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Horror Movies Forum » General Chit / Chat. » The I Love You All Thread!
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^^^Hahaha yeah, great words, funny as H3LL.I couldn't tell who's what either.
kXnPunk's Website
I love you guys more than a fat kid loves cake!
^^I guess I'm a fat kid in a skinny body cause I love cake so much that I'd die fir it.
I'd just like to give a special shout out to all the hilarious members here! You guys always make my day with your sense of humor and I love how we all can just joke around and laugh at everything with our inside jokes and whatnot.
Awwwwwww you guys are so loving.
MoonRaven's Website
Merry Chistmas to you too! And of I don't see ya before, Happy New Year!
ChainSaW80's Website
You've eithier come early or too late Chainsaw. or is that rude? i love all the ladies but i am a bit wary of the menfolk on here, they are so Macho!
^^I see what you did there,
But it's true, the monkey is hardcore-
Last edited by azathoth (2013-02-08 14:31:37)
azathoth's Website
^^I see what you did there, But it's true, the monkey is hardcore-
not to mention your many appearances in hardcore films such as the classics " Deep Banana" " peel my grapes" and " monkey bollocks does the Amazons". all of these films are available only in heavily censored versions in the u.k .
Heheh, this was designed to be nothing more than my cheeky way of wishing everyone on here a happy festive period. I don't know who it is who keeps resurrecting it but in many ways it's become a perfect illustration of exactly what I meant with my OP!!
I omitted the fact within my thread starter that there doesn't seem to be any clicques on here and as long as you're not a total dickhead the old-timers treat the newbs with respect and always afford them with the time of day to make themselves at home. Something that meant a ton to me during my first few days and which I'm appreciative of.
This thread has truly been taken in the spirit it was intended and is proof positive that HM.CA members are a friendly, yet utterly, utterly insane group (!) of the finest folks one could ever wish to meet!
And yeah, happy new year to you too Chainsaw!!!Here's to a great 2012!
The only "clique" I could think of may be the Skype people, just because they're on there more often. And then we introduce weird things into the forums to confuse everyone, . But it's not exclusive, anyone can join in; it seems to be more of a matter of a person's free time rather than anything else. I lost count of HM members I've registered there at about 50 or so.
But you're correct- HQ, a relative newbie, wanted some insights on stuff to watch, so Lon, DG and I set up a spreadsheet for her to work off of. Anyone can take a look, and even add stuff if you want, but please don't erase or change anything that is already there. Because that will make me revert to a previous copy, and that makes monkeys sad.
As long as we respect each other, everyone is good. I know a person who doesn't like Jaws (though oddly enough his nickname is MaxPecs Osmonium SharkMaster), and one who doesn't like the original Halloween, etc. etc. They get jokes about it, but people have been banned when they cross the line for saying, "Oh, you're stupid, that's a fact," about someone's opinion.
Last edited by azathoth (2013-02-08 15:28:03)
^No dramas! I read about you Skype lot quite often on various threads but I don't mind your in-jokes and banter. I'd join the fun but I sound like Liam Gallagher over the phone so I fear you yankee's wouldn't understand a word I say!
Fulci-95% of the time it's just text, and even when some of us go voice you can still just type, but can also still listen in. As a side note, between Cappy, Wolfy, HQ, and Crispy, we've picked up quite a few of the English accents. Where do you think the "Bollocks!" thing came from? (Lon does quite a good impersonation of Wolfy, by the way.)
Yeah but Fulc's a manc and even they can barely understand each other
I reckon the bloke above me must be a scouser to say such a thing. I mean, Liverpool IS "The Darkest Shadows"!
Oh. I thought you lot were all nattering away into your headsets. If it's typing then I might just have to join you one of these days.
does he by jove! well i haven't heard it. i bet he sounds like Dick Van Dyke! crazy Amercians !
I reckon you're wrong by a river's width I ain't no friggin' theivin' scouse twat.
The Wirral??? Chester???You're just a scouser in a semi detatched!
Right, that's it. You just earned yourself a custom title
Aw, play nice ya meff. That's bang out of order our kidda.At the very least you could change "Frank" to Liam or Noel ya beaut.Aw go on La, don't be tight our kid or I'll always call youse a divvy!
Tough titties. You play the game you keep your prize Now stop whining or I'll send you back to the Chatsworth estate.
Mmm, I hear Toxteth's well boss this time of year. All the nicked Subaru's you could ever dream of.
Now kindly remove my new moniker or I'll start singing Stone Roses tunes all over this site.
Here - as an olive branch - here's a vid of a scouser clobbering a Yank in a rap battle:
Now remove my new avatar subtitle please Mr. Moderator sir!
^ Can we get a translator here!?!?
British slang fight, British slang fight!
@ChansawWD40- this all goes back to the American/Moosefolk talking/chatting with the Euros on Skype. They teach us words. We don't know what the f' they mean until we ask, but it's all good. It's beautiful when the southern US folk get into slang fights with the Euros, !


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Working Neighbourhoods Fund
The Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) ran from 2008-2011 to help tackle worklessness and low levels of skills and enterprise, in areas of high deprivation. A total of £114 million WNF was originally allocated to the city during this time, although this was later reduced. This fund was administered by the BeBirmingham Strategic Partnership through a number of sub partnerships, who allocated it to a number of projects.
In January 2011, external evaluators were appointed to evaluate how the WNF, managed by the Birmingham Economic Development Partnership, was used. The evaluation has now been completed and the Final Reports are available below. Individual reports look at:
An Overarching Summary Report
How the fund was targeted at increasing the city's economic output and productivity, and mitigating against the impact of the recession on the business community (Outcome 2) and
How the fund was targeted at tackling worklessness in the city (Outcome 4)
The Innovation Fund
One of the projects funded by the WNF was the Innovation Fund which complemented the work of Employment Connections by promoting learning to encourage continuous improvement and development of employment support.
The Innovation Fund supported 40 research studies and pilot projects testing approaches to supporting progress towards employment.
As part of this work a Good Practice Guide for Practitioners was developed. The Guide gives funders, commissioners and service providers steps and considerations in project design and delivery, learning from Innovation Projects.
The Guide Summary gives an overview of the good practice identified in the Guide to help you find the information you need.
Worklessness Bulletins
During the life of the WNF a number of bulletins were produced to update the community on the progress of the numerous projects. Read more below.
Last Updated : 24th October 2011 - Project now closed - Page no longer being updated

subset: commoncrawl


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We're giving away a Heart of the Aspects mount! Go enter!
Luotian asked:
Are we going to have another jump in difficulty between Mists and Cata like we did between Wrath and Cata? Example: I recently leveled my Dwarf Shaman up to 80. When I went from ICC, where things died without a whole lot of difficulty, to Mount Hyjal I died. Repeatedly. I couldn't pull less than 3 things at a time, CCing things was a must, and they hit so much harder it was almost obscene. They seem to have tuned the starting zones to those in ICC gear-- none of my characters were, and I recall it being difficult every time. With RF making it *even more accessible*, will Mists be like that, making it something of a nightmare to level alts I don't run raid finder with up to 90?
This is an amazing question. Potentially yes, and potentially no. Here's the problem: We don't have all of the information yet, so everything is speculative. The first thing to consider is whether or not an item squish or some sort of power balance system goes into effect before or just after the Mists of Pandaria launch. If mudflation is taken care of with an item squish, then there will be a more gradual power ramp-up through the expansion, and you shouldn't see too many gearing problems. On the other hand, if no item squish goes through, Blizzard might be preparing to get rid of these issues by giving players who are setting out into new content "earlier" than they should be because of increased experience gain gear to compensate. We saw those full level 80 sets of gear that were datamined a while back, so who knows?
Personally, I'm hoping that the item squish goes through before Mists of Pandaria much like how the Cataclysm changes went through prior to the expansion's release, so that we have time to adjust to the changes. Yes, it will be jarring, but it's another necessary move. Hell, we don't even know if Blizzard decided on an item squish yet. Oh, the uncertainty!
The bottom line is that we don't know what type of power jump there will be because that very issue is being discussed within the sacred and hallowed Blizzard halls as we speak. Great question.
waleed asked:
Can some one explain exactly what happens to the aspects after deathwing dies?
Check out our Know Your Lore on this very subject. Shinae in the comments summed it up pretty well (and I think we're beyond spoiler range for Cataclysm): "Simply put, the Aspects sacrificed their immortality in order to kill Deathwing."
Fremastr asked:
Is there an phone app that will text me/alert me when my server comes back online?
I don't know if there is or not, but that would be a pretty cool app.
psycho_ryko asked:
After reading Dawn's article on class romances for Priests, I couldn't help thinking of ways to do a WoW Horoscope. Instead of Zodiacs, they'd be for classes. Once the idea popped into my head, I couldn't help beginning to plan out how to do it and all the details. My question is: Do you think anyone would be interested in something like this? What's your opinion?
Yes, I think it would be a very funny idea. In fact, it would be very easy to do! WordPress is free, Blogger is free, and Twitter is free. That's all you need to start. Remember, the only way you ever start something or create something is by doing it. Take a couple of minutes and make a WoW horoscope site.
WoogieNoogie asked:
Anyone happen to know what the locked door across from Old Ironforge is?
Old Old Ironforge.
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!


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Edward Snowden (Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras / The Guardian v)
- Filed Under
WikiLeaks hints that the international stalemate over National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowdens bid for asylum could be broken Wednesday.
