text:
Promotional products are powerful tools for cultivating relationships that matter. Whether you're rewarding employees and loyal customers or reaching out to new prospects, Staples Promotional Products can help you grow your agricultural business through marketing gifts that reinforce your brand's relevance and dependability. Find the custom items you need to promote your company around the farm, in the office and out in the fields.
However, we CAN find what you're looking for.
We have thousands of high quality promotional items on our website at the lowest prices to help you stay on budget. Plus, if you can't find what you're looking for online, we have access to thousands more.
Canada Customers | Visit Staples.com | Visit Order.StaplesAdvantage.com | Staples RewardsTerms & Conditions |
Privacy policy
| Site Map | © 2018 Staples, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


text:
How much is an old railroad car worth? In the case of an abandoned coach car in Leavenworth, the answer turned out to be $1,500.
How much is an old railroad car worth? In the case of an abandoned coach car in Leavenworth, the answer turned out to be $1,500.
That's the amount offered by the winning bidder for an old Amtrak car located on city property near the Missouri River.
City officials announced in May that the train car was being put up for sale. The car came into the city government's possession when the city purchased property at 801 N. Esplanade St. in December 2010. An old grain elevator is located on that property as well as the railroad car, according to Assistant City Manager Paul Kramer.
The 85-foot car was built in 1949 by Pullman Standard. It accommodated 54 passengers and also had restrooms. It apparently was used by Amtrak at one point. It was moved to its current location by the river in the mid 1980s.
The issue of selling the railroad car was brought to the City Commission last month after a representative from a train salvage company approached city officials about acquiring the car.
Kramer said this man ultimately was not the person who purchased the car.
Two bids were submitted for the car. The winning bid was from Roger Meyer in the amount of $1,500, according to City Clerk Karen Logan.
The other bid submitted was for $687.82. The bids were opened June 13.
Kramer said Meyer apparently plans to scrap the train car.
"He's interested in the metal," Kramer said.
A condition of the sale of the railroad car is its removal from city property. Kramer said Meyer was given 90 days to remove the car.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You are currently viewing the beta version of the new AMM site.
Click here
to return to the current site.
To include more than one recipient, please separate each email address with a semi-colon
';', to a maximum of
By submitting this article to a friend we reserve the right to contact them regarding AMM subscriptions. Please ensure you have their consent before giving us their details.
Systems Alternative International,
information technology systems,
John Underwood,
Bill Beck
John Underwood sees huge opportunities for efficiency in the management of raw material inventories for recycling companies and the steel and foundry industries.
Underwood, president of Systems Alternatives International LLC (SAI), has made the Maumee, Ohio-based software firm a byword for computerized management of operations and finance for scrap companies worldwide. Now he wants to expand that customer base to include the raw materials end of the global steel industry.
When you look at steel, theyve done an unbelievably good job in recent years at getting their costs down. Theyve reduced electric consumption by 30 percent, labor costs by 80 percent, he said. What they havent done is reduced costs in handling raw materials coming in and managing inventory. Right now, scrap is 50 to 60 percent of the cost of finished steel. Most mills today have software systems that literally run the hot end. But their systems are just terrible for raw materials.
Underwood noted that ferrous scrap prices have increased about 350 percent since 1992, so deploying technology to control and manage raw material costs makes sense. Its where the money is, he said.
SAI develops and sells software and information technology systems that allow companies to automate each aspect of their raw material operations, from purchase orders to paying and posting accounts. The systems also provide additional benefits, including fraud prevention and detection; complete transaction audit trails in support of Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance; automated reapplication of shipments of some orders; and freight handling and accounting, including weight guarantees, automated chargebacks and unnoticed shipment penalties.
Automation in the steel industry will continue, Underwood said. The opportunity for interfaces and automation going forward is pretty amazing.
SAIs roots in the scrap business go back more than 30 years. Underwood, the son of a Dayton, Ohio, foundry executive, was bitten by the computer bug back in the 1970s. He worked on a team that helped the former Institute of Scrap Iron and Steel, predecessor to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, to automate its accounting system, then branched out on his own.
I thought scrap was junk, Underwood said. I visited about two dozen scrapyards and found out different.
Underwood established SAI in 1981, and the firm has catered to the information technology needs of the metals recycling sector ever since. In the beginning, SAI served a number of regional metals recycling companies. As consolidation began sweeping the industry in the 1990s, many of the firms clients also got bigger. Today, SAI serves such firms as Alter Trading Corp., David J. Joseph Co. (DJJ), Metals Management Inc., OmniSource Corp., PSC Metals Inc. and Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc.
Weve just been growing with a lot of these companies, Underwood said. Weve tended to focus on the big boys. As a result, weve started writing more sophisticated software systems. The market has really shifted in the last 10 years.
SAIs growth also has been driven by much stricter reporting requirements for public companies, which came to include such industry giants as DJJ and OmniSource.
The globalization of the nonferrous segment of the industry also has helped drive SAIs growth. Nonferrous is truly a world market, Underwood said. Companies have now opened centralized trading offices. They need to know markets across that entire enterprise.
Finally, the metals recycling industryÑonce run by individual scrap brokers on deals cemented with a handshakeÑhas caught up with modern times. Recycling executives today not only need to know where markets are in real time, but where they are going tomorrow, Underwood said.
Fifteen years ago, state-of-the-art financial reporting in the metals recycling industry involved closing the books the second week of the month and faxing the results to the chief financial officer. Today, Underwood said, SAI software does an automatic close every evening. The software can create an income statement tailored to the clients specific needs, including operating expenses, sales, freight costs and the like. For an export yard, the statement might include currency fluctuations, letters of credit and vessel loadings.
Those are the kinds of reports that the clients want, Underwood said. We want that number to be meaningful, and it has to allow the client to drill down to the details he or she needs to know. Ten years ago, the daily financial report is something the industry had not even thought of.
As part of its financial reporting software, SAI has integrated programming that allows clients to keep track of their Sarbanes-Oxley compliance requirements. Thats a big item for public companies, Underwood said. David J. Joseph has 70-some locations it keeps track of. OmniSource has 80. SAI promises clients Sarbanes-Oxley compliance features that help even the largest multinational commercial recyclers stay ahead of the financial regulatory curve. Our (Sarbanes-Oxley) software can tell clients not only what they are doing, but are they doing it right.
SAI prides itself on providing browser-based financial statements that deliver transparency and bottom-line accountability consistent with each managers level of authority.
The sophistication of the software was matched by the growing prevalence of the Internet. At the beginning of the 21st Century, SAIs software engineers discovered that most people in the metals recycling business would never touch a keyboard. We decided to take our analytical and reporting software in the direction of a Web-based browser format, Underwood said. SAI knew its clients were starting to use the Web for such information as weather, news and sports results. They werent intimidated using the Web, he said, so we took advantage of that simple fact.
SAI developers started creating software that allows clients to look at real-time data, even while traveling. The company took a calculated gamble that wireless Internet hookups would become standard at hotels across North America. Today, many of the companys clients get their data from touchscreen devices, such as smartphones and iPads.
At the same time, Underwood said, as good as we were, we only hit about 60 percent of what we really needed to offer our clients. As a result, SAI started inviting clients to participate in the design process. We didnt just develop software internally, he said. We actively solicited clients help in designing new software.
At first, clients that had been competing against each other for generations were rather wary about being in the same conference room together. But as they saw the benefits of input and feedback to software development, they became less concerned about who else was in the room. Today, if a client hears through the grapevine that we had a design session and they werent invited, they get upset and let me know about it, Underwood said. The sharing of information and ideas in this industry is totally different than it was 15 years ago.
Today, e-mail is part of the lifeblood of the metals recycling industry. Brokers check their laptops, tablets or smartphones dozens of times a day.
SAI realized several years ago that e-mail commerce was becoming more and more common in the industry, and the company designed software that could send automatic e-mails when certain levels in their accounting or operations databases were reached. Youve got scrap guys trying to monitor conditions for simple things like credit limits, Underwood said. We added a self-initiated check that triggers an automatic e-mail to selected users. An e-mail itself might contain quite a bit of summary data, but SAI made it even more relevant by inserting a link in the e-mail back to the daily trial balance.
The e-mails also are tailored to the operations side, where purchases, sales, yard operations, freight settlements, scale transactions and the like can all be monitored in real time. Say an (operations) guy wants to make sure that the average time to get a vehicle through a remote facility is working according to plan, Underwood said. The software can trigger an e-mail to him when the average time, say, has just exceeded 40 minutes. Its all about linking back to information.
All comments are subject to editorial review.
All fields are compulsory.
How will US hot-rolled coil prices fare over the summer?


