Disqus - Latest Comments for karenell

Re: Please, let’s get rid of these obsolete hotel amenities!

Karen Brown — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 14:54:19 -0000

ARGH! The tubs! We NEED the tubs!
Twenty years ago I was part of a panel discussion with a MAJOR hotel brand. The discussion? How removing the bathtubs would reduce the amount of time housekeeping needed to clean the room. No dissenting voices would get them to believe this was a bad idea. Now we're hearing that it's what travelers want? It's NOT what I'm seeing and hearing.

I have a team of event professionals who, after working ridiculously long days look forward to soaking - if not their entire bodies in epsom salts - at least their FEET. I have VIPs refusing suite upgrades if they can't have a tub - opting for rooms with two queen beds just for the tub. Personally, I've given up the battle if I'm in a room for only one night - AND they at least provide me with a hand-held shower head, because, quite frankly - there are parts of me that can't be rinsed unless I'm doing gymnastics in the shower.

Re: 10 Things to Know Before Trying the Ketogenic Diet

Karen Brown — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 09:53:02 -0000

Before I address your article, may I point you to the actual results of the study of
The Long Term Effects of a Ketogenic Diet in Obese Patients done by the National Institute of Health?

I've been on the Keto diet 10 months. For the first time in 3 decades, I've watched the scale slowly slide down instead of up. The weight loss for me has been VERY slow. The true benefits are in how I feel- better than I have since I was a teenager. I have more energy. My depression is lifting. I sleep well!

As to your article - here are my counterpoints:

1. You have to REALLY cut carbs. Yes. That is the point. And believe, me, it's not a bad thing. After the first two weeks, and I was no longer dependant on the sugar/carb high every two-three hours, the cravings disappeared. The 'hunger' disappeard. Cutting carbs to less than 20g a day was VERY easy.

2. Keep your protein on the lower end. Say what?? I'm curious to know where you found this information. On the Keto diet, your protein number is a goal. Mine is 79g daily. There are days that I have a hard time reaching it.

3. Eating too much fat may be harmful. The keyword here is 'may'. There are a number of studies that show the harmful effects of the inflammation caused by sugar and insulin spikes.
Here is a great NY Times article I would suggest reading:
How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

4. Supplements are a must. OK. I take a magnesium and potassium supplement daily along with my multivitamin pill. Next!

6. My gut may suffer? I eat a lot of high fiber vegetables daily, including onions and garlic. I LOVE avocados. I have had no issues with my gut.

7. Exercise is subpar? Which athletes provided this piece of advice? I know many who recommend a keto regimine.

8. My social life is fine. I can eat anywhere - I just don't eat the things that are not part of the plan. As for drinking - I limit my alcohol consumption to three nights a week and simply plan accordingly. (BTW - did you know that red wine has 1g of carb per ounce and vodka, whiskey, rum and bourbon all have 0g of carbs? If you watch the mixers and keep your total number of calories in mind, alcohol can be a part of this lifestyle.)

9. Cooking is a must? I travel for a living and am on the road 40% of the time - eating out is part of my life. Finding a piece of protein and green vegetables on just about any menu is not nearly as difficult as you seem to think it is. Read the menu. Ask questions. It's really not that hard.

10.Re: Cholesterol
A direct quote from the NIH study I reference above:
"The level of total cholesterol decreased from week 1 to week 24. HDL cholesterol levels significantly increased, whereas LDL cholesterol levels significantly decreased after treatment. The level of triglycerides decreased significantly following 24 weeks of treatment. The level of blood glucose significantly decreased. The changes in the level of urea and creatinine were not statistically significant."

I seriously question the research that went into this article.

Re: What do hotel guests really want? The answer may surprise you

Karen Brown — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 10:55:27 -0000

A Bathtub! Is it too hard to understand that we don't all take daily showers? It's impossible for me to bathe without getting my hair wet in a shower, and I don't have an hour every day to do my hair. Also - and this may be TMI, but some showers (like the one in the bathroom in the hotel I'm actually writing from) are so small that I can lather certain parts of my body, but can't rinse. (ahem!)

I hate that this is the 'wave of the future."

I'm in the travel industry and when I mention this to hotel sales or management, which - to be honest, is as often as I can - I get a lot of "I've never heard this before. People tell us all the time that they love the shower-only concept!" To which, I think, "Bull$#*+" but I reply, "Viva la difference! Give them showers, give me a tub!"

Re: Vanguard returns to Philadelphia, starting with a staff of 20

Karen Brown — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 21:19:17 -0000

My husband and I met in 1979 when we both worked at Vanguard in Devon, PA. We were two of roughly 100 employees and He was THE accountant for 4 of the 12 total funds that they had. We both remember the party the company threw when they hit $100 Million in total assets.

Re: First-Time Speakers: How to Better Prepare Them

Karen Brown — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 12:58:29 -0000

I am always perplexed by groups that don't feel that this is a priority. You are paying for microphones, projectors, and screens, but what good are all of the things that deliver the message if the message itself is garbled to begin with?

We publish speaker kits with reference materials, offer pre-conference webinars and seminars where all speakers, pros and amateurs alike, are invited to join. Their presentations are video taped and critiqued by a seasoned trainer as well as the group.