WikiLeaks, which has championed Snowdens cause since he fled to Hong Kong, issued a cryptic tweet Tuesday saying that the first phase of Edward Snowdens Flight of Liberty campaign will be launched on Wednesday.
Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald, who broke stories on the NSAs surveillance network based on Snowdens leaks, tells CBS Radio News that Venezuela is the obvious choice among three nations including Bolivia and Nicaragua that have offered to take him in.
Snowden, who revealed details of a U.S. intelligence program to monitor Internet activity, arrived in Moscows Sheremetyevo airport June 23 from Hong Kong and is believed to be stuck in the airports transit zone awaiting developments.
Greenwald says it could take days or weeks for the 30-year-old former NSA contractor to work out the logistics of getting to the Latin American country.
Venezuela seems to be the most plausible choice, Greenwald told CBS Radio News Tuesday. They are the ones best equipped to, I think, get him from Moscow to Latin America safely, and then to protect him once hes there.
The difficulty is figuring out how to get to where he wants to go without the worlds empire preventing him from getting there, Greenwald said, referring to the U.S.
Snowden has requested asylum in more than two dozen countries.
There was a flurry of speculation Tuesday that a break was imminent when a Russian lawmaker tweeted them deleted a post saying Snowden had decided to accept asylum in Venezuela.
Alexei Pushkov, the head of the Russian parliaments foreign affairs committee, has played an unofficial role for the Kremlin on the Snowden affair but this time acknowledged in deleting his tweet that he did not have any inside knowledge.
Pushkov tweeted Sunday: Venezuela is waiting for an answer from Snowden. This, perhaps, is his last chance to receive political asylum.
A nationwide poll released Wednesday indicates that a majority of American voters believe Snowden is a whistleblower.
The poll from Quinnipiac University found that 55 percent of voters regard Snowden as a whistleblower while 35 percent consider him a traitor.
Answers by RallyPointSEE MORE ANSWERS
Join trending discussions in the military's #1 professional community. See what members like yourself have to say from across the DoD.


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ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO -- Golds Gym is a nightmare. I signed a 1 year contract in which I would make quarterly payments of $96.95, and supposedly after the year it would be my membership would be voluntary. I used the gym for about 6 months with no real problems, except for the staff being quite rude.
I stopped using the gym after I received a back injury. I decided I would not renew my membership with Golds Gym after the year was up. I did not go into the gym for the following 6 months. I went in to make my final payment and cancel my membership. The guy at the desk told me my payment was late. I made the last payment of 96.95 and that completed the yearly contract. I told the guy I wanted to cancel my membership. He said I could not do that without paying for the next month. I told him I hadn't been in the gym for 6 months and that I was not going to pay for another month.
He then proceeded to tell me that If I would have made my payment on time that I could have canceled my membership then. I said I hadn't received a bill or late notice, then he said "Oh you did, you probably just tossed it!" I asked to speak to the manager, and they would not let me. I don't think there is a manager there daily. I was angry, but before leaving I asked for a copy of my payment history. He printed me 4 receipts for $96.95.
I was really upset about the whole issue. I didn't want to go back in there because I felt like they had degraded me. I went home and looked at my contract for a corporate number. I looked online and there was nothing. I decided I wasn't going back in there. I just wouldn't pay it. I fulfilled my contractual obligation and I had my receipts to prove it.
I hear nothing from them for a year and a half, so I thought it would be OK to throw away my receipts and my copy of the contract thinking it was all over. After almost two years I come home to hear a message from the manager at Golds gym. She said that this was her final attempt to contact me regarding my account and that she sent my account to collections.
I pulled my credit report and found that in January of 2004. I was report to collections, almost two years from the time I tried to cancel my membership. I refused at this point to give them a dime. I have been harassed by 2 different collectors, calling my home phone, my cell phone, and by mail. I would like this taken off my credit report. Golds Gym has no number to call, everything is done at store level and you cannot talk to anyone. They don't care about you all they care about is getting your money and getting more of your money.
UPDATE... To save my credit I contacted one of the collection agency's and paid the balance. I'm still very annoyed with this company. In fact the guy with the collections company told me he has handled a "lot" of collections for Golds Gym and in most cases it was over a thousand dollars. They were claiming in past due membership fees. It seems as if these days, these big companies, can just charge you whatever they want and if you refuse to pay it then they'll just turn off your electricity, or withhold your medications, or try to ruin your credit. How does the little person fight back? And how long are we going to let them get away with it?????
MAGNOLIA, TEXAS -- Just wanted everyone to know what problems we are having with Gold's Gym, so it doesn't happen to anyone else. I am just going to say beware of Golds Gym. We are signed up in Conroe, TX. So anyway we were happy with the Gym after signing up. Then my wife suggested I sign up with a personal trainer. So I talked to their personal trainer. I told him I would like to sign up for a month, 2 times a week. I told him I had to wait till my tax return comes. So when my tax return came I talked to him again and he said if I do the 8 sessions I can get it for $320, plus with other fees it would come out to $370.
So I did it, we had to go to the computer, he said I needed to sign on the computer pad, to say that I agree with the 8 sessions, another signature to debit the amount, and then lastly my initials saying that the 8 was none refundable. So OK, that's it I am signed up for 8 sessions, that was on 2/16/2012. So, nothing was said about a contract so I wasn't thinking anything about it. On 4/18/2012, I checked my March statement, which became available on 4/16/2012.
I was charged 320 on 3/16/2012, so then I checked online banking and again charged 320 on 4/16/2012. What the hell. I called up the gym and asked for a manager. I was told he wasn't there. So I talked with the sales manager. I told him I bought 8 sessions on 2/16/2012, and I was being charged monthly. He told me to wait. So I waited and then he said I signed a contract. I told him NO, I signed up for 8 sessions. He said I signed a contract for 8 sessions a month for a year. I said no I didn't I was told only 8 sessions and that the personal trainer had clicked off the reoccurring monthly charges, so I'd only be charged for that month.
So, me and my wife went in to Gold's Gym in Conroe, TX to see if the manager was really there or not. He wasn't, talked to the same sales manager, and he said the same thing, that I signed up for a year. I again stated I only signed up for month, and that I didn't have any contract. So, he disappeared and went to the printer. He gave me 2 pieces of paper, it was a contract with my signature. This is the FIRST TIME I ever saw this document. So anyway we left. I called the next day from work, and got their manager. He said I signed a contract but would talk to corporate about it.
I got a call the same day from saying that they couldn't do anything about it because I signed a contract. I told him that the first time I saw a contract or even knew anything about a contract was on 4/18/2012 when we went in on the day we first complained. We requested they called the personal trainer to see what he said. They absolutely refused, saying he no longer works for the company and they can't contact him.
There is something going on when they won't call the person that signed me up. So, now, I'm going through the BBB, which they are no help. They just relay the email's between us and them back and forth, that's it. Everything is at a stand still. So all I can do is warn everyone else. They are cheats and lies. Stay away from GOLDS GYM. CHEATS all CHEATS.
LOS ANGELES, CA, CALIFORNIA -- AVOID SIGNING UP AT THIS GYM AT ALL COSTS. GO ELSEWHERE. I forgot how much gym salesman are like car salesman until I went to Gold's Gym after I got one of those 30 day free trial membership ads in the mail. So I decide to go in on the very last day before it expires, the day before Thanksgiving.
Of course, this is the day they are having their "big sale" that they only have once per year, offering "the best prices all year long," or at least according to the person I spoke with on the phone. So I need to get home to my girlfriend because pizza is on the way, and who likes cold pizza. So I figure I can probably get through this in about 30 minutes. Boy was I wrong.
My very first question to the sales representative ** was, "Do I have to pay anything up front for the 30 day free trial" and he answered "No." And my second question was, "Do you offer a month-to-month plan" and he said "Yes." I went onto explain I have a history of joining gyms and getting bored after a couple months, and while I'm hoping to change that, I want only a month-to-month contract. I made it very clear throughout the entire time he showed me around the gym, and once we sat down for his high pressure sales tactics that I only want a month-to-month contract.
So ** sits me down and the high pressure sales begins. He says the normal rate is $79.99/month, they usually offer a deal of $59.99/month, but today, and today only, he's going to give it to me for $39.99. I also tell him I want to sign up my girlfriend, so he says normally it would be $49.99, but he'll take $10 off and give it to her for $39.99 as well. So I think, OK great. And he said, if I decide I don't want the memberships, I can call him during the 30 day trial, and he will "rip up" the memberships. So then he asks me to sign the computer (a little signing mechanism), and he never showed me a contract before signing.
BEWARE: At no time did ** tell me I was being locked into a 12 month contract for a total of $479.88, that there was a $100 cancellation fee in the first six months, or a $50 fee in the second 6 months, nor a $29 facility fee due on July 5.
So he prints out the contract, hands me a folder, and I seem to be almost on my way, except he needs to charge my credit card $1. Just wanting to get out of there and home to my girl, and pizza, I say OK. While he's gone, I start reading the contract and notice these fees. So I ask him about the cancellation fee, and he says, oh, you just have to give 30 days notice, you just pay a month ahead, and you get to work out for that month. So I asked him about the $100 fee in the first 6 months, he acted like he didn't know what that was, and preceded to tell me not to worry about it - I even crossed it out in front of him on my contract.
