So what is digital signage? There are many different components today, such as media players, display devices, distribution products, cabling, and mounting. Fun stuff, actually, that you can use to promote sales, or help give directions, and make the processes at your company easier. A lot of places use these methods already, including airports (last time I went to pick Andrew up from his flight, there were new signs directing the cars to the appropriate lanes, and it took barely any time, compared to 45 minute waits years ago). I really want a pretty design to pimp out all three of my sites, since traditional media is so boring.
Okay, that's the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the words auto insurance quotes, but if I buy a new car that's actually in my name, this is going to be something I need to research thoroughly, because I've always been on my parents insurance. Right now I have basic, but if I had a nicer car, I'd most likely want full coverage, and I'd want to know what other perks the company offers, so I like being able to check online to see details rather than wasting my time on the phone or gosh forbid, driving somewhere.
Happy Birthday, Gryphon! I love you so much, and you are the most wonderful person in my life, and I want you to always remember that. Good luck on your belt test tonight, and I hope you have the best day ever!
My classes started today, so I have limited time to work and write articles, or even paint. D=
That's the hassle of college degrees, I suppose. Plus, I have to get them to switch one of my classes, meaning I'll be behind, and I'm behind in one already because I don't have the book yet and only got half of my homework done. Waaaaah!
I'm gonna go study now from the wrong book. T_T
I took video of the Shriner's Circus yesterday and hopefully can compress it well enough to get some of it posted. It was awesome!!! I'm just... stressed. My son's birthday is Thursday, classes are messed up, I have a billion things to do and blah, blah, blah.
Be wary of what you cash out for, as Winster employs a very bad business practice of letting you see a value for certain prizes and then shorting you when you cash in for the gift certificate. For example, although the vendor they give the certificates through lists their Belgian Waffle Maker at $24.72, they give you $19.99, which you could get for less points on their site.
Wondering when they're going to start being straight with people instead of just taking as much money as they can to rip people off - Jerry stopped communicating with me after I took down the negative publicity, so I see how they work now, especially when he'd offered interviews with him or Michelle.
Meanwhile, server lag is only getting worse, and they're griping at hosts to upload different pictures so they can make cute little circular versions. Ummm... Why don't you worry about REAL site issues that make it unplayable instead of concentrating on this bullshit, Winster?
I remember when it used to be a good gaming site, but I wouldn't recommend using them to any of you who are wondering.
Oh, and in case you're wondering why they show prizes and not a gift card amount, I believe it's because Amazon then gets to show two products sold each time you get something through there. The one that Winster buys for you, and then the one you buy. Misleading to stockholders, and consistently ends up with problems because of Amazon 'selling out of' many of these items.
As I usually tell everyone, don't wait until the last minute to make a backup of all your files, such as when your computer has started acting funny and may die before they are complete. Schedule them according to how much new data you accumulate (heavy users might need to backup every week, but some could get away with once a month or even longer). If you live in a high-risk area for catastrophres, consider keeping a copy in a non-local place - there are companies which offer this, or you could transfer the files to a long distance relative, either through the internet, or by shipping dvds to them to put away. Speaking of, what do most of you use for your backup? I know some companies use tape drives, but most personal users tend to use an external drive or dvds. I use 3 backup types at the moment - an external drive, dvds, and server storage to keep a non-local copy.
Yup, another site for diet pill reviews, since this seems to be a confusing decision for many people. There's such a vast amount of choices when it comes to these, and it's hard to translate what you might want into a language you can understand, which is why review sites are much handier than just picking up something off of the counter. You can find out all kinds of information, including what the different effects are for the herbs, and often, many online prices. As always, please be careful and consider any pre-existing conditions before starting any new medications, but obesity is a major problem in this country, and if something might work for you and improve your life, then go for it.
Due to worsening of my back condition, I'm back on the walker and in excruciating pain, and feel pretty old at this point, so why not check out a colon cleanser to add to the mix. Well, they're not just for the elderly, I've heard they're really good ways of helping to further detox your system if you're a health junkie. You use them to flush toxins that are adding up in your system, which is always a good thing, though it isn't a product you probably want to use when others are in the house. Toxins pull you down, decrease your energy, and can make your life just all around miserable, so there are more detox options than just the standards, if you're willing to take that extra step.