text:
QUEEN CITY, Mo. – Fresh off beating the No. 2 seed and red hot KC girls, the Milan girls looked to take the second step in defending their Class 2 District 6 title as they took on the Schuyler County Lady Rams. Milan fought SC until the very end, but just couldn't put the ball in the hole enough times to win as the Lady Rams prevailed, 55-43.
With 3:15 to go in the third quarter Caley Sessions drilled a wide-open three and pulled SC even with the Ladycats at 29-29. Schuyler had been fighting to get back in the game since they fell down 7-2 to open the game. The Sessions' three changed that.
SC went on to build a 45-36 lead with just over four minutes to play, but Hannah Sanders was not going to let her team quit or her MHS career come to an end without a fight. In the next 61 seconds, Sanders personally brought Milan back to within 45-41. However, 30 seconds later fellow senior Andra Sylvester would foul out, joining Bianca Caponetto, who was already on the bench after fouling out with six minutes to play, and Milan was just too undermanned to complete the comeback.
"I thought it was a hard fought victory and in the second half we really tried to keep the pressure on them. They had a chance to pull away, but we responded and I told the girls we have to play hard for 32 minutes, not just a half," said Schuyler County head coach Thomas Kirkland.
Milan built their lead to as large as 25-16 in the second quarter. But just before halftime the Lady Rams started figuring out the Milan defense, and Milan had trouble holding on to the ball and scoring.
"We talked about where we wanted get our looks from. We started overloading and getting open looks on the backside, ball reversal was really key for us," said Kirkland.
Milan was a straight man-to-man team for the majority of the regular season, but starting with their win against KC the Ladycats used a zone defense. It worked against the Lady Eagles and led to problems for SC for almost a half, but the Lady Rams figured things out in the second half.
"Basketball games come down to a series of possessions. In the third quarter we got into a hole and we couldn't recover and were unable to get it done. They put Sessions at the high post, which was a good move and made us change what we had to do, but it came down to is that we didn't execute," said Milan head coach Jim Cox.
The possessions Cox was referring too were sandwiched around the big three by Sessions. Prior to the shot, Milan turned it over three straight trips, after the shot they went almost six minutes without scoring. Through the first four minutes of the fourth they had two points.
Sessions added 18 more points to go along with her big three ball for a total of 21.
"When I woke up this morning I was feeling good and when we all got into the locker room we were pumped and wanted payback from them beating us earlier. We knew we needed all the energy we had because we really wanted to play in the title game," said Sessions.
Sanders closed out her Milan career with a game-high 26 points.
"You coach in this game long enough you get to coach some special individuals. But as far as talent goes she is in a special class, I have had the opportunity to coach couple guys who played briefly in the NBA and some division one athletes, and she is in that special category she really is," said Cox.
This is Cox's first year as Milan's head coach. Prior to his arrival Andrea Dabney was the coach and got to see Sanders grow and help change a program.
"You don't always come across a kid who has that great of a desire to become a great basketball player. There was a significant difference in our program when she became a freshman and took over our team. She is one of the most coachable kids I have ever had, and she is so talented. It was a pleasure for me this year because I just got to sit back and watch her. She is a great kid and I look forward to watching her play next year," said Dabney, now Milan's athletic director.


text:
TORONTO — Police have arrested an Israeli man who allegedly defrauded Jewish subway commuters of sums ranging from $40 to $1,000.
Israel Aharonovitz, 63, was arrested Jan. 9 at the Glencairn subway station after police witnessed him approaching three women asking for money to help him out of a financial dilemma.
Police allege he targeted Jewish women and men by appealing to their religious convictions and telling them they would be performing "a mitzvah," or fulfilling a religious duty, by giving him the money.
"The premise he uses is the mitzvah. He preys on the religious aspect of people. He guilts them," said Det. James Turnbull of Toronto Police Service.
Turnbull said Aharonovitz would approach passengers between the Lawrence West and Eglinton West stations, start a conversation and tell them a story about a sick wife who was in need of medication. He would ask for directions to the hospital and tell them he couldn't convert his shekels or that his bank card wouldn't work in Toronto.
He told them he owned a restaurant in Israel and would treat them to a meal when they visited, and he told them any money they gave him would be a loan and would be repaid.
He would then accompany his victims to an ATM machine at their stop, where they withdrew the money, Turnbull alleged.
Aharanovitz allegedly focused on women aged 20 to 30. Toronto Police Service issued a news release last week asking for information about the alleged perpetrator. That led to "good results," Turnbull said, including four men who came forward saying they, too, had been approached by him.
Police learned the frauds generally took place between 9 a.m. and noon. "I went out at 10 to see what we can see," Turnbull said.
He soon spotted Aharanovitz and trailed him for a time on subways, seeing him approach three women, who all rebuffed him. Shortly afterward, he made the arrest.
Immigration authorities were informed. Police allege Aharonovitz was in Canada illegally, Turnbull said.
He was charged with four counts of fraud under $5,000. Police believe there may be more victims. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-1300, or to call Crimestoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477), go online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and leave a message to CRIMES (274637).


text:
Liam Neeson's nephew was hospitalized with a "serious" head injury Thursday after toppling 20 feet off a London telephone booth while out with friends.
Ronan Sexton, 31, son of the actor's sister Bernadette Sexton, was listed in critical condition at a London hospital following the 4 a.m. accident, one report said.
The accident comes five years after Neeson's wife, actress Natasha Richardson, 45, died after suffering a head injury while skiing.
Neeson recently reflected on losing his wife in a "60 Minutes" interview, saying Richardson's absence still "isn't real."
"(Her death) was never real," Neeson said. "It still kind of isn't. ... There's periods now in our New York residence when I hear the door opening, especially the first couple of years ... anytime I hear that door opening, I still think I'm going to hear her."


text:
25 June 2018
News and Views
Links and Services
Showcase Journal
Click a heading in the right-hand column to see the selected images in that subject area
Esophageal carcinoma in a patient with achalasia.
Mid-esophageal carcinoma in a patient with chronic stasis due to achalasia.
PC users: right-click on the image and choose 'Save Picture/Image As' from the popup menu.
Mac users: click and hold down over the image and choose 'Save This Image As' from the popup menu.
Play a part in the GastroHep.com community by publishing your important images in the Slide Atlas. We're looking for high quality images in gastroenterology, hepatology or endoscopy.
Email this page to a colleague
GastroHep.com is a Blackwell Publishing registered trademark
© 2018 Wiley-Blackwell and GastroHep.com and contributors
Privacy Statement
About Us


text:
State Nexus Fee may applyA state nexus fee will be applied to this item if drop shipped to the following states:
Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas. We're sorry for the inconvenience. Click here to read more about the state nexus fee.
This item description was written by Joel Hirshberg
Green Building Supplies:
Click here to order a 2oz color sample in eggshell sheen


text:
Beth Henderson and the crew at Anytime Fitness have brought a fitness rebellion to St. James, personified by the man behind the revolution Joshua Cox.
Cox is from Santa Rosa, California and has been working with Anytime fitness to bring the fitness rebellion to as many cities as possible. St. James is one of only two cities outside Northern California to have the program.
Beth Henderson and the crew at Anytime Fitness have brought a fitness rebellion to St. James, personified by the man behind the revolution Joshua Cox.
Cox is from Santa Rosa, California and has been working with Anytime fitness to bring the fitness rebellion to as many cities as possible. St. James is one of only two cities outside Northern California to have the program.
The program reaches people through the heart and soul, rather than through pills or diet. The first class was lead by Cox at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday night.
"I like his approach because so many people have such a bad image of themselves, they don't even want to step into the gym," said Henderson. "Everyone's goal will be different, but it's just about feeling good."
The program is a mixture of Henderson and Cox's fitness regiment and there are 12 women and one gentleman taking part in the rebellion so far.
Cox developed the fitness rebellion program after dealing with his own struggles in weight loss and bullying.
Cox explained he was an overweight kid growing up and quickly developed an eating disorder. He would eat a lot, then throw up. He had it in his mind that the food was making him fat, so not having the food in his system would make him skinnier. It had the opposite effect and Cox continued gaining weight.
It wasn't long before he began hurting himself, cutting the inside of his legs and falling deeper into depression. He didn't have anywhere to turn and felt as though it was his own burden to bear. His depression hit its peak when he moved from middle school to high school.
"I was excited to go into high school. I thought it would be a new beginning. I got a new shirt, it had the a picture of the Pep Boys on it and said 'Pimp Boys,' in hindsight I can see why I was getting picked on," Cox laughs. "But, I was walking into the quad on campus with my new shirt feeling cool and the first thing anyone says to me is 'Nice shirt fat boy!'"
His walk home after school was on a path through a wooded area. There was a way around the area, but Cox explained he was so overweight it was a struggle for him to get home, and the added distance was not something he was willing to take on to avoid the path through the woods.
Every day after school he would walk home through the woods and about six kids would yell at him from a distance – try to get a rise out of him. At first, Cox gave in, yelling back, but eventually he learned to ignore them.
No longer getting the satisfaction of watching Cox react to them, the group devised a plan to catch Cox. As he walked home that day through the woods, the group intercepted him and duct taped him to some bleachers. They then tore his shirt down the middle and began jabbing him with insults.
"They said, can't ignore us now, can you fat boy," said Cox.
When they were done with him, they left him hanging there. Cox was duct-taped to the bleachers for a little over an hour before a homeless man let him down from the bleachers.
"I felt anger, hurt, frustration – then I sort of had this moment, and I realized this was the only time I was hurt that I hadn't inflicted on myself," said Cox.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed and couldn't bring himself to tell anyone. He came to a turning point where he felt he only had two options: to submit to the pain or to rise from the ashes.
"That was the day I said to myself, this is never happening to me again," said Cox.
Cox's family grew up wanting for many things, and he heard "no" a lot from his mom. He was surprised that when he asked her to sign him up for a gym membership she immediately said yes.
"She said yes right away to this one," said Cox. "I didn't tell her what had happened, and she never asked – but she knew, you know? Moms always know."
During his time in high school, Cox lost 90 lbs and grew seven inches. It was hard work, and still is hard work to this day. Cox explains he wasn't gifted with great genetics, so he has had to fight for every pound. During his time in high school, he stopped hurting himself and overcame his eating disorder. It took the full three years for him to lose the 90 lbs and following high school he wasn't sure what to do.
"I got into body building for awhile, three or four years," said Cox. "I joined a steroid free league, they had us pee in a cup before every competition. I wasn't about to hurt myself again, like I had before. But, I knew even then, that wasn't what I wanted."
Cox's goal was more than just looking good. He found he got the most enjoyment when he started helping people help themselves. Having gone through the struggle on his own, he knew how difficult it was. He wanted to be the supporting crutch for people who were struggling.
"You don't have to have your own story, like mine, to know pain," said Cox. "Everyone has a story – everyone has experienced hurt."
Cox started training a small group of five, not as a weight loss challenge, but as a transformation challenge. He was known affectionately as The Hulk, and he embraced the name. Hulk represents what you do when you get stuck between a rock and a hard place. We all get stuck, but hulk smashes his way out.
The program isn't about Cox or his struggle, he explains he is just an ambassador of the people – lost in a sea of awesome people doing awesome things. Through positive reinforcement, the group changes their outlook on life. They come together and work through their dark days. It is different than a regular workout program because the program focuses on the strongest muscles first, and works to weaker muscles. It's not about bulking up, or trimming down, but being comfortable with who you are, where your going and living every day without a negative self-image.
Cox finished his story with a fire in his eye. Saying, "nobody knows I'm coming but me."


