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Question #16603
Recent Question/Assignment
PAF 9170: Research and Analysis I
2015 Fall
Midterm Exam
Instructions: There are two parts (Part A: Policy Memo and Part B: Statistical Calculation) on this exam (most have several sub-parts) each worth the specified number of points. You are to answer every question. Make sure you show all your work so you can get partial credit even if your final answer is incorrect. Due is 11/4 before the class. Please bring the hard copy of your answer.
Part A. Policy Memo (50 points)
You are a health policy analyst for the Finance Committee of the U.S. Senate. The committee is examining the potential impact of the recently passed "health care reform" and needs an analysis of factors associated with health care expenditures. To carry out the analysis you are going to draw on 2006 data from one of the most comprehensive surveys of health care in the United States, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). While this survey includes information on over 1,500 variables, you have extracted from it information on health care expenditures, sources of funding for health care, health condition, insurance coverage, income by source, and some demographic variables. The variables in the dataset for this assignment are list at the end of this handout. The data is discussed in more detail in a separate handout.
The MEPS data is aggregated to the family-level, where family is defined as family members that would usually be covered under the same family health insurance policy. (See document on MEPS data for more detail.) Because the MEPS in 2006 includes over 14,000 "families" you will use a random sample of approximately 300 families in your analysis. A description of how to draw a random sample in SPSS follows the discussion of the assignment.
Research Questions: Using the random sample you have drawn from the MEPS and three independent variables which you think might be related to total medical expenditures, you need to carry out the following analysis (you can use your previous results from assignments, but make sure you need to attach those results to the memo):
1) Provide a histogram for medical expenditures and at least three independent variables that you chose.
2) Provide summary statistics (mean, median and standard deviation) and a box plot for each of the independent variables.
3) Examine the association using a cross tabulation table between whether a family is uninsured and the family's race, and census region. Are uninsured families systematically different than those that are insured?
4) Pick at least two continuous variables which you think might be related to medical expenditures. For each,
- Prepare a scatterplot
- Provide the correlation coefficients with medical expenditures and these independent variables
- Provide a regression line for medical expenditures regressed on these independent variables.
ASSIGNMENT: Based on this analysis, prepare the following;
1) A memo (single space, 1– 2 page) written to your boss discussing your findings and making suggestions on which variables should be considered in a more in-depth analysis of medical expenditures. Don't just answer the questions presented in order. You need to summarize the findings and key conclusions from your analysis in language accessible to the educated layman.
2) Your SPSS results as the appendix.
I will use the following criteria when grading your memos:
Accuracy/thoroughness of analysis (50%)
– Did you answer the 4 questions using the appropriate statistics and interpret the statistics correctly?
Presentation (30%)
– Do you use results from your analysis to support your conclusions?
– Can someone with no statistical background understand your memo?
Writing (20%)
– Does your memo follow the memo structure?
* Some useful tips about writing policy memos
– Writing Studio at Duke University
– Other Example
Part B. Statistical Calculation (50 points)
1. An investigator wants to study the relationship between physical and intellectual growth in children. He has data which give the size of the vocabulary and the height of all children in a large elementary school. Please fill in the blanks by choosing the appropriate word from the box below. In 1) and 2), which of these correlations presents a more meaningful comparison of these variables? Explain briefly (4 points)
1) Within each of the grades, 1-6, the correlation between height and size of vocabulary is likely to be __________.
2) For all students in the school, the correlation is likely to be _________.
a) about zero; b) positive; c) negative; d) no way to tell
2. A professor has been asked to teach a course in social science statistics off-campus to a class of graduate students enrolled in the Continuing Education Program of the University. Because the professor has never taught in this program before, he does not know a great deal about the needs and backgrounds of the students in the class. In order to learn more about the students, on the first day of class he obtains from each of them the following information: age, major field as an undergraduate student, number of statistics courses taken previously, and interest in conducting empirical research (coded low, medium, high). This information is listed below:
Student # Age Major Statistics Courses Research Interest
1 24 Poli Sci 3 High
2 55 Zoology 3 High
3 26 Botany 0 Low
4 55 Sociology 0 Low
5 22 Poli Sci 1 Low
6 23 Sociology 2 Medium
7 24 Poli Sci 2 Medium
8 55 Forestry 1 Low
9 56 Engineering 9 High
10 53 Poli Sci 1 Medium
11 26 Chemistry 2 Medium
12 24 Sociology 0 Low
13 54 Physics 3 High
14 51 Sociology 3 High
15 55 Poli Sci 0 Low
16 25 Poli Sci 1 Medium
17 24 Sociology 1 Medium
Based on these data, answer questions in the following. (Total 13 points)
(a) At what level of measurement is each of these variables such as Age, Major, Statistics Course, and Research Interest? (3 points)
(b) In order to summarize this data, the professor decides to calculate measures of central tendency for these variables. For each variable, which measures of the central tendency can be calculated? For each of these variables, calculate the measure(s) of central tendency which can be calculated. (5 points)
(c) For each of these variables, which measure(s) of central tendency would it be most useful for the professor to bear in mind as he conducts the class? That is, for each of these variables, which measure(s) yield(s) the most typical or representative value for the class of students? For each variable, briefly explain your answer. (5 points)
3. Assume you work for the Army Corps of Engineers involved with flood control projects. After years of analyzing water levels on the Ohio River, the Corps has determined that water levels in a certain stretch of river (prone to flooding) are normally distributed with a mean of 20 feet and standard deviation of 5 feet. Widespread flooding occurs when the water level reaches 26 feet. (Total 12 points)
1) What percent of the time is there a flood? (5 points)
2) The corps wants to decrease the probability of a flood to only 3 percent of the time. How much will they have to raise the river bank? In other words, determine the height of the river bank to limit flooding to 3% of the time. (7 points)
4. The city council of Greely received the following data from the local police department regarding the crimes committed in the community. The data show the race and sex of those who committed crimes in the last year and whether or not they received a jail term for their actions. (Total 6 points)
Crimes Committed in Greely
Blacks Whites
Jail Sentence Male Female Total Male Female Total
Yes 48 34 82 107 62 169
No 72 34 106 57 26 83
Total 120 68 188 164 88 252
Total N = 440
Help the city council answer the following questions.
1) Were men or women more likely to receive a jail sentence? By how much? (2 points)
2) Were blacks or whites more likely to receive a jail sentence? By how much? (2 points)
3) Do these data show evidence of discrimination against any groups in receiving jail sentences? In other words, was any group of people (i.e., black males, black females, white male, and white females) most likely to receive a jail sentence compared to others? (2 points)
5. The leaders of a community health clinic want to evaluate the impact of a weight loss program for clients initiated a year ago. The program consisted of weekly low-impact group exercise sessions offered three times a week. Clients varied greatly in their attendance at these sessions.