As a nation, we're over weight, and spend more time at desks and computers than outdoors or doing anything much more physical than texting. I'm not saying this isn't true for me as well, just that it's rather... sad. And unattractive. It isn't a good trend... So I was wondering how many of you use treadmills? I had a great one that folded up but had to sell it when I moved, and might get another one, but right now I have an elliptical. Kind of. The arms don't work, and it doesn't stay right on the ground or balance, so it's a deadly thing, but it's better than not getting any work out time at all. I want to get in shape for my Para Para team!!! Go, go, Rocky Joe~
Well, isn't that what they always say about diamond rings? Men may settle for a puppy, but we like the flashy stuff that doesn't shed on our furniture, and that can double as a spy tool to cut glass with in case of an emergency. Despite numerous attempts, the diamond accents on my pretty faith ring don't quite do that, actually, but I digress. I have to admit, I get easily distracted by pretty things, though I've never understood the differences in colors between diamonds. Is a yellow tint a good thing or bad thing? I do understand the cuts, though, because I love that sort of thing. Mathematical shapes, lucky psychic numbers... Yes, I'm weird but if it's pretty AND mathematical, it's completely for the win, you know?
I am done arguing about the election for this week, since it's getting to a level of idiocy shameful even for Americans. Meanwhile, speaking of moronic behaviour, was wasting some time on Pogo while I scanned images for an hour, conversing in French with some very nice members, when someone new came into the room and demanded they speak English, since this was America. I informed her that they weren't in America, as Pogo is an international site, and that she was free to speak English (or bilingual as I was) but that there was nothing wrong with speaking more than one language. She started ranting about them living here and probably not paying taxes, and I pointed out, again, that they weren't in America, but in Paris, and they pay to play there, which means they did pay to a country they don't live in, since Pogo is American-owned. I told them (since they couldn't understand English and I was basically going back and forth between the two groups) that there is a muet button by her nickname which will allow them to ignore her, and that she was being racist, but that I would gladly play with them. It's just such ignorance that makes us all look bad, especially since if she were actually a paying member herself, she would have gotten the UK one-year anniversary badge about a week ago and known it was an international site, but... generally the internet isn't limited to one country, especially a huge site like Pogo. Also, a lot of people have been having public conversations on there that would have been better left to private since they were one-on-one dramafests. One person spent forever fighting with someone else who wouldn't stop being friends with a third person on the site merely because he wasn't talking with her as much as she'd like, despite still talking to her.
The level of stupidity in my neighborhood has always been high, but is rapidly increasing as well. I know that's a general 'given' when you live in the slums, but things have been turning violent and I can't handle the stress of going out of my house anymore.
At Krogers, I was waiting in the car while my mom went in, and after 30 mins of what this guy was blasting with his windows open (you could hear the words even across the parking lot), I had to storm out and go for security, because, I kid you not, part of the words were "My dick is so hard ... If the bitch fucks with me she gonna get her cherry popped." As if the children there need to be exposed to that, and I am so glad mine wasn't with me. I was pretty pissed, called him a wanna-be rapist, and said some other things, because I am a rape victim and any 'culture' that glorifies raping virgins because they can't get laid - well, saying I don't respect that is a major understatement. I'd go so far as to say people who enjoy that song should be castrated.
Then last night, my parents and I were smoking on the porch, and some stranger comes up to the edge of our yard and starts rapping some bullshit, and he's about 12 years old. I rapped back, it escalated, my dad went to go get some stuff from inside, but things like this are a daily occurrence. The night before, our neighbor came to our yard threateningly and was trying to do something to our car, and the lady he lives with (has his kids but they're not married) called her a bitch and stuff. There's a lot of history there, but I just can't handle any more society. My PTSD is worsening, and I can't reach my therapist, and the fact that those people leave their kids with a child molester for a babysitter and their son assaulted mine just doesn't make me friendly at all. We were friends at one point, until I got a star of david tattoo, and they found out I was dating a jew.