So I get home and start thinking about it, and realize, wait a second, we had an oral agreement when I signed the computer, which was month-to-month and no cancellation fees. From what I understand, oral contracts in CA are enforceable by California civil code 1620. So I write Corporate and Management at that gym a letter saying all those fees are null and void. And Friday, when my girlfriend and I go to the gym to work out for our 30 day trial, the Director of Sales, and the General Manager, ** sit down with me.
The Director of Sales extremely apologized and said she gets "very emotional" about these things, that her reps are supposed to disclose all fees before signing the contract, and she doesn't understand how this happened. I stay strong saying I want a month-to-month for a year with no cancellation fees. Of course they both say the contract comes from corporate and they can't alter it, but that she'll cancel it as of now, still give us the 30 day trial, then if we want, we can sign on their terms (not the terms of the oral contract we had). She says the contract is for 11 months continual, as stated on the bottom of the contract.
She pulls out a calculator, and lo and behold, $39.99 x 11 is only $439.89, not $479.88 as said in the contract. So I get home and realize, there's something truly funky going on here. Even the Director of Sales and the General Manager can't make the sense of their own contract.
This whole ordeal took over an hour, my girlfriend got upset at me, and I got home to cold pizza. Anyhow, I am left with this thought, which I believe to be legal - ** an employee of Gold's Gym and I had an oral contract when I signed the computer, that did not include any cancellation fees or facility charges. Therefore, I have a right to a month-to-month contract with no cancellation or facility charges - and this is what I plan to fight for.
I see there is someone else on Yelp who had this similar situation - a salesman lying to him about cancellation fees. If you have experienced this at Gold's Gym, please contact me so we can discuss a class-action lawsuit against them. Also, if you are a lawyer, let's discuss a class-action lawsuit against them.
Yelp up to here. As of now, I've sent numerous emails to the Dir. of Sales and ** and neither of them answered me. I directly asked the Dir. of Sales: "By contract or practice, was I able to cancel our memberships within the 30 day trial, or only within the 5 day rule? What I mean is, let's say I never wrote that letter and we never spoke and called ** (or any representative there) on December 24 and said my girlfriend and I don't want to do the contract, that I want to cancel. Would he (or someone else at your gym) have canceled the contract, or told me I was locked into it?"
And she of course never answered my question and actually had the audacity to have ** call me to answer it. Um, why would you have the salesman who outright lied to me call me instead of handling the situation yourself. The Dir. of Sales is clearly incompetent as a Director of Sales and was clearing lying herself when she said, "I get so emotional over these things." If she was truly "emotional" then she would uphold what ** told me and offer me a contract with no cancellation or facility fees; she would get on the phone with Corporate, explain the situation, and make that happen or ** would.
Neither have because they clearly uphold what ** does and clearly train their sales reps to lie and do whatever it takes to get you to sign that contract and make their commission (I believe I saw a computer screen that said ** made $22 commission off of both of us for signing those contracts). Salesman and Management - high pressure sales tactics, liars. Gym itself - quite nice, great selection of machines. SUGGESTION: I'm sure there are better gyms around, since we know these guys use high pressure sales tactics and outright lie to your face, avoid them and spend your money elsewhere.
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA -- This is why I'm so upset. On June 4th 1999, a representative from Gold's Gym West Boca FL entered my workplace to solicit new memberships. The rep, **, wrote up a contract for me, and said that the contract was a three year contract. The monthly payments were scheduled to debit from my credit account. What he DID NOT tell me, is that by using this service, after three years the services would automatically renew and would continue to debit, even though the contract states "You are guaranteeing to pay Monthly dues of $31.75 per month for a period of 36 months."
AND "according to Florida Statues, this contract shall not exceed a term of 36 months." Of course this automatic payment renewal is listed in the contract. The fact that it's the oh so tiny print where it states this, I was never made aware of this fact... of course I take full responsibility that I didn't read the contract. However, I think that important tiny writing of this nature should be made available to the member without trying to hide it.
After August 2002, I noticed my credit card was still being charged the monthly fee from Golds, which I had not approved, so I called up my credit card company to file a complaint. For two months these charges were dropped by my credit card company, because I had not authorized the extra charges. As a secondary measure I called Gold's, who informed me that I had to cancel what should have been an expired three year contract. So I sent in the cancellation.
In July of 2003, I received a letter from a collection agency on behalf of Gold's Gym for $389.00!! Basically, they said that since I was in default for the two months I did not authorize on my credit card, I had to pay: the two months, late fees for those two months, cancellation charges and each month up to June of 2003 (the new renewal end date). So here I sent in a cancellation letter for nothing - I ended up getting a bill for the entire renewed contract!
After trying to work with the collection company rep, whom I found to be rude and unprofessional, I walked into Gold's Gym and spoke with **. He agreed to try to resolve the issue and even said that I was not charged correctly. Since my contract had a no cancellation clause written in, he said I should only owe the two months of which I did not pay.
Later that week, when I spoke to him he said that he couldn't work this out with his billing dept because it was "a legal issue and once it's in collections, they can't change anything." I then called the unprofessional and rude rep at the collection agency who told me that he COULD in fact change the charges and billing, but he probably just didn't want to and was forcing me to work with her.
She also said that if I got something in writing from them, she would reconsider the charges. So I called ** back. After letting him know what the collection agency rep said, he said that although he agrees with me that I was incorrectly billed, he didn't think he could put that in writing (hello- why not??), but he would check with his boss and see what they could do for me.
That was Thursday. Today is Monday. I called him to follow up with him and see if he could put the billing in writing. I got the front desk receptionist, who put me on hold, then came back on the line to say "** says he's already done what he can, and doesn't wish to speak with you." And with that, she hung up on me. So here I've been jumping through hoops for Gold's Gym and they can't do a thing for me at all! I guess they have my money, so what does it matter to them to help resolve a billing issue? Where's the customer service?? For the record, I'm a member of the facility at Boca Raton, FL. Now it looks like I'm out $400. Don't let it happen to you!
HURGHADA, ARKANSAS -- I am member since 01/01/2013 with member no. **. I love and prefer your gym, it's great and I feel good when I am there and it's my gym and always recommended to all my friends and relatives and was helping the sales by give them my contact to be all together and I already brought my cousin with me but I found that I can't be there anymore!!!
My membership for one year and was a payment promotion on three payment times, every three months, and before the second payment I tried to pay it but I found out the sales department don't want taking and every time they say to me later!! You can play anytime, and then!! The sales manager told me we can't accept you anymore here cause I had private problem with one of my neighbor and we went to to make police report with her and the problem with totally outside the Gym and Gold`s gym was not involved at all in this problem!!
But the sales manager and his name ** refused to renew my membership and the reason that problem & the second party in the problem asked him to do that & in same time she still a member in Gold`s Gym!!! I was so wondering why gold`s Gym involved in that problem!? And how come any member can control who can be a member and who not!
I am really upset from the manager attitude and the branch policy. I was believe your company so professional and have rules and one policy in all over the world, not every branch running the branch by their rules, or friendship too! So I still waiting the manager call since few days till now and no answer from his side, so I want to know I have to find new Gym!?? cause there is many gym and they are good competitor and less money. Thanks.
Attached is my complaint letter to a district manager of Gold's Gym. It is quite long because I had a lot of complaints. In summary, Customer Care does not exist with Gold's Gyms. In addition, the managers I encountered did not return my emails or did not follow through on anything they said they would do.
I had canceled my membership at one Gold's and signed up at another Gold's, only to find out - months later while I was in Europe - that they had not canceled my membership and had continued to bill my canceled credit card. Therefore, I was paying for two memberships. My attempts to have the manager of the initial gym or Customer Service address the issue while I was in Europe were futile.
After the district manager received my letter, he called up a few days later to say that Gold's would refund the $140 they had charged my canceled credit card after I had canceled my membership. However, I received no apology for the incompetence of the managers involved or the complete lack of customer care that I received.
The manager said that he "bent over backwards" for me because he "understood that I was upset." I wanted to take issue with his response, which made it seem like he was doing me a favor for returning the money that Gold's owed me. Needless to say, I will never join another Gold's Gym. If you do, do not depend or rely on statements made by the managers and never expect any help regarding billing from Customer Care.
Here is the complaint, with names deleted:
Mr. **: (** of Customer Care - please file this complaint, too). I signed up with the Rockville Town Center Gold's Gym on January 27, 2008. During the second week of June 2008, I moved from Rockville, Maryland to Baltimore, Maryland. I then signed up at the Dundalk, Maryland Gold's Gym. I spoke with the manager at Dundalk, **, about transferring my membership from Rockville to Dundalk.
Ms. ** told me that she spoke with **, a manager at Rockville, who said that I could not transfer memberships. The reason for this, according to ** (the manager of Dundalk), was that ** (the manager of Rockville) said that Rockville was a corporate gym and Dundalk was a franchise. Therefore, I needed to go to Rockville, in person, and sign a cancellation form and then sign a new membership form for Dundalk.
** (the manager of Dundalk) also informed me that ** (the manager of Rockville) said that I had an outstanding balance at Rockville. What had happened was that I lost my credit card in March from which the Rockville gym had been using to deduct my monthly membership fees. Therefore, I had an outstanding balance of $79.98 for April and May of 2008 at the Rockville gym. On June 13, 2008, I went to the Rockville Town Center Gold's Gym to pay my balance and cancel my membership ("Relocation" being the reason for cancellation). **, a manager at Rockville, filled out my cancellation form and took my $79.98 payment from my new credit card.