Program administrators decide to analyze data from the program using multiple regression. The dependent variable in the analysis is total pounds lost per client over the course of the program (WLOSS).
Program administrators have a variety of independent variables. The primary independent variable is the number of exercise sessions attended (EXERCISE). Weight (in pounds) at the start of the program (WEIGHT) is included as an independent variable. Age (Age) and Gender (Gender) is also entered into the model. Gender is recoded as a dummy variable (male=1 and female =0). (Total 15 points)
1) Interpret the coefficients of independent variables (Exercise, Weight, Age, and Gender), r2 and the intercept (5 points)
2) Predict total pounds lost when 35 year old female was attending the session 7 times at her weight (200 pounds) (5 points)
3) Do you think that this program is effective for a weight loss? What other variables might explain a weight loss? In other words, if you want to add any variable to model, what would be appropriate for expecting a weight loss? (5 points)
Variables Entered/Removeda
Model Variables Entered Variables Removed Method
1 gender, weight, age, exerciseb . Enter
a. Dependent Variable: wloss
b. All requested variables entered.
Model Summary
Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate
1 .621a .386 .360 11.1243
a. Predictors: (Constant), gender, weight, age, exercise
Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
1 Regression 7378.559 4 1844.640 14.906 .000b
Residual 11756.191 95 123.749
Total 19134.750 99
a. Dependent Variable: wloss
b. Predictors: (Constant), gender, weight, age, exercise
Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig.
B Std. Error Beta
1 (Constant) -3.764 8.996 -.418 .677
exercise -.495 .080 -.557 -6.185 .000
weight -.056 .036 -.137 -1.556 .123
age .002 .087 .002 .027 .978
gender -.393 2.382 -.014 -.165 .869
a. Dependent Variable: wloss
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subset: commoncrawl


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Police Can't Order You to Stop Filming Them in Public or Force You to Delete Pics:
A good deal of the footage coming out Ferguson, Missouri, this week has been provided by non-journalists, using their phones to record and photograph events. At the same time, reports claim that police are attempting to block both ordinary citizens and journalists from documenting the situation. What these officers either don't know or aren't saying is that you have the legal right to photograph the police, even when they tell you not to.
In light of what is going on in Ferguson this past week, this is a good reminder to both shooters and law enforcement.


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Girls Junior Varsity Basketball, Girls Varsity Basketball · Lady Trojan Basketball vs. Bleckley County-01/26/16
Written by Coach Holiday Friday 1/26/16 Lamar————–41 Bleckley Co.—–52 Raven Sullivan 9 pts. Tyschanda Castlin 7 pts. Raven Sullivan was the battle Trojan of the Game. She showed outstanding effort and provided the Lady Trojans with relentless defense.


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Friday, 29 May 2009
Sam: Not Such Morning Glory
Morning Glory - the circumstance whereupon a man wakes up with an erection - is something that every man should celebrate. Because it means that his penis is still working. I've just discovered in hospital, unfortunately, that there is little glory attached to it. At all.
There are various disadvantages, because at a cetain point a nurse will come along and require you to pee into a bottle. Have you ever tried to put an erect penis into a bottle and peeing into it? It's very, very difficult. And that's not even including the embarassment of greeting your first nurse of the morning with a good (or even feeble) erection. My tip - wait until it's died down a bit before even thinking of summoning anyone to your bedside.
Now I'm out of hospital, I'm more grateful of my Morning Glory than ever before. And gentlemen of the world, so should you be. Of yours, that is. Not mine.
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 10:38 am No comments:
Labels: awkward moments, Man-stuff, NHS, Sam
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Dan: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…
(...and especially an insecure woman who thinks she's been scorned)
Forgive me for being silent for so long. I've been so busy I've barely had time for eating and sleeping. While thoughts of sex have never been far from my mind, they've not had a hugely thoughtful edge to them. I didn't think six paragraphs of 'I want some, I want some, I want some, I want some, I want some', would be particularly interesting reading for you.
I was treated to an interesting display of 'female scratch-cattery' the other week during a meeting that turned into a bit of a night out. I'm doing some work with a friend – lets call him Pete – on a new charity comedy night. After the meeting finished, we met up with his girlfriend, a mutual female friend of ours and a few others who joined us later.
This mutual friend is lovely – good looking, husky voice and interesting with a brilliant sense of humour. She is also a natural flirt. Guys who first meet her usually think she fancies them because during conversations she will touch you on the wrist or shoulder, sometimes even your leg. She never seems bored of what you're saying, always asking more questions to learn more – smiling as she does so.
(A pet peeve of mine is people who can't hold conversations, and in my experience, a lot of people can't. Ever had that situation where you ask somebody something; they answer for about five minutes while you nod looking interested; and then they just let the conversation die by not asking you something in return?)
In short, she is very engaging and so you want to engage with her in return. She buys drinks for people too - not standing on outdated etiquettes. All this – coupled with lovely eyes and a winning smile – mean sex appeal radiates from this girl like a shockwaves from an earthquake.
It also means that any girl who happens not to know her doesn't realise she is happily in a relationship and sooooo not interested in that girl's boyfriend, and therefore loathe her instantly and instinctively. I've seen it several times – it's almost comic.
Ladies have a sixth sense for threat, I think, and evidently Pete's girlfriend felt threatened because she did the 'anti-vaginal magnet hug'. You've all seen this before – usually between two girls who know each other but don't like each other – they hug, pretending to like each other for the benefit of everybody else in the group.
But if you look at the hug, it's like their pelvises have strongly opposing magnets in them so the only parts that get remotely close are the head and arms, so they briefly resemble an inverted 'v'. If you haven't seen it, watch out for it – any time there is a power struggle in a group of women that hug is evident, as neither lady wants to be seen as the 'bitch' in the group.
Anyhow, so there we were, everybody laughing and joking. We all ended up back at my mate's flat for a few drinks and then the mutual friend makes her excuses and leaves. So far, I've not really spotted any issues during the night - people have all been chatting, and conversations have been flowing like expenses cash into Hazel Blears's bank account.
But almost as soon as the front door closed, my mate's girlfriend kicked off worse than Drogba on a diving course, accusing my friend of carrying on and practically fucking this girl on the coffee table.
'You're such a dick… how dare you? – you know what you've done! blah blah, yadda yadda, call me a taxi now you pig, I'm going to sleep at mine tonight!' (A really stupid tactic, it seems to me, if you are actually worried about losing your boyfriend to another woman).
Jealousy is a pretty ugly thing when rendered in such stark and obvious form (whichever sex is the one on the jealous spree – and guys defiantly do it too!). Pete was perplexed because he and I had spent most of the evening chatting about business (very dull of us) and the rest talking with the other people who had joined us later. At no time had Pete's girlfriend taken him to one side and simply asked him about any perceived over familiarity. In the end, her reaction just made her look ridiculous and monstrously insecure.
All this after Pete has told me he and his lady had discussed marriage. God forbid the bridesmaids are even remotely attractive, because somebody might get injured. Can you stab somebody with a bouquet?
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 1:44 pm 12 comments:
Labels: Dan, Relationships, Wrongness
Friday, 22 May 2009
'Mr Sex' (and Any Major Dude With Half A Heart): Songs for the Dumped
So do you want another example as to why women have a far easier time with relationship issues than men? Go to the karaoke, and I guaran-damn-tee you that there will be at least one woman making a dog's arse out of I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, proclaiming to the world that she's finally over that twatty ex and is a strong, independent woman who won't be held down by rubbish blokes ever again (before ruining the effect by going off for a crying jag in the toilets or clamping herself to some random Jeremy Kyle guest in a Lonsdale top).
All well and good. But what about those of us who have penises? Where's our I Will Survive – songs that allow ourselves to roar with pride that we're not being dicked about by exes anymore and have moved on with grace and dignity without resorting to outright misogyny (whilst simultaneously letting the female population of the pub be aware of the fact that they can queue up for a portion)?
Having been kept awake for ages at night going through the Guinness Book of Hit Singles of my mind, I finally snapped and sent out the Sex-Signal to my esteemed musical blog-chum, the amazingly brilliant Any Major Dude With Half A Heart, asking him to come up with five tunes men could fall back on. Not only has he come up with ten, he's also got them ready for download (and he whipped the best ones, as he's a thousand times more organised than I). His ten are here, mine are below – but first, please be aware of the following provisos;
1) This list is written under the assumption that the bloke running the karaoke has a ludicrously eclectic range of songs, and not just the usual rubbish.
2) It's also written under the assumption that said karaoke is not rammed with the usual bumfluff-'tached Oompah-Loompahs who want to do fucking Angels, or the mad old trout who demands to sing Crazy at least seven times.
3) It's really, really hard to find male versions of I Will Survive, as you will soon discover. Most of the songs I've settled on don't quite match the sentiments of the former – and some of them are not the most right-on in tone - but they all manage to carry off the impressive feat of sounding triumphant in defeat.
4) I reserve the right to swear a lot when you come up with glaringly obvious suggestions that are miles better than mine.
AMDWHAH's Top Ten
Ben Folds Five – Song For The Dumped
Song For The Dumped really is the national anthem of embittered dumpees. Ben Folds has been discarded with pitiless diplomacy: "So you wanted to take a break, slow it down some and have some space…" He stood no chance; you can't argue yourself out of that one. How would you respond? And how would you like to respond. Probably like Folds: "Well, fuck you too." Less than considerate? Perhaps. But, man, he had just BOUGHT HER DINNER. Now he wants his money back, "and don't forget to give me back my black T-shirt". Yeah! Give him back the black T-shirt! The new girlfriend is getting cold!
Tom Waits – Who Are You
Ben Folds wants to her to give back the T-shirt; Waits wants her to TAKE BACK what she gave him: lies. And he's only getting started in what might be the greatest fuck-off song from the male perspective. "Did my time – in the jail of your arms." Oooh! "Go on ahead and take this the wrong way, time's not your friend." Ouch! "Are you pretending to love? Well, I hear that it pays well." Oooof!
Godsmack – I Fucking Hate You
It is fair to say that Godsmack's repertoire of scathing zingers is rather more slender than that of Waits and they do lack Ben Folds cutting drollness, but they sing from the heart. Not only was that horrid ex apparently lying to Mr Smack, but she also impugned his good character (and we must trust that his integrity was entirely unimpeachable before), as the lyric suggest: "And every day I'm gonna blame you, even if you justify every fuckin' bullshit lie…it only makes me want to break you." Inarticulation often accompanies a broken heart, which might explain the lyrical descend to the levels subsequently occupied by Paris Hilton on her excursion into the world of popular music: "Don't ever look my way. Don't even think I'm playin', cause I fuckin' hate you. You're such a liar; I love to hate you" (punctuation is mine; as conceived by the lyricist, none might have been intended). And with that out of the way, we can finally deliberate on the heart of the song: "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!" And why not? Sometimes that is all that needs to be said.
Justin Timberlake – Cry Me A River
The song apparently was a riposte to Britney Spears' alleged infidelity. Likewise, our notional karaoke singer might have been the blameless party in a split generated by a betrayal. He might have done the dumping, but the betrayal was hers. Either way, the relationship is over, no matter how much she begs. "Girl I refuse, you must have me confused with some other guy. Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn to cry, cry me a river." The sentiment, of course, borrows from a much greater song by the same title. That one is more commonly sung by women (best heard in Julie London's version).
Hank Williams – Your Cheating Heart
Where Timberlake is piqued over Britn… the girl's infidelity, Hank Williams (the first one, not the McCain-lovin' son) navigates the byways of false empathy as he sketches out what emotional turmoil awaits the indiscreet ex. "Your cheatin' heart will make you weep. You'll cry and cry and try to sleep." Just reward for cheating on the doubtless scrupulously faithful Hank. Of course Hank may just be hoping or projecting; the girl might well be pleased to be rid of him, and perhaps with good reason. But just in case she isn't, he adds: "You'll toss around and call my name." And wouldn't that just settle the score?
Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
Where Hank Williams wishes psychological suffering upon his ex, Lou is more sanguine about love lost — and he can afford to be, since he was only rejected, not cheated upon. His cheer obviously is a mask: when he says she won't ever find anyone as good as him, he is bathed in anguish, and not making an intrepid foray into the dark art of divination, his rebuff of "ifs and buts and maybes" notwithstanding. He's not "bragging on myself, baby"; it's just inconceivable that anyone can love her as tenderly and completely as he has. She'll regret rejecting him. "Late in the midnight hour, baby — you're gonna miss my lovin'. When it's cold outside — you're gonna miss my lovin'." His whoa-whoas serve to underline the hopeful taunt. He'll get over her in good time, and when she realises what she has lost, it'll be too late. Take that, you wretched waster of good love!
Any rejected fool in love will know precisely what Lou is talking about. Twenty years ago, I was such a fool, suffering from unrequited love, a distressing case of frienditis, with Elizabeth (not necessarily her real name). One night at a club, You'll Never Find... came on. While she was dancing with some random other, I whispered to my friend: "And I dedicate this song to Elizabeth." Our mutual friend emphatically agreed with the sentiment. Well, Elizabeth just didn't love me that way. The way she did love me was expressed by ramming a stake through my heart while cackling viciously like a particularly sinister witch in Macbeth as portrayed by an overacting diva as she told me that we should just be friends. I recently caught up with Elizabeth. She is happily married to a nice man who clearly adores her, and she him. So Lou proved to be less than prescient. But at the time, his anthem of defiant self-validation in which she, not he, was the big loser helped to shake the heavy dust of lovelorn despondency off my shoulders. And within only a year and a half, I was even over her…
Whitesnake – Here I Go Again
Some men are accumulating experience at being dumped, much like our present friend as he goes again here. He won't waste much time mourning the old relationship. In karaoke mode, he is proclaiming himself ready to be swept off his feet by the next knightess in shining lycra. And what woman of compassionate spirit would fail to give the man a chance when he philosophies: "I'm just another heart in need of rescue, waiting on love's sweet charity. And I'm gonna hold on for the rest of my days, 'cos I know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams." Sure, the poetry is risible, but he probably will get laid tonight.
Garth Brooks – Friends In Low Places
Being dumped for reasons of economic class just isn't right-on. But this is what has happened to Garth Brooks (or the song's first-person protagonist). He confronts her for a final time on her wedding day. And as he might in the rejected script for a rom-com, Brooks trespasses on the nuptials in his cowboy boots (and perhaps a 12 gallon Stetson), intimidates the alarmed groom, and tells the bride that he's down with her new life — as turning up uninvited to an ex's wedding invariably communicates. "I toasted you, said, 'honey, we may be through', but you'll never hear me complain." With bravado he celebrates having found refuge in drink among the flies at his local bar (here we imagine a joint where Achy Breaky Heart commands respect) populated by the cohort of low social expectations in the title. Brooks is, as we and his ex can guess, fooling himself. But at least he can get in a little dig as he makes his declaration of emotional independence: "Hey, I didn't mean to cause a big scene. Just give me an hour and then…well, I'll be as high as that ivory tower that you're livin' in." At which point his lowly-placed pals join in the rousing, presumably alcohol-fuelled chorus.
Prefab Sprout – When Love Breaks Down
The dumped karaoke song for the more introspective, analytical man. It isn't even clear yet that he has been dumped, or that the relationship is over. But our hero is already making plans for that eventuality, which he seems to regard as virtually inevitable. So, what happens when love breaks down? Firstly, you stop the truth from hurting you. Secondly, you lie to yourself (as some of our friends in the preceding songs have done). Thirdly, "you join the wrecks who leave their hearts for easy sex". Which is why we are presently singing karaoke songs about failed relationship in a bar populated with women in first place.
New York City – I'm Doing Fine Now
At the beginning of the post I flagged Ben Folds Five's Song For The Dumped as the national anthem for the dumped, but the real song of recovery, of liberation from the cast irons of a broken heart, is this glorious soul number from 1973. The protagonist is at a more advanced stage of recovery than our notional karaokist, but projecting an aspirational confidence that happiness will return with a new love certainly would do no damage to the prospect of getting laid or, depending on your temperament, strike up a rewarding relationship with a very nice girl. The opening verse updates us comprehensively: "Remember the day you up and left? I nearly cried myself to death, oh yeah. And then I met someone else. She made me stop and get a-hold of myself." And here comes the taunt: "Oh girl, I'm doin' fine now, without you, baby." Repeated often enough to drive home the message: what the hell was I doing tormenting myself over you for?
'Mr Sex''s Top Ten
Iron Man – Black Sabbath
This song might sound like a big metal robot getting ready to kick the world's face in, but don't be fooled – the sentiments are as close as it gets to the male version of IWS. Ignore the rammell about being turned to steel in the great magnetic field – that's Ozzy trying to say that he's been chucked by a bird without his mates twigging and taking the piss out of him. Perfectly male sentiments, too – while Gloria gets over her ex by finding someone better, Ozzy can only purge his feelings of rejection by pretending to be 100 feet tall and putting his metal Doc Martens through a building. Because we've all thought that, haven't we, chaps?
By The Time I Get To Phoenix – Isaac Hayes
And yes, it has to be the full Isaac Hayes version. While Glen Campbell sounds like a deadbeat Dad making a midnight flit with a barmaid half his age, Black Moses takes the time to explain that his ex was a right slapper who made him work triple-time so she could get her nails done, and only now does she realise how mint he is, ha ha. Problem is, he takes eleven minutes to lay this all out before he sings note number one, so you're going to have to work your arse off to prevent a bum-rush by the woman desperate to sing fucking Crazy again and a hail of empty WKD bottles. Wearing a dressing gown made of gold chains might help.
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – Soft Cell
Marc Almond might not be the most aggressively masculine singer in this list (and the opening line forces you to state that a) you've had a bit of a roar and b) you knock about in a pub called The Pink Flamingo), but don't let that put you off, because the glee with which he lays into his rubbish ex is a joy to behold. Bonus points for the subtle allusion that you're after a 'nice little housewife', as the pub will be full of 'em. I'd mention the David Gray version, but I'd rather not, as I've never heard it.
Who's Gonna Take The Blame – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Poor old Smokey seems to have spent the vast majority of his life being pissed about by women, but he clocked what the girl in this song was all about ages ago; a window-smashing, abusive cow who needed getting shot of. Naturally, said harridan becomes a 'woman of the street'. Smokey charitably alludes that he tried his best, but he's bragging, really. Moral – you're going to end up having sex for money in graveyards for dumping me, you rotten cow.
Stone Free – Jimi Hendrix
It was either this or Roadrunner by Junior Walker and the All-Stars, because the sentiments are the same: I'm single because I go round the country (possibly as a sales rep), I can't be doing with women putting me in a plastic cage (by making me stay in and watch Strictly Come Dancing), and I'm a wild spirit who needs to live his life the way he needs to, in order to be spiritually fulfilled (by downloading porn torrents, watching back-to-back episodes of Top Gear, and playing Football Manager until 3am next to a stack of pizza boxes).
Devil Woman – Cliff Richard
The standard get-out clause for any dumped male: She Was Mental. And Cliff (who has allegedly not had it off since rationing was stopped in the UK) is in full-on warning mode about his ex, who sounds a bit like that cat-woman in Conan The Barbarian who turns into a ball of flame after that romp in the cave, advising any other bloke sniffing around to LEG IT. Whilst subtly bragging that he's been there, of course.
Get Out My Life Woman – Lee Dorsey
As you've noticed, the tone is changing very quickly from 'I will grow stronger without you' to 'Oh, bollocks to you, then'. And this is probably the most elegant, understated OBTYT I've ever come across.
Jilted John – Jilted John
The most joyous, cathartic, triumphant I've-been-dumped song ever. She is a slag. And he's a creep. She is a tart. He's very cheap. She is a slut. He think's he's tough. She is a bitch. He is a puff.
(and Kid Jensen can shut his gob in that video, the cheeky bastard).
Fuck Off – Wayne County and the Electric Chairs
Say no more. But be aware the singer in question ended up having a sex change. There's getting over someone, and getting over someone.
I Will Survive – Cake
Sod it, why not? 99.99999% of songs don't have genitals, and the ones that do can easily be operated on.
So what have we missed, then?
(and for more AMDWHAH musings of music and love, click here)
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 8:09 am 15 comments:
Labels: 'Mr Sex'
Monday, 18 May 2009
'Mr Sex': "But I'd sooner have a Wii, Dad"
Part of me was delighted to notice that a news story from my own dear hometown was the most looked-at article on the BBC News website over the weekend. After reading said story - about a Dad who took his 14 year-old lad to the local red light district in order to lose his virginity, only to ask an undercover police officer if she was 'doing business' - the other 99.999999% buried its face into its hands and howled "No, NO, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
As I've lived next to the estate of Bulwell for an alarmingly hefty chunk of my life (and I worked as a bingo caller there half a lifetime ago - great job if you like wearing ball-constricting Sta-Prest trousers and having your arsed mauled by the elderly), I've developed a few theories as to why Dad thought that giving his 14 year-old son a prostitutional treat for his birthday was the thing to do;
So should Dad have been put on the Sex Offenders register? Yes. And he should also be hung from the balcony of the Market Square by his knackers and used as a pinata by anyone waiting for their date to turn up by the Left Lion.
As I've lived next to the estate of Bulwell for an alarmingly hefty chunk of my life (and I worked as a bingo caller there half a lifetime ago - great job if you like wearing ball-constricting Sta-Prest trousers and having your arsed mauled by the elderly), I've developed a few theories as to why Dad thought that giving his 14 year-old son a prostitutional treat for his birthday was the thing to do;
1. Dad was worried that his son was falling behind at school.Naturally, when this story hit the local newspaper website, all manner of window-lickers chipped in with comments on how they wished they had a Dad like that (because underaged boys + older women = Good Paedophilia, remember). If anyone reading this actually agrees with that theory, imagine yourself stuck in a Ford Cortina at the age of 14, with your Dad dispensing pearls of wisdom such as "Just gerrit aht and lob it oop her", and "This is where I go when your Mam starts getting on me tits". That's not going to completely fuck up your sexual development at all, is it?
2. Dad was concerned that his son might be gay, for various reasons (such as not having got anyone pregnant yet, not being a school bully, or wanting to be a vegetarian or an Emo - hey, that's pretty much the reasons my Dad thought I was, in his own words, 'A fookin' ginger beer'. Apart from the Emo bit), and wanted to 'put him right'.
3. and probably the most likely explanation - Dad is a fucking mouth-breathing bell-end.
So should Dad have been put on the Sex Offenders register? Yes. And he should also be hung from the balcony of the Market Square by his knackers and used as a pinata by anyone waiting for their date to turn up by the Left Lion.
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 5:50 pm 4 comments:
Labels: 'Mr Sex', Prostitution, Wrongness
Friday, 15 May 2009
Sam: Hospital Survival Guide
If you ever have the unfortunate experience of being in hospital for a long stretch of time, or know someone who is about to, the following points might just help. Memorise all of them.
Firstly, and most importantly, ask for what you want. I asked for Morphine, and much to my surprise, I got it. I probably ended up keeping half the farmers in Afghanistan in business, which I think was a fair trade. They make a living, and I wasn't living in pain.
Second point: always remember that you are in a queue. So just before you're about to whack the button for attention, take a deep breath into the bottom of your stomach, and count to ten. Because there are probably thirty other people whacking the button at the same time, and the nurses are doing their best to get to you. If you were in a queue at the bank, would you shout "Get the fuck out of the way and give me my fucking money right now"? No. You'd wait.
Third point: throw round lots of mackerel. No, I'm not still on the morphine - it's a lesson I learned from What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage by Amy Sutherland, which is one of the best books I've read about human and animal psychology for as long as I can remember. Basically, because NHS staff get treated like shit by higher authorities - and distressingly, even by some of the people who they're looking after - they're deprived of mackerel (i.e., positive feedback). I find that by merely saying 'please' and 'thank you', you find very quickly that they're happy to do what you want.
Fourth point: understand the structure of the ward. The nurses don't really have the power to change anything - you'll have to get hold of a doctor for that. So don't harass them when you know they can't do anything about it.
Fifth point: find a spot for everything. Not because your essential items will get nicked - they just disappear. Particularly the stuff that keeps you alive, and fends off boredom.
Sixth point, and very important: pull your weight. If there's anything you can do for yourself, do it. Every bit of help you give the staff, they will pay it back twenty times over.
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 5:00 pm 7 comments:
Labels: Not Really About Sex, Sam
Thursday, 14 May 2009
'Mr Sex': This is what you DON'T do on the verge of your wedding
A bit of a setback for Ireland's Most Romantic Couple. Click that link, and be prepared for possibly the greatest opening paragraph in the history of newspaper reportage. I love the use of the word 'may', as if a committee is about to meet and say "Ah, fair play to him, he bought her some flowers in a garage after he wiped his hands down, but. And a packet of Revels"
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 7:51 pm 4 comments:
Labels: 'Mr Sex', Sexy Newsy Things, Wrongness
Monday, 11 May 2009
'Mr Sex' on this new male contraceptive injection thing
So, there's been a big fuss about the announcement of a new jab that could be the Male Pill we've all be waiting for. And this one, by the sound of it, might just work. Mint. Finally, just like women nearly fifty years ago, men get to cast off their fears about pregnancy and become more sexually liberated and up for one-night stands and stuff like that, because it's about time. I'm already lining up a few mini-skirts for myself.
Thing is, whenever I read anything about a Male Pill, my mind goes back to the first nudey book I ever chanced across, in the mid-70s, and an advert I saw for something called The Vascectomy Club. On payment of a couple of quid - and I swear blind I'm not making this up - you could buy a tie and a blazer badge that would subtly let all the womenfolk know that you had had The Snip and wouldn't get them up the stick. And when applying for this club, did you have to supply proof of said snip? Did you fuck (70s wank mags were horrible like that - I must write about them one day).
But anyway, when you think about it, the idea of a Male Pill as a cure-all has been dead in the water for over a quarter of a century, hasn't it? Alright, let's say that a Male Pill (or a Male Jab or a Male Suppository or a Male Anything) comes onto the market, and it works. Putting aside the fact that a lot of men are more than capable of forgetting or not being arsed to take medication for heart problems, it's going to be a boon for those of us in monogamous relationships. But what about us single and eligible shag-rats? Here's a quick questionnaire;
If there was a Male Pill and it worked, would I take it?
Hell motherflippin' yes. Johnnies are horrible.
Would any woman I came into contact with believe me when I said I had?
In a pig's arse would she.
And what protection from STDs would this Pill give me and her?
Precisely fuck all.
And there you go. The Male Pill is an inevitability, but unless you could take it in front of your partner and it worked immediately, or if everyone who signed up for it had an LCD screen embedded in their forehead that flashed; "YES, HE'S ON IT, DON'T PANIC", nothing is really going to change, regardless of what the papers tell you. We're still going to have to wait for the pub toilets to be completely empty before furtively shoving three quid in the johnny machine.
Posted by Nottingham's 'Mr Sex' at 12:10 pm 17 comments:
Labels: 'Mr Sex', contraception
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We were scanning this fascinating write-up over at SEOMoz about "author/agent rank" when this thought occurred to us. See, the idea is that as social media gets more sophisticated and more data is tracked, search engines could learn how much weight to give an individual's opinion based on their past web activity.
Don't miss the "Google Person Theory" on that link. Your hair will be blown back.
Now imagine Google's search database plugged into a Rogerian psychoanalysis script, similar to "Eliza".
Continue reading "Will Search Engines One Day Know Us Better Than We Know Ourselves"


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When people in Los Angeles have a mold problem, they want it gone for aesthetic reasons because the mossy patches are unsightly. Here at Aeroscopic Environmental, we know that mold removal is necessary because mold is also hazardous, as the fungi's presence can harm whoever frequents an infested building. Since mold cleanup involves dealing with a dangerous area, it is best to hire a professional mold remediation company to handle it. Aeroscopic Environmental offers black mold cleanup services to the L.A. area in order to completely absolve properties of black mold and ensure that it won't show back up.
L.A. Mold Removal for Health Reasons
When mold shows up at a Los Angeles establishment, it's a cause for concern for a number of reasons. Not only is it unsightly, mold is toxic and its presence must be treated with mold removal services in order to avoid the risks associated with inhaling it. Mold spores that float around the atmosphere can be breathed in, enter the body, and inflict significant damage to one's respiratory and neurological system. Homeowners in Los Angeles seek mold remediation to protect their family members, and business owners seek mold cleanup to make sure their workspaces are in the clear.
Black Mold Cleanup After Testing in L.A.
While mold problems aren't always obvious, oftentimes the fungi can exist behind the scenes or beneath the surface of an L.A. space. We perform mold inspections at L.A. properties for this reason, to discover any hidden outbreaks that will need black mold cleanup before they get much worse. The results from testing provide our team of remediation experts with all the details they need to develop mold removal plans specific to the situation at each Los Angeles space. After mold remediation efforts are complete, we perform another mold test to ensure that no traces of mold remain.
Los Angeles Mold Remediation Process
Our process for professional black mold cleanup involves many steps to ensure that Los Angeles properties are 100% free of mold. The first thing we do for a mold remediation job is quarantine the area to make sure the contamination is isolated and will not spread to any other of parts of the space. We vacuum and dry the area to stop the source of mold, which is moisture, then set up a system of fans and air scrubbers to sanitize the air. Our mold cleanup staff scrubs every affected surface at the L.A. space with heavy-duty detergents to remove any visible signs of the growth.


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Sin-Eater is an artist and illustrator who lives deep in the heart of Herefordshire's countryside. Here his fascination of animal forms grew and gave birth to his passions for the collecting of taxidermy and theory of evolution. A cynic of photoshop all of his artwork is created by hand. His desire is for Sin-eater to belong among the Albrecht Durer's. Detached from the contemporary Sin-eaters work is a call into the echoing chasms of the past.
Featured Image: Sin Eater and Brambles, Rowan and The Hare - image copyright of the artist


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THE TIME: 12:42 am
THE NOISE: stolen--dashboard confessional
THE MOMENT: "It's got to be that can't eat, cant' sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, World Series kind of thing."
I want to dance around with Steph, win after glorious win. All the time....even if I can't really breathe right now.
I keep staring at my wrist. There is the kitschiest, tackiest display of my love possible. There resides an electric blue emblem of roommate/soulmate-hood.
I'm sick of being sick. And I'm done with feeling inadequate. My alarm didn't go off this morning...because it got unplugged. I woke up at 9:55 with a blinking 3:13 on the face. I felt like such a failure for sleeping through class. And then I couldn't find anything to wear. I tried on about 6 outfits and then just decided on the shoes that had a shirt to match. I have had little to no confidence lately. I'm sick of looking at my reflection and seeing nothing worthwhile. It hasn't been that way in a long time...and I don't know what's changed, but I want it reversed. I want my spunky, take-charge, confident self back. Not my self-critical, doubtful, terrified self. This self was left wayyyy back in the dust...I don't know how she caught up.
I miss my little sister. I miss my shadow. I called her today, but when she called back I didn't answer because it didn't register she'd be calling so late...I was never allowed to stay up that late when I was her age...11.5 years ago. I love her so much. I miss my brothers, too...but they call more. Plus she's my baby.
The moment we begin to fear the opinions of others and hesitate to tell the truth that is in us, and from motives of policy are silent when we should speak, the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.
--Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
--Elizabeth Cady Stanton.


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The diagnosis of diabetes can be rather frightening, but with the right advice, you will be able to successfully manage your condition. Read this article to find out how you can live with diabetes and stay healthy.
Look at the glycemic index on the labels of the foods you buy. This is an indicator of how this food will affect sugar levels. The lower the glycemic index, the better it is for you to eat!
For a quick and healthy way to squelch hunger without interfering with your diabetes, snack on almonds. Unsalted almonds are not only very healthy, but they contain protein, fiber and other essential nutrients. Almonds are a high protein snack that can improve diabetes and prevent heart disease.
Experiment with alternative sources of protein such as eggs and tofu instead of just eating meat. Try various things to keep you healthy and avert the boredom of a strict diet.
You will see diabetics every day and not know it. Your daily life will be less stressful if you disregard the tendency to feel ashamed of your condition.
People with diabetes are at high risk for sleep apnea, so get tested right away. To keep yourself in optimal health, it is critical that you treat any sleeping disorder you may have as quickly as possible.
If you are diabetic, be very careful when getting a pedicure. People who suffer from diabetes are more likely to get foot infections, so it is important to be extra careful not to pierce or cut your skin.
Changing your diet can be a great way to help lower your risk factor of contracting diabetes, and switching out fats and sugars with fiber is a great place to start. Increase the amount of whole grain foods that you consume, and at the same time, reduce your daily intake of processed foods and white bread. Research has shown that people who eat more whole grain foods have a reduced risk of developing diabetes.
If hypoglycemia is an issue, make sure you carry some sort of sugar food with you always, such as gum. Hypoglycemia can attack anywhere, so you should always be prepared. This is especially significant if you are prone to avoiding breakfast, which results in the body feeling a significant need for sugar.
There are many methods to lose excess weight and fight diabetes that do not cost anything, like jogging or exercising in the park. You can try doing push ups or sit ups when you have some free time, or make extra efforts to move around the house.
Diabetics must have their eyes checked on a regular basis to avoid serious vision disorders, so make sure you address any concerns or issues with your health care provider. Diabetes can cause various eye problems, such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Do not take these problems lightly. Diabetes has been known to cause people to go blind when they do not take care of themselves and their diabetes.
If you have gestational diabetes, you should understand that you are not to blame. Pregnancy often causes gestational diabetes, and there is really not much you can do to prevent it if you are susceptible to it. Don't become too stressed, and think positively of your young one and yourself.
If you find a high glucose reading immediately after treating a low reading, do not be unduly alarmed. It may be caused by overcompensating with the food or drink you take or it can be a hormonal response of your body to combat the low glucose level. If you feel like you are overeating, when you see yourself with low glucose levels, try eating half as much and testing yourself 30 minutes later.
If you have diabetes and smoke, you should definitely consider quitting. Chemicals present in cigarettes can raise the level of sugar in your blood significantly if you are diabetic. If you are having problems quitting smoking, ask your doctor for quitting methods.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, use your fast-acting insulin up to as much as 15 minutes before eating a meal. Fast-acting insulins work very well to maintain blood sugars, but they must be properly dosed for the individual.
Work out often. Regular exercise helps the body better handle glucose and insulin, keeping blood sugar stable. Exercise is recommended for anyone suffering with diabetes.
If you're wanting to eat the very best breakfast possible for diabetes, then you should eat egg whites. Egg whites have a very low amount of fat and calories, and they're packed with protein that you need to begin the day in the right way. You can make an omelet with egg whites, or have some scrambled eggs with a piece of ham.
Having a diet with healthy carbohydrates is good for a diabetic. Avoid very low-carb diets, as they deprive your body of much needed nutrients like fiber, minerals and vitamins. Keeping a good carb balance in your diet is also crucial to maintaining your energy level.
Most people with diabetes develop foot problems. You must take great care of both of your feet; if you do not pay attention to them, you can lose them through amputation. If you follow these tips, you'll ensure your feet are healthy even with diabetes.
Anytime a physician diagnoses an individual with diabetes, it's critical that the person educate themselves thoroughly about the condition. If you do enough homework, you can make sure you take great care of your body. Diabetes is best handled with knowledge and a sense of responsibility.
Diabetes increases your chance of getting a gum disease. Always brush your teeth after every meal, and make sure you floss daily.
Keep stress at bay. Being stressed can cause your sugar levels to go up. Explore different relaxation techniques, such as meditation and yoga. Deep breathing exercises are particularly good to learn, because you can make use of them practically anywhere.
Once you know how to manage your diabetes, you won't fear it anymore. Information is the number one weapon you have in the fight against diabetes.


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William's Organic Pale Ale 4.5% Nitch Rated 2.85
"William's pale ale is a true Australian bew. Clean, fresh citrus flavours make William's pale ale smooth on the tongue, long on the quench an refreshingly easy to drink."
A: Like cider, clear and apple colored. 3.0
S: Hints of apple or pear with an earthy, green smell. Tickles the nose with something that could be called an "organic" smell. Then a metallic whiff creeps in uncomfortably. 2.5
T: Orange hops dance up front followed swiftly by a metallic zing then rounded out with a barley note. Super light fruit hops, possibly using some Aussie or NZ hops but for sure there are citrus, orange and fruits through out. 3.0
M: Medium carbonation but very crisp. 2.5
O: Carries like a lager with a touch of ale love. Barley opens the beer and the soft Australian hops move it right along to lovely yet predictably dull winner circle of Australian beers. Not bad. Not great. Organic makes me happy. 3.0


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Description: As part of my Strategic Communications class I created an infographic for my chosen company, the World Surf League. It explains the increase in surfers over the past 10 years, the best waves in the world to ride, which countries have the most world titles and how to practice outside of the ocean. In addition, I wrote a memo to the WSL to decide on the infographic's distribution.
Originally, I used Adobe Illustrator and Piktochart to create my infographic. I did not like how it turned out, so I used Microsoft PowerPoint, instead. I created the surfboards using an outline of a surfboard and an image of each country's flag. I combined the two images using Illustrator. The background image of the surfboards and the image of the wave were pulled from the Internet and modified using PowerPoint features.
Although opinions of the world's best waves may vary, Transworld Surf posted an article stating its opinion of the 10 best waves, so I used four of those to highlight on my infographic. Advice for practicing outside of the ocean was from my personal experience. Finally, I found the countries with the most world titles on Wikipedia.
Goal: The goal of this infographic is to target young surfers who aspire to be professionals in order to continue surfing's growth in the coming years.


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The key themes this year at MWC are the Internet of Things (IoT or Internet of Everything), Wearables, Personalised consumer experiences based on big data, 5G, Adtech, Analytics, Privacy, Security and the big device launches.
I've been spending the last couple of days guiding people through the enormous halls of MWC and this is what you need to know.
Internet of Things
MWC has four key themes/areas around IoT:
Generally most of the exhibitions were of (2) to (4) with connected cars from Audi, Porsche, etc., examples of how IoT is used to cut energy costs in connected cities through smart grids and hundreds of companies offering software and cloud solutions to manage IoT devices. The only exception was the connected toothbrush from 2014.
The main reason for the absence of consumer devices is that most of these are by startups that are still in their infancy or by companies like Sonos that doesn't place itself in the mobile industry.
Everybody talks about wearables but few people, even at an industry event like MWC, is wearing one. All the device manufacturers have smartwatches and health bands in their stands and there are also lots of companies that we've never heard of before offering wearables. What excites us the most however are the specialist wearable devices such as Garmin for extreme sports.
Personalised Consumer Experiences
Everybody talks about it but few consumer-oriented companies actually do it very well (except maybe Amazon). IBM talks about Watsons, the operators are talking about how their customer data can be used to personalise the customer experience and target offers, the telecom network manufacturers are selling these benefits for the equipment and services and the consultants are talking about how they can support with the strategy and execution. One of our predictions for this year is that we will start seeing the results of some of these initiatives but it's still early days as it requires a lot of testing to perfect.
It's not agreed yet exactly what it is, but everyone wants to leverage the marketing buzz of 5G. The only thing all the vendors and operators seem to agree on is that we need better and deeper network coverage, more bandwidth, support for an exponential increase in devices, better utilisation of spectrum and lower latency. And hopefully that's exactly what 5G will do. In the meantime we've got at least another 5-10 years for 4G / LTE to continue to improve and serve these needs.
AdTech & Analytics
Last year the growth in mobile advertising was close to 100% (and is still growing like never before), but advertising spend is still far behind when you look at how much more time people spend on their mobiles. When companies do spend money on mobile advertising they want to make sure they are getting return on their investment, which is why there are more and more specialized analytics providers at this year's MWC. We thought this sector had reached is peak, but it's continuing to develop with the help of more niche analytics tools. SK Telecom showed off interactive billboards that change content based on the audience in front of it. This will potentially change the whole way ad targeting in a physical space looks like today.
Security & Privacy
Everyone wants to give their employees access to company data, but they are very worried about the security when opening up use of company platforms. The ones that give access often add such a high number of authentication layers that it soon becomes impossible to use. We spotted some new ways of getting around this which were quite interesting. Examples include eye recognition (not using the iris, but the blood veins in your eye this time) which only required a 1 megapixel camera to work. Interesting for banks and other entities that operate all around the world with different maturity levels when it comes to devices.
As for privacy, we were constantly tracked while on the show room floor. By using the event app, the MWC organizer can presumably actually pinpoint your location down to 3-5 meters. In theory they will be able to see how each visitor using the app is moving around, which stands s/he spends the most time at and or the time it takes you to finish the sandwich you have for lunch. Whether this is a good or bad thing we'll leave unsaid for now. Hopefully the data can be leveraged to create an even richer experience for next year's event!
Big Device Launches
For all the big device launches this year, make sure to check out our previous blog post.
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What Can Morfin Magic Do For You?
(800)861-8058 / (925)356-1528
Live Interactive Entertainment
That Will Leave Your Guests
Amazed...Amused & Thoroughly Entertained
Hank Morfin and Morfin Magic will work closely with you to custom tailor the entertainment for you and your event. Hank has signature effects that he can personalize for special people or special occasions. He can offer different types of performances to suit your event entertainment needs.
Strolling Close-Up Magic
One of the most popular shows booked at Morfin Magic. Hank concentrates on effects that happen right in the hands of small groups and/or tables of spectators. There are plenty of laughs, amazement and souvenirs to go around! Hank's "signature effect" involves celebrities, a tiny pair of scissors and some mindreading combined to leave your guests absolutely speechless!!! You will love the intimate experience as Hank works the event area, creating a real buzz in the room. This is ideal for cocktail parties, holiday parties, intimate private gatherings, Grad Nights, banquets and more.
House Party Show
This is a Super Fun Show! Your guests gather together in a living room, den, or even back patio or back yard. Hank performs his best Close-Up Effects combined with several of his Blockbuster Effects from his Stand-up/Stage Show, including his Mind Blowing Finale which he will customize for your event! This is perfect for a small private party, sales meeting, luncheons, trade shows and any other event with smaller groups of people.
Stand-Up/Stage Show
Hank has designed his show to be customized to your event venue. He can perform it in your living room, a banquet room or on stage. There's nothing quite like performing for all of your guests at once. The energy and excitement Hank brings to the room is infectious, and his wit and clean comedy will have everyone laughing, cheering and screaming "Hank Morfin Rocks!!!" This show is all about having fun and lots of audience participation. Do you want your guests buzzing about what a fantastic time they had at your event? This is ideal for large parties, holiday parties, banquets, sales meetings, conventions, theaters and fund raisers.
MC Your Special Event
Do you need an MC for your upcoming event? If you want to make certain your show transitions perfectly and runs smoothly, you should consider having Hank MC the festivities. He will inject his unique brand of humor into your show and add just the right magical touches to amaze your audience. This is ideal for fund raisers, banquets, conventions, sales meetings, holiday parties and any other large event.


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Suvreen Guggal 25th March 2013 Written Episode Update
Suvreen Guggal 25th March 2013 Written Episode, Suvreen Guggal 25th March 2013 Written Update
The epi starts wd rc n ira discusng abt der dream project in d cls…RC is woried abt d projct being shifted to mumbai..hez concerned abt hw vivan will gel into d new atmosphere in mumbai….Ira says dey hv to tk d risk as risk n failures mk dem to learn n wrk hard mre..Suvi arrives n asks rc n ira if she cn tlk 2 dem..rc says dt ds vll nt hlpnw..bt ira asks suvi 2 cum inside n speak ot..suvi says dt she dsnt knws wether she vll b gvn a 2nd chance or nt..bt she wntd 2 mk clear dt shez vry mch serious abt ds intrnshp as ira said dt shez nt at all serious abt her career..furthe syvu xplains dt hw she selected fashion as a course n cz f it hd a tough tym wd her parents too..wer she hd to do a part tym job 2 submit her course fees…n nw she wnts 2 prove dt rc is nt wrng n sugestng her name 4 d internshp..ira qestns suvi dt..if shez gcn a 2nd chance vll she mk dem 2 change der decision f rejectng her..suvi says..she dnt knw bt vll def try..den ira says suvi dt she hs 3 hrs n hs to mk 8 designs for 4 diff themes..suvi becms happy n goes 4m der….rc asks ira 4m wen did she strtd belivng on 2nd chance..ira says dt she luvd d attitude f suvi's tday..n she vll mk sure dt she vll brng ