craig Pettit and Stephen Pierce.
found @ http://www.scaminformer.com/scam-report/stephen-pierce-stephen-pierce-international-stephen-c62601.html
urageek99 says:
Hi Conned Customer- I wish I had some sort of words of wisdom for you. I am a former employee of Stephen Pierce and very familiar with your issues. I very clearly remember hearing about your situation. Let me tell you the frustrations and problems that we had as employees of Stephen Pierce's in trying to do the right thing for our customers. You may already know that Stephen Pierce is now down to a staff of two people. Tanoa Kemp and Craig Pettit. I was fired for being friends with a former employee and Stephen Pierce was angry that I wasn't "loyal" to him by talking to my friends. Jesse Frye was fired for standing up to Stephen Pierce and disagreeing with his bad business practices. Gina and Sheila walked out because of Stephen Pierce's bad business practices as well. Chelsea was fired because Stephen Pierce felt she wasn't loyal….the list of good people who wanted to do the right thing while employed at Stephen Pierce goes on and on. By the time our employment there ended, we were all completely disgusted, angry and disenchanted. He treats his staff like garbage, then accused us of not doing our jobs and accepting paychecks for work not done. We have been accused of falsifying our resumes and references. According to Stephen Pierce– the reason for the failure of his company is his former employees! In my opinion, the reason why you have had the horrible experience you have had is due to Stephen Pierce himself.
As his employees, we would get complaints very similar to yours over and over. As part of the "refund process" I literally had to jump through a hoop of fire to obtain refunds for the customers. To make a long story short- after making sure that a ridiculous spreadsheet was entered with all the pertinent refund request info, making sure there was a written request from the customer, making sure all the materials were returned, scanning in the original order form and all correspondence from the customer- and then forwarding all of that to Craig Pettit who was SUPPOSED to meet with Stephen Pierce every Thursday to review refund requests- I was to receive answers concerning the refunds that customers were requesting by Tuesday the following week (this is the "mid-week" that Jesse was referring to). I would have to call and email and text Craig repeatedly to get answers. Remember how many people are calling the office- sometimes numerous times a day to hear the status of their refunds! Usually, if I could get a response to the refund requests that I submitted- I would get an email with responses typed on the spread sheet like "denied" "call and delay" "no refund". And that was the extent of the explanation from Stephen Pierce as to why we couldn't issue a refund.
Stephen Pierce gave me NO ability to issue refunds at all. Only Stephen Pierce has the power to release the funds. He would give and take away passwords to various accounts and databases and even our recurring billing programs all the time. If he was angry about something that someone in the office did, we all paid the price. At one point, someone gave passwords to Stephen Pierces own sister- and he was so mad that he locked the entire staff out of our own systems!
Working for Stephen Pierce for 10 months was probably the worst professional experience I have ever had. The environment was so stressful- I was sick with pneumonia and Mononucleosis last winter, both illnesses were stress induced. Imagine working a job that everyday is filled with dealing with an absentee boss who rules with an iron fist via text and email and angry customers all day. When I found out exactly what was going down at Stephen Pierce International- and that his programs are a scam and a lie- I immediately starting looking for other work. I am disgusted that I have this on my conscience and wish that I could personally apologize to every person that had been hurt by this scam. Your story is not unique when it comes to Stephen Pierce International!
All I can say here is that I am so sorry for your situation. I know that I tried to obtain your refund for you- and you deserve to have your money back. There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't have gotten a full and complete refund. If I had had the ability to refund your credit card, I would have done so. Please continue with the BBB and the Attorney General's office. Please contact Detective Taylor of the McKinney Police Department- Financial Crimes Unit.
I wish you and your family all the best.
No Refunds Here, Sorry says:
We all know that Craig Pettit is now Stephen Pierce right-hand man. He is taking over the limping dog that is Stephen Pierce International and developing new businesses with Stephen Pierce. Craig Pettit is also the person that determines if YOU will get your much-needed refund or not! He has abandoned the corporate offices that once was occupied by Stephen Pierce International and is running this company from his own offices. If you are one of the many that are calling the offices of Stephen Pierce International and not getting an answer or just a busy signal, that is the reason why!
Here is the address for Stephen Pierce International for the time being:
Ready Mortgage Corp.
401 W Pres Geo Bush Fwy #109
Richardson, Texas 75080
972-421-1990 Phone
972-421-1994 Fax
Craig Pettit
Craig Pettit, Texas Mortgage Broker License #67810
Ready Mortgage Corp, Texas Mortgage Broker License #78722
Also, "friend" his last standing employee at Stephen Pierce International– he is the "Customer Service Manager" now! Tanoa Kemp of Dallas, Texas. Let Tanoa know how you feel, lets keep up the pressure on these lying scam artists!
You can run, Stephen Pierce, but you can't hide!
m hotchkiss says:
Stephen Pierce let his staff go except one person. Whenever I get a chance to submit an email on one of his sights, I put a link to this blog site. Also post on his facebook page. If you were a friend or a fan on one of his facebook pages and you can still get on one of them – put this http://www.stephenpiercescam.net site in your message. Perhaps it will keep other people from making the same error in judgement that we all did
Sailor says:
Dear M. Hotchkiss:
You are my inspiration!!
I am in the process of documenting the whole sorry saga with Stephen Pierce International, which dates back as far as 2008 – and is ongoing. I paid Stephen Pierce 20K for his PCL program and am still fighting to get anything back from him, be that product or refund.
At least I don't have to pay postage from my home in Australia to reach out.
Once it is written, you'll read it here!
Barrett Grey says:
I attended one of Stephen Pierce Internet Income workshops in El Paso 2010. I set-up a payment plan for 8 monthly pymts.. NEVER received any product, product codes or any bonuses as he promised. I DID HOWEVER RECEIVE TONS OF SPAM EMAILS. 2 of the payments were ran, and then nothing ever again until May/June of this year OUT OF THE BLUE they run my payment again! VERY RUDE AWAKENING. I called to get my money back but I think I have talked to 4-5 different people with no results. I deleted my old email, I am now unemployed due to a layoff and my wife of 30 years just passed.
I could really use the money that he pocketed. When I call Stephen Pierce International, no one answers the phone. I have done plenty of digging and I found out this scammer lives in a fancy apartment complex in Irving. Stephen Pierce thinks he is in hiding but his physical address is about to go public! Some of the people you scammed, know people in very high places. And do us all a favor and do not ever use "God" anywhere near where you think you are preaching. God doesn't like "ugly Thieves!"
m hotchkiss says:
work with your bank and the attorney generals office in your state. I got my money back. good luck. the more pressure we put on him, the faster they will shut him down. good luck
Patrick says:
I attended the Get Motivated Seminar. At first, I was so excited. But was a little disappointed in the speakers, some were good but there was so many money making offers between them that they overshadowed the motivation part.
I signed up for Stephen Pierce Internet Income Workshop or MRMI. Then attended his 3 day seminar. From the start you could tell it was very hoaky. Not even bottled water or Ice, a water cooler. The first guy said, hold your questions, we know you'll have questions but we will go over this stuff over and over. We get this all the time and we will cover your questions by the end. You'll know it. So they skip around, breeze through what you should be getting and belabor some stupid point.
Then they come out with it. Belittling us that we have no money, if we were committed to changing our lives we would spend it. You begin to realize this is just another scam. The next morning you go in one hour early for personal career planning. When they hear you have no money, they are condesending. From that point on, game on, full on trying to sell the packages. They claim at Get Motivated that you will get everything you need and for $29.99 you will get what they normally charge thousands of $$ for that price. No, you only purchase a chance to purchase it at that price. They did give some info, but it was so fragmented that only a computer guru who already had some knowledge could put it all together. And they never answered the questions that we needed.
We didn't get what was on the contract that we signed. When I questioned them, the 'staff' couldn't even tell me what those things were. They claimed they had already emailed a couple of things, but I didn't find them. They didn't want to give a straight answer and when I pinpointed them with a question, they tried to intimidate me. The last day they brought in a guy who was teaching about getting jobs from gov. contracts. He was gonna teach us all we need. Yeah, for another $2,000. I did obtain some knowledge, but for once I can say I'm so thankful that I didn't have the money to spend. And I don't know if anyone else caught it, but for the $10,000 Platinum Program you get to go to them for training. He lives in Texas and he said he'd take everyone to his house for training. But the training is in Utah. That's the problem with liars, they don't think anyone is smart enough to see through it. I think we need to write Rudy Giuliani and the rest of the speakers. Get motivated obviously doesn't care. I don't think the other speakers know what a rip off this is.
Patrick says:
I also just tried to find Cory, Corey? Thorston, Thurston? Maybe I didn't get his name right, but he was one of the presenters at the Stephen Pierce Internet Income Workshop. I didn't find him using Google. Wouldn't have thought anything about it, but he's teaching Facebook ads and doesn't have a Facebook account?? Come on, he'd have one for business purposes, if he is a Stephen Pierce follower. Just my opinion. Someone let me know if I have the name wrong. I hope these people are more on the level than what we're thinking, and that those others didn't loose their money on the Stephen Pierce Platinum Program.
Patrick says:
I also did not appreciate Stephen Pierce continuous attempt at humor about his "DELICIOUS" body and the sexual innuendos. If you can back up what you say, everyone else will be singing your praises. I can't now look back on the Get Motivated seminar with anything but shame and embarrassment for falling for yet another internet scam. And I wish I had my time and money back that it did cost me. Maybe not a lot to some but with my budget it was very big.
Patrick says:
I just spent all afternoon cleaning out and unsubscribing to all the spam emails I've received from Stephen Pierce the last couple of weeks. I don't have any idea if it will do any good. Stephen Pierce International will just send a different one. Please someone get these people under control! It just adds insult to injury. I don't have to wonder where the emails came from. They showed us how they collect email addresses and send spam emails.
No Refunds Here, Sorry says:
If you want the emails to stop- try contacting this individual: email@example.com. Terry may or may not be still doing the IT work for Stephen Pierce. Terry may be able to help out with the email situation since rumor has it that Stephen Pierce is now down to a staff of 2.
James D. Mudd says:
To Whom it May Concern:
Stephen Pierce is a very charismatic fellow whom presents a well-crafted albeit fundamentally flawed, for participants, workshop. The fatal flaw, which will eventually be the cause of his business' undoing, is that his Internet Income Workshop is a scam; a fraudulent multi-state ponzi scheme of sorts. The business practices of Steven Pierce International, if not immediately identified by the following information as illegal, should be thoroughly investigated with appropriate corresponding federal, state and commonwealth legal actions following those determinations.
To my understanding, my particular basic story is not unusual; I was simply and naively one of the many 'caught up' in the promises made by Stephen Pierce at his workshops — the promise being that I could and would, in Stephen Pierce qualified estimation, be similarly successful by utilizing his program. Unfortunate for all so taken and beguiled. Being so naive cost me financially, and at a most inopportune time.
Had I not been laid off on my birthday some six months prior to the Stephen Piece Workshop; had I not been brought to the event by a financially successful businessman; were I not trying to live with diminished cognitive abilities from a rare combination of two Neurological diseases, Stephen Pierce would not have so successfully duped me. I would not be ten thousand dollars ($10,000)in debt today without the ability to work.
Instead, I find myself here. My money has not been returned and my efforts toward that end have continually and consistently been rebuked. I began sending tickets and e-mails to the Stephen Pierce International office on December 7, 2010 — less than a month after the workshop — without reply or contact with Stephen Pierce or his employees. Further e-mail efforts began on December 20, 2010, again without reply or the receipt of log-in information. Months later, on March 25, 2011, literature of some fashion arrived via Federal Express, well past the period for cancellation and frankly, rather amateurish. I sought legal advice.
Beginning April 11, 2011, my attorney requested a refund as well as a copy of any documents that I may have signed that were not provided to me at the time of said signing.
After many more months of obfuscation and delay, Stephen Pierce attorney Kevin Vela has determined that I do "not qualify for a refund under the terms of his agreement with SPI". A copy of my "signed agreement" showing a 3-day cancellation policy was finally provided to my attorney October 5, 2011.
I encourage you to read the Cancellation/Termination/Refund policy written on the rear of the agreement. Item 6a., in part, states that you have 3 days from the date payment is received (or the date you receive your login information), to receive a refund. Inasmuch as log-in information was not provided at the time of signing nor, OR as in my case, EVER PROVIDED and the fact that a copy of the agreement was not given to me at the time of payment, I maintain that Steven Pierce International has violated its own agreement. In fact of evidence, thereby voiding the contract originally signed on November 10, 2010.