text:
The American Cancer Society looks forward to Butler County's support March 18 through 24 for the annual Daffodil Days program. Information on helping with the selling of daffodils at workplaces, worship sites or organizations is available from Joshua S. Walker at 412-919-1121.
On Oct. 14, the Cancer Society and Butler Daffodil Days Committee held the seventh annual Longaberger Basket and Vera Bradley bingo raising more than $7,280 ($2,000 more than in any other year).
Its success was made possible largely by those who attended the bingo and the many volunteers who gave their time.
In becoming a Cancer Society volunteer, I learned that cancer will affect the lives of one in every two men and one in every three women at some point in their lives and is a top health concern for all Americans.
Donations received through the Daffodil Days program enable the society to offer free programs and services that help people fight cancer with courage and optimism, while providing physical and emotional assistance and financial information to ease their cancer journey.
Additionally, contributions provide the society with much-needed dollars to help fund cancer research, educate people about the importance of cancer prevention and early detection, and advocate for meaningful public health policies that benefit the community.


text:
I believe that is a CP angle detent.
I believe that is a CP angle detent.
hill is correct, CP detent.
Beautiful! Inspires me to get off my ass and finish some projects.
W O W Very well done sir
Really nice! I just would like to see how you placed the MPA-3 actuator on the frame. Can you show us some pics of it as well?
Are there any plans for eyes? Maybe the hidden kind?
Naw no eyes. I like it it lvl x.,
It really did turn out nice. Now you need to get some yellow or beige macro line for it to finish the look.
Except for the Automag in front, its usually the man behind the equipment that counts.
That's right up there with the Aurora Karta from a while back. Very nice work.
That being said, there goes MotM for a while....
I am looking for yellow macro line,
Man, I love that aurora Karta, so nice with the dust black accents.
When do we get to see a shooting video ?
soon, im a noob whe nit comes to making and posting vids, but ill do my bestest
Mail that gat to me and I'll post some videosOriginally Posted by tbaggin
Theres not much thats been done in the past few years mag-wise that have made me even look twice... But, I'll admit. This thing looks pretty damn good.
Good job, to all involved.
I thought this thread needed a bump for those who havent seen it...and we still need some video or did I miss that somewhere ?
To leave feedback: Click seller/buyers name, Click feedback score, Click leave feedback
no vid yet Fail I know. although now that the AZ heat is finally lowering, I can pull her out of the safe and start playing again. I will post a video, sooner than later I hope.
Send it to me, we're sailing past the 70s and into the 60s pretty quick. paintball season is almost over but I'll squeeze in a game with it if you needOriginally Posted by tbaggin
why do I think that cant be an exaggerationOriginally Posted by tbaggin
Oh its not, lol. she sits in my fireproof safe next to the real arms of fire .
over? that sucks, mine is just starting for the next 8 months.
dont know how i missed this.
AMAZING setup


text:
"Ranchers will find ways to increase the profitability of their businesses at one of four Ranching for Profit workshops set for March 20-23, 2013. Dave Pratt of Ranch Management Consultants, will conduct the workshops," said Tim Christian, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC) state coordinator.
"Ranchers will find ways to increase the profitability of their businesses at one of four Ranching for Profit workshops set for March 20-23, 2013. Dave Pratt of Ranch Management Consultants, will conduct the workshops," said Tim Christian, Kansas Grazing Lands Coalition (KGLC) state coordinator.
"The workshops focus on applying business, economic and financial principles to ranches. According to Pratt, knowing how to raise livestock isn't the same thing as knowing how to run a business that raises livestock," continued Christian.
Pratt will discuss why working in your business is different from working on your business. He will explain the three "secrets" for increasing profit and share proven profitability benchmarks participants can use to identify "deadwood" and pinpoint "profit drivers" in their ranches.
"Input costs have increased five times faster than cattle prices. Land values have risen even faster," Pratt said, who teaches the internationally-acclaimed Ranching for Profit School. "Many ranches who use practices that were profitable just 20 years ago lose money in today's environment," he added. "Most farms and ranches are structured to fail and survive only through internal subsidies like inherited wealth, appreciating land values and off-farm income. In contrast, many Ranching for Profit alumni earn a healthy profit without these personal subsidies," Pratt continued.
"A sustainable business must earn a profit, and a ranch that doesn't produce a profit and that doesn't pay a decent wage to all employees (including family members) is a hobby, not a business," he said.
Most ranches are very expensive hobbies subsidized with free family labor and off-farm income. He and his company help clients transform their ranches into profitable businesses. Pratt says he doesn't have a one-size-fits-all recipe for success but can offer insights and practical tools developed and refined by the experiences of thousands of Ranching for Profit School alumni all over the world.
The workshops run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day and will be held:
Pratt - Wednesday, March 20
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism
512 SE 25th Ave.
Hays - Thursday, March 21
Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill
3203 Vine St.
Salina - Friday, March 22
Courtyard by Marriott
3020 Riffel Drive
Topeka - Saturday, March 23
Ramada Convention Center
420 SE 6th St.
Financial underwriters for these workshops include; Bennington State Bank, Farm Credit Associations of Kansas -- both Platinum-Level sponsors; The Nature Conservancy of Kansas -- Silver-Level sponsor; Stockgrowers State Bank - Ashland and Meade, Kansas Section of the Society for Range Management, and US Fish and Wildlife Service Partners Program - all sponsors; and the Kansas Rural Center - supporter. Without the generous support of these businesses, organizations and agencies, the KGLC would be unable to bring this critical financial education to Kansas ranchers and land managers, said Christian.
The cost for participants who RSVP by March 13 is $40 per person. The cost is $50 for those who wait and register at the door. For those who have attended a KGLC Range School (from 2007-2012) a $10 discount is available. To register, contact Christian at 620-241-3636, email to firstname.lastname@example.com, or go to www.kglc.org and find Special Events in the navigation bar, find RFP and download registration forms. For more information on the Ranching for Profit program, or KGLC, see the web site.


text:
Does anyone have any concrete information about which goggles protect you for UV light?
I have dark mirror lense JT goggles and after about 8 hours on the field, my eyes are red and ichy, and my face feels like it's getting burned right through my mask. (I keep my mask on all day.)
The web says you can get cataracts in old age from this - or eye cancer.


text:
FARMVILLE, Va. – Junior right-hander Marcus Stroman and freshman lefty Trent Swart combined for six shutout innings, leading Duke to a 9-2 win over Longwood on Sunday afternoon at Bolding Stadium.
Stroman (5-4) held Longwood to one hit in three scoreless frames, striking out seven of the 10 batters that he faced without issuing a walk.
Stroman ran his NCAA-leading strikeout total to 119. Stroman now has 119 strikeouts in 84 innings, good for a 12.75 strikeouts per nine innings rate.
Stroman's 273 career strikeouts put him at sixth on Duke's all-time strikeouts list.
Swart limited Longwood to just two hits in his three shutout frames, striking out three batters on the day. Robert Huber pitched the final three innings, holding the Lancers to two runs on four hits, to earn his first career save. Huber had a pair of strikeouts and no walks in his relief appearance.
Duke (17-29) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Right fielder Grant McCabe led off the game with an infield single. After center fielder Will Piwnica-Worms drew a one-out walk, catcher Mike Rosenfeld lined an RBI-single to left center to bring in McCabe.
Rosenfeld singled to begin the fourth and later scored on a wild pitch to put the Blue Devils up 2-0.
Duke scored four runs with two outs in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. Piwnica-Worms got the inning going with a two-run homer to left. It was the sixth long ball of the year for Piwnica-Worms and the 17th of his career. Rosenfeld followed with a double to right center. Third baseman Jordan Betts then connected with a 0-1 pitch and sent a two-run jack over the wall in right. It was the fourth homer of the season for Betts and the fifth of his career.
The Blue Devils added three runs in the eighth to push their lead to 9-0. Designated hitter David Perkins and second baseman Mark Lumpa both singled to begin the inning. After shortstop Angelo La Bruna moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt, McCabe drove Perkins in with an RBI-single through the left side. Left fielder Andrew Istler then lined an RBI-single to right center to plate Lumpa. Following a walk to Piwnica-Worms, Rosenfeld lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score McCabe.
Longwood (22-19) finally got on the board in the bottom half of the eighth, scoring on a two-run double by left fielder Robby Newman.
Rosenfeld finished 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored to pace the Blue Devils offensively. La Bruna went 3-for-3, McCabe was 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs and Betts finished 2-for-5 with a two-run homer. Piwnica-Worms also had a two-run home run, while Istler had a hit and an RBI and Perkins and Lumpa both added a hit and a run.
Longwood starter Kyler Morgan (5-5) took the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in five innings of work.
Duke and Coppin State will play a doubleheader on Tuesday at Jack Coombs Field beginning at 1 p.m. The Blue Devils will then travel to UNC Greensboro on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. game. Duke will then host rival North Carolina in its final home series of the year next weekend at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.