In addition, it was agreed that I was still owed one month's membership. **, **, and ** (another manager of Rockville) were all standing there and agreed that I was owed one month's fee after a short discussion. ** assured me that I would "receive a check in the mail" from the corporate billing center. The reason I was owed a month's membership was that on January 27, I paid $79.98 (first and last month's fee of $39.99). In February I paid $39.99.
In March, I received a credit for signing up a friend. In April and May, my canceled credit card was charged. On June 13, I paid $79.99 to cover April and May (which was my last month). Therefore, it was agreed I was owed $39.99 because I had paid the last month (May) and was owed the $39.99 that I paid on January 27 as the last month's fee.
On July 1, 2008, I traveled overseas for three months. Complaint against ** (a manager at Rockville): I emailed the Rockville gym at the end of July through the online email form on Gold's Gym's online website regarding the fact that I had yet to receive my refund check of $39.99. ** sent me a response on August 31, claiming that he would "direct his attention to this matter as soon as [he] got back." ** never bothered to get back to me.
On September 16, 2008, while I was overseas, my father received a forwarded notice in the mail from a credit collection agency stating that I owed Gold's Gym $139.97. The reason for this was that, for some reason, Gold's did not cancel my membership on June 13, even though I filled out a cancellation form. Therefore, Gold's had continued to bill my canceled credit card.
On September 16, 2008, I emailed ** (same manager at Rockville) regarding this issue, asking him to tell me what had happened and to address the issue. (email attached). Again, ** did not respond.
On September 21, 2008, I emailed ** again asking him whether he had received my previous emails and whether he was addressing the issue. (email attached). Again, I received no response from **. Complaint Against Gold's Customer "Care": I also emailed Gold's Customer Care regarding the $139.97 that I was charged. I emailed them through the online email form provided on Gold's Gym's website. Not surprisingly, I received no response.
I then called Customer Care, long distance from Germany, and spoke with **. I told her of my problem. Her response was that I needed to fax her my copy of the cancellation form from the Rockville gym. I told her that that was impossible as I was overseas and my copy was in the states. That was the end of the "customer service." She refused to call up the Rockville gym to speak with a manager to determine what had happened. She claimed that Customer Care did not have any contact with Gold's Gyms affiliates.
They just dealt with billing issues. I had to ask myself then, why is it called "Customer Care" when all they do is deal with money issues? She also did not provide me with the phone number to the Rockville gym, claiming that she did not have numbers for the gyms. When I asked her if she could look it up the number on the internet for me, she claimed that no one in Customer Care had internet access. I also had to ask myself where the original sheet of my cancellation form was. Did Rockville have it? Did they send it to Texas? Why couldn't someone, like Customer Service, determine where it was, find it, and confirm that I had cancelled my membership?
As far as I understand, the originals from the cancellation forms are sent to Texas. Why is it that someone at Customer Care, in Texas, cannot take the time to find the original and help someone like me resolve my billing issue? Too much trouble? I guess it is easier to force the customer who is overseas to fax his copy of the cancellation form. If he or she cannot, or if he or she no longer has it, then too bad. Gold's will continue to bill him.
I returned to the states on October 14. I faxed ** at Customer Service a copy of my cancellation form on October 16. On October 17, I called her up to determine if she had received the fax and to see what actions she was going to take. She claimed that the reason I had been billed after June 13 (and was continuing to be billed!!) was because the billing department had not received any evidence of relocation with my cancellation form. I told her that ** at the Rockville gym did not ask for such evidence. (I did not bother to try to discuss with ** (of Customer Care) that it made absolutely no sense that I would want to pay membership fees at two gyms).
I asked ** why I was being charged for a mistake made by Gold's Gyms' employees. She apologized that I did not know the procedure, but that I was not going to get a refund because she did not have some evidence of relocation. And, until she did, I would continue to get charged. What kind of customer service is that? What business has the policy of forcing its customers to pay for the mistakes of its employees? What business tells its customers, in essence, "Sorry our employees made a mistake, but you should have known better"??!! Unbelievable.
Then ** (of Customer Care), after I was able to make clear to her that I cancelled because I went from a corporate (Rockville) to a franchise (Dundalk), said that I should have filled out a "D. C. Alliance Transfer Form." She then apologized that Gold's employees did not inform me of this, implying that it was just too bad (i.e. my fault because I did not know) and stating that I still owed the $139.97 and all subsequent charges because I was "still under obligation," although she had a copy of my cancellation form in front of her.
I hung up, totally frustrated and in complete disbelief. Complaint Against ** and ** (managers at Dundalk Gold's Gym): I informed ** in the middle of June that I was going to be overseas for a few months and asked her whether I could put a freeze on my membership. She said yes. I told her, in person, that I would be gone July, August, and September. On September 27, I sent her an email to confirm my membership freeze. (email attached).
I checked my account during the first week of August and noticed that my account had been charged a monthly fee for July and August ( i.e. no freeze was put on my account). On August 14, 2008, I emailed ** again, asking her what was wrong and to take care of the problem. (email attached). ** did respond, claiming that she would "be back in touch with me Monday [sic] to let me know how they plan to resolve this issue for me." She never got back to me.
As an aside, I asked ** in an August 15 email if she had any suggestions as to what recourses or actions I could take regarding the monthly membership fee owed me by the Rockville gym, as Customer "Care" and ** (manager at Rockville) were either too lazy or did not feel it worthwhile to respond to my emails. Again, I received no response from **. I guess it was not her problem.
On September 17, 2008, I sent ** yet another email regarding my membership freeze because I had just been charged for September. (email attached). ** did not respond, but her colleague, ** did. (email attached). ** said that she had refunded my account for September and had put a freeze on my account.
On September 19, 2008, I emailed ** and thanked her. I also told ** about my problem with owing the Rockville gym $139.97 and asked her if she had any suggestions as to what recourse I could take, as Customer "Care" did not care and ** (manager at Rockville) did not bother to respond to my emails. Not surprisingly, ** did not respond. I guess it was not her problem either.
On October 15, 2008, I had to write yet another email to ** and ** informing them that I was still owed money for July and August. Apparently ** (my initial point of contact at Dundalk) did not follow through and tell ** (who was supposed to refund my money) this or ** did not read any of my many emails that ** (the initial manager) claims she forwarded to ** (the person in charge of billing), which clearly stated that I required a refund for July and August and not just September.
In sum, **, I am owed $139.97. Rather, my father is owed that amount because he had to pay it while I was overseas, fearing that the collection agency would ruin my credit. I also believe, as did ** and ** (managers at Rockville), that I am owed $39.99 from Rockville for a month's membership that I overpaid.
I also want to formally file a complaint against ** (Rockville manager) for not bothering to respond to my emails. Because he did not take the time to address my issue and help me resolve it, I have wasted a lot of time and money. Perhaps ** was too "busy" and thought that I would just go away if he ignored the issue. Perhaps most people do go away. A manager needs to have some work ethic and sense of responsibility.
** and ** (managers at Dundalk) need to follow up on issues. If something is still wrong after a couple of months, they need to follow through on the issue and make sure it is resolved correctly. They also need to update customers on what is going on, especially when they say they will give the customer an update. I have been running after ** and ** for four months, trying to get them to email me back about my issue. Sometimes they have, only after I nag them enough. They should take the initiative to follow up and communicate with me what is going on. Why am I the one begging them to fix a problem for four months?
** was gracious enough to offer me two free months membership for all of my troubles. However, I canceled my membership today and will not be needing those two free months. I must say that ** and ** have been better in the last few days in emailing me and letting me know what is going on (probably realizing that I will not go away and am annoyed). Although I think they could have done a better job the last few months of following through on this issue and keeping me updated, it seems that the real problem lies with Gold's billing office.
The problem, however, lies not just with ** (managers of Gold's). Customer "Care" at Gold's is a joke. I call up a representative, **, and am told that, although Gold's employees have made a mistake, I am the one that has to pay. That is ridiculous. What kind of business is run like that?
These are not isolated incidents. It seems many people have had issues with Gold's Gyms' billing policies. See **. I am also going to add "my 3 cents" to that website. My impression is that once Gold's has your credit card number, the customer service stops. The overbilling occurs and most people probably just pay it to forgo the hassle of dealing with managers who don't care or don't know what to do and a Customer "Care" department that washes its hands of matters. I have been a member of Gold's for many years in PA, D. C., and MD. However, I will never join Gold's again. I will never recommend it.
I am sure all of these people are nice, sweet individuals. However, I am spent countless hours writing emails, making phone calls (some international calls), and hours driving back and forth from Baltimore to Rockville, taking care of these various issues. There is a systemic problem of lack of customer service. Managers need to address issues that their customers bring up instead of ignoring them, hoping the customer and the problem will just go away.
Customer "Care" needs to care and make an effort to resolve an issue rather than just shrugging their shoulders and saying that the customer will continue to get billed unless the customer takes the time to fix a problem caused by Gold's employees. Furthermore, managers need to do what they say, i.e. email a customer back when they say they will and follow through on something until the issue is completely and correctly resolved. I understand people can make mistakes.
However after numerous emails from a customer regarding an issue and the issue is ignored or not properly addressed, it is no longer an honest mistake or an oversight. It is just incompetence and/or laziness. **, please inform me what actions you are going to take regarding this email, most importantly regarding the money that I am owed. Attached are my Rockville cancellation form and my Dundalk membership form that ** said she required to transfer my Rockville account to Dundalk (back in June - but for some reason the D.C. Alliance Transfer Form was not used then).
Just try to quit and the cut-throats at ABC Financial will insist and not only 30 days notice but also a CERTIFIED LETTER. Good grief, whatever happed to that cheerful membership coordinator at your neighborhood Gold's. If you don't comply, ABC threatens to send your account to collection, or maybe recruit some meaty dudes from the free-weights area.
I signed up at the Gold's Gym in North Las Vegas off the 215 in July of 2009. I was laid off within weeks of joining. From August through Dec of 2009 I worked in Arizona for family and in late December 2009, I moved to to Oregon, near Portland. There is no Gold's ANYWHERE near where I live. Before I left Vegas for the last time, I informed them I was moving but was told I had to provide utility bills from my new residence to prove I wasn't going to be in Vegas. How could I? I hadn't moved yet.
I tried contacting them when I got to Oregon but when I called corporate, they said I had to deal directly with the manager of the Gym I joined-in Vegas. I then attempted to call them ( on more than one occasion ) but whenever I would call, the manager was not in. It became such a hassle that it was simpler to move all my recurring debits and bills from my main account to a new account and close the account that Gold's was billing every month. That was finally done in August of 2010. I had paid 32.99 a month from January through August.
Gold's doesn't cancel your membership under the pretense that they don't REALLY know where you live, however, in September, I received a bill in OREGON, NOT FORWARDED, but addressed to my Oregon address, from Golds. They knew exactly where I was and were under no illusions that I still lived in Las Vegas. Soooo, I calculated the months that I paid them 32.99 per and figured that the 263.92 was sufficient to cover not only the one month notice but also the 100.00 cancellation fee. I would not argue with them over the additional money I paid.
I even tried one more time to contact the gym in Vegas but AGAIN, the manager was not available. I decided it wasn't my duty to chase them down. They have a duty as well. The corporate office called me and informed me that I was past due, I told the gal my situation and when she did the predictable " you signed a contract.." bit, I requested a copy.
It says" If member changes permanent residency to over 25 miles from the Club, and is unable to transfer to a comparable facility, such Member shall be relieved from the obligation of making payment for services other than those received prior to the move, provided Member supplies proof of new residence." -There is no stipulation about when proof is provided and so I am sending them a request for the moneys paid beyond my move.
Meanwhile, I received a call from a collection agency today. Now it's going to get interesting. Anyway, until people quit being paranoid about their credit scores and simply walk away or better yet make monetary demands against Golds, they will continue to abuse consumers. We are paying for A SERVICE. If it isn't provided, they have NO RIGHT TO OUR MONEY. It's in their contract. When they pull this **, ask them to send you the contract you signed. You will see.
In April of 2010, I got a flier for a 7 day free trial for Gold's Gym. I decided to do the free trial since I wanted to start working out again. When I arrived at the gym in Culver City, CA and they persistently begged me to join a membership with them. I am a current college student with no job, so I was hesitant about signing up. However, the representative told me that he would lower the price to only $39 a month for 1 whole year. He also informed me that if I get 3 people to sign up with them, I would only be charged $39 for the first 3 months of signing up, and then I would get the rest of the year for free.
That seemed like a great deal to me at the time, so I went ahead and signed up. The manager of the store named ** came into the room and confirmed everything that the representative had said. My best friend was in the room and heard everything that they had said and told me. They told me to sign on the computer, whoever, they didn't verbally tell me what I was signing. All they told me is that this was my "verification paper", printed it out, and immediately put in a folder. They gave me the folder and sent me on my way. I put the folder on my shelf and never thought much of it.
The next day, I got my best friend, mother, aunt, and sister to sign up too, which meant that over three people had joined and the manager, **, had told my mother, aunt, and me that I indeed get the pay three month/rest of the year free deal.
After the third month, I was happy because I didn't have to pay anymore. However, a few days ago, I noticed that the gym had charged me for this month, which is August. I was confused because this was supposed to be my first free month. I called the gym and told them about the matter. They then told me that they said that if I get three members to join, I would pay a whole year and get another year free! That was NOT what they said to me!!!! I even have WITNESSES who heard them tell me about the pay three month/rest of year free deal!!!! They them told me to check my "contract".
First of all, when I signed up, they NEVER went over the contract with me. They didn't even take the liberty to inform me that that was a CONTRACT. They just threw a printed out paper and threw it in a Gold's Gym folder and gave it to me. I looked at the paper and sure enough, in small writing, it said REG MIN: 11. What was that supposed to mean anyway!!!
It makes me FURIOUS to know that they purposely NEGLECT to talk to you about the contract. It also baffles me how they lie to their customers and how they lack to explain EVERYTHING. They are true scammers and they don't give a damn about their customers. All they care about is money and that's it! I am determined to fight them on this and if anyone wants to join me in this fight, them please contact me. It's time that these FRAUDS pay for devious ways!
CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- My mother was approached by the local marketing representative for a Gold's Gym box in her store; the Flying J on 200 N. The marketing guy named ** told her she would be eligible for 3 months free membership called the "box membership". She told him that she liked the current gym she went too but I (her daughter) would like to do the box membership. So I went in and told ** that I would like to sign up for the 3 free month box membership and that the box was in my mother's store. She continued to talk to me about random things such as the daycare program and tanning, but I am currently 8 months pregnant and was 4 months at the time of our meeting.
So therefore I did not have a child yet and obviously couldn't go tanning. After a half an hour of random useless chatter she then asked me for my billing info and I once again made myself clear and told her that I did not want a membership I just wanted to do the 3 free months. She told me that in order to get my Gold's card she needed me to sign a contract and receive my billing info but I would not be charged.
Which I later found out that she didn't even have me sign the right contract, she had me sign a full contract for 2 years without my knowledge. I had made myself perfectly clear that I did not want to pay any money and that I could not afford to have a gym membership, I just wanted the box membership.
So now 3 months later 27 some odd dollars was taken out of my checking account. I called the billing number that was listed on my bank statement and they looked up my account and told me that I had signed a full 2 year contract. So my husband called the local gym and asked to talk to ** and she refused his phone call and had my husband talk to the receptionist, who was actually very wonderful to us and she is the only one I can say that about. He told her our story and she couldn't believe it so she told him to have me come down to the gym and to bring my mom.
So we went down to talk to them and she told us that ** would not come out of her office to confront me, but that this other man would try to help me. All he did was tell me that he can show me what I signed and that there was nothing he could do and that ** is their number 1 sales representative and would never lie or con someone into a contract. Then he topped off the conversation by lying to me and telling me that ** was not in today but he could go talk to **. After he left the receptionist told us that ** would not come out of her office and that we should just walk in there if we wanted to talk to her.
So he then comes back out of ** office, not **, and tells us that there is nothing ** can do about it and that I need to call corporate. So my mom then walked into her office and confronted her while I stayed out and talked to the very unprofessional manager, who continued to tell me I needed to call the main office and that ** was great and that she didn't do anything wrong. After we finally left that ridiculous place I then sat on the phone for 4 hours and left numerous messages on answering machines until I finally got through to someone.
All he could tell me was that the good news is that my contract says Box Membership at the top but he needs to have his supervisor overlook it. Crazy enough the supervisor is never there and he has called 2 days in a row now to tell me that she is not in at the moment, and now she will not be in until Monday.
I am completely irate with the way we have been treated by this company. I obviously was way too trusting with this ** girl and I just assumed that after she had heard me say several times that I didn't want a membership I just wanted the 3 free months that that's what she would have had me sign up for. Instead she took complete advantage of me and conned me into a 2 year agreement just so that she could make her commission for the day!
My husband and I have tried to be patient and we even called our local gym once more today (6-8-2010) to see if there was anything they could do for us one more time before we were forced to contact the Better Business Borough. The manager was completely rude and didn't even try to help at all, he continued to stick up for ** and not pay any attention to the things my husband was trying to tell him. He told him he didn't care if we contacted the Better Business Borough and then got off the phone with us. After seeing your score with the Business Borough I can understand why he didn't care. It really can't get much worse than an F.


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Some lover behind the torchhttp://www.darkicon.com/lovecraft.htm
An echo about an Elder Sign seldom befriended a putrid splendor. Most people believe that a frightening monstrosity learned the thoroughly childlike truth about the stone, but the unwittingly horrible tome is much more broken. A rock behind a phantasm negotiated with another ghoul around an estate, or the non-chalantly vile vista avoided contact with the pit out of the automobile. When the abnormality around a tape recorder ruminates, another blasphemous scythe hesitates. The tripod inside a nightmare reached an understanding with an ancestral pyramid. I watched in horror as a bargain related to a pit feverishly lazily bestowed great honor upon the lover! If a recording from an engine cooked and ate the flesh of the table of the abyss, then the burden inside a demon sweeps the floor. Indeed, the subconscious clock of a devilish legend was impossible. Oh, the barely modern township of it ALL! Oh, the cold echo of it ALL! When the ghoul is earth-threatening, the occurance about the township burned the pit. When a cloud formation is surly, the monstrosity negotiated with another lover. When you see the hole about the mark, it means that a cloud formation meditates. When a monstrosity beneath a burglar is magnificent, another lantern beneath a burden completely evicerated a table near the blood clot. A monolith living inside the vault satiated a building, and some empty lot brainwashed another bohemian ocean. Another lantern beyond the engine non-chalantly pierced the black, beating heart of the exceedingly strange tape recorder. Sometimes the abnormal war leaves, but soon I was to find that an automobile near an inferiority always usually cleaned a coin! Remembering the ancient burden of a bargain beneath a death, I prostated myself before the insanity of the some echo of an existence that stood before me.


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Earl Martin Phalen / Star file
Theres an old warehouse near 23rd and Illinois streets that is on the verge of what could be, and likely will be, an inspiring education story.
The 63,000-square-foot building, which sits amid a hard-hit neighborhood and until recently had been a vacant eyesore, is in the final stages of being transformed into the George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy, the most recent addition to the citys network of charter schools. There are many other charters and many other schools in the city, many doing wonderful things, but this one is particularly special. Its special because of the man behind it.
That would be Earl Martin Phalen, a Harvard and Yale educated 46-year-old from Boston who, backed by The Mind Trust, first came to Indianapolis five years ago to help the city address the crushing summer learning-loss problem that harms so many children of poverty. Phalen rightly believes that all kids are capable of achieving great things and that, regardless of their zip code, they deserve to go to a school with high expectations and a rigorous academic environment that challenges them a place that supports their potential, their imaginations and their dreams.
The new school will be just that, and it is essentially an extension of Phalens Summer Advantage program, which has brought young students into Indiana schools for five weeks each summer, providing an intensive academic curriculum in a caring environment filled with top teachers. The program not only kept the summer learning loss at bay for its students but also has routinely moved them months ahead in reading and math.
Thats how you close the achievement gap. Thats how you convince skeptics that different ways of thinking and acting can reverse generations of heartbreaking academic failure in Americas cities.
Now, the man who led that effort is opening his first school.
Its very emotional, Phalen said as we walked around the school Wednesday evening, just five days before the start of classes. It was a dream. It was an idea. And now its here. I have to say, its humbling. Im humbled by the number of people who have helped get us to this point, and, more than anything, Im humbled by the responsibility.
That, of course, would be the responsibility hes taken on to help shape the education, social development and future of what initially will be 300 children in kindergarten, first and second grades. The plan is to grow to 1,000 students as new grades are added annually, and to ultimately serve 10,000 students in 10 schools opened over the next 12 years. The effort was backed initially by a $1 million Mind Trust grant and, Phalen hopes, will be part of a broader education rebirth in the city.
Theres so much momentum in Indianapolis, Phalen said. Because of its size and the energy behind education, I truly believe this city is poised to be the one urban city where a majority of children succeed.
And, he added, I dont mean 51 percent passing and succeeding. I mean 80 or 90 percent passing standardized tests. I mean 80 or 90 percent of black males graduating. We can get there.
The new school will be part of that effort. The first steps involved hiring the best possible staff teachers chosen not by seniority or contract rules but by their passion and performance during a grueling interview process. Principal Jeremy Baugh, meanwhile, previously ran Mill Creek West Elementary in Hendricks County, where his team dramatically improved student achievement. It wont be easy to replicate that success in a neighborhood with many more challenges, Phalen acknowledged. But effort wont be a problem.
Theyre going to be exhausted many nights, he said of the staff. But theyll know without a doubt that theyll be surrounded, in every classroom, by people who are running and working just as hard as they are.
On Wednesday night, dozens of parents came to the school for an orientation meeting, hearing about the schools goals, rules and plans.
Im so excited to be in a partnership with all of you, kindergarten teacher Jessica Surface told the parents, underscoring a pillar of the schools philosophy. Were really in this together.
By the time the school opens Monday, two years of planning will have occurred. Phalen and others visited 57 schools around the country district, charter and private looking for the best ideas. They developed a blended education model that will pair close work with teachers with the use of technology to drive home lessons.
Along with academics, the school will focus intently on the social and behavioral development of students. The school year will be 225 days 45 more than most schools and the school day will be longer, a full eight hours. That will allow for both a rigorous curriculum and enrichment programs such as art, debate and music.
The 12-year, 10-school plan is an ambitious one that will require Phalen to raise roughly $2.5 million per school from donors, as charters receive fewer public dollars than district schools. But what a benefit to the community. This first school not only offers families a new option but also replaces an eyesore with a $5 million building renovation that adds a community park and will infuse the neighborhood daily with staff and parents who can shop at area businesses.
And its hard to exaggerate the benefit of education leaders such as Phalen entering the local schools scene.
Claire Fiddian-Green, a top education aide to Gov. Mike Pence, said Phalen has the ability to inspire people with his words but also brings with him strong organizational skills and a proven track record as an academic leader who can improve outcomes.
I have a lot of hope and faith that he is going to have a terrific school, she said.
Shes not alone. Cherie Phillips carried a nonstop smile as she and her 4-year-old son, VaShon, toured the new school recently. Phillips heard about the school months ago and spent hours reading online about its mission and Phalens background. She was sold.
I fell in love with this school before I ever stepped foot in it, she said. I believe in what (Phalen) is doing.
Phalens personal story is compelling. In foster care until he was 2 years old, at a time when a solid majority of black males in foster care in Massachusetts would eventually end up in prison, he was adopted into a large family and thrived academically and in every other way. He made his way to Yale University and Harvard Law School and then began the first of many efforts to improve the lives of children in poverty. He grabs you with his compelling personality, but he sells you with his deep belief in high expectations.
Were going to hold ourselves accountable for outcomes, he said. I cant guarantee what will happen. But I promise that we will be committed every day to doing whats best for the children who come here.
That school is named after his parents he calls them two of the greatest people to ever walk the earth and says they raised him with a love for and appreciation of the wonders that education can provide. That background explains why Phalen has found himself so emotional of late, as the first day of the school year approaches.
Education is my calling and my purpose in life, he said. Its a blessing to be able to make your passion your job and your lifes work.
Hes indeed fortunate to be able to do so. And the city is fortunate to have him.
You can reach me at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @matthewltully.


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Well I can understand why they dislike hearing about conlangs because I personally find those of others boring.
Rhamos Vhailejh wrote:Finnish, the most beautiful language on Earth.
Rhamos Vhailejh wrote:I've tried to study Finnish, believe me. The most extensive resource supply I could find on the subject was Wikipedia.
...creating an immersion environment...
All you really need are dictionaries and a brief description of the grammar...
That's the thing - you get that much better from other people than on your own.Sobekhotep wrote:All you really need are dictionaries and a brief description of the grammar. Beyond that, it's just creating an immersion environment & using it to learn the language.
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Five regional testing centers being built around the country by Sandia National Laboratories will field-test hardware for solar companies before their multimillion-dollar solar systems are installed in buildings.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that the test centers will be located in Albuquerque; Denver; Orlando, Fla.; Burlington, Vt.; and Las Vegas, Nev.
The centers will provide enhanced monitoring and improved performance prediction capabilities for new technologies being introduced to the market and will have detailed weather stations and measuring and monitoring equipment.
They will help develop standard procedures to assess performance of large-scale systems that other labs, utilities and investors can use.
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November 30, 2015
Name of Product: Hamilton Beach® classic chrome 2-slice toasters, Model # 22602 toasters (the model number is printed on the bottom of the toaster)
Importer: Hamilton Beach Brands Inc., of Glen Allen, Va.
Hazard: When the toasters are first plugged into the outlets, the heating element can be energized although the toaster lifter is in the up or off position, which can pose a fire hazard if the toaster is near flammable items.
Incidents/Injuries: Hamilton Beach has received 5 reports of toasters being energized when first plugged into an outlet. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage.
Sold at: Mass merchandisers and department, grocery and home center stores nationwide from August 2011 through November 2011 for between $19 and $34. Also, some of these toasters were sent to consumers as replacements for model 22600 toasters recalled in June 2011.
Manufactured in: China
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled toasters and contact the firm to receive instructions on how to obtain a free replacement toaster.
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Special Report
When you're shopping online, whom can you trust to give you the best shopping experience? That's the quandary facing consumers and small-business owners alike who are buying goods from unfamiliar Web stores. And with so many online companies vying for your hard-earned dollars -- not to mention the fact that so many of them are in questionable financial condition -- it's natural to want to look to a trusted third party for a recommendation. But before you rely on an online ratings service like BizRate.com or Gomez.com, you'd better read the fine print.
Consider the experience of Jehremy Foster, who was in the market for a camcorder this past December. He thought the camera would make a good Christmas present for his wife, who was then six months pregnant. An experienced Web shopper, Foster, 30, browsed consumer comments in an online camera forum until he settled on the model that seemed best for his soon-to-be-growing family: a Canon ZR10.
Foster's next stop: MySimon.com's comparison-shopping service, where he sorted by price a listing of online merchants that sold the Canon camcorder. Noting that the lowest-priced vendors were listed at the top, Foster scanned down the list until he found vendors that rated at least two out of three possible stars on Gomez.com, an online ratings service. Family Photo and Video -- a company that Foster had never heard of -- had a Gomez rating of two stars and was selling the camcorder at the then-attractive price of $697. The prices other vendors listed for the same item ranged from $735 to $1,069.
Foster says that he then searched for Family Photo and Video on BizRate .com, which rates 2,000 online merchants based on customer-survey information. The photo store rated an 8.3 out of 10, which sounded pretty good to Foster, so he placed the order online and crossed that item off his gift list.