Expecting a most expedient return of my ten thousand dollars ($10,000)for the Stephen Pierce Platinum Program, I thank you for your attention and any advice you can provide toward that end.
Another one bites the dust says:
If you would like to get immediate action to obtain your refund or affiliate payments, e-mail firstname.lastname@example.com to file a complaint on Stephen and request your money. That is his only weakness and your only way to get immediate attention and have a chance at getting your money.
Other contacts are Craig Pettit (Interim President) 972-342-7605, Kevin Vela (SPI's attorney) 817-690-7097, or Stephen Pierce at 254-205-1925 but they will not pay you.
kia says:
Those phone numbers are their personal cell phones! Awesome! I am going to call them and text them non stop until they respond and give me my refund. These guys messed with the wrong woman!
Please read my other blogs. I got my refund! but it took some action and follow thru with the authorities to do it. Good Luck
m.hotchkiss says:
After realizing that Stephen Pierce was a scam artist, I went to my bank (I paid $3400.00 from a checking account), they asked if I had sent the product back. I hadn't but did the next day registered mail, waited for it to be delivered and signed for and provided the bank with proof of delivery. 15 days from the date of delivery with no reply from Stephen Pierce International, the bank refunded my $3400.00 and is going after him.
The balance I put on a credit card and although I believe I will receive the balance
at some point, it is taking the card company quite a bit longer.
I have also contacted the Attorney Generals Office and am working with them
to get Stephen Pierce out of the Internet Business. I will post more information from
the AG's office as I get it.
There are ways to get your money back.
faye dimarco says:
i would love to know who you are talking to at the oag.something needs to be done about this man and it takes strong action like you have taken to make a difference!
m hotchkiss says:
The AG office sent my complaint to the Wa St dept of Financial Institutes, Security Division. A William McGinty is very interested in finding and receiving more information about Pierce. Mcgintys' fax is: 360-902-0524, phone is:360-902-8745. Good Luck.
September 12, 2011
Mari-Lyn Hotchkiss
7405 202nd St SW
Lynnwood, WA 98036
The system does work!!!! Just keep plugging away. I will continue to pursue this with William McGinty and see if we can
get this person.
m hotchkiss says:
Please keep trying. He wants all the input he can get.
This is true! says:
Found this comment online at http://911copywriters.blogspot.com/2010/09/stephen-pierce-scam-update.html
I ordered some material from Pierce on the web. He never delivered it to me. I called, and even went as far as to go looking for the guy. I believed he had an actual center located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I drive over to his place thinking I was going to pick up my products and also purchase additional ones.
I get over to the place and it turned out to be a P.O. Box. This guy had left for Texas. I had no idea of the other legal problems he had piling up. I was just as
surprised to find out this guy got in trouble with Anthony Robbins. You can read about that here: http://dotcompreneur.com/tony-robbins-lawsuit-against-stephen-pierce/ It is one of MANY articles on the web. I called over to his refund department and got nowhere. They kept my money.
I later found out this guy had been doing simillar things to other people for quite a while. I am grateful however that Stephen Pierce didn't get me for tons of money.
Zombies says:
Are all you people here for real? I downloaded one his audios and true, he speaks fine BUT that doesnt me that what he tells to you works.
Yu all disappoint me. It's like thinking that when you wear what Elvis Pressley wore, then you become a super star. Ho Ho Ho, yu al ar jerks if you part away with your precious $ for his gold package thinking yu will be rich.
Wyrd says:
There's no need to be a dick.
People get scammed. It sucks. It can happen to anyone at some point in time or another.
The last thing these folks need is you wagging your finger at them in some holier than thou fashion.
The real bad guy is Stephen piece-of-sh*t Pierce not the folks that got scammed here on this page. Stay focused on the real bad guy or go somewhere else please.
Furry cows moo and decompress.
Alex Lee says:
I regretted that I have paid him so much money but gained nothing. I knew from the beginning that he is not an honest guy. I met him one day at the restaurant. I just wanted to say hello to him but he just look at me like a stranger when I introduce myself as his student. No hand-shake, no Hello, No smiling face, he jus gave the answer "I'm having my dinner now…"He is not friendly at all.
Alex Lee says:
I am one of the victim. I too was scammed by Stephen Pierce to the tune of US$1,997.00 plus US$997. He promised to create a website for me and still no sites produced by his "company". And he promised with at least 100,000 visitors to the website. He came to South East Asia and scammed more than 1,000 students. The organiser was Success Resources. Many calls and emails with no reply at all. Whenever you made calls, they will just tell you to send by emails. when you sent the emails, there is no reply at all. The next time you call again, they will tell you that the person in charge already resigned "Please send again!". This has repeated many, many times. The same thing, sending emails to Stephen Pierce, he will never reply even though I sent to his facebook.
Does anyone can suggest what should I do next? my email address is email@example.com. Should I report to the US police department in Dallas?
Portland says:
Mind you I am just a consumer and not an ex-employee or a customer that got taken advantage of either. But I saw this scam happen.
My son and I attended a internet seminar in Portland Oregon from 4/15/2001-4/17/2011. Stephen Pierce was the presenter. As Mr. Pierce was presenting the internet material on Saturday, 4/16/2011, I realized that I had that same program on my web hosting service that I purchase for $10.00 a month.
My son and I are not real internet savvy, so we took copious note on all of the computer plug-ins and other programs he was claiming you could only get if you bought his program (The Gold Package) at the tune of $4,997.00. That night, my son went through all of the programs and plug-ins and found that Stephen Pierce had changed the Word Press product ID number by either a letter or a number to throw the user off a bit, but it was the same product that we get from WordPress for $10.00/month. As a result of discovering this information, my son and I downloaded the SAME APPLICATIONS FOR FREE from the WordPress I use off of the internet. Obviously, I did not purchase his program because I knew by then that he was making fraudulent claims so that he could sell this same thing to the other participants.
On Sunday the 17th of April my son went up three different times to talk to Stephen Pierce and his employees. He just wanted to ask if he had missed any plug-ins while taking notes the previous day. Their response was "Did you buy the package? Did you buy the package?" That seemed to be their only concern. They would not even talk to him or give him any information.
All participants paid $29.99 for the 3 day internet seminar endorsed by the GET MOTIVATED seminar. So in summary I paid $29.99 for the 3 day seminar, and I received all the information that Stephen Pierce was selling for free off the internet and from my Word Press program. Those others didn't know that you can get this off the internet, and they paid $4,997.00 for the Gold Package and the same information from Stephen Pierce that I got for FREE!
jane says:
well not exactly, yes many of the plugins are free (and he says that), but Stephen Pierce created his own custom made plugin to do the automation (which is not free on the internet), and the program comes with a ton of other products of his as well (that are not free on the internet) and you get weekly training from one of his programs (which is not available free either). although i do agree the price tag is pretty high, you are paying for Stephen Pierce custom plugin, his other products and training. although i can't stand the guy and don't want anything to do with him, just wanted to make sure the facts were correct.
Perhaps not but they don't cost $5000.00 either.
Get Motivated Internet Income Workshop says:
I attended the Get Motivated event in January 2010 and then attended the internet workshop in February 2010. My partner and I purchased some Stephen Pierce Gold Package which was advertised as a $66,000 value for $4,997. The seller, Stephen Pierce said that this was an automated income machine. Once you do it, you get everything done and not worry about it. Set it and forget it income machine. And you do nothing else for life. I was so excited. But he made many promises to me that he never delivered.
Stephen sold us many services that he not deliver. After the internet income workshop from Get Motivated, I got no call from his office and I waited and waited. So I was worried because the contract had fine print that said I had 3 days to cancel the order. So we are beyond that 3 days, around 2 weeks, before I get the log in information. But when I get it, I start listening to the Wednesday webinars like I am supposed to do.
I team up with the people from my class, and we are working together on our sites. Every one of us has trouble understanding the materials and when we get stuck we call for support and don't get squat. So I follow his steps and do it the best I can. I launch my own two websites and a blog like they taught me. They look very professional but they are not ranking up like he said using his keywords and the AIM plug in. They are way, way, pages down in the rank and you cannot even find it. Anyone can put up a website, but he says that he teaches us how to get to the top of page 1 Google and I cannot even find my sites and get no help from him. Now I have paid out money for hosting and domain names, and this bill comes every month.
He promises us lifetime support. I called a lot and watched the Wednesday seminar a number of times. He is always talking about success and all those things, but when he tells you what to do you can't follow it because there is no direction from him. When when you call, they don't call you back. I still get none of the lifetime support promised.
We gave up. My partner and I feel horrible after all the promises and I have worked so hard on this. I called the other people in the class that I had their telephone numbers for and they have no success either. They are sick of him too. I gave up.
From http://www.imreportcard.com/people/stephen-pierce
Maybe for Beginners says:
I joined Stephen Pierce program Make Real Money on the Internet (MRMI) in November and stayed with it for 6 months. I believe it's a good program for beginners, but I found myself getting disheartened by the time the 6th month rolled around and that's why I got out.
Stephen Pierce provides lots and lots of content – perhaps too much. I think as someone else said 'he provides quantity over quality'. I also found that he made promises that didn't happen even though I was working the program and a lot of the techniques that were shared just didn't work or I now realize were quite 'spammy'.
I did learn a lot though so it's not all bad. I think for beginners it's a valuable learning tool, but from my experience you're not going to make a lot of money from this program alone. It's a good starting point for beginners and will teach you stuff you need to know, so for the $40 a month I reckon it's worth it. Stick with it for a while and then move on to other teachers.
No Product, No Service says:
I am posting to tell my story about Stephen Pierce and his program to make you an internet millionaire. In September 2010, I attended his seminar after the Get Motivated presentation. He is a very good speaker and convinced me to sign up for the Stephan Pierce Platinum Consultant Package (also advertised as the PIMC) for $10,000. He said that he was looking for seven consultants and would work with us individually and directly to build our business. One of his claims that particularly moved me to buy was that HE was making 10 million dollars a year. I suspect that this is a bogus claim. He is a very good salesman and made the program sound fantastic.
After waiting over five months for my product, I received additional materials that appeared thrown together with quantity winning over quality in a huge notebook only 1/3 full of one marketing approach-social media. Furthermore the claim that this service would provide value to a small business at $1,000 per month is ludicrous. Any business with any Internet savvy at all would see a far greater value using Google Ads.
Yes, I emailed Stephen Pierce International right away for some guidance, but never got it. I struggled through and completed the web sites but none of them have made it to the first page of Google as Stephen Pierce claims the AIM will do.
I spoke to other workshop customers who are having the same trouble with the product. I called the Stephen Pierce International office asking for a refund and have been put-off time and time again. I have recently done more research on Stephen Pierce. He has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau in Dallas and some previous company of his was shut down with a D- rating.
I requested a refund of my $10,000 investment due to false claims, poor quality product and non-existent service. The evidence that I have been fleeced is overwhelming. Since I have had no luck getting a refund using the ticket and phone systems, I am posting in protest of this man's business practices.http://www.imreportcard.com/people/stephen-pierce
Buyer Beware says:
Buyer Beware
I start by saying that I still think Stephen Pierce has some fine products. That said, I signed up for their $1 for 30 days offer. I found I didn't have the time to devote to the program, so I decided to cancel on the 27th day.
What I found, actually what I DIDN'T find was a way to cancel. I searched the website for two days with no luck. I finally sent a generic support ticket to Stephen Pierce International, which a responding email told me would have a low priority. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, they went ahead and charged me for the next month's membership, at $39.97. Unfortunately, the account only had $1.88 in it, which created an overdraft situation that quickly escalated.
I just received an email saying that Stephen Pierce International was going to refund my $39.97. That leaves me with over $120 in fees and charges to clean up. I'm very disappointed in the way the whole thing was handled. I also think it shouldn't take a geiger counter to find a way to cancel a membership.http://www.imreportcard.com/people/stephen-pierce
jane says:
To get refund, the informatioin is on the front page of their support site – So, it's not hard to find, not sure why you had so much trouble. Coincidentally it has the highest number of clicks out of all of their FAQs.
The hard part is actually GETTING the refund. You can request it, but good luck getting it especially if you bought the gold package as it costs more.
Devin Craige says:
I checked out the BBB file for Stephen Pierce and saw that another customer had filed a complaint about not complying with his contract. That's 23 total complaints against Stephen Pierce International.