Every presenter who has gone through this process has found it to be valuable - and we've noticed a distinct difference in the session evaluations of the participating presenters.

Re: Why Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Kirstie Alley Aren't Speaking - Scandals & Feuds, Dancing With the Stars, Kirstie Alley, Maksim Chmerkovskiy : People.com

Karen Brown — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 19:13:14 -0000

This is an old article - dated 07/31/2014 AT 12:00 PM EDT

Re: An unaccompanied minor fee for my accompanied minors? What’ll they think of next?

Karen Brown — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 14:11:12 -0000

Same class AND Row. And preferably not outnumbered.

We were recently on a flight where Dad (who obviously spent little to no time with his kids and had no knowledge of their capabilities) flew in first class with his two toddler sons. Babe1 and Babe2 were in 2A and C - Dad sat himself down in 4F and got comfy. As we were taxiing for takeoff, Babe1 undid his seatbelt to stand on the seat and look out the window. Babe 2 quickly followed. As we lifted off, they were pushing and shoving each other, vying for the view. The rest of the flight was one disaster after another - Dad eventually did get up and pulled their tray tables out for juice. When the juice was spilled EVERYwhere and removed by the flight attendant, the kicking began. I was in 1D and watched as the poor woman in 1C was bounced and kicked throughout the flight as she tried valiantly to get through a rather large work document.

As we were waiting for the jetway to dock and the signal to deplane a woman who had darted up from coach was oohing and aahing over the little darlings. How well behaved they were! The looks she got from the rest of us should have vaporized her.

Re: Does she deserve a refund for this Princess cruise?

Karen Brown — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:08:43 -0000

Did Princess misrepresent the Coral Princess?
Yes, but Wilhelm does not deserve a refund.

With the amount of online reviews available out there, it's hard to feel for someone who spends $8K without doing any research. Beyond that, you've already made valid points about the procedures she should have followed before simply leaving.

It's not like the cruise was going to be able to resell their two cabins minutes before departure.

Re: Mom died, but US Airways won’t refund my fee

Karen Brown — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:49:28 -0000

Two years ago I booked a flight on US Airways and PAID for the insurance, which, at the time anyway, was supposed to cover deaths in the family including aunts and uncles. My godmother had been ill, I was concerned that she would pass and my plans would have to change. And that's exactly what happened. My aunt died just before I was about to fly.

When I tried to use the insurance to change my plans I was told that, in addition to the death certificate, I had to get her doctor's signature that she had not been diagnosed with an illness prior to my buying the insurance.

Essentially, the insurance is useless. I save my money now and consider it a $20 credit toward the next time I have to pay a $200 change fee.

Re: Westgate promised, but did it deliver?

Karen Brown — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:43:50 -0000

The OP lives in Salt Lake City - 30 minutes from Park City. He just wanted to ski - not spend vacation time there.

Re: Should US Airways compensate me for a lodging error?

Karen Brown — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 09:50:39 -0000

It's possible that a naive gate agent incorrectly stated US Airways' policy, but I think that more than likely Mr. Patterson chose, on his own, to pick his own hotel. And that's not the deal - nor should it be. As you stated, when passengers are stranded for mechanical reasons the airline offers them vouchers to very specific contracted hotels. They don't offer a carte blanche hotel reimbursement for whatever hotel a passenger chooses. They need some way of controlling costs, and the voucher program does so, while also fulfilling whatever obligation they might have to the customer.

I've been stranded by US Airways' mechanical errors on more occasions than I'd like to count. I have always been offered a voucher. No one has ever told me to 'pick a room, any room, and we'll reimburse you.' Very often I've chosen to forego the voucher because I didn't like the hotel they were offering - but that was my choice.

The $75 they are offering in compensation is likely their cost for the voucher. And considering the circumstances, I think it's generous.

Re: One note or two about planning the trip of a lifetime

Karen Brown — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:27:46 -0000

Have you used Tripit? It scans my inbox and adds everything for me automatically and auto-syncs. I can add additional information / reservations manually for unconventional items (i.e. a cabin rental)

I'm curious to know the differences - pros, cons?

Or Evernote - which also clips, sorts and auto-syncs, but doesn't put my itinerary together for me.

Re: “Their bait-and-switch tactics count on us having a short memory”

Karen Brown — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:29:15 -0000

I think a big problem here is the usage of the term 'star rating' -
something only Mobil (now Forbes) could assign. What TripAdvisor
provides is a user rating, actually denoted in circles, not stars.

Re: Air France offered us an upgrade — then it didn’t

Karen Brown — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:07:01 -0000

Whether the offer was legit or not, the form replies leave me cross-eyed. Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer out of customer service reps? It seems so unprofessional coming from large organizations and just screams - "our lives would be so much easier if all of these pesky customers would just GO AWAY!"

Re: Pending Published - Meetings And Conventions

Karen Brown — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:22:09 -0000

Perfect timing! I'm at MPI-WEC and am in VERY short supply of cards! Thank you!

Re: Really?

Karen Brown — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:22:47 -0000

But...it's organic!

Isn't it?