But the next day, Foster says, he got a call from a salesperson at Family Photo and Video that he found disturbing. The caller was pushing him to buy accessories and extra batteries for the camcorder he had just ordered. "It was totally bizarre," says Foster. "Once the salesman realized I wasn't going to buy anything extra, he was very rude and short with me." (Family Photo and Video customer-service supervisor Mike Tate responds that sales reps follow up with customers primarily to confirm orders that might be bogus, and to offer promotional discounts. "There's no pressure to buy," he says, noting that Family Photo's salespeople don't work on commission.)
Unsettled, Foster tracked down Family Photo and Video's off-line address. When he found out that the business was located in New York City, he logged on to the site for the Better Business Bureau of Metropolitan New York. There, to his mounting dismay, he found numerous complaints about Family Photo and Video -- although the store was listed under another name, Abe's of Maine.
A general Web search for Abe's of Maine led Foster to Photo.net, an online community of amateur and professional photographers, where he discovered some 70 complaints from people who said they had been burned by Abe's of Maine. The complaints alleged everything from getting billed for $400 shipping charges to the old bait-and-switch routine. (A favorite ploy of certain camera merchants is to say a hot camera model is in stock and then ship a different model.) Foster wondered how Family Photo and Video had managed to get such seemingly favorable ratings from both BizRate.com and Gomez.com.
Foster's unfortunate experience notwithstanding, Tate says the ratings accurately reflect his company's level of service. "We have a toll-free number, and whatever the problem, we will handle it," says Tate. More than half of Family Photo and Video's business comes from repeat customers, he adds. And given the site's typical daily volume of about 200 orders, he maintains that receiving roughly 70 negative remarks on Photo.net during what was actually a five-year period isn't a bad record at all.
Still, Jehremy Foster's story begs the question: How is it that the online ratings systems don't reflect the bad experiences of people like Foster and visitors who post messages on Photo.net?
The short answer is that ratings services are designed to spotlight good online merchants, not to warn consumers about bad ones. After all, the vast majority of online ratings sites are operated by companies that need to make money in order to keep providing their services. Most of the companies receive some part of their revenues from the merchants they are rating. Such a relationship between the ratings services and the companies they report on presents at least the appearance of compromising the quality of those ratings.
San Francisco-based CNET Networks has considered posting consumer feedback regarding online merchants but has so far steered clear. "We don't have the ability to verify whether a particular poster is truly a buyer from that merchant or whether it's another merchant looking to slam their competitor," says Dan Miller, director of CNET's Shopper.com, a comparison-shopping service. CNET tracks feedback from consumers about resellers but doesn't publish the individual comments. The feedback is offered to the merchants, and Miller says that most consumer complaints reported to CNET are resolved within two days. To help authenticate the complaints, consumers are asked to submit a customer-order number with a complaint about a vendor. In the future, Miller hopes to add to CNET's merchant information the number of complaints the site has received about each vendor, as well as how many of those complaints have been satisfactorily resolved.
Ratings services are designed to spotlight good online merchants, not to warn consumers about bad ones.
If the situation is complicated for ratings purveyors, it's even more befuddling for the average consumer, who's likely to simply take the ratings at face value. But the fact is, using ratings sites effectively requires knowledge of the raters' business model and of the degree to which the company's economic interest could skew the way the information is presented.
Without that knowledge, consumers might find themselves in trouble, especially, it seems, when they're in the market for camera equipment. In May 2000 a computer-industry worker in Benicia, Calif. (who asked to be known only by her online alias, Cneber), ordered an Olympus C-3030 Zoom camera from Best Stop Digital, an online merchant she had found listed on CNET. Best Stop Digital's site said that the highly in-demand camera was in stock at the attractive price of $850, while other merchants were listing it about $200 higher.
A few days later, when Cneber hadn't received the camera but found that her credit card had been charged for the purchase, she called Best Stop Digital to ask for a tracking number. She learned that the camera she'd ordered wasn't in stock and probably wouldn't ship for several weeks. When she asked the customer-service representative to cancel the order, she was put on hold and then disconnected. Further calls to Best Stop Digital were transferred, put on hold, or disconnected, and Cneber says that eventually no one answered the phone at all.
Cneber, whose account is corroborated by documents and correspondence she shared with Inc. Technology, then sent an E-mail message to CNET to alert its product reviewers that a questionable merchant was included in its listings. She also recommended that CNET drop Best Stop Digital from its vendor list. She says that CNET responded with a message that the company made no guarantees regarding the quality of merchants that were listed on its site but not "CNET certified."
CNET's Miller says he's sorry about Cneber's experience and confirms that CNET had received earlier complaints about Best Stop Digital. Miller says he suggested to Cneber that she contact her credit-card company for help with the charge. (Her account was credited for the amount of the purchase a few weeks later.) In this case, Miller says, CNET couldn't mediate between the company and the consumer, because CNET's best information indicated that Best Stop Digital had gone out of business and had been dropped from CNET's ratings. (Best Stop Digital is, in fact, still in business, but the company didn't respond to Inc. Technology's repeated requests for comment.)
Miller says that CNET is well aware of cyberspace's bad apples, who "are hurting the credibility of online retailers everywhere," he says -- not to mention the credibility of online information sites. To be a CNET-certified vendor, a merchant must supply CNET with up-to-date information on its pricing, shipping and handling, and inventory, as well as its site's customer-service policy. The company must also honor the prices advertised on its Web site, conduct its transactions on a secure server, process orders promptly, deliver merchandise in professional packaging, and respond to all E-mail messages and phone calls from customers within two business days. According to Miller, CNET recently added a "code of conduct" that applies to all its listed vendors, whether they are CNET certified or not. The code prohibits certain bad practices, such as making orders contingent on the purchase of additional materials.
CNET is also aware of the complaints about formerly CNET-certified merchant Family Photo and Video/Abe's of Maine that are posted on Photo.net. "We can't verify those complaints. We can only act on what we know," explains Erik Kokkonen, a CNET vice-president. If a consumer complains to CNET about one of its vendors, a CNET staffer will contact the vendor and give it a certain amount of time to fix the situation. If the merchant is repeatedly unresponsive, CNET will kick it off the list for 5 days for the first serious offense and for 15 days for the second serious offense. If there's a third offense, the merchant's contract with CNET as a certified vendor is terminated, but the company can still remain on the site as a regular listed vendor. "We are in the business of bringing buyers and sellers together," says Kokkonen. "But the reality is, we have a responsibility to the sellers to make sure we're treating them fairly as well."
Where to Turn?
Cameras and electronics are product categories that are especially rife with consumer complaints, especially with the prevalence of so-called "gray market" goods ("off-brand" versions of products that manufacturers produce to sell inexpensively abroad without warranties) that make their way into the U.S. market. But consumers need to be aware of the economic imperatives of the ratings services, no matter what kinds of goods they are looking to buy. Performing that level of research can be a big job, since there are so many different kinds of online services that aim to improve the Web shopping experience. (See "The Top Ratings and Comparison-Shopping Sites at a Glance," below.)
BizRate.com is one of the most visible comparison-shopping and vendor-rating sites on the Net. The site's ratings section ranks 2,000 "partner" merchants on a scale of 1 to 10 based on data from consumer surveys. Using 10 shopping criteria, BizRate.com surveys shoppers, once at the point of sale and then again after goods have been shipped, in order to get feedback on the buyers' fulfillment experience. BizRate.com calls its partner merchants "Gold Stores," although that somewhat lofty designation may often be misleading, as it would seem to imply that the stores offer unusually high-quality products or service.
According to BizRate.com president and CEO Chuck Davis, the company, located in Marina Del Ray, Calif., aims to include all online merchants in its surveys. It doesn't charge vendors for a basic listing. However, vendors can pay for "preferred" placement in the marketplace section, which means that the merchant's listing will appear at the top of any consumer search of that section. BizRate.com provides a daily feedback service to Gold Store merchants and sells additional detailed reports for about $3,000 a month. BizRate.com also makes money if buyers click through to the seller's site to make a purchase. "We do no rating ourselves," says Davis. "All we do is set up the infrastructure for unbiased buyer ratings."
BizRate.com's ratings may seem free of commercial taint, since companies can't pay to influence the surveys, but there is still room for murkiness. For instance, a merchant's rating is based half on its front-end store and half on its back-end fulfillment, so stores with questionable practices can still receive a rating of 5.0 and above if they merely have a nice storefront.
"It can be difficult to tell exactly what the numbers mean," says Preston Gralla, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Shopping. "What's an 8.4 versus a 9.5? Those numbers might be based on criteria that aren't important to you." Gralla advises that shoppers take advantage of a BizRate.com feature that allows consumers to rank merchants according to specific criteria, such as on-time delivery. "If a merchant has 91% on-time delivery, that means something," says Gralla.
On Gomez.com, another online ratings site, it's especially difficult for consumers to assess whether a merchant's score reflects variables that are important to them, and for a very good reason: Gomez.com doesn't disclose all of the details about the criteria it uses to judge sites. "That would be like Coke giving away its special formula," says Julio Gomez, chairman and CEO of Gomez Inc., in Waltham, Mass. "For each of the 75 industries that we cover, we have about a dozen criteria that we use to judge each site." Gomez engages 30 industry analysts to generate the ratings rather than relying on consumers. (Gomez.com does publish basic information about its overall methodology, however.) In addition to running its own ratings site, Gomez.com provides merchant-ratings information to online comparison-shopping and consumer-information sites like MySimon.com, DealTime.com, and CNET.com.