E.S. Frustrated says:
I purchased the Gold package or MRMI package, whatever, and spent a minimum of 20 hrs. a week creating websites to start generating income. Despite all of my efforts, I didn't earn even one cent.
Stephen PIerce said the tutorial booklet had step-by-step instructions that were easy to follow. That could not be further from the truth. The booklet is extremely vague and difficult to follow.
Stephen Pierce said that support was always available. That was also not a true statement. The only person who could assist with technological questions was always so busy helping others that is was almost impossible to get him on the phone to get any answers in a timely manner.
For over 3 weeks I tried calling Stephen Pierce International and emailing but nobody ever answered the phone or replied to the phone messages I left.
I got through to the office manager and got empty promises but nothing changed. To say that I am frustrated right now would be an understatement. This product does not work as promised, customer service is practically non-existent and I am extremely angry and disappointed.
Rose E. says:
I too was scammed by Stephen Pierce to the tune of $1,997.00 plus all the extra expenses related to getting your domain site, and so forth. Then there were the parking expenses, and meals for the three day seminar. I am a single senior citizen, retired and struggling to make a living and he gives this pitch about earning so much money with his plan. This was last year when they promised to create three websites for me and still no sites produced by his "company".
Finally I contacted an attorney and was told by her that he has a previous conviction from 2003 for Internet Fraud and got away with paying a small fee. He is still defrauding people left and right. The people who attended his seminar here were deceived because he came with a conference sponsored by the local BBB. Shame on them that they did not check him out prior to inviting him. His victims here bought into his tall tales because of that.
I have contacted the Police, both here and the McKinney Police; the State Attorney General, the Federal Trade Commission, the BBB of Dallas, and the Internet Fraud Complaint Center and spoke with a detective yesterday. He asked if I wanted to prosecute and I said yes. The more people go to the authorities, the quicker this man will be put out of business! The FBI here in town told me to go to IC3.gov and file a complaint. The more documentation you can provide them, the better. The individual I spoke with told me that if they receive a lot of complaints about him they can block all of his web sites and put him off the air. Let your friends know this. It is not too late to file a complaint. It has been a year since I signed up and they are listening to me. Yes, I get emails from him, but do not read them because not having the sites up and running does no good to now follow his suggestions. Plus since he lied about building three sites for me, how can I trust what he puts out on the email he sends me?
At Christmas I received a Christmas note telling me that he had a gift for me. I needed to go on the web to collect it for free, but told me to hurry because he planned on selling it. Then in the middle of the letter he wrote "hehehehe!" A red flag went shooting up with that. It was as though he was saying "Well good for me! You just got took! Your investment is MY Christmas gift!
Do yourself a grand favor. File your complaints ASAP. The more people do that the higher the chances of getting something done. Shame on those who don't!!
Alan says:
I went to the 3 day seminar in Seattle. $29 and bring a friend for FREE. The information I garnered from Pierce and Jim Francis was incredibly valuable. I could not keep up on the many tips and outright give aways of knowledge they imparted.
In just two days afterwards, the traffic on my company's website is up and I have started to use the Social Media like never before. Not to mention some other money making ideas that show incredible potential. All for FREE.
Would I have bought the Gold package if I had the funds? You bet. And it would have worked because I am committed to the time and effort to make it so.
You folks out their trying to bring this man down should reevaluate why you hold such animus towards him. He talked too fast? So what! He has a TON of things to go over and guess what? You could leave! No one was holding you hostage. As for the folks who feel "ripped off"? At what point did they place a gun to your head and make you buy? Let me get out my Violin and Kleenex! I wasn't pressured one bit. They were gracious and kind all three days.
The inspiration and encouragement Stephen imparts to the crowd is unmatched by any speaker I have attended before. He truly convinces you that your inner and outer success is there, but just held back by self imposed limits and a malformed identity.
The folks out there trying to smear him should be embarrassed. Hundreds of folks just in Seattle who didn't buy his Gold program means there are thousands and thousands nationwide who attended his seminar and got three days of invaluable information, advice, encouragement and empowerment for $29.
Yeah, right, Stephen rips people off! That is the biggest lie I have ever heard.
Alan Davidson
jax says:
Alan –
The reason why its only $29 and your bring a friend for free is not because Stephen Pierce is being generous, its because the more people in the room, the more people he has the opportunity to sell to. He is not there to teach you anything, he is there to make money…That's it. Make money and hide behind the Get Motivated organization. Stephen Pierce provides you with a ton of good free info, so people can say "WOW, he gives so much good info, I should buy his gold package." You buy it…then he disappears. You will never interact with him again. At least I didn't.
His "inspiration and motivation" is another part of this proven sales strategy. He convinced me with his "God bless you and yours". He is a very talented sales man and that is the one and only thing he should get credit for.
No Refunds here, sorry says:
Oh Alan, you have no idea of what you speak. Sure, you attended a seminar for $29.00 and Jim Francis is a great speaker. Stephen Pierce is charasmatic, no doubt about that and does give you lots of good tips and advice in that seminar. I heard the same seminar that you heard. And of course you can can bring a friend for FREE. You could have brought as many guests that you wanted, all for FREE.
But does the Gold Package work? Will you receive ALL the support that you are promised and that you PAID for? Will you make the millions that are promised from that Gold Package or even make back your original investment? No, No and No.
Months from now, after you have struggled through the system on your own, ignored by the support staff, and slowly come to realize that you are making about enough to pay the hosting fee, will you get your hard earned and so easily invested funds back? I certainly didn't. Even if you requested a refund within "3 days" as promised? No again. I suspect that there are hundreds, even thousands of people nationally and internationally that fell for the same hook, line and sinker as you- that Stephen Pierce's story is real and true. That he is a man of God and a man of integrity. That he will contact you when he promises, and that his support teams are ready and waiting for your calls.
C'mon, man…No police department, business organization or federal agency would have open and active investigations against Stephen Pierce if there werent DOCUMENTED PROOF behind the claims of those making complaints.
As Denzel Washington said in Training Day.."Its Not about what you know, its about what you can prove". There are alot of folks out there who have had their own experience and can prove that Stephen Pierce is a con man and a rip off. I AM ONE OF THEM.
NO refunds here, sorry. says:
email Stephen Pierce. email@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com. Make a complaint with the BBB or the McxKinney Police. Contact the FTC. Tweet him, post on his facebook wall! And if you paid for any of his products – – dispute the charges on your credit cards – this is the ONLY way you'll get any kind of response.
Sarai says:
I thought this guy was wonderful becasue I heard him speak at a Get Motivated event, one of those national tour things in Fresno California. Then my sister signed up for the Stephen Pierce Internet Income Workshop on how to make money on the Internet. All she got was a sales pitch and hard sell from his sales team. She bought his Gold Package for $5,000 and that was the end of his charm. She got no calls, no support, no help at all. She finally got through to a live person and tried for a refund becasue they wouldn't help her and they told her no go. She waited too long. Really!@&? Three weeks is to long for a refund? Apparently the refund period is THREE DAYS. She is sick and so am I. All that money.
Nan says:
I have been getting emails from Stephen Pierce and I had watched quite a few of his videos. I decided to get some extra help from him when he sent an email about his $1.00 free trial and $97.00 a month after that.
I decided after a few days that this wasn't the type of training I was looking for. I put in a support ticket to "billing" to cancel my subscription as per the instructions on his site. No response. They billed me the $97.00. I sent updates to my support ticket 3 times….no response. I put in another support ticket. Still nothing.
I'm severely disappointed by this man and his organization. I have always thought highly of him and his free training. It's too bad someone has to makes his "millions" by taking advantage of others. I've been involved in other trials with other marketers and have had good results. This man's customer service is the worst I have ever seen. All I can say is "what goes around, comes around".
I'm going to have to go to my bank and stop the automatic with drawls from his company. I'll probably never receive the refund I believe I deserve.
Beware! His organization is a "Hotel California" situation. As the Eagles sang, "You can check out any time you want, you can just never leave".
pissedoff says:
Exact same thing happened to me.
I believe he makes his money on the "I gave up strategy". 90% of the people don't follow up for a refund or cancellation and just give up trying.
Hard Lesson
I heard of a story where a bunch of crooks would sell a diet patch which was just a band-aid, a bottle of water and an exercise manual. They're business model was if anyone asks for a refund, they would pay them. They paid their refunds 100% and instantly. They made there money on the 90% who couldn't be bothered.
Remind you of anyone?
RIGHT'O says:
You are so so right, Nan. The only time that Stephen Pierce isn't lying to you is when he says that he has made millions. He HAS made millions, off the back of you, me, our mothers, and our neighbors. and that get motivated seminar has helped him do it. the only little problem is that YOU wont make millions. He will. In my opinion he is a criminal and someone ought to stop him.
Clive says:
GOD BLESS THE INTERNET. I have been wondering why he could not answer my emails or his staff could not reply to a few questions that I had BEFORE ordering the information. By the way, I just got a refund from Auto Wealth Maker after calling my lawyer. ANOTHER SCAM. FORGET MAKING MONEY ON THE INTERNET unless you sell things on EBAY. That's about what it all comes down too.
Jox says:
Look at this video – it is from a guy that was at one of his get motivated internet income events….its a pretty long video, but in summary he is saying the concept behind the Stephen Pierce product is old. This internet master was using it 10 years ago. Worse he says that Stephen Pierce is a complete jerk in the way he treats his customers.
Barry Chrone says:
So I had a very bad experience and was so genuinely disappointed because Stephen Pierce came across as a truly great man on stage at Get Motivated and I signed up for the three days workshop that Get Motivated sponsors. I don't want to say where this happened because I am still trying to get either service or a refund out of this company. At the end of the second day, my wife and I invested $5,000 thousand into Stephen Pierce Gold Package or the MRMI methods and materials whatever he calls it now. He had drawn us in with his 'God Bless You and Your Family' and his vision for my wealthy future. He even said that he admired my dreams. I thought the little I had seen on the internet about Stephen Pierce being a scam artist was just bad blood, so to speak. Maybe a customer who didn't follow the program or a former employee. I now know that I should have dug a little deeper into his background. As a senior citizen, I was really excited that I had found a way to save my retirement.
I did everything that the program asked of me. Since my wife works outside the home, I did the work. I researched key words and put up 3 blogs. Now I needed help to monetize the site. That is why we are doing this, right? To make back that $5,000 thousand investment? Naïve as it sounds, I actually expected the money to come rolling in just like he said it would. What a joke. I called the Stephen Pierce office repeatedly and no one answerd the phone. I sent in trouble tickets asking for help to email@example.com. Nothing. Nada. Nill. No response. I even faxed a compliaint to Get Motivated since they sponsored the workshop where he spoke. Meanwhile I am doing my own best effort to monetize the site, but I have made less than $10 from my effort.
I didn't get any real attention until I started asking for a refund. I only got through to a real person because I dialed every extension I could think of, and someone answered X105. She stalled me with a request for my sales form since they couldn't find my form. I don't know how they lost that, but NOW I had to find the form, copy it, and send it in when I returned the material. I did all that, but a mnth later I still got no refund, so I called again and got another person at X105 this time. They had given my request to the refund person. I waited a week and called again. This time I got a nice lady who seemed to want to help and after several calls to her, I got my refund from Stephen Pierce International.
By now I had a bad taste in my mouth about Stephen Pierce and Get Motivated. They never offered to help me make the money I was promised. Stephen Pierce never got on the call as he said he would. They used my money for months while I wasted all this time putting up blogs that would never make my money back. I was really disheartened about this situation. It is miraculous that I even got my money back after chasing them for months. I say stay away from Stephen Pierce. Something is really wrong inside that company.
Barbra H says:
I had a very similar experience. I heard Stephen at a Get Motivated Event and signed up for the internet income workshop. After two days of selling me on the idea of getting rich quick, I succumbed and bought his program. WOW. What a rip-off that was. And it took months to get a refund. I must of talked to 5 people over there as they are change all the time. I finally got the refund. never again! This program is not worth $100 let alone $2,500. Don't let him scam you. The only thing Stephen Pierce will
do is sell you your drems. He will not teach you how to make money on the Internet because that would require that he spend money on YOU, and that is NOT the direction that money flows in his life.


text:
A man who paid £10,000 to play in a professional football match limped off hurt after just 10 minutes.
James Gorfin, 40, turned out for cash-strapped Macclesfield Town in their friendly with Stoke.
But the businessman's dreams of a future in top flight football ended in disappointment after a crunching tackle followed by a groin injury as he over-reached himself for a cross.
James, who came on as substitute in Saturday's match, said: "I think everyone reckons they could do better when watching a game but it's not as easy as that.
"You think you'd have loads of time on the ball but it's pretty mental how quick the game is and I did get smashed by one of the Stoke lads when I got one of my passes away."
With wife Nicky and his kitted-out sons Noah and Xavier watching in the stands , James came close to scoring off a perfect cross but aggravated a groin injury as he stretched to meet the ball and limped out of the match shortly afterwards.
He added: "Obviously I'd have loved to have got on that cross and scored but I couldn't quite sprint quickly enough to get on the end of it.
"I tried to put a burst on and when I stretched, that's when it went, I felt it straight away.
"I was pretty gutted, it would have been unbelievable if I'd got on the end of that and scored.
"I'm limping around and it's still hurting but a few drinks in the bar afterwards helped me to recover.
"Before I left, I did mention that if they ever get really short they could give me a ring ... I don't expect they'll ever be that short though! "