When did it become a negative thing to educate yourself, and a positive one to be a criminal?
I know we've all been discussing national policies, especially given the state of the DOW and the denial of the bailout today, but this is more about the type of policy people buy, since my dad just bought insurance for his truck. Key man life insurance helps a company survive the loss of an important person from their organization, which can cause quite a bit of devastation, especially among smaller start ups. There are articles explaining more details, and you can fill it out for a quote, but I found this extremely interesting since I am looking at bringing a couple of employees into my organization, ones who would be working on crucial aspects, and if the company were to grow with their help, it would be a major burden to lose one of them.
Okay, so I have two great offers for 250 free business cards and points through MyPoints, which will put me at the level I need for another gift card for Gryphon, but I am very annoyed because I spent forever doing the design on the one site I've never used for cards, and it didn't autosave like the one I normally use, so when there was an error, I lost the entire design I'd worked on, and don't feel like redoing it again right now.
So, my topic for the day is sites that autosave your work for the day vs those that don't. Which web services do you use that use this feature, and if they do, can you undo the save? Which ones don't? For example, I adore Google Docs, because it does autosave even though I'm in the habit of hitting control+s every few sentence, but what I like even more than that is it keeps a revision history that you can go through and revert to that copy. This was very helpful the other day when I was doing a collaboration, and another editor was working at the same time, and an error deleted a huge amount of data. It took about 30 seconds to go through the changes and restore the document, which was awesome.
WordPress has an autosave feature when you're writing your posts, but my current software does not, and I'm wondering if there's a plugin out there that I can install to change that, since I've gone plugin heavy lately.
Update: I would like everyone to know that Jerry contacted me directly last night and refunded my money today. Not only that, we have entered an actual discussion regarding site issues, and they are working on the server lag, and speaking to me about the concerns themselves rather than using support. So I would like to amend this to say that I regret what's happened, but I still support Winster and will be joining again once the server issue is resolved because I am very happy they took the time to address this situation. Even if you're canceling or downgrading as I did, please try to check with me or test the site to wait out this period of issues. All sites will have problems, but Jerry contacted me quickly and is receptive, and I respect that when it comes to business and when it comes to running such a large site, so I'm going to keep supporting them through this and offer what help/information I can so that I can come back soon! There may be an interview coming up as well, but if you have anything you'd like me to bring up (I've already covered a lot of it), please drop me a message, okay? Most of you have my personal info, or you can comment here. Thank you for your support through the stress and upset I went through yesterday, and don't give up on Winster yet - if you're staying as paid, just try to keep your spins down as much as you can, and hopefully the lag issue will be a thing of the past soon, in which case you'll see your crazy nun hopping around to chat and trade with you. <3 to you all.
About my cancellation - I have downgraded before and kept gold status until the paid time was up, which was the agreement on your site. Now, I've been stripped of my status, right after paying 9.99 for basically nothing, very close to cashing in for my son's prize for his bday next month (I'm a single parent and needed this but it will be IMPOSSIBLE at free level) so I would like you to fix this immediately, giving me my 800 spins and full points until the paid period is up. I am filing with PayPal for a refund otherwise, and I'm so glad to see that you love to mess with your members, when the reason I cancelled is because the server lag makes it unplayable. I've been loyal for nearly a year, and the site has only declined. You may want to know there's a petition against this online:
Protest Winster and Server Lag!
Please let me know within the week what you are going to do or I will be taking further action against you. Thanks for gypping a kid with a disabled single mother out of a birthday present, by the way. Shows what great people you are. By the way, I was paying for both me and a friend, so you just lost $240 a year unless you fix things, in which case I'll gladly subscribe again, and there are a lot more members talking about dropping you lately.
~Colleen Haddock, mercynre on Winster
Edited: I am speaking with Jerry directly regarding what was previously here, since he contacted me himself and a resolution is in the works. Will update, and if he has the time and wants to, would love to interview him with some short questions about Winster to clarify questions from members.
Their response:
Thank you for your email.
To upgrade, downgrade, or cancel your Club Winster membership, click on "Settings" (on the menu bar), then select the "Membership" tab and follow the instructions.
