the michael galpert experience

Be Well, Do Good.

7 notes

I love my Kindle. It’s crude and ghosty and imperfect and the keys are like sandpaper and the whole thing has the responsiveness of a fax machine or someone with a Sunday morning hangover. It’s endearing in that way, reminds me of the technology I grew up with.
An interview with Jack Cheng

8,510 notes

superamit: Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on with me. WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE 8/1979: Born. Grew up in CT, built a killer eraser collection, fell in love with computers. Left college to start a company. Fell hard. Fled to India for 3 months. Started 2nd company. Learned to be an adult. Fell in love with NYC. Moved to SF, discovered burritos & some of my fave people on Earth. 9/2011: Got diagnosed with Leukemia! Cried. Went through 3 cycles of chemo. Hurt. Thought hard about what I want out of life. Grew up a second time. TODAY … After over 100 drives organized by friends, family, and strangers, celebrity call-outs, a bazillion reblogs (7000+!), tweets, and Facebook posts, press, fundraising and international drives organized by tireless friends, and a couple painful false starts, I’ve got a 10/10 matched donor! You all literally helped save my life. (And the lives of many others.) WHAT HAPPENS NEXT Tomorrow, I’ll be admitted to Dana Farber in Boston for 4-5 weeks. First I’ll get a second Hickman line to allow direct access to my heart (for meds and for nutrients if I’m not able to eat). Over the next week, the docs blast my body with a stiff chemo cocktail to try and eradicate all traces of cancer cells. In the process, the immune system I was born with, and my body’s ability to make blood, are destroyed. Next Friday, I get my donor’s stem cells by IV. I start on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting them (I’ll be on them for 12-18 months). For these weeks I’ve no immune system, so I’m severely vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. My hospital room and hallway become my world. Meanwhile, the stem cells make their way to my bone marrow and, with some luck, start producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. At this point, my blood type changes to the blood type of my donor. And my blood will now have my donor’s DNA, not my own. This is science fiction stuff. I can hardly believe it’s even possible, and there’s lots of chances for things to go wrong. It’s frightening. AFTER THE TRANSPLANT Recovery to a new state of “normal” takes about a year, but there’s a few storm clouds hovering: My immune system is new, like a baby’s. I’m prone to getting sick. Just as with any organ transplant, there’s a chance of rejection. Except in this case, it’s my blood that’s the foreign body, and it touches every organ. They call it graft-vs-host-disease and it can cause health issues and organ complications for the rest of my life. Successful transplant or not, Leukemia can relapse. Stubborn mofo. Overall, 75% of AML transplant patients survive year one, 50% make it through year five. My odds are a little better since I’m young. THE GREAT NEWS I’ve got a long road ahead. But I’ve got a donor & amazing family & friends. A few months ago I didn’t have many options. Today I have a plan. I am alive. I start tomorrow. Wish me luck! Thank you. they dont call him #superamit for nothing!

superamit:

Many of you have asked, so here’s what’s going on with me.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

  • 8/1979: Born. Grew up in CT, built a killer eraser collection, fell in love with computers.
  • Left college to start a company. Fell hard. Fled to India for 3 months.
  • Started 2nd company. Learned to be an adult. Fell in love with NYC.
  • Moved to SF, discovered burritos & some of my fave people on Earth.
  • 9/2011: Got diagnosed with Leukemia!
  • Cried. Went through 3 cycles of chemo. Hurt. Thought hard about what I want out of life. Grew up a second time.

TODAY

… After over 100 drives organized by friends, family, and strangers, celebrity call-outs, a bazillion reblogs (7000+!), tweets, and Facebook posts, press, fundraising and international drives organized by tireless friends, and a couple painful false starts, I’ve got a 10/10 matched donor!

You all literally helped save my life. (And the lives of many others.)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Tomorrow, I’ll be admitted to Dana Farber in Boston for 4-5 weeks.

First I’ll get a second Hickman line to allow direct access to my heart (for meds and for nutrients if I’m not able to eat). Over the next week, the docs blast my body with a stiff chemo cocktail to try and eradicate all traces of cancer cells. In the process, the immune system I was born with, and my body’s ability to make blood, are destroyed.

Next Friday, I get my donor’s stem cells by IV. I start on immunosuppressants to prevent my body from rejecting them (I’ll be on them for 12-18 months). For these weeks I’ve no immune system, so I’m severely vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. My hospital room and hallway become my world.

Meanwhile, the stem cells make their way to my bone marrow and, with some luck, start producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. At this point, my blood type changes to the blood type of my donor. And my blood will now have my donor’s DNA, not my own.

This is science fiction stuff. I can hardly believe it’s even possible, and there’s lots of chances for things to go wrong. It’s frightening.

AFTER THE TRANSPLANT

Recovery to a new state of “normal” takes about a year, but there’s a few storm clouds hovering:

  • My immune system is new, like a baby’s. I’m prone to getting sick.
  • Just as with any organ transplant, there’s a chance of rejection. Except in this case, it’s my blood that’s the foreign body, and it touches every organ. They call it graft-vs-host-disease and it can cause health issues and organ complications for the rest of my life.
  • Successful transplant or not, Leukemia can relapse. Stubborn mofo.

Overall, 75% of AML transplant patients survive year one, 50% make it through year five. My odds are a little better since I’m young.

THE GREAT NEWS

I’ve got a long road ahead. But I’ve got a donor & amazing family & friends. A few months ago I didn’t have many options. Today I have a plan.

I am alive. I start tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Thank you.

they dont call him #superamit for nothing!