text:
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
More on Rate MDs
Well, that's scary----opening up the credentialing process to last week's disgruntled drug seeker or patients of this ilk. Heck, why not just invite 'em to attend the credentials committee? By any reasonable standard the evidentiary quality of sites like this is somewhere below garbage in this blogger's opinion.
41 comments:
My assumption is that you are a Medical Doctor. I am not, call me a consumer. If one needs the help of an unknown medical doctor it would be nice to have a way of establishing some credentials but there is nothing. The website appearing is a start. It can, of course, be srutinized by the Medical Doctors themselves and if there is something not right it will be removed. A quick glance shows that the majority gets very good ratings so that is a plus.
The item you refer to about someone nearly killing a doctor, has in my humble opinion, no connection to the website ratemds.com. Sadly enough anyone who deals with the public is open to abuse, whether it be the gas station attendant or the medical profession.
- R. W. Donnell said...
Thanks for your comment. My understanding of the way the web site is set up is that doctors have no way to get objectionable material removed. Moreover there's no way to verify stuff for accuracy.
I have no objection to people exercising free speech. But protected speech does not equal acceptable data quality, and it concerns me that an expert on medical staff credentialing predicts that such material will be used in the credentialing process.
When you get right down to it some of the comments on Rate MDs are no doubt true, others false and many represent half truths and distorted patient perceptions, while NONE are verifiable. That said, from a data quality perspective it remains my considered opinion that the level of evidence represented there is somewhere below *garbage*.
I had emergency surgery earlier this year, the surgeon was someone I'd never met before and he had no recent medical history on me because I hadn't seen a doctor for over 10 years. I was, and am, very grateful for his expert care, and when I read not long ago about ratedoctors, I went to the site and rated him at the highest level. In addition to thanking him personally, and paying my bills promptly, this was a way of publicly acknowledging my gratitude to him. However, I do know there are people who will take any opportunity to badmouth anyone, which is too bad.
- Mother Jones RN said...
It sounds like a good idea until you start thinking about the personal vendettas that could play out on the web site.
- Rita Schwab - MSSPNexus said...
Dr. Donnell,
I agree with much of what you say about sites like RateMDs. The potential for abuse and unfair attack is considerable.
A colleague of mine found a rather offensive comment about a physician that she knew. It appeared to her that a fellow physician who was angry about perceived mistreatment was the one who had submitted it. She contacted RateMDs and asked for a review and the comment was removed within 24 hours.
As you noted, I made the statement that a check of sites like these will no doubt begin to be part of a routine credentialing process, and I believe that is happening. That does not mean that every word is being taken at face value.
Credentialers request numerous references, and often perform a general internet search on a physician's name to see what appears. They, and the medical staff leadership that review credentials applications "consider the source" of all those items.
I advise everyone to perform the occasional internet search on their names - it can be surprising what pops up.
Rita Schwab, CPCS, CPMSM
- always learning said...
I think the idea of rating a physician on bedside manner is a good one, but the ratemds.com system can be easily taken advantage of. In an ideal world, it would be better to know what other physicians think of your potential physician, and not what Joe Schmoe thinks - because while Dr. X while may have wonderful bedside manner, it doesn't help if he's medically not up to par.
- lohidoc said...
We should not be surprised but then we always are. Word of mouth goes global! Just a few thoughts from an Ontario OB/GYN:
1. Rate MDs ( and the inevitable copy cat sites that will come)are here to stay and will no doubt become popular, especially with the mainstream media picking it up. Like it or not, we will have to live with it.
2. Checking the Canadian part of the site many or most of the comments are favourable! I am not rated myself just yet but am tempted to write a few reviews just to get a head start on my colleagues. Also the guy that took my parking space last week may get an entry. Seriously, I wonder if we are overreacting a little.
3. No other profession I can think of is subjected to this kind of process. Rate my lawyer/hairdresser/mechanic? As physicians we are already subject to various forms of scrutiny, from medical audit committees, credentialling committees, professional bodies, and of course the legal profession. Furthermore patients who have a complaint about a physician already have recourse to lodge complaints with our own professional bodies, to the institutions we work in and of course through the legal system. The system is by no means perfect but no other profession has these processes in place (try making a complaint about a lawyer!)
4. Only comparison I can think of is the ebay feedback system where each transaction gets a response from both buyer and seller and a dispute resolution process is in place to resolve conflicts.
5. Biggest problem I have with this site is that it is anonymous, nothing is verifiable and there is no right of response. There may be a potential usefulness to a site like this, but at the very least the posts cannot be anonymous; some accountability for what is posted in public is needed, and a user name and email address would go some way toward reducing misuse.
6. We have thousands of patient/doctor interactions in a year. No matter how good a physician is, no matter how hard he/she may try not all of these encounters will be positive ones. Whoever looks at these ratings should be aware of this. I would urge rateMDs to include some type of introduction that explains the realities of medical practice to the layperson.By the way, I cannot imagine that a credentialling committee would consider rateMDs information as it stands. Anonymous and unverifiable, no right of response?
7. Going back to points 1 and 2 we will have to live with this. As comfort, in every survey that I know of physicians are the most trusted and respected of the professionals. If you do your best for your patients perhaps we should have confidence in how our patients judge us. Perhaps we should use sites like rateMDs for our own benefit (as in "if you like our service tell rateMDs;if you do not like it tell us". Put a terminal in your waiting room? It could happen!
Doctors usually have the luxury of knowing who is the *best* of the field when they or their families need help. Often, there is also collegiality in referrals- a quid pro quo- that occurs, which does not help the consumer/patient at all. I think rating sites are excellent and would never go on the site and give malicious information. What MD's should be afraid of is a site where nurses rate them. They are in a position to know.
The idea that doctors have the opportunity to respond directly to negative posts or clarify a situation is a joke. Remember HIPAA? Anonymous patients can say whatever they want about the encounter, but doctors cannot legally say anything specific without breaking confidentiality.
I will say up front that I'm a dis-satisfied consumer of the health industry. As more and more industries have to put up with "consumer ratings" (everyone can have their say about any product on Amazon.com) the health industry will have to respond to what consumers want - more information about doctors. If they don't respond pro-actively, then the internet will do it for them, and they probably won't like the results.
Consider this article
which talks about finding a doctor. It mentions a web site
I don't know how long this web site has been up, but it's basically useless. I'm in the market for a new Primary Care Physician - and it's really hard to find a new doctor, I think. If you can find one that's taking new patients, then you have to pay for a physical or an appointment. Just as important to me as scientific training are people skills. And my last doctor may have been very good at his trade, but he
was typically indifferent, in a hurry, and came pretty close to being rude in my opinion. And I have spoken to others who share that opinion. The medical profession has a problem - and I hope the younger generation of doctors can see that. There's hope I think because I've heard that medical schools are now teaching bedside manners. That's nice, since every job I've ever had, making much less money than a doctor, required me to be polite to my customers. If you don't want to deal with people, work in a lab.
The problem with Rate MDs is that doctors can submit glowing ratings themselves (friends, family) and boost a low opinion. This doesn't help the public.
The site is questionable in that regard.
I wondering if it isn't some sort of "scheme" whereby to launder doctors who have committed crimes. There are a lot of those.
I was a health care provider and was married to a M.D. for years. I can tell you that Medicine has changed for the worse in the last 20 years. Also, I know firsthand that there are bad Doctors as well as those who are arrogant and do not really care what happens to their patients. So Physicians, clean your own house so no one else had to try to do it for you!
blogger604 said...
That people may express their opinions about their doctors is the most welcome: we live in a free speech society. There is one for college professors, and one does not start to be paranoid.
I don't think this site should be part of the credentialling process. That said, I think it provides a valuable service to patients looking for new doctors.
I have 4 MDs and one in training in my family. I am familiar with the over-inflated opinions that doctors have of themselves. So, I'm sure that most doctors will find this type of site threatening to their self-image.
Customer service is very much part of the medical process. Most doctors don't want to hear that, but it is true. You can be board certified in 15 specialties, but if you routinely keep people waiting forever, don't communicate well and are rude to them, it is not a positive experience for the patients, and it can have medical consequences in terms of compliance, follow-up, etc.
This site can help provide that kind of information, saving the patient and the insurance companies time and money.
Oh, and there are equivalent sites for other professions (teachers and college professors come to mind), so please don't feel so put-upon.
- Dr. Antonio Rambaldi said...
The site
rates Star Trek doctors.
- Jales said...
As someone who HATES doctors for the most part, due to attitudes mostly, I love the site. I left a bad review for a doctor that, while acknowledging the fact that she was competent, had no bedside manner and was rude even beyond what I expect of doctors (which is pretty darn rude). Then I turned and left a glowing review of a doctor who is not only competent, but to let others know, in spite of his gruff exterior is extremely caring of his patients. I want that doctor rewarded with MORE patients, and I want other patients to have THAT doctor.
I see the potential for abuse, but any intelligent person will look at ALL the reviews and can easily figure out who's a jerk looking to cause trouble and who's actually complaining about substandard service. I hope the doctors look at it and understand that there are some things that they need work on. I think it can be beneficial, but I don't think it should be used for credentials. To me rateMDs is great for word of mouth type advertising.
As far as asking your MD who he'd use...how one treats a colleague or his/her family is sometimes much different than how they'd treat Joe Schmoe.
Currently, the only way I can find a doctor is to look at my health plan and ask some friends. I think Rate MDs just expands the number of "friends" I can consult with. I look at all of the comments and determine whether to make an appointment based on several factors. I have found, the majority of the time, the comments to be fair and balanced. When I was "stuck" with a particular provider because he/she was in my plan--and the comments on Rate MDs were negative--I found out just how accurate a lot of those comments were and wished I'd stayed home. The point is that there is good and bad with any rating system, but maybe if more information was readily available, consumers could rely on a variety of sources and make better, more informed decisions. I can tell you more about the car I want to buy than I can about the person doing my surgery--and that's just wrong. Instead of bashing sites like Rate MDs, why not develop alternative sites for consumers to visit?
I couldn't stomach being able to read all of the comments. I am sorry for the dr. that feels "consumers" may mistreat dr.'s on the RateMd's website. However, Dr's for years have had the privilege of slandering patients due to a personality clash or for whatever they perceive about a person and to put it in a patients medical file of which the patient usually has no right to read, doesn't know how to go about requesting their records and who do NOT have the (same) right to have something wrong, untrue or just plain nasty removed from their record! Unlike RateMd's, from what I was able to read, dr.'s have the right to have certain comments removed, unlike patients whose medical records follow them from one dr to an other and who have NO right to have things removed! and talk about taking it where it comes from? consider the source? yes, dr.'s can always say well, that person just wanted drugs and i refused to give them and that's why he/she said such and such. and medical people will be like, oh yes you're so right! but what does a dr.'s nasty, mean and slanderous words do to a patient? a huge amount of harm! because other dr.'s do consider the source! most of all from an other dr. and what? dr.'s never lie? they never mistreat a patient? dr.'s too distort truths and tell half truths. most of all when it comes to doing no harm to themselves first and foremost above and beyond treating a patient and going the extra mile to help! i have a friend who had a dr. treat her very badly one year and she cried and cried. he wrote some real harmful things about her on a personal level in her file! he tore her up! 12 years later she went back, unknowingly, to the same dr. this time he adored her, wrote kind and considerate things in her new file, thank goodness it had been so long that her old file was not available. she came over that night shaking, crying and wondering if he recognized her from years before. couldn't sleep and then she found out that he had wrote pleasantries about her this time around. gee, maybe he was just in a plain rotten mood the first time he saw her? because i have known her all my life and i cannot think of one reason why anyone, most of all a dr., would say or write anything nasty about my friend. she confronted him at her next visit and he said he was sorry and that we all make mistakes!?! his mistake caused my friend to suffer with a stomach ulcer for over ten years before she could trust a dr. again! so, you are worried about the "boys club"? you guys have always managed to survive and i am sorry that it may be coming to a point where patients have the right to be heard when they feel that they have been abused and that patients will be SILENT NO LONGER! like someone else said, i am sure the people who give credentials to dr.'s will afford dr.'s with the common sense of "take it where it comes from" i think you underestimate the credential people to be able to make those distinctions! i think you are just upset that patients at last have a voice and that you are afraid they will be heard! how seriously could a place that sets credentials for dr.'s take "off the cuff" comments from anonymous people ... when the State Board of Licensure would be the appropriate place to look for actual maltreatments of patients? ratemds allows average people who do not have the time, energy, strength, stamina or yes even intelligence to go to the board to be able to vent rather the venting are truths or half truths. i have found in my life that people normally do NOT go out of their way to make things up and to slam dr.'s or to do it just for the "fun" of it. i do think you are afraid, and it's silly, i am sure you are still all powerful. you just want to blame (natural human behavior on) people who may have actual chronic pain and yes have had or do have a drug use history for making defiant complaints against a group or industry that has gone without being questioned for generations... for risking the idea that dr.'s may be denied credentials. i think you are afraid that your demigod like ego may be at risk. i am sorry if you disagree with me and if i myself sound defiant. i dated a dr. for years and one reason i left him was because i couldn't stand how he would talk about his patients. dr.'s are people too and not beyond being human. also, i see a dr. who i adore w/all my heart and he likes me as a person too. yet, someone i met about a year ago said my dr. treated him horribly and my friend doesn't like him. see? it is all about perception. so, why so worried?
- CarpeDM70 said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
so you don't like being rated? after all those years in medical school, a bad opinion, and often fairly just gets to you? Grow a thick skin loser. Seriously, you sound like a whiny little child. There are thousands if not millions of people with bad experience from those from various sectors of the health industry. No they are not "disgruntled drug addicts" as you say. they are people who have been done wrong by, and they want to speak up about it because the words should be OUT about such "doctors". You've listed off the category's of unfair appraisals from certain sectors of society. What about those people who have had genuinely bad experiences? No we're not being asked to be put on any stupid committee. At the end of the day, rightly so, the public decides whether your ass should be taking care of us or not. If we don't like it we walk and put you out of employment. Those who don't have any position to walk away so easily, can have some form of a voice in this website.
- R. W. Donnell said...
Anonymous 9:36 pm----
I think your comment is misdirected. I haven't been rated.
I think the quality of the site speaks for itself.
I DO agree with you that patients can (to an extent) and should vote with their feet. That's what I like about the free market system.
My comment isn't misdirect. I do not base that opinion on whether or not you've been 'rated'. I based it on your response to the site, it's purpose and those it's directed at. The patients, the audience, the most "point" of your work at the end of the day. I think the way you judged those who do rate was "slightly skewed" to say the least. There are genuine people out there who have bad experiences and who want some kind of, any form of voice that the website gives them. Those that fall under this category deserve an a distinction apart from and an acknowledgement that all patients do not fall under what you classed the respondents as "disgruntled drug addicts". It illustrates my point about the ignorance from the medical community: Those patients who have been done wrong by do not deserve such premature judgement nor such far reaching statements that to me essentially mean "what's next, these nuts are going to be on the medical committe". Keep your pants on, no one's going on any comittee. It's an internet sight to patients what you already promised them in your oath: a voice. That's it, the rest - we decide.
- R. W. Donnell said...
The reason I thought your comment was misdirected was that you opened with "so you don't like being rated?" and my post had nothing to do with me being rated.
My criticism of the site is its overall evidentiary quality and nothing about individual commenters. The low evidentiary quality, in fact, has little to do with the commenters themselves, many of whom are offering legitimate complaints. Rather, it is that the commenters are immune from responsibility for what they say because they are anonymous. As a result no allegations can be verified by direct evidence.
If such a site is to be used in credentialing the commenters should have to give their names.
"The reason I thought your comment was misdirected was that you opened with "so you don't like being rated?" and my post had nothing to do with me being rated."
To me, with the tone of your original post that seemed to be half of what you were sensitive about – you and your colleagues being rated - that's the way I read it. It also wasn't meant for just you, it was directed at the medical community in general.
"My criticism of the site is its overall evidentiary quality and nothing about individual commenters. "
I can't half tell that in between the breaths of "last week's disgruntled drug seeker or patients of this ilk." Sorry but I replied to what you wrote, not what you clarified your focus is in your later posts.
"The low evidentiary quality, in fact, has little to do with the commenters themselves, many of whom are offering legitimate complaints."
The somewhat changed tone about it all acknowledging important things about patients and their experiences and showing compassion for them - I didn't really draw that from the original post as below.
"where anyone can anonymously say just about anything about a physician." "Well, that's scary----opening up the credentialing process to last week's disgruntled drug seeker or patients of this ilk. Heck, why not just invite 'em to attend the credentials committee?"
as opposed to the later comments made:
"Rather, it is that the commenters are immune from responsibility for what they say because they are anonymous. As a result no allegations can be verified by direct evidence.
If such a site is to be used in credentialing the commenters should have to give their names."
The only form of "credentially" that as I understand can occur from that site, is what people decide within themselves, amongst themselves, already anyway: form opinions. If doctor's were to be seriously taken up on some misdoing, by the appropriate board or legally, then it's part of the complaint process to give your name, that's fair enough. On such a website on the internet it's fair game. It's just an opinion that really can't go anywhere at the end of the day. So whether you provide a name or not, to me, does not make a huge amount of difference. No one's joining any committee, I can't even laugh at that, it's too much of a sad over done comment type reaction for a site that like many other simple things in life, has it's purpose and it's down sides. If you didn't underestimate you're audience as much as your previous statements have, you'll see the majority of us can put it into perspective and no decent quack will be out of a job as a result of an odd comment or two.
At the end of the day anyone's reputation and career is not in a person's hands or a committee's, it's all decided by God.
I personally love the website and have used it to post honest opinions about doctors I have encountered. I have given great ratings to doctors I have used who have deserved it, and some terrible ratings to doctors who were also deserving. Every rating I have given has been followed by a clear explanation as to why the doctor received that particular rating. I believe as long as you read each rating's comments an take in to account the statements made by the reviewer that the information can be very beneficial. I know there will always be a few crazy people who will use this site to vent about unimportant issues; however you can not disregard the site because there are unintelligent people who use it. That issue encompasses everything in life.
I am glad this site exists there are not many other ways to get others opinions on a doctor. I beleive people should always take in to account the comments made with the rating and determine whether there is substantial information provided by the reviewer to support their opinion.
I hope this site continues and more people leave objective reviews about the medical care they receive. Information is knowledge.
In NC, our physicians are policed by the NC Medical Board which is composed primarily of physicians. The Board maintains a website that supposedly lists doctors who have been in trouble with the board. Unfortunately, if a physician is turned into the board and completes the course of action that they suggest to correct their "problem", their names are never put on the website. I know a physican who was turned into the board for "disruptive behavior" several times. He did what the board told him and was not put on the website. He is dangerous. I looked on RateMD and he had one negative comment and several very positive comments. Nowhere is the information that he was fired from his practice after being suspended, that he was turned into the medical board, nor that he failed to fill out required paperwork or charts for two years. He damaged people's lives. I know of one patient who couldn't get the medical help she needed from other physicians because he "lost" her chart. He wasn't supposed to take it out of the office (another reason he was fired.) There are a lot of very good physicians out there, but they need to police themselves properly. I finally decided to do the right thing and put the information on RateMDs that he was fired; something not many people know. I believe that the practice was so concerned about getting sued by his patients that they agreed to keep it quiet so there is a good chance that this information can't or won't be confirmed by the practice, another example of physicians covering for each other. This physician has the ability to get the information taken off the website. The patients that he has hurt and will hurt in the future don't have the opportunity to get their health back.
- blogger0918 said...
All I know is several comments/ratings are removed for no other reason than they are negative. What good is it if people cannot get uncensored information when looking for good and decent care. The sight is unreliable.
if a patient feels so strongly about his/her care then maybe that person should report that doctor to the licensing board and not hide behide this website being anonymous. If you have a legitimate complaint then you should have no trouble giving your name especially if the comment boarders on being slander.
The only people that the webmasters want there are doctor haters/bashers
I am a mother of a exceptional daughter who can be accessed from anywhere in the world, potentially having her life ruined. Permission from the family was never granted. How much is that presumption going to cost universal health care? I would like to know why humanity thinks that mothers will not do the worst for humanity if it insists on doing the worst for an only child, made defenceless by the internet, who may be the breadwinner.
Nothing is perfect, but i think that rate md is a good service. Sure, a disgruntled patient can trash an otherwise good doctor, but a bad doctor can inflate his own ratings. I try to avoid doctors in general, but recently saw a gastroenterologist who later did my colonoscopy. Not something that I wanted to do, but..... This doctor was super smart, well-respected by her peers and has published a lot of journal articles; she also teaches at the local med school. But way beyond all of that, she is the nicest and most caring doctor that I have ever met. She immediately sensed that I was reluctant to do the colonoscopy and took a lot of time to reassure me that she would make it as easy as possible. This doctor even called me at home the day before the test to reassure me...The test was easy and I'm really glad that I had her as my doctor; too many of the GI doctors who do colonoscopy rush the exam and miss cancers. At my follow-up visit with her, I admitted that I didn't have a family doctor and she gave me a list of several. But before I left, she asked if I wanted her to do a brief physical exam and she did a great one. If it's possible for a doctor to be both great and humble at the same time, she is. And I can share this on rate mds.
Rate MD's has become a gorilla. I am a retired doctor who, three years after my retirement I am still trying to get one scandalous review off of RateMDs.com. I wrote to they 3 times requesting they remove my profile, for I AM RETIRED and the review is posted high up on my Google search page. They ignored all of my requests, and now my reputation is to some degree in the hands of a crazy person who is cyberstalking me and trying to damage my good name. Yes, the inmates are FINALLY running the asylum.
- CarpeDM70 said...
First of all I want to say that doctors have been "rating" patients for decades.
Doctors write down whatever they wish in a patients file and the doctors notes are also very "one sided".
Patients have NO rights to have slanderous, entirely wrong information or anything else "removed" from their medical file/medical history" Patients can only amend their files after dealing with a lot of phone calls and written request.
Doctors are able to blacklist and blackball patients. Doctors are human too and can indeed cause harm to patients. And when they do the consumer/patient should have the right to know how particular doctors treat patients. Even if they were harmful to one patient.
I strongly believe this could all be abated via much better communication.
Before a doctor writes something negative in a patient file the doctor should approach the patient and try to resolve the issue at hand. Also, to make certain medical information is correct at the end of the office visit, take five minutes and go over what was said together to make sure the doctors notes are correct. I strongly believe this could help resolves issues before they become a problem.
Because we live in a global community all of us need to pay extra attention with how we treat others. Doctors, it seems, have been brought down a peg or two.
When I see doctors complain about rating sites I have to laugh a little because now their behavior is under scrutiny like patients have been for years.
I understand there is this committee and that but please, they are not going to give the consumer at large an unbiased review. True, a patient that feels or has been wronged could be described as biased but that's what it comes down to in the first place. Everyone being able to share their experiences good or bad.
Never before have patients been able to share their experiences with others in such a powerful way and in my humble opinion it's about time.
It is what it is and now doctors must work even harder than before to manage their reputation through means such as the internet.
Fight back with optimized Facebook pages, Linkdin, Branchout, Myspace and Google+1 and so forth.
It's necessary to able to write an anonymous review because a doctor could very well use the patients review against the patient in a harmful manner. Patients should be able to share their painful (or good) experiences without fear of repercussions. (IMHO)
Thank you for having chosen to be a doctor and for having helped people. I am certain for the one patient that left a negative review there are hundreds you have helped.
Remember, people don't share good things in life nearly as much as bad and most everyone knows that to be the case.
- Unknown said...
I have visited the site under discussion. I am a retired respiratory therapist
I have rated two doctors with whom I was quite pleased.
I then got curious and just started browsing familiar names of doctors I had worked with in various hospitals through the years, and I did see a few reviews that were anywhere from mildly unfattering, to grossly exagerated, andin maybe one case actually emotional and vituperative.
And in *almost* all cases, it was contrary to my(equally)subjective perception of, and/or experience with the named individual.
I wonder if I could/should submit a rating based on having worked with that doctor even though I was not a patient? I do not know if that is permitted.
A few were clearly exaggerated,
imho, but I could *see* how someone might characterize a certain doctor who tended to be slighly "curt" or aloof" as "arrogant" or unfeeling".
I think those kinds of reviews are ignored by intelligent people-unless there are more than one or two such comments about the same doctor.
Of course, all reviews are nothing more than subject opinion. How could they *possibly* be otherwise??
How can anyone "verify" that a
doctor is "unhelpful", "not punctual" or has rude staff?
or lacks "Knowledge".
The only thing I can say is if there is only one such report/complaint, any reasonable person will ignore it, if the other evaluations are generally favorable.
I think this controversy is a tempest in a tea pot. I doubt there are enough visitors to this site to actually damage a practice.
I also think it behooves any doctor to be kind-even to "drug seekers" as they are *still* distresed people who are if fact ill-often both physically as well as emotionally-something many doctors have zero sympathy for and often in pain which is also impossible to document.
Thats not to say you should risk your license, or enable a destructive drug dependence. Just be kind, not curt, scolding or sarcastic with nuisance hypochodriacs. And yes, even though you are not a Psychiatrist, or counselr,still a little patience and kindness for thsoe who are in emotional distress, can help them.
Disclosure: My daughter is a "drug seeking" patient who was nevr an abuser until she was injured in a car accident and sustained a neck injury. She unfortunately has allowed herself to become addicted to pain medicine, and has more than once been treated to put it mildly, unkindly in certain ERs by certain nurses and physicians-
I didnt appreciate that, but I *have* appreciated, and several times sided with doctors, she complained about for not giving her exactly what she wanted in the amount she wanted. I want her totally off narcotics.
But when she has a legitmate illness, such as painful MRSA inflamations, etc, I hate it when they treat her like a criminal.
Thank You.
As a "consumer" of medical services here in Ontario, I have often referred to RATEMD. Like any information on the internet, you need to be critical and apply some common sense. But when you see 20 ratings for a doctor, and look past the unreasonably critical or glowing reviews, a pattern usually emerges of what it is like to be under that doctor's care.
I think there is also useful feedback on office practices for doctors who typically do not get direct negative feedback from patients who don't want to risk antagonizing them. Everyone needs feedback to improve their performance but Doctors typically don't get much.
With that said, RATEMD leaves much to be desired - e.g. there is no point asking a rater to assess a Doctor's medical knowledge. But sites of this type should allow patients to describe their own experience and reaction to a Doctor's treatment.
I don't think Doctors should fear this site - there should be a dialogue between Doctors and patients and I think this site is a useful contribution to that.
I understand where you're coming from with certain patients not providing fair/accurate ratings. I think that distinguishing the unobjective ratings, however, isn't all that difficult. Some look to be written by repeat disgruntled posters, some reek of a patient not getting what they want, some clearly state being upset for being charged for a missed appointment, etc. A Dr. who provides counselling really can't win, because that's a difficult job with no real objective black and white data. But over time you can see trends about the type of care patients feel they received, which is invaluable. If you're treated poorly by a physician it's great to feel you have recourse to vocalize your distress, and it's great to be able to post how incredibly many perform their jobs. No one takes each and every comment as the absolute truth but rather as one person's opinion. Furthermore, for vulnerable populations more likely to be discriminated against (mental health discrimination is alive and well in the medical community) it provides a voice to say that it's not ok to be treated as a second class citizen, which hasn't existed before. Also, if a physician sees that anonymous reviews by many different posters all complain of similar problems (bed side manner, etc.) than they'll have more awareness of the issue and motivation to correct it.
Rate MD's used to be a legitimate site where patients who have been harmed by doctors could go and leave an honest review. Now if a doctor gets a negative review all they have to do is go and complain to the owner of rate MD's and the negative review is removed. What a joke!!
I am Professional Engineer. As a consultant, my work is similar to that of doctors. I analyze the problem of engineering systems and prescribe corrective action. Analyzing problem, number crunching, measurements and tests takes days and weeks before corrective action can be prescribed for complex engineering systems of my clients. The human body is probably the most complex system under the sun. It is beyond me how the doctors can spend 15 minutes with the patient during appointment, 10 of which they listen and record the symptoms as the patient speaks and by the end of the 14-th minute they are ready with the solution giving the prescription. I often think about my client problems when I drive or go for a walk and often come up with the cost effective and elegant solutions. How many doctors do that?
I remember the case when during my appointment I asked the periodontal specialist, who also teaches in the medical school, what make him to believe based on the X-ray, that my tooth needs extraction and nothing else would help. He could not answer this question and I saw well that my question caused discomfort and anger on doctor's part. The impression I got that it was intuition rather than knowledge responsible for doctor's recommendation.
I must say that after checking rating of several doctors on the RateMD site I found good correlation between the opinion of the patients expressed on the site and my own impression on doctor or doctor's office performance. I would propose for the doctors to spent more time and effort to help their patients and on self-education rather than fighting the rating sites like RateMD.com
- Doctor said...
My assumption is that you are a Medical Doctor. I am not, call me a consumer. If one needs the help of an unknown medical doctor it would be nice to have a way of establishing some credentials but there is nothing. The website appearing is a start. It can, of course, be srutinized by the Medical Doctors themselves and if there is something not right it will be removed. A quick glance shows that the majority gets very good ratings so that is a plus.
The item you refer to about someone nearly killing a doctor, has in my humble opinion, no connection to the website ratemds.com. Sadly enough anyone who deals with the public is open to abuse, whether it be the gas station attendant or the medical profession.
I just tried to post a comment but I don't think it went through. Just wanted to say your website is absolutely fantastic!
I think Rate MD's is a great site, however many doctors who are so bad they shouldn't be in practice are receiving ratings so glowing that they were obviously submitted by family members.
The only way to properly use Rate MD's is to evaluate the number of negative and positive reports, and then combine them with the number of reports in total a doctor has received for his estimated years in service.
For example, if he has been a doctor for 30 years and has received only 10 reports from all of the patients who had ever seen him in his entire period of pracice, and 8 of those reports were so flowery that they actually smell, that could well be an indication that those positive reports were coming from the doctor's own family members and immediate friends.
As it is, doctor reports overall are more bound to stress the positive sides of a doctor than the negative, because most people prefer writing positive things to negative and would rather not post at all than say something bad (especially when the comments would be so bad they would fear reprisal).
So again, rather than content of remarks so much, consider mainly the doctors who have few posts in accordance with their number of years in service. That tells you more than anything!
- Charlotte Ortega said...
I find the the supposition that rate your MD is totally reliable scarey.
Foe example I know of 2 doctors rated 5*, the one has been disciplined for sexual misconduct so one must wonder what exactly the 5* rating is for. The other is always running at least an hour late which makes it hard to believe that this is truly 5 star care. So who is behind this site? Somebody with a lot of money and not much time for fairness and justice and truly reliable information. Any site that is so one sided and does not allow any response or dialogue is not going to enhance patient care.If I have failed a patient I need to hear it straight from them so that I have an opportunity to improve as great care is really important to me as it is to most MDs I hope.