subset: commoncrawl


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With SME-vital, we offer small and medium-sized companies an online-based toolbox containing work instruments for the area of health management. Sign up free of charge and take advantage of these tried-and-tested instruments and working principles.
An online-based health management toolbox for SMEs
SME-vital is a website (available in German, French and Italian) which promotes, coordinates and serves as an evaluation tool for the area of health management:
The core offering comprises the free programme made available to companies, combined with services for scientific data collection and evaluation.
SME-vital revolves around eight topics
SME-vital focusses on the following eight topics:
- Stress and burnout
- Career and family
- Work and age
- Employees with an immigration background
- Sexual harassment at the workplace
- Gender
- Addiction prevention
- Bullying
KMU-vital has a modular structure
All ten KMU-vital modules are freely accessible, logically structured and easy to understand:
- Introductory workshop
- Management survey
- Employee survey
- Health focus group
- Working approaches
- Teamwork
- Wellness
- Ergonomic aspects
- Promotion of health in the workplace as a managerial task
- Stress management
KMU-vital has been developed by specialists and is tried-and-tested in practice
SME-vital has been developed by experienced health management specialists and has been piloted over several years in 12 companies in Switzerland. The offering is scientifically evaluated and continuously improved based on experienced gathered on site.
Further information
For further information on the work instruments and their implementation within companies, please visit www.kmu-vital.ch. In addition to the website, a KMU-vital book has been also been published by the VDF-Hochschulverlag publishing house.


text:
Development of shale gas occurs on a large scale covering region. Once the resource is extracted, it is mandatory to return much of the landscape to its pre-construction state. Exploitation involves designing of well pads and associated roads and pipelines to accommodate the transportation and storage of gas along with large quantities of fresh and waste water.
Our Flexible Assessment, Monitoring and Exploitation (FAME) solution is based on Geographic Information System (GIS) framework that enables shale explorers with a single operational view. The solution helps shale explorers to make timely decisions and bring in the efficiencies of a shale factory during:
The solution is based on our Network, Mobility, Analytics, Cloud and Security (NMACS) framework that makes it highly scalable and secure. Mobile enablement brings in agility in operations and analytics capabilities bring actionable business insights.
For further information please write to email@example.com


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The List is an ongoing project to create a Master List of both High Quality foods that promote weight loss and health, as well as unhealthy foods that promote Obesity and sickness.
This list will grow every week as more and more research is collected and absorbed. Later the list will be used a source of ingredients for Delicious Recipes that allow you to eat as much as you want and STILL lose weight!


text:
The second half of Episode 17 - We discuss Big Cat's hatred for Darren Rovell and his man crush on Robbie Lang. Another batch of Stoolie voicemails that will make you feel better about your own life
KFC celebrates the Man of Steel joining the blogging community. Would you fuck a Sears catalog underwear model, a Cubicle Chronicles story to end all Cubicle Chronicles and more
KFC goes off on fair weather Yankees fans. What football player would make a good wrestler? Is it ok to cry at a concert? Taking back Beltran? Kids baseball movies.
Motown Philly back again! The kid from Philly, who is actually from Cali, EatDatPussy aka EDP calls in to chat with KFC about the Eagles, his groceries, cheesesteaks, chili fries and more.


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Have you ever heard the phrase "an ounce of prevention = a pound of cure"? It's an often-used mantra in the medical community and a message we continuously repeat to our patients. That's because intervention through prevention makes good sense. In many cases, catastrophic illness can be avoided by nipping small problems in the bud or diagnosing and treating disease early. In addition to living a healthy lifestyle, regularly visiting your doctor for routine screenings and counseling is paramount to achieving this goal.
As women, we are often the primary (or sole) caregiver for our families—not to mention the cook, head nurse, and chief financial officer among many other roles. Without a second thought, we may put the needs of others before our own. This is especially true if money is tight and it's a decision between getting an annual well-woman exam, paying $50 for a birth control prescription, or meeting the needs of a child, spouse, parent, or friend. But this philosophy doesn't serve women well—if you're sick, who will look after the people you care about?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA)—the new US law that expands health care coverage by making health care more affordable and accessible—focuses on expanded access to preventive services. Making preventive services available for little or no out-of-pocket cost makes it easier for women to do the right thing for their health and put themselves first. As I discussed in my last post, a growing number of women are now eligible to receive contraception and other preventive health services without a co-pay.
Preventive services that are now covered include:
- Annual well-woman visit
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing
- Preventive vaccinations including HPV, flu, hepatitis A & B, shingles, and chicken pox
- Sexually transmitted disease prevention counseling
- Obesity screening and counseling
- Smoking cessation
- Depression screening
The ACA chips away at many of the barriers to access and care that women have faced for years. Here at ACOG, we're closely monitoring the implementation of the law and will continue to advocate for comprehensive care for the women we serve. I believe this legislation is a major step in the right direction to improving women's health and improving health outcomes for all Americans.
Check out these links to learn more about ACA and how it will affect you:
Prevention, Wellness, and Comparing Providers (HealthCare.gov)
Benefits for Women and Children of New Affordable Care Act Rules on Expanding Prevention Coverage (HealthCare.gov)
Effective Date: Women's Preventive Health Coverage Requirements (ACOG)
Barbara S. Levy, MD, is vice president of health policy at ACOG.


text:
MNPS does not lend, share, sell or distribute our membership information to any group or organization. If another entity wishes to distribute information to our group, the Board will determine if it is relevant, and then MNPS will distribute the information.
The Maryland Native Plant Society wishes to minimize costs associated with informing members about society events. E-mail is an extremely economical method for notifying many people. Yet unnecessary e-mails, uninformative e-mails, and too many message will dilute the effectiveness. Therefore, we aim to send messages only to members who wish to receive them, only once a month (with exceptions for special events or notices), and include only relevant MNPS information.
We include any member who provides her or his e-mail address, and will remove any member from the list when requested. Currently, more than two-thirds of our members have provided e-mail addresses; therefore e-mail reaches a large majority of our membership. E-mails support the dissemination of our programs since members often forward our events to their friends and colleagues, reaching a much larger number of people.
Most expenses are generally assigned to a broad budget category (for example: Chapter, Publications, or Membership). A specific Committee is in charge of determining how the money should be spent, with general guidelines. Spending within a Committee budget is flexible to accommodate the special projects the volunteers undertake; therefore most expenses are considered 'budgeted.'
If Finance Committee approval is required, the Finance Committee will determine if a full Board approval is required for either type of expenditure based on, among other things, current financial status, known budgetary surpluses or deficits, and relevance to Society policy and initiatives.