28 notes

courtneylewis: Amazon and Etsy are vast oceans of ordinary products. But every so often I stumble across beautiful and unexpected finds. With that in mind, I created Tydepool.com to collect them all.For you Amazon Prime users, this is a great storefront for last minute gifts. Follow the Amazon pool, Etsy pool or both, and please share any recommendations to include. HEART

courtneylewis:

Amazon and Etsy are vast oceans of ordinary products. But every so often I stumble across beautiful and unexpected finds. With that in mind, I created Tydepool.com to collect them all.

For you Amazon Prime users, this is a great storefront for last minute gifts. Follow the Amazon pool, Etsy pool or both, and please share any recommendations to include.

HEART

8 notes

jesseddy:

User Experience is about the process of elimination. Pay me to help you eliminate is a really hard sell sometimes.

17 notes

coffeecommon: Coffee Common’s First Public Event in North America to be at A Startup Store in ChelseaThursday January 19th – Sunday January 22 From January 19th through 22nd, a selection of the world’s best baristas will gather in Chelsea to make delicious coffee and help people understand how they can too. Demand for quality coffee is on the rise, but a market filled with strange devices and alien vernacular can sometimes be intimidating. Luckily its easier than ever to find great coffees and to help you navigate all of this, Coffee Common has assembled crew of local and international baristas seeking to distill it all down so each attendee walks away equipped with the fundamentals of delicious coffee. In addition to engaging demo stations, baristas will be on hand to answer any questions, whilst serving some of the best coffees currently available from around the country. The entrance fee is $5 per a person, per a visit, to experience, learn, taste and sip some of the most amazing coffees! Tickets are available online or available on site. Coffee Common’s NYC event will be located at A Startup Store - a new story-based retail concept located in Chelsea at 144 Tenth Avenue at 19th street. Developed by Rachel Shechtman, this new venture opened weeks ago with rave reviews. Shechtman’s vision and concept is a retail environment that has the point of view of a magazine, changes like gallery, and sells things like a store. The store will reinvent itself every 4-6 weeks, changing all merchandise, décor and event programming. The store is currently in beta, and will launch officially on February 1st announcing its permanent store name and debuting a shopping exhibition called LOVE. Coffee Common’s NYC event is unique to its Manhattan location, creating new opportunities for an evolving group of roasters and baristas to take part and engage with diverse segments of the public. In addition, a myriad of local and international brands have partnered to amplify and augment this experience. A Startup Store will be broadcasting Coffee Common in Google+ hangouts throughout the duration of the exhibition; Breville will be giving away some of its latest home brewing equipment. In addition, partners such as GiltCity and Skillshare will be offering special Coffee Common events on their sites. A Startup Store is located at 144 Tenth Avenue on the southeast corner at 19th street Coffee Common event hours:Thursday, Jan 19th 11 - 8pmFriday, Jan 20th 11 – 7pmSaturday, Jan 21st 11 – 6pmSunday, Jan 22nd11 – 6pm [photo credit: Stefan Georgi] Im going to be in Chicago that weekend but dont leave until Thursday night. That means i will be there at 11am on Thursday when these guys open their doors!

coffeecommon:

Coffee Common’s First Public Event in North America to be at A Startup Store in Chelsea
Thursday January 19th – Sunday January 22

From January 19th through 22nd, a selection of the world’s best baristas will gather in Chelsea to make delicious coffee and help people understand how they can too. Demand for quality coffee is on the rise, but a market filled with strange devices and alien vernacular can sometimes be intimidating. Luckily its easier than ever to find great coffees and to help you navigate all of this, Coffee Common has assembled crew of local and international baristas seeking to distill it all down so each attendee walks away equipped with the fundamentals of delicious coffee. In addition to engaging demo stations, baristas will be on hand to answer any questions, whilst serving some of the best coffees currently available from around the country. The entrance fee is $5 per a person, per a visit, to experience, learn, taste and sip some of the most amazing coffees! Tickets are available online or available on site.

Coffee Common’s NYC event will be located at A Startup Store - a new story-based retail concept located in Chelsea at 144 Tenth Avenue at 19th street. Developed by Rachel Shechtman, this new venture opened weeks ago with rave reviews. Shechtman’s vision and concept is a retail environment that has the point of view of a magazine, changes like gallery, and sells things like a store. The store will reinvent itself every 4-6 weeks, changing all merchandise, décor and event programming. The store is currently in beta, and will launch officially on February 1st announcing its permanent store name and debuting a shopping exhibition called LOVE.

Coffee Common’s NYC event is unique to its Manhattan location, creating new opportunities for an evolving group of roasters and baristas to take part and engage with diverse segments of the public. In addition, a myriad of local and international brands have partnered to amplify and augment this experience. A Startup Store will be broadcasting Coffee Common in Google+ hangouts throughout the duration of the exhibition; Breville will be giving away some of its latest home brewing equipment. In addition, partners such as GiltCity and Skillshare will be offering special Coffee Common events on their sites.

A Startup Store is located at 144 Tenth Avenue on the southeast corner at 19th street

Coffee Common event hours:
Thursday, Jan 19th 11 - 8pm
Friday, Jan 20th 11 – 7pm
Saturday, Jan 21st 11 – 6pm
Sunday, Jan 22nd11 – 6pm

[photo credit: Stefan Georgi]

Im going to be in Chicago that weekend but dont leave until Thursday night. That means i will be there at 11am on Thursday when these guys open their doors!

Filed under coffee nyc

21 notes

The reason to focus on interests rather than goals or resolutions, for me, is to place the emphasis on the enjoyable elements rather than the expected results. Sure, I’d like to weigh less, but the only way to get there and stay there is to find new enjoyment in healthier eating habits, a clearer head, and a less of a eating/drinking-to-self-medicate mentality.

Bustr Bensn: Cultivating interests in 2012