text:
Business Cards
Create a lasting impression with luxury classic or illustrated business cards
Business/Visiting Cards (8.5 x 5.5cm) Illustrated
Business/Visiting Cards (8.5 x 5.5cm) Classic
Business/Visiting Cards (8.5 x 5.5 cm) Upload Your Design
- 1
A business card is your opportunity to leave a lasting impression on a prospective client, imprinting an image of both you and your brand.
HoneyTree know that to stand out in business you need to "wow", and our personalised business/visiting cards are carefully crafted to raise you above the standard business card.
Choose from either our gallery of original, unique illustrations or select the upload your own option to feature your own logo or image.
What's in your order?...
Our premium personalised business cards are printed on 400gsm board and are cut to fit all standard size wallet pouches.
Our business cards come in multiples of 120 and your order is presented in a classic-style black business card box.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide a reverse printing option on our business cards.
Size: 8.5 x 5.5cm or 2.2 x 3.3 inches - perfect to fit in your wallet
Please Note: Many of our items are unable to fit through a letterbox so need to be received at the address provided. We recommend a work address for delivery or click and collection if you are not at home during the day.
UK Standard Shipping: Delivery arriving within 4-6 business days. Royal Mail: Delivery confirmation (no signature required).
Priority & Date Select: To ensure 100% quality control, your orders are printed in house, nothing is outsourced which enables us to provide a priority express service on 90% of our products.
Priority Express 24: includes date select: Your order will arrive guaranteed before 2pm on your chosen date from the calendar (tracking code emailed & signature required). Perfect for Birthdays, Anniversaries and busy schedules.
Priority 48 / 72hrs: For Foiled, Feature your own & Photo products plus Order of Services this priority delivery is available. For both quality control and design purposes, on receiving your order we set up the layout and send eproofs until you are delighted with the design. Only with sign off can we schedule the expedited delivery, with the 48 / 72 hour delivery being from sign off, not ordering date.
Individual Greetings or Art cards: Order before 12noon Mon - Fri for same day dispatch or date select.
UK Delivery - Royal Mail
|Basket Value
|Standard Delivery
|Priority 24 Date Select, 48 & 72Hrs (Signature Required)
|Indv Greetings & Art Cards
|68p Order before noon for same day dispatch (Royal Mail state that 90% of all 1st class arrive next day, unfortunately the other 10% can take up to 3 days. If possible, we recommend you allow 3 working days for delivery from the 'Sent by us' date.
|Up to £75
|Over £75
|Over £150
|4-6 Business Days
|Next Day / Date Select
|Basket Value
|Rest of the world
|Up to £75
|Royal Mail
|Over £75
|Royal Mail
|Business days
|4-8 days
|4-8 days
|8-10 days
|Over £150
|DHL Global
|From £23.50
|From £43.50
|Business days
|3-5 days
|3-6 days
|4-6 days
*We ensure we pay all the shipping costs, inc fuel surcharge and remote access our end, but when local taxes are levied these are always for the recipients account. When duty and taxes are applicable it will be invoiced/collected directly by the local customs authority therefore we can't give you an indication as the what the charges will be prior to shipping.
We are delighted to confirm we ship to:
European Zone: France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Switzerland
Rest of the World: America, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, United Arab Emirates & Malaysia.
If your country is not on the list we are sorry that we don't deliver at this time.
Live Preview: Enables you to create and preview your design live on-line, plus save and send unlimited free e-proofs to your account.
Upload your Own: You can also upload your own illustration, motif, crest and logo or photo. As this has no live preview this will be formatted off-line by our graphic designers and an e-proof will be sent to you. If your artwork does not format correctly we will refund your order.
HoneyTree Presentation Boxes: Our hand made boxes are included with stationery orders* to ensure a lasting impression from the moment you purchase HoneyTree stationery.
Green Initiative: If you don't require a presentation box, tick the box on the basket page to receive a £5 credit to your account on your next order, this option will not be available on exempt products. Your credit is automatically assigned when you reach the payment page NOT as a voucher at basket. payment.
Free Gift Wrap and Message:
This is available on items that come with a presentation box and artwork orders and designed to be a direct to recipient option as we do-not print an additional on the outside as we cannot be sure this is not arriving with the recipient and we have learnt over the years that this would spoil the anticipation and effect.
The gift wrap option can be found on the basket page and is designed to provide you with a direct gifting solution. Your Gift Message will be printed and displayed on a tag on the outside of the gift.
Please note: If you ask for your order to be gift wrapped we don't include a packing slip.
Watermark: On all card stock a subtle watermark is displayed on the bottom of the reverse of the card as a sign of quality and authenticity. This is not on letterheads or business cards.
Production: To ensure 100% quality, your orders are printed in house at our studios in Somerset. Our customised print presses enable us to consistently print rich and vibrant colours on our heavy weight card. We do not emboss, letterpress, deboss or engrave at HoneyTree.
Eco Premium Materials: All our products come from sustainable sources from UK suppliers and are flat printed on the finest 400gsm & 440gsm card, 160gsm papers. In accordance with the FSC - 'Forest Stewardship Council' (Forests for all forever) labeling guide (FSC-SECR-0068), the correct label for use with this product is the "Mix" label
*Not available on labels, tags, Christmas cards, Greetings Cards, Art Cards or Postcards. ** Excluding individual cards, samples, postcards, Christmas cards, labels, tags, business cards, personalised prints & Original Artworks
Product Samples: If you require a product sample (click here) we can print and dispatch your sample within 3 business days. This is free of charge but only available within the UK.
Discounts and Sales: All our products are priced on a sliding scale so the more you buy the less you pay. For discounts and flash sales please join our VIP club for competitions & exclusive offers and follow us on our social media channels where we announce upcoming events and promotions as these are for our followers and subscribers therefore often not displayed on our website.
Inclusive Pricing: All prices include envelopes, presentation boxes and VAT. HoneyTree artists are paid a commission on every order that displays their artwork, thus empowering British Artists and encouraging new talent.
HoneyTree Satisfaction Guarantee: "If you are not absolutely thrilled with your purchase from HoneyTree, for any reason at all, we'll replace your purchase or refund your money, whichever you prefer" *This excludes the reprinting of "signed off" proofed orders due to edited text errors. There will be a reprint fee of 60% of the original order value plus your chosen P&P option based on the current tariff.
Reprint Fee Procedure: In the event of our customers finding they have to make a change to the printed products, e.g. A wrongly submitted telephone number, event date, typo etc; we are pleased to confirm that we provide a reprint facility for this eventuality. There will be a reprint fee of 60% of the original order value plus your chosen P&P option based on the current tariff. The order will consist of the amended stationery not envelopes or presentation box.
Returns: Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.
HoneyTreePublishing Ltd produce bespoke, personalised customised items. These are exempt from the statutory 14 day cooling off period. On making a purchase from HoneyTree you enter into a contact for us to produce a personalised item, which is non-returnable for a refund or credit note.


text:
This Industry Risk Ratings report from IBISWorld evaluates the inherent risks associated with the Computer & IT Certification Schools in the US industry. Industry Risk is assumed to be 'the difficulty, or otherwise, of the business operating environment'. The report looks at the operational risk associated with this industry. Three types of risk are recognized in our analysis. These are: risk arising from within the industry itself (structural risk), risks arising from the expected future performance of the industry (growth risk) and the risk arising from the forces external to the industry (external sensitivity risk). This approach is new in that it analyses non-financial information surrounding each industry. Industries are scored on a 9-point scale, where 1 represents the lowest risk and 9 the highest. The Industry Risk score measures expected Industry Risk over the coming 12-18 months.
Enter the keyword(s) you would like to search for within this report:
IBISWorld Industry Market Research—IBISWorld is a leading strategic business information provider that offers comprehensive information on more than 700 US industries covering 4,000 individual product segments. They also provide global industry and industry risk rating reports covering Australia, the United Kingdom and China. IBISWorld data offers detailed analysis on growth trends, the competitive environment and key issues. Reports average 30 to 40 pages and contain figures; market characteristics; product, market and service segmentation; industry conditions, current and historical performance analysis; risk scores; industry participants and market share; factors to success; and 5-year forecasts with forecast analysis.
Any questions about the report you're considering?
Our Customer Service Team can help! Or visit our FAQs.
Search all our
Market Research
from one place.