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Volunteer Spotlight: Antoinette Knape
When Antoinette Knape's youngest child went off to college, she looked for a volunteer opportunity that would allow her to make a difference in the community. She decided to become a volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Kent County, but she couldn't foresee how indispensable she would be come to the children she serves. This is especially true in the case of 5-year-old Logan, the oldest of the three siblings she works with. All wards of the court and in foster care due to extreme neglect, Logan is in a different foster home than his brothers and definitely needs someone in his corner.
Whether it's advocating for him at his school, at doctor's appointments, or in his foster home, Antoinette is there to support Logan and is brothers, and make sure the judge on his case knows what is working for them, what services they needs, and even what services might help their biological parents. She's a stable, caring presence in Logan's and his brothers' lives when they have little stability and lots of questions.
"When you are empowered with that court order in your hand, people listen," says Antoinette. "Being a Court Appointed Special Advocate for these children has brought me pure joy. Seeing how you can change the direction of a child's life in such a positive way is amazing."
Antoinette spends 10-15 hours per month with her CASA children, in meetings or court proceedings and writing reports for the judge on her case. She has been working on her case for just over one year, and will stay with these children until they are in a safe, loving home. In this case, it looks like that home will be through adoption, but about half of the children who have CASAs end up going back to a biological parent.
"Some days I wake up thinking about Logan and go to bed thinking about him and how far he's come in a year. I can't wait to see him grow and just be a happy kid," says Antoinette. "Being a CASA has been such a great fit for me. It's a serious commitment – you can't phone it in – but I plan to continue for a long time to come."


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iGB Affiliate Events
With all events we constantly strive to not just produce the traditional events which are at best dull and are rarely enjoyable but rather create an experience for all delegates from start to finish.
6th - 7th February 2020
14th - 17th July 2020
Our mobile networking app will be launched soon. Once you have registered for the Amsterdam Affiliate Conference, our team will send you an email with a link to the desktop and mobile networking app alongside your login details. This will allow you to network before the event has even started!


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Totally Me Collection
This striking girls wall art is created on an 8 x 8 wood panel, which is 1″ deep. The dress is created using embossed papers, and delicate tissues from around the globe.
Once the collage is complete, it's sealed with a non-toxic varnish to protect the surface. A saw tooth hanger on the back makes it ready to hang straight away.
This girls wall art would make a pretty focal point hung in her room, or placed on her dresser.
Stylish wall art that is perfect for the little girl who loves to dress up!
Pink Party Dress is part of the Totally Me collection. Each dress is individually handmade using specialty and handmade papers. Little touches such as a necklace, ribbon and flowers vary for each piece. Once completed I sign each piece.
This girls wall art is created on 140lb watercolor paper and comes to you matted. Frames are not included in the price.
Custom orders are welcome if you would prefer different colors.


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Where are the builders of the future and how do we find them?
Technology and going digital with iPads, smart phones, and investing in advanced technologies is important for our economy and for greater efficiency as I've discussed many times on this blog.
However, we still need the builders, bricklayers, plumbers, pipe fitters, mechanics, carpenters, electrical workers and other skilled laborers to keep New York working and rebuild and maintain our infrastructure.
That's why today I met with contractors, laborers, U.S. NAVY personnel and local high school students who took part in the 13th annual Capital Region Construction Career Day in Glenville at the Navy Operational Support Center.
This is a great event that gives local high school students hands-on information about job opportunities available in the construction industry.
Thanks to Navy Commander Vincent Perry, Jr. and Mike Elmendorf from AGC New York State for sponsoring this great event in the 112th Assembly District. Hopefully, many young people were inspired today to seek future employment in the construction field.
For more information, please visit the Construction Career Days website at www.constructioncareerdays.org.


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By the end of this programme you will be able to:
The seminar uses a range of approaches to learning, including experiential group activities, individual exercises, mini-case studies, role plays and syndicate discussions. Formal inputs are used to introduce underpinning theory. A key part of the learning process is sharing the differing experiences participants bring, as well as experimenting with novel – and sometimes challenging – techniques.
Fully functional teams are at the heart of organisational performance. Leaders at all levels who can effectively structure, integrate and motivate their teams are better able to focus on longer-term organisational and customer needs.
Participants will be exposed to a range of perspectives on teams and the leadership function, sharing examples of best practice and together solving real and simulated team performance issues. Practising new and sometimes challenging techniques will build flexibility and confidence in harnessing the power of the team.
Strategic Thinking and Business Analysis
Internal analysis and fusion of analyses into strategic options
Strategic plans and the relevance of alliances and joint ventures
Strategic implementation and getting the value out of strategy
Global strategy, teambuilding and the management of internal communication
Teams and their Leaders
Vision, Direction & Alignment
Team Dynamics
Developing the Team
Performance & Conflict Management


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Activities in and around Greenwich
For the Record
For the latest events and activities happening in Greenwich, turn to For the Record. To have your event included, submit a description, date, time, price and contact information. Photos are welcome. Drop us an email about your latest goings-on at firstname.lastname@example.com.
AARP offers free tax-return help
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until April 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Town Hall, and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays at Greenwich Library, 101 W. Putnam Ave., certified volunteers from the Greenwich community and the Retired Men's Association of Greenwich, in association with the AARP Foundation, will be on hand to help those in need of income-tax preparation.
Blood drive
at Town Hall
On Wednesday from 11:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at Town Hall, the American Red Cross will conduct a blood-drive challenge. To schedule an appointment, call 800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org.
Inland wetlands director sought
The town has listed a new job opening: director of the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency. Interested parties should contact the town's Human Resources Department. Closing date for inquires is 4 p.m. March 6. Duties include performing professional and technical work in the agency's administration, serving as professional staff director and directing and supervising professional staff in daily operation. The complete job description and application can be found at http://agency.governmentjobs.com/greenwichct/default.cfm. Scroll down to Director of Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency.
Apprentices sought for Bard's play
Norwalk-based Shakespeare on the Sound is looking for apprentices for a Shakespeare play to be performed outdoors this summer. People between 18 and 25 years old can apply for any of 15 apprenticeships for the May through July session. They include acting, directing, stage management, education, play writing, technical design, costume design, marketing and social media, and production/company management. Apply online at www.shakespeareonthesound.org through March 15 or send completed application to Claire Kelly, director of education/artistic associate, firstname.lastname@example.com.
Forum raffle
tickets on sale
The annual WorldQuest is set for April 8 at the Italian Center of Stamford, 1620 Newfield Ave. Raffle tickets are $20. Prizes include a $1,500 MasterCard gift card and a $500 MasterCard gift card. The drawing will be held during the WorldQuest program at 9 p.m. Not necessary to be present to win. To purchase tickets, call 203-356-0340.
`Living Wills:
Why have one?'
On Friday at 10 a.m. at Fletcher Hall, Second Congregational Church, 139 E. Putnam Ave., At Home in Greenwich will present a free public information session on "Living Wills: Why have one? How does it work?" with health care attorney Michele Beltrano and Christine Beechne, vice president of patient relations at Greenwich Hospital. RSVP to Belinda at 203-422-2342.
`We3' family art coming to academy
Through April 20 in the Luchsinger Gallery and Jacobs Lobby of Greenwich Academy, 200 N. Maple Ave., the show "We3 -- The Art of Kees, Dee Dee and Jo DeWaal" will exhibit the mixed-media art of Greenwich Academy sophomore Jo DeWaal and her parents, Kees and Dee Dee DeWaal. An artists reception is set for 3:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Greenwich Point group seeks editor
Friends of Greenwich Point group is seeking a volunteer editor for its four-page newsletter published three to four times a year. The editor will be expected to attend monthly board meetings, collect, write, organize information for and publish the newsletter. View Winter 2015 Newsletter and past newsletters at www.friendsofgreenwichpoint.org. Call Cathy Weisenburger at 203-622-5159 or email her at email@example.com.
`Scouting for Food' drive underway
Greenwich Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are picking up donations of food items for Neighbor to Neighbor. Non-expired foodstuffs needed include canned beans (not green beans), canned fruit, tuna, boxed milk, pasta sauce, jelly and peanut butter. Deadline for contributing items is 9 to 11:30 a.m. March 7. Sites are Glenville Volunteer Fire Company, 266 Glenville Road; Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Company, 200 E. Putnam Ave.; Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department, 207 Sound Beach Ave.; or the auditorium of Christ Church Greenwich's parish hall, 254 E. Putnam Ave. For more information, visit www.GreenwichScouting.org.
Photos of Jewish refugees in show
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Sholom, 300 E. Putnam Ave., the opening reception for the photo exhibition "Jewish Refugees in Cyprus En Route to Israel" will feature speakers and Amir Sagie, deputy consul general of Israel in New York. For more information, call Sheehan McGuirk at 203-542-7169.
Chamber's After Six at Drawing Room
On Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at The Drawing Room Boutique and Cafe, 5 Suburban Ave., Cos Cob, the Greenwich Chamber of Commerce will hold its February After Six Meeting. The tea room includes an art gallery featuring local artists and a design and gift studio. Appetizers by DR Cafe, wine and raffles. To register or for additional information, call 203-869-3500 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sandy flood-help workshop offered
On Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room, Conservation Director Denise Savageau will hold a Superstorm Sandy flood mitigation assistance workshop for residents with unmet needs resulting from the storm. The workshop is sponsored by the Conservation Commission and the CT Rises program. For additional information about the mitigation workshop, call 203-622-6461.
WWI music topic
at Historical Society
On Thursday at 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Vanderbilt Education Center at the Greenwich Historical Society, 39 Strickland Road, Old Greenwich, the program "Over Here and Over There" will feature the music group of Stefanie Kies, Bill Kies, Bea Crumbine, Peggy de la Cruz, Dan Swartz and John Goldschmid for a musical window to the current exhibition at the society, "Greenwich Faces the Great War." Cost: members $10, nonmembers $15. To purchase or reserve tickets, call 203-869-6899, ext. 10.
Author Leah Vincent at temple
On Thursday at 7 p.m. at Temple Sholom, 300 East Putnam Ave., author Leah Vincent will talk about her book "Cut Me Loose -- Sin and Salvation After my Ultra-Orthodox Girlhood," a memoir about a young woman's promiscuous and self-destructive spiral after being cast out of her ultra-Orthodox family at age 17. Co-sponsored by the Greenwich YWCA. For more information, contact Alice Schoen at 203-542-7165.
Garden Club sets Preview of Spring
On Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Greenwich Fingers Garden Club's annual Preview of Spring show will be on view in the Christ Church Greenwich parish hall, 254 E. Putnam Ave. For more information, visit www.GreenfingersGardenClub.org.
Purim costume party planned
On Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. at the YMCA, 50 E. Putnam Ave., the JCC Greenwich and PJ Library will host a Purim costume party for children under 5 years old. Featured will be pecial guest performer Isaiah Rothstein, spiritual educator at Carmel Academy; story time with the PJ Library staff, craft projects, costume parade and snacks. Older sibling helpers welcome. Tickets $10. Register at JCCGreenwich.org or call 203-552-1818.
Parkway history authors at Perrot
On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Radcliffe Children's Wing of the Perrot Memorial Library, 89 Sound Beach Ave., authors Laurie Heiss and Jill Smyth will talk about their new book, "The Merritt Parkway -- The Road that Shaped a Region." Doors open at 7 p.m. For additional information, call 203-637-1066.
Gardener giving microgreens class
On Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Abilis Greenhouse, 50 Glenville St., Master Gardener Chris Hadin will give a workshop on Microgreens: Indoor Flavor Gardens. Cost: $15. Students receive packet of microgreen seeds and microgreens growing guide. For additional information or to RSVP, email email@example.com.
`A Little Night Music' at church
On Saturday at 8 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave., Mark Kaczmarczyk, the director of music and arts, will offer "A Little Night Music" program featuring romantic chamber works by Schubert, Brahms, Samuel Barber and Felix Mendelssohn. General admission $25, students $10. Purchase online at www.stcath.org or by phone at 203-637-3661.
Community gardeners sought
On Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Byram Shubert Library, 21 Mead Ave., Patty Sechi, founder of Greenwich Community Gardens, invites aspiring gardeners to learn about the benefits of being members of the local community gardens at Armstrong Court and Bible Street. For more information about Greenwich Community Gardens, visit www.greenwichcommunitygardens.org
Cafe-croissant event scheduled
On Sunday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the meeting room of Alliance Francais of Greenwich, 299 Greenwich Ave., join a cafe-croissant breakfast and discussion in French. Cost: $39. To RSVP, email firstname.lastname@example.com. or call 203-629-1340.
Commercial shellfishing topic
On Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Innis Arden Cottage at Greenwich Point Park, the Greenwich Shellfish Commission and the Bruce Museum will host a talk by Ed Stilwagen, of Atlantic Clam Farms, and Jadar Nygaard, of Hemlock Oyster Co., on "Commercial Shellfishing in Greenwich Waters." It is part of the First Sunday Science at the Seaside Center program. The talk is part of a larger event running from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Enjoy a raw bar of oysters and clams and family oriented fun. Free. For more information, email Cynthia Ehlinger at email@example.com.
New spin classes at Greenwich YMCA
On Sunday at the YMCA of Greenwich, 50 E. Putnam Ave., new group ride classes -- a 60-minute cycling experience -- will begin. Spinners will have strategic adjustments of speed, resistance and seating position to mimic the feeling and benefits of outdoor cycling. For information on group ride schedules, visit www.greenwichymca.org. Reserve bikes for any spin class at the YMCA front desk.
Dr. Seuss birthday Celebration
On March 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Greenwich Library, 101 W. Putnam Ave., Read Across America is celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss in the Children's Room with special crafts, a reader's oath and a 4 p.m. storytime reading of "The Places You'll Go." Ages 5 and older. For more information, email Deirdre Sullivan at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 203-622-7940. For more information about Read Across America, visit www.nea.org/grants/886.htm.
Town Party tickets going on sale
On March 2 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, tickets for the 2015 Greenwich Town Party on May 23 will go on sale. Also purchasable via the town party website at greenwichtownparty.org. Greenwich residents, business owners or employees only. Talent this year includes The Doobie Brothers, Earth, Wind and Fire and O.A.R.
Peruvian activist to speak at luncheon
On March 2 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich, 1800 E. Putnam Ave., Old Greenwich, Women of Vision Fairfield County will host its annual fundraising luncheon, "Strong Women, Strong World," with human rights activist and Congresswoman Karla Schaefer from the Republic of Peru as keynote speaker. Tickets from $150. For more information or for tickets, call Nina Gustin at 203-661-9787. Visit www.wovfairfieldcounty.org.
New substation public meeting
On March 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, Eversource will host a public open house for area residents to learn more about a proposed new Greenwich Substation and line project on Railroad Avenue. Project team members to be on hand to explain the proposal, the siting approval process, and respond to questions or concerns. For more information, call Frank Poirot at 860-665-3409.
Greenwich YWCA film screening
On March 3 at 7 p.m. at the Bow Tie Cinema, 2 Railroad Ave., the Greenwich YWCA will show the documentary film "The Mask You Live in," exploring young boys' masculinity. Post screening discussion with Dr. Jason Sikorski of Connecticut State University and YWCA Domestic Abuse Services Manager Meredith Gold. Doors open 6:30 p.m. Cost: $10 in advance at ww.ywcagreenwich.org/events/womens-leadership-seminars, general admission $15 at the door, youth 13- to 18-years-old $5. Not suitable for children younger than 13 years. For more information, call 203-869-6501, Ext. 106 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. If inclement weather, the film will be shown on March 31.
Walk, maple- tapping set
On March 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Greenwich Land Trust's American Chestnut Sanctuary, across from 18 Burning Tree Road, the Trust will host a maple tapping and winter walk. Participants will learn ways plants and wildlife survive the winter. Walking conditions are of moderate difficulty, with minimal uneven terrain. Cost: Members $15, non-members $25, children under 12 free. Visit www.gltrust.org.
Town offers seniors `Super Noggin'
From mid-April to the end of June, the town's Commission on Aging and the Greenwich Senior Center will sponsor a new brain enhancement program, "Super Noggin," at the Senior Center and Greenwich Library. "Super Noggin" will offer educational and motivational workshops to encourage healthy lifestyle choices. Classes will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Cost for an 11-week session is $20. Call 203-862-6721.
Choral group plans 90th-year gala
On March 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Richards of Greenwich, 359 Greenwich Ave., the Greenwich Choral Society will host a "Cabaret and Cabernet" gala celebrating its 90th anniversary. Cabaret actor/singer Cris Groenendaal and musical director Sue Anderson, with singers from the Greenwich Choral Society, will sing and play favorites from "Phantom of the Opera," "Cats" and "Spamalot," plus songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim and Irving Berlin. Cost is $90, with tickets available at https://gcs.secure.force.com/ticket#sections_a03C000000KDp2MIAT.
Bruce Museum free evening admission
On March 5, on Fairfield County Giving Day, the Bruce Museum will offer free admission from 5 to 8 p.m. or its "After Hours" program with gallery hours and a variety of activities, including "selfies" with an American black bear. For information, call the Bruce Museum at 203-869-0376.
Chabad going `Under The Sea'
On March 5, at 4 p.m., at the YMCA of Greenwich, 50 E. Putnam Ave. Chabad of Greenwich invites you to this years themed "Under The Sea" Purim Party. Fun begins with interactive Megillah reading, followed by a bubble show and Under The Sea- themed carnival and dance party, with lots of food. For more information, call 203-629-9059 or email email@example.com.
IT training opportunity
The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board is accepting applications for IT training scholarships, through an H1B grant. Information session set for 11 a.m. March 5 at the University of Connecticut Stamford. Eligibility: 18 years or older, unemployed for 27 weeks or more or underemployed (part time worker). Some college credits. To reserve a seat, Contact Citi at 203-251-9516 or visit www.citi.uconn.edu.
Great Chefs
to honor Ponzek
On March 6 from 7 to 11:30 p.m. at Westchester Country Club, 99 Biltmore Ave., Rye, N.Y., the Great Chefs will feature specialty dishes and drinks from top restaurants, caterers and beverage distributors. Celebrity chefs Debra Ponzek, of Aux Delices in Greenwich, and Aarón Sánchez are to be honored at the event. Tickets are only available in advance. For more information, call 203-863-3865 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
a chess master
On March 6 at 7 p.m. at the Greenwich Library, 101 W. Putnam Ave., national chess master Rich Jackson will provide instruction, supervise play and challenge students to an occasional match. All ages and skill levels are welcome. Part of the library's Teen Programs. For information, visit www.greenwichlibrary.org or call 203-622-7900.
Student hosting Sudoku event
On March 7 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the community room of Cos Cob Library, 5 Sinawoy Road, Greenwich Academy junior Anushya Makam is holding a free Sudoku workshop with National Sudoku Champion Nate Tsyrulnik. Sponsored by Makam and Friends and staff of the Cos Cob Library. Refreshments from The Mumbai Times. For questions, call the Cos Cob Library at 203-622-6883 or email Anushya Makam at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Auschwitz survivor author Martin Greenfield to speak
On March 8 from 2 to 4 p.m. at a private home, Auschwitz survivor Martin Greenfield will speak on: "An Intimate Discussion with Martin Greenfield - Auschwitz Survivor and an American Success Story." Uncle to Temple Sholom congregants Gregg and Marla Felto, Greenfield is known as "America's Greatest Living Tailor." RSVP to Alice Schoen at email@example.com.
Organist Atcheson giving free concert
On March 8 at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Lafayette Place, Randall Atcheson, minister of music and organist ,will perform works by Bach, Franck, Langlais and Liszt. The concert is free and followed by a reception in Fellowship Hall. For more information, call 203-869-8686 or visit www.fpcg.org.
`Moonlight' coming to church
On March 20, 22, 27 and 28, the Connecticut Playmakers will stage a production of "Moonlight and Magnollias" at the First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Ave., a look at the script overhaul that led to the film "Gone With The Wind." It will be directed by Dan Friedman. Tickets are $25. For information, call 203-249-5419 or visit www.ctplaymakers.org.
Explore universe at Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones Museum for Children, 303 West Ave., Norwalk, is hosting "My Sky," a plantetarium-like experience examining the universe, through Memorial Day. "My Sky" was created by the Boston Children's Museum and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and is based on work supported by NASA.
Save the date for WorldQuest
On April 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Stamford's Italian Center, 1620 Newfield Ave., the World Affairs Forum's annual International Trivia Game, WorldQuest, will feature "A Night at the World's Fair." The event features dinner, an open bar, raffles and a silent auction. For more information, call 203-356-0340 or visit www.worldaffairsforum.org.
Historical Society honors landmarks
On April 19 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Greenwich County Club, 19 Doubling Road, the Greenwich Historical Society will hold its Landmark Recognition Program reception. Champagne, wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $75 per person, $250 for Patron level and $500 for Benefactor level. Proceeds from the event support the Historical Society's mission to preserve and interpret Greenwich history. Advance reservations are required. Visit www.greenwichhistory.org or call 203-869-6899, Ext. 10.


