Tag Archives: Back

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I’m Back

I’m Back
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Image by Cayusa
Day 268 of 365 (Year Two)

Back in December we made the switch to Verizon FIOS. There were several reasons for the switch including cost, customer service and a general dissatisfaction with Comcast. Verizon FIOS claimed that not only could they save me money, but that their internet was faster and their customer service was top notch.

Here it is, eight months later, and I’m back to Comcast. A guy showed up at my door with an offer I couldn’t refuse. My internet is faster. I could tell the difference the minute the guy hooked me back up. With Verizon we had been noticing a distinct skip in the picture, typically at the start of shows, but that is gone now that we are back with Comcast.

The main two reasons I switched back, however, are the fact that my Verizon bill turned out to be more than what they had told me it was going to be. I am not paying about 40 less a month for the same service that Verizon promised me would be cheaper. My bill also seemed to go up over the past few months, not to mention the installation fees that they charged me when I had it hooked up that were a bit higher than I had been led to believe.

The other reason I switched was that I wasn’t at all impressed with Verizon’s customer service. Getting the free TV alone was about a five month painful process. Then, back when I was working, I tried to contact Verizon about getting DSL or FIOS at the office and was given the run around. They have an endless voice prompted menu that is absolutely useless.

Comcast also agreed to pay my early termination fee with Verizon.

When FIOS first hit the market here people left Comcast in droves. They took a really big hit. Apparently this was a wake up call for them. I now have a personal contact who makes sure that I’m taken care of (he even called twice today to make sure the installation went smoothly) and the price can’t be beat. I’m going to have to have my cell phone switched back to it’s own account and start paying for it separate, but even with that added cost I’m still paying less than I was when everything was bundled with Verizon.

The only thing I will miss is the DVR interface that Verizon had. I have to admit that it is superior to what Comcast offers, but the Comcast DVR interface is serviceable.

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Global Digital Soltn (OTCMKTS:GDSI) Takes Another Step Back

Global Digital Soltn (OTCMKTS:GDSI) Takes Another Step Back
After moving sideways in the middle of the year we saw the stock of Global Digital Soltn (OTCMKTS:GDSI, GDSI message board) begin to steeply descend the charts and reach double zero land. After dropping below 1 cent per share in the end of August we …
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Global Digital Soltn (OTCMKTS:GDSI) Wobbles About
It's been an exciting week or so for Global Digital Soltn (OTCMKTS:GDSI, GDSI message board). The news of an upcoming acquisition of a company called Grupo Rontan Eletro Metalurgica S.A. turned what used to be an appallingly illiquid OTC ticker into …
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Daily Democrat Bulletin Board Through October
Tuesday, Oct. 20: 7 p.m.The Woodland Camera Forum will present a free program on “50 Shades of Mauve,” Understanding Color in Digital Processing, by member photographer, Gabriel Unda, in Norton Hall, 70 Cottonwood St., Woodland. In addition to …
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Timely Referrals to Pain Management Specialists Could Reduce Unnecessary Back Fusion Surgeries Says Pain Management Specialist Reza Ghorbani, MD, ABIPP, FIPP

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) December 27, 2013

While new federal data questions increases in costly back fusion surgery, early referrals to board certified pain management specialists could eliminate many operations saving trauma and money.

A Washington Post investigation found some experts fear “as many as half “ the procedures weren’t justified.

“Generally surgeons aren’t pain management specialists and as a result may recommend operations that aren’t necessary. Since we take a multidisciplinary approach, we can often find a solution that doesn’t require an operation,” says Reza Ghorbani, MD, ABIPP, FIPP, Ghorbani, MD, ABIPP,FIPP.

Dr. Ghorbani is president and medical director of the Advanced Pain Medicine Institute of Greater Washington, DC. He is also the author of the new book, “Secrets to a Pain Free Life” which stresses the importance of mainstream medical treatments combined with natural, alternative remedies shown to be safe and effective over time.

In his pain management practice, Dr. Ghorbani sees many failed back fusion patients who wind up in even worse pain.    

“I wish they’d come to me first, but often a primary care physician will refer his patient directly to a surgeon without giving a pain management specialist a chance to make a difference. That’s an aspect of medical culture that needs to change,” says Ghorbani.

When physical therapy or drugs don’t work, doctors can fuse two or more bones in the spine to prevent painful movement. However, the procedure may ultimately weaken the area around the injury leading to further complications.

This problem even has a name, “Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.” However, it can be treated with an implantable device called a spinal cord stimulator—similar to a cardiac pacemaker. It sends an electronic message to the brain through the spine that eases pain.

“Many of my patients are asking for this device as a result of other treatment failures,” says Ghorbani.

An aging population of Baby Boomers hoping to stay active and better surgical techniques may be trends underlying the bone fusion boom, but skeptics say the real rationale is compensation, not compassion. In the current “fee-for-service” environment, the more procedures a doctor does, the more he gets paid.

From 1993 to 2011 the number of US spine fusion procedures increased from 60,973 to 465,070 and the commensurate cost ballooned from $ 24,045 to $ 100,785, according to an analysis from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Appropriate or not, these operations have proven increasingly lucrative for doctors with financial interests in companies that sell plates, screws and rods–devices that can add up to $ 11,000 or more per procedure.

However, Dr. Ghorbani says the fix isn’t just on the doctor’s side. As more patients gain coverage under the Affordable Care Act, they will need to be more proactive about their own health so the system won’t be overburdened.

“We can’t be all things to all people, particularly with younger patients coming into the system and older patients needing more care. If people would just follow common sense lifestyle guidelines, it’s possible to keep pain in check. That’s one of the secrets to a pain free life,” says Dr. Ghorbani.