text:
A 29-year-old Olney Springs woman was found dead at a home around 2 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 19) morning.
The victim was identified as 29-year-old Tara Martinez of Olney Springs, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
The CBI has obtained a warrant for the arrest of the victim's boyfriend, William John Donnell III, 32, for his alleged connection to Martinez's death. Donnell is described as a a white male, 6-feet tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was last seen driving a dark green Pontiac Grand Am with gold rims and tinted windows with Colorado license plates.
Donnell is considered armed and dangerous and should not be contacted by citizens if spotted. Anyone with information about Donnell's whereabouts or the case is asked to call 911 or the Crowley County Sheriff's Office at 267-5235.
Deputies with the Crowley County Sheriff's Office were called to a trailer home in the 200 block of Schuyler Avenue just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, where the deceased female victim had been discovered by family members. Police indicate she had been shot.
Deputies requested the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to assist with the case.
On Tuesday, Crowley County schools were on lockout status as police searched for the suspect.
CBI continues the homicide investigation in conjunction with the Crowley County Sheriff's Office and 16th Judicial District Attorney's office.
The El Paso County Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause of death.
Police search for suspect in woman's death
A 29-year-old Olney Springs woman was found dead at a home around 2 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 19) morning.


text:
Sponsored by Volleyball
Luther started the second day of the Wartburg Invitational with a 3-1 victory over Bethel University. The Norse dropped set one 25-17, but then ran the table 25-17, 25-21 and 25-22 en route to the victory.
Natalee Johnson led all attackers with 18 kills. Lindsey Ryan dished out 33 assists and Brandi Knupp tallied 15 digs.
The victory gives Luther an overall record of 12-11.
Questions? Contact David Blanchard, post_to_results, 563-387-1586


text:
The driver of a car that wound up in a wrong-way fatal crash on the Boulder Turnpike has been arrested and faces multiple charges, police said.
Britni June Bunn, 23, of Broomfield, turned herself in to Westminster police Wednesday night and she was arrested and held at the Jefferson County Jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide among other charges, Westminster police said in a media release.
Bunn was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when the crash happened at about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday between Wadsworth Parkway and Sheridan Boulevard, police said.
A passenger with Bunn, Vincent Gibson, 25, of Broomfield, was killed in the crash.
Bunn faces multiple charges including vehicular homicide reckless, vehicular homicide DUI, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and driving on the wrong side of the road, police said.
She appeared in court Thursday morning in Golden.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson


text:
Your cart is empty.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Energetic and interactive live physics demos for kids and adults! Join our Phun with Physics scientists, Patrick Wiggins, Tori Sprattling, and Jayceen Craven from the Univeristy of Utah's Department of Physics and Astronomy to find out what ballons, bicycle wheels, liquid nitrogen, flowers and a vacuum pump have in common!
Included in museum admission.


text:
|Office of the Attorney General - State of Texas
John Cornyn
May 10, 2000
Ms. Lois Cochran
Dear Ms. Cochran:
You ask whether certain information is subject to required public disclosure under the Public Information Act, chapter 552 of the Government Code. Your request was assigned ID# 136417.
Pursuant to section 552.301(e), a governmental body is required to submit to this office within fifteen business days of receiving an open records request (1) general written comments stating the reasons why the stated exceptions apply that would allow the information to be withheld, (2) a copy of the written request for information, (3) a signed statement or sufficient evidence showing the date the governmental body received the written request, and (4) a copy of the specific information requested or representative samples, labeled to indicate which exceptions apply to which parts of the documents. You did submit a copy of your "Open Records Request Form"; however, you did not submit to this office a copy of the actual written request for information.
Pursuant to section 552.302 of the Government Code, a governmental body's failure to submit to this office the information required in section 552.301(e) results in the legal presumption that the information is public and must be released. Information that is presumed public must be released unless a governmental body demonstrates a compelling reason to withhold the information to overcome this presumption. See Hancock v. State Bd. of Ins., 797 S.W.2d 379, 381-82 (Tex. App.--Austin 1990, no writ) (governmental body must make compelling demonstration to overcome presumption of openness pursuant to statutory predecessor to Gov't Code § 552.302); Open Records Decision No. 319 (1982). You have not shown such a compelling interest to overcome the presumption that the information at issue is public. Accordingly, you must release the requested information. We caution that the distribution of confidential information constitutes a criminal offense. Gov't Code § 552.352.
This letter ruling is limited to the particular records at issue in this request and limited to the facts as presented to us; therefore, this ruling must not be relied upon as a previous determination regarding any other records or any other circumstances.
This ruling triggers important deadlines regarding the rights and responsibilities of the governmental body and of the requestor. For example, governmental bodies are prohibited from asking the attorney general to reconsider this ruling. Gov't Code § 552.301(f). If the governmental body wants to challenge this ruling, the governmental body must appeal by filing suit in Travis County within 30 calendar days. Id. § 552.324(b). In order to get the full benefit of such an appeal, the governmental body must file suit within 10 calendar days. Id. § 552.353(b)(3), (c). If the governmental body does not appeal this ruling and the governmental body does not comply with it, then both the requestor and the attorney general have the right to file suit against the governmental body to enforce this ruling. Id. § 552.321(a).
If this ruling requires the governmental body to release all or part of the requested information, the governmental body is responsible for taking the next step. Based on the statute, the attorney general expects that, within 10 calendar days of this ruling, the governmental body will do one of the following three things: 1) release the public records; 2) notify the requestor of the exact day, time, and place that copies of the records will be provided or that the records can be inspected; or 3) notify the requestor of the governmental body's intent to challenge this letter ruling in court. If the governmental body fails to do one of these three things within 10 calendar days of this ruling, then the requestor should report that failure to the attorney general's Open Government Hotline, toll free, at 877/673-6839. The requestor may also file a complaint with the district or county attorney. Id. § 552.3215(e).
If this ruling requires or permits the governmental body to withhold all or some of the requested information, the requestor can appeal that decision by suing the governmental body. Id. § 552.321(a); Texas Dep't of Public Safety v. Gilbreath, 842 S.W.2d 408, 411 (Tex. App.-Austin 1992, no writ).
If the governmental body, the requestor, or any other person has questions or comments about this ruling, they may contact our office. Although there is no statutory deadline for contacting us, the attorney general prefers to receive any comments within 10 calendar days of the date of this ruling.
Patricia Michels Anderson
Ref: ID# 136417
Encl. Submitted documents
cc: State Farm Insurance


text:
"Halfway to Infinity" by Shawn Lawson is on display through Feb. 10 in the College of Architecture and Design's LEVEL Gallery by the elevators on the first, third, and fourth levels of the University Technology and Learning Center.
Using the circle shape as a base, it attempts to reach the infinitely small by recursively reducing the diameter of a circle by one-half. Starting in the center with one large circle, three areas are created and divided into smaller and smaller inside/outside circle shapes with three pattern techniques.
This display is inspired by Christopher Alexander's "The Nature of Order" book series where he develops and explains 15 properties of natural order.
Lawson is an experiential media artist working in visual, conceptual, and kinesthetic modes. His artwork explores the effects on consciousness, perceptions of time and space, our daily experience, and patterns of behavior from technologies like: stereoscopy, camera vision, touch screens, wireless and hands-free game controllers, mobile devices, random number generators, and real-time computer graphics.
His artwork has been exhibited in museums, galleries, festivals, and public space in England, Russia, Italy, Korea, Portugal, Brazil, Turkey, Malaysia and the United States. Lawson's collaborative, Crudeoils, critiques structures of power: surveillance, economic exploitation, and authoritarian corruption. The collaborative is represented by Dean Jensen Gallery. He has been awarded grants from the Electronic Media and Film Program at the New York State Council on the Arts and the Experimental Television Center's Finishing Funds Program.
Lawson studied fine arts at Carnegie Mellon University and École Nationale Supèrieure des Beaux-Arts. He received his MFA in Art and Technology Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. He is an associate professor of computer visualization in the Department of Art at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.