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Where do babies come from? If you don't want your children to know the answer, you might direct them to "What to Expect When You're Expecting," since a young viewer will emerge from it without much of a clue.
Or you might provide a summary: Sometimes when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much (or have hooked up after a few drinks on a warm evening), special music starts to play. Then the mommy throws up, urinates on a stick (not always in that order), gets very large and starts to scream. The daddy puts on a funny blue hat, a doctor stares hard at the mommy's knees, and a few minutes later a nurse walks in with a baby. Everybody — except the baby — cries.
Including this reviewer. I might as well admit that I have a soft spot (a fontanel?) for sentimental depictions of pregnancy and childbirth. And though I might seem physiologically unqualified to judge the accuracy of "What to Expect," I have read the source material, Heidi Murkoff's best-selling book. Usually, as I recall, in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. The movie version is nowhere near as scary.
This is because, for all their obvious topical similarity, Ms. Murkoff's book and the film, directed by Kirk Jones from a script by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach, have diametrically opposing intentions. In print, "What to Expect" performs a kind of hazing ritual, inducting a would-be mom into a world of anxiety, alarmism and hostile judgment served up with an encouraging smile.
Like the now notorious Time magazine "Are You Mom Enough?" cover, the book is a sign that childbirth, far from being a simple biological process, belongs to a culture that thrives on complication, competition and commodification. We seem to be especially good at inventing and marketing new ways for women to feel bad about themselves and resentful of one another.
Movies, in contrast — at least commercial ensemble comedies released by Hollywood studios — are engineered to make us feel good, to promote harmony and optimism. There are complications, of course: if "What to Expect" had an index after the final credits, it would include entries for incontinence, infertility, flatulence and miscarriage. But the overall mood is of warm reassurance, and some of it is even pretty funny.
"What to Expect" focuses its attention on five couples, four of them in Atlanta and one in Los Angeles. Some of the connections among them are revealed in passing, and they are arranged to provide a sampling of the varieties of reproductive experience. All of them are straight, and none of them are poor, but they nonetheless go about their business in amusingly different ways.
Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison are celebrities trying to turn a tabloid-ready accident into the basis of a sustaining bond. Ms. Diaz's character, a television fitness guru, is reluctant to let her condition interfere with her career, which causes some predictable strains. Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro, a photographer and a music producer, are preparing to adopt. He is a bit reluctant.
Elizabeth Banks, the owner of a maternity store and the author of a children's picture book about breasts, is eager to embrace "the glow" of pregnancy but encounters mostly discomfort and indignity. Her husband, Ben Falcone, is locked into a lifelong competition with his father (Dennis Quaid), a leathery retired racecar driver whose hot young wife (Brooklyn Decker) is carrying twins.
Apart from Mr. Quaid, there are no members of the grandparental generation around. The younger demographic is represented by Chace Crawford and Anna Kendrick, former high school almost-sweethearts who operate rival food trucks.
Food trucks, by the way, seem to have replaced yoga classes as an easy, quasi-hip contemporary reference to be exploited in romantic comedies. (See also: "The Five-Year Engagement.") Enough already. On the other hand, the sight of a bunch of guys with babies strapped to their chests is always funny. So is the word vagina. Which means that if a guy with a baby strapped to his chest says "vagina," it is by definition the funniest thing ever. The screenwriters seem to think so, anyway.
And if the guy happens to be Chris Rock, it might just be true. Mr. Rock shows up as the leader of a "dudes' group" of dads who gather for macho play dates in the park. They provide a little recognition for members of the audience whose relation to pregnancy is as witness, assistant and proximate cause. They also serve who only stand and say:
"You're doing great, honey. Take a deep breath. Just like we read in the book."
"What to Expect When You're Expecting" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Less sex than you might expect.


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Naturally White: Brighten Your Teeth With A Couple Of Items From The Kitchen
Posted on: 14 April 2016
Thanks to coffee, tea, soda, and other teeth stainers, yellow teeth have become an epidemic. As a result, there are whitening pastes, gels, and rinses everywhere you look. But sometimes these products just don't cut it -- and you can't always get to the dentist to have your teeth professionally whitened. But don't let your teeth turn yellow in these hard times. Instead, head to the kitchen, and whiten your teeth using a couple of items from your kitchen.
Pull Stains With Coconut Oil
From arthritis to heart disease, the number of problems being treated with coconut oil is enormous. The popularity of coconut oil has grown immensely over the years, so it's not surprising if you have this healthy oil in your kitchen right now. And while you've probably heard about some of the health benefits of coconut oil, you may not know that it's also great for whitening teeth.
The process of whitening teeth with coconut oil is known as oil pulling. This technique reduces plaque, which is a main tooth-staining culprit.
The process of oil pulling is simple -- swirl a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth for 15 minutes. While swirling, suck the oil from your teeth. This sucking action is what pulls the plaque off, removing the stains. Once you've made it through the 15 minutes, spit out the coconut oil, and rinse your mouth with water.
Brush Away Stains With Baking Soda
You likely know about baking soda's amazing ability to absorb odors. In fact, baking soda may even be working its magic in your fridge right now. But you may not realize that baking soda also works wonders for removing stains from teeth.
To remove stains with baking soda, add a pinch of the powder to your toothbrush. Next, add several drops of water to the baking soda. Work the water into the powder until it turns to paste (similar to toothpaste).
Now use your new whitening paste to brush your teeth for two to five minutes. Repeat this process once a day for a week -- and watch as the stains fade away.
With all of the tooth-staining substances consumed in modern diets, keeping your pearly whites bright is a constant battle. Therefore, you'll need all of the help you can get. So go to the kitchen, grab one or both of the items listed above, and start whitening your teeth today.
For more information, contact a cosmetic dentist in your area.Share