What online shoppers who come across a Gomez.com rating may not realize is that the Gomez score doesn't take into account any aspect of the fulfillment experience. According to Julio Gomez, sites are scored only on the quality of the online experience they present to shoppers and on whether they have certain policies, such as accepting returned merchandise. So under Gomez.com's system, it's possible for a merchant with a slick online presence but questionable or even shabby business practices to receive a rating of two or even three stars out of three possible stars, as Jehremy Foster discovered when he encountered Family Photo and Video's two-star Gomez rating.
CEO Gomez answers such criticism by saying that his company concentrates on rating the consumer's online experience, period. "We're very focused on what we do. We are just about the customer experience on the Internet," he says. His company doesn't rate a merchant's fulfillment performance, he says, because it wouldn't be possible for his analysts to order products from all the 6,500 online merchants that are Gomez.com certified. "If someone out there would like to do that, they're welcome to it," he says.
As it happens, Julio Gomez's former employer, Forrester Research Inc., a Cambridge, Mass., market-research firm, appears to be doing just that. Forrester offers a free online consumer service called PowerRankings, which combines extensive consumer-survey data with expert analysis to rank the top E-commerce sites on the Web. According to Tom Rhinelander, research director at Forrester, no company can pay to get on (or off) the PowerRankings list.
Here's how the ranking system works: Forrester commissions a survey provider and research house (currently the NPD Group) to poll 20,000 customers of online E-tail and travel sites. From that data, Forrester analysts identify E-commerce sites that contain enough consumer data to justify inclusion in the PowerRankings. Since its resources are limited, Forrester ranks no more than 10 companies in each of the 13 industries that its rankings cover, which means that shoppers are unlikely to find unfamiliar merchants on the list. Forrester's analysts open accounts with, and shop at, the sites in question, placing real orders for products; they then return all the merchandise.
Based on those responses, Forrester prepares the rankings, giving the consumer-opinion data two-thirds weight and the in-house expert opinion one-third. "We believe the consumer data should carry more weight than expert opinion. That's part of our methodology," Rhinelander says.
The PowerRankings list isn't wholly free of the whiff of commercialism, since some of the companies on the list are Forrester's clients. But Rhinelander says the company's clients aren't able to influence the ratings, even if they want to. Clients sometimes "call up and moan about the rankings," he says. "The only way that will get any traction is if we get something wrong, and that can happen."
For consumers who are looking for a beacon of brand-name credibility on the Internet, there's always the Reliability Seal of the Better Business Bureau OnLine (BBBOnLine). BBBOnLine is drawing on the bureau's nearly 90 years of off-line credibility, making it a name to believe in, if not blindly trust. Consumers can search BBBOnLine to see if a particular merchant has received the organization's certification. In order to achieve the Reliability Seal, online businesses must have been in business for at least a year and be members of their local bureau.
The difference between BBBOnLine and other ratings services is that the companies that get the Reliability Seal must have already met certain qualifications. With straight sponsorship sites, virtually any company can pay to be listed. BBBOnLine has credibility because local bureau chapters are well situated to vouch for the legitimacy of businesses in their areas, according to Steve Salter, director of operations and administration for BBBOnLine, in Arlington, Va. Usually, local bureaus make an in-person visit to the companies that apply for membership, he says, which weeds out many of the worst types of operations.
Checking with the Better Business Bureau sooner might have saved Jehremy Foster some headaches, although in the end he did receive the camera that he had ordered from Family Photo and Video (a.k.a. Abe's of Maine). But Foster says his faith has been shaken. "I don't trust any of the online ratings systems anymore," he adds. "From now on, I'm going to either have a personal recommendation or stick with a known entity."
Lauren Gibbons Paul is a freelance writer based in Waban, Mass.
The Top Ratings and Comparison-Shopping Sites at a Glance
What it is
A service for certifying online merchants' reliability and security and for finding out about consumer complaints lodged against merchants.
How it works
Consumers can search the site for companies that have received the BBBOnLine Reliability and Privacy Seals. Consumers can also file a complaint against a vendor online.
How it makes money
Like regional BBBs, BBBOnline charges companies membership dues that range from $100 to $10,000 annually (depending on the member company's size).
What you may not know
BBBOnline doesn't yet offer complete merchant data from all its 130 member organizations, so link to the bureau's regional sites to investigate companies.
What it is
An online comparison-shopping and merchant-ratings service based on consumer-survey information.
How it works
Consumers can search for particular products in a variety of categories and see the rankings of merchants that sell the products online. In the Store Rating section, users can search for a particular store name and read detailed profiles.
How it makes money
Merchants pay BizRate.com to advertise their promotions. BizRate.com collects referral fees from merchants that get business off its site. BizRate.com also sells companies detailed market research culled from user surveys.
What you may not know
Although BizRate.com sites are ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, consumers are unlikely to find any site with a rating lower than 5. The designation "Gold Store" on BizRate.com means only that the merchant has agreed to put BizRate.com's surveys on its site.
What it is
An online news, reviews, and comparison-shopping portal.
How it works
Consumers can search CNET for product reviews and price comparisons. Consumers can also view comments from other shoppers in unmonitored message boards regarding a particular product or vendor.
How it makes money
CNET sells banner ads and also receives a referral fee from vendors when users go to their sites. All merchants in CNET Networks' price listings pay to be listed. Some merchants pay a premium for order of placement or prominence on the list.
What you may not know
CNET makes no guarantees regarding the quality of merchants that are listed on the site but aren't "CNET certified," although it will investigate complaints about any listed vendor.
What it is
An online merchant-ratings service based on expert analysis.
How it works
Users can view ratings of the top vendors for the quality of the online shopping experience in a number of categories.
How it makes money
Gomez.com receives fees when consumers purchase products from certified vendors. It also sells consulting and in-depth reports to vendors.
What you may not know
Gomez's ratings don't take into account the consumer's experience after an order has been placed. So the ratings don't reflect either order fulfillment or customer service.
What it is
A comparison-shopping service.
How it works
MySimon.com allows consumers to compare prices on items offered by online vendors. It also lists Gomez.com's ratings information for some vendors.
How it makes money
MySimon.com sells advertising to vendors.
What you may not know
MySimon.com aims to list as many merchants as possible that offer a particular product, but it lets vendors pay for preferential placement on its lists.
PowerRankings of Forrester Research Inc.
What it is
An online merchant-ratings system based on consumer-survey data and expert analysis.
How it works
Visitors can view rankings of 10 merchants in 13 categories that include apparel, toys, banks, and electronics.
How it makes money
Forrester makes no revenues associated with its PowerRankings list. The company makes money through its primary business -- market research and consulting.
What you may not know
The PowerRankings list rates no more than 10 companies in any single category.
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There was a very dry period during the winter months (463 mm of rain compared to 726 mm the previous year), but carefully planned, controlled irrigation ensured a normal growth cycle.
Low temperatures in the spring during flowering resulted in some flower abortion, and thus slightly less generous bunches of grapes. Production was reduced by 15% compared to the annual average (8.5 tons/ha vs. 10 tons/ha) but this resulted in greater concentration and remarkably well-balanced grapes.
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- Filed Under
Nearly 8,800 civilians working in the Defense Departments medical community including mental health specialists will not have to take the mandatory 11-day furlough announced today by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
According to Hagels memo announcing the departments furlough policy, more than 68,000 personnel will be exempt from furloughs, including employees responsible for protecting the safety of life and property, as well as shipyard workers, civilian mariners, school teachers and a small number who safeguard classified material.
This includes medical personnel needed to maintain quality of care in 24/7 emergency rooms and other critical care areas such as behavioral health, wounded warrior support and disability evaluation.
Furloughing these employees would result in unacceptable care being provided and the department would incur increased costs for premium pay or Tricare, Hagel wrote.
The number of medical personnel exempt in each service or command are: 1,418 in the Navy, up to 6,600 in the Army; 410 in the Air Force; 368 at Joint Task Force National Capital Region; and 5 at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Services. The exact number of mental health specialists exempt from furlough was unavailable.
Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho had lobbied to exempt mental health providers as well as those involved with disability evaluations or supporting injured or ill personnel.
The Defense Department has increased its number of mental health professionals, many of whom are civilians, from 6,590 in 2009 to more than 9,500 this year to improve service to troops and families with mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress, combat-related depression and other behavioral health concerns.
Col. Rebecca Porter, chief of Army behavioral health, told reporters in March the service worked hard to build its own corps of 4,500 mental health providers, more than half of whom are civilians.
There is a national shortage of behavioral health providers, Porter said. Weve worked several years ... to see them now looking elsewhere because they dont have the job security they thought they were going to have, and they dont know how much the organization or institution supports them in what they are trying to do. It is a morale issue.
The exemption for mental health providers appears to be a win for Horoho and the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson, who told Congress he was alarmed at the prospect of losing mental health providers.
I do have concerns that over the long term, how we sustain our robust capability to provide mental-health care to the force, and by extension, to family members or retirees that we serve, Woodson said during a hearing March 13. I worry about sustaining the workforce, particularly the most talented individuals who can go elsewhere.
Defense Department Comptroller Robert Hale said earlier this year that the services would be allowed to request certain exemptions, but he expected the number approved would be small.
We would like to see consistency and fairness, because if were going to have to jump into this pool, wed like to jump together, Hale said in an April congressional hearing.
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