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Casting Back; Store is snapshot of summers past

Casting Back; Store is snapshot of summers past
She doesn't have to go far to recall her customers' faces — they smile down at her from snapshots posted on the bulletin board on the front porch. "These are people that came back and got … That still left a porch across the front of the store …
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Communities in the making: Penn Staters come together through Yammer
A digital bulletin board and a connection point for 1,300 OPP staff, Up for Grabs is a good example of how Yammer can be used. Since 2012, group members have used Up for Grabs to sell such items as furniture, cameras and cars as well as meet new OPP …
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Bigfork team competes at international event
After pin exchanges and pin purchases Hoveland said she has about 200 pins displayed on a bulletin board at home. Hubbard said one of the highlights of the trip was sightseeing at the World's Fair Park and taking an elevator ride up the Sunsphere …
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Its Time for Action: More than 2 Million Americans will Participate in National Back to Church Sunday One Month from Today

COLORADO, SPRINGS, Colo. (PRWEB) August 15, 2013

Exactly a month from today, September 15, more than two million Americans will be focused on a national team event that has nothing to do with major league sports. Their goal: Getting folks back to church.

On that Sunday, 20,000 churches from coast to coast will be participating in special services in their own communities for National Back to Church Sunday after stepping out to invite people they know and love to come back to church.

So far, more than 18,000 churches have signed up for the free initiative, and the number grows by the hour as currently about 120 churches are signing up each day at http://www.backtochurch.com. In addition, the Back to Church Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/backtochurch) has garnered more than 47,000 likes in one month, as the excitement builds and participating churches gear up for the special services they will hold designed to be welcoming to their community.

“Right now is a perfect time to sign up and get your church engaged in this energy-filled project,” said Scott Evans, founder and CEO of Outreach, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of church communications resources and one of the founders of National Back to Church Sunday. “Make your decision and get your team on board – there are many resources available, many by download you could have today. It’s a great way to kickstart your own fall programming and bless your community.”

“Remember,although most people in America have been to church, only about 20% attend regularly,” he continued. “Yet research shows most people would try it if someone just invited them.”

Participating churches are also preparing for the day by encouraging members to make a special effort to attend church that day, and to invite someone to come with them.

“Seven out of 10 unchurched people would visit a church if a friend invited them. What are we waiting for?” said Lee Strobel, best-selling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith.

“The church offers hope, grace, truth, joy and the message of eternal life — all of which we want our friends to experience. Let’s take a risk and prayerfully offer an invitation!”

Yet despite the endorsement from Strobel and many other church leaders, only two percent of church members have invited someone to church in the past year. National Back to Church Sunday provides the inspiration and tools to help church members push past their discomfort to reach out and invite others to come.

And pastors understand it also comes at a key time of the year for reengaging people after the summer.

“September is the number one growth time in a church,” said Bil Cornelius, pastor of Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christi, Texas. “You gotta give them a reason to come back, and they will.”

To help encourage churches to promote and church members to invite, National Back to Church Sunday has ready-to-use materials available at http://www.backtochurch.com. Free materials include a roster listing,publicity materials, tips for using social media, and information about using the Back to Church Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The richly-resourced project also offers everything from postcards to bulletin covers to banners and videos. An in-depth Back to Church kit, available in print or as a download, includes a planning guide, sermons, videos, children’s curriculum, posters, e-book, samples of other printed resources, and more than 60 digital resources, such as e-vites, web banners, PowerPoint presentations, logos and children’s resources.

National Back to Church Sunday even has its own You Tube channel with more than 20 videos to share information, inspiration — and also make it fun. Video previews are available at http://www.youtube.com/btcsunday

National Back to Church Sunday is the largest annual community-based church outreach effort in the nation, when thousands of churches share the simple message and mission of inviting everyone in America Back to Church. The campaign empowers churches and church members with the tools they need to welcome their neighbors, friends and loved ones back to church, while providing an easy way for everyone in the community to find a welcoming church.

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NLRB Quickie Elections are Back, According to Union Avoidance Consultants Adams, Nash, Haskell & Sheridan

St. Louis, Mo. (PRWEB) February 25, 2014

Under the proposed rules, an initial hearing regarding the petition would be held within seven days, with the Regional Director setting an election date quickly thereafter. Provisions for electronic filing of petitions, consolidated post-election reviews, and a requirement that employers provide phone numbers and email addresses to the union will all add up to further skew the process in favor of labor organizations.

What this means for employers is that there will no longer be a period of six weeks or more between the filing of a petition and the election; time that is often used to educate employees about union representation, correct the union’s “factual errors,” and allow for a natural decline in the momentum of the union’s campaign. In short, the employer will have little or no time to get his message across to employees. A shortened employer campaign means that early recognition of potential labor unrest and a thorough assessment of the organization’s union vulnerability become even more important to maintaining the Union-Free Privilege®.

Employers who have a suspicion that their workforce may be vulnerable to an organizing campaign should prepare now. Visit the Adams, Nash, Haskell & Sheridan website at http://anh.com/services/counter-union-campaigns/ for more information on how to run a successful campaign and utilize the services of experienced union avoidance consultants.

These proposed new rules are due to be published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2014, with comments due by April 7, 2014. Expect a hearing to follow quickly, and the smart money is on these rules being passed and implemented.

About Adams, Nash, Haskell & Sheridan

When employees begin to organize, it strikes fear into the heart of any organization. The good news is that a powerful team of labor relations consultants can help organizations affected by strikes. For nearly 30 years, Adams Nash Haskell & Sheridan has provided winning services, campaigns, and insights for clients across the country. Organizational leaders should not wait to take back the control that has been worked hard to gain. Adams Nash Haskell & Sheridan provides “expertise you simply can’t live without.” Contact the experienced advisors at Adams Nash Haskell & Sheridan today at 800-237-3942 or visit http://www.anh.com.