Upgrades take effect immediately. When you upgrade, you will be charged the difference between your current membership level and your new membership level, pro-rated to the end of your current billing cycle. Your billing cycle is not affected. Your spin balance will immediately be increased to your new membership level. Note that if you use PayPal, you will be asked to approve a new Paypal 'subscription' with a partial payment for the balance of your current month, then a full payment each month thereafter.
Downgrades take effect at the end of your current month. If you pay by PayPal, you will be asked to approve a new Paypal 'subscription' with no payment for the balance of your current month, then a full payment each month thereafter.
Cancellations take effect immediately. Winnie does not refund or pro-rate your last payment, so it is best to cancel just before your next membership billing date. However, upon request Winnie will pro-rate your last payment if she made any material changes to the terms of your membership during that billing cycle. Winnie does not refund or pro-rate your payment(s) if she cancels your account as a result of any violations of her Terms and Conditions.
The membership was cancelled not downgraded.
Peggy
Winster.com Support Team
My responses:
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: After contacting support, I was able to redeem the Burt's Bees, and got $14 for it, not the $10.90 it is listed at, so this is fine to cash for.
ANOTHER UPDATE: I cashed in for Burt's Bees and they are not honoring it!!! Giving me an error and to contact support, which is further delaying my son's birthday present. Getting really sick of this people, but DO NOT CASH FOR BURT'S BEES. I know a LOT of you have that as your goal. Members can honestly say they are not getting prizes from Winster now unless you cash for the gift cards only and not the prizes. So much for my statement above about fully supporting them while things are worked out, unless they fix the problem quickly.
UPDATE: I've been told by a member that even though the Amazon listing for the Waffle Maker is $24.72, when they cashed for it, they were given $20 even. So this is not the best deal, and as far as I know, they are not still giving the right price for Burt's Bees, which was the best to cash for. So as far as I know, the best deal right now is the Craft Tool Kit, unless they are not giving the right amount for that. What a mess. >_<
A lot of people want to know the best deals for the current Winster prizes, so here's the breakdown, in this format:
Points to cash in - Title of Prize - Amount you get if Amazon - Points per dollar
1,600,000 - Herbs in a Bag - $8 - 200,000
2,300,000 - Burt's Bees Start Kit (Head-to-Toe) - $10.50? - 219,048
2,700,000 - $15 Music GC - 180,000
3,500,000 - Craft Tool Kit - $19.95 - 175,438
3,500,000 - Food Chopper - $19.08 - 183,438
3,600,000 - Belgian Waffle Maker - $24.72 - 145,631
3,600,000 - $20 Magazine GC - 180,000
5,400,000 - Fondue Maker - $29.99 = 180,060
9,900,000 - Gem Stone Earrings - $55 - 180,000
15,300,000 - Kodak EashyShare C613 - $95 - 161,052
1,000,000 - $7 off Fandango ticket = 142,857
3,000,000 - $10 WalMart GC - 300,000
1,450,000 - $8 Papa John's - 181,250
1,000,000 - $5 Amazon GC - 200,000
NOTE: The prices and availability fluctuate so check or ask me before cashing, but unless you go to the movies, the best deal is the BELGIAN WAFFLE MAKER for 3.6 million points.
I'm going to the Smoky Mountains for the first time, and so dead today from working on this particular project but it's for the store so I kinda need to finish it. Reading articles, taking notes, and writing my own articles is keeping me pretty busy, so look for those to finally get posted soon. ^_^
I am redoing this site and the others, so, as far as the blogging goes, this blog will be arts, literature, society, and family. Conspiraxy will be government, politics, and news. YaoiGirl will be otaku, fandom, and technology - general geekdom. So hopefully things will be a lot more organized and focused, like the site that just got dropped was, because I'd prefer things that way. I have some projects that I need collaborators on - if you know how to work in Google Docs, drop me a line if you're wanting to participate, okay? Various things, from being beta on some of my writing, to helping fix designs and code for various websites, to adding information to spreadsheets you might know that I haven't found yet, such as certain pairings in doujinshis. Just a lot of stuff, really. And I definitely give credit, and will link to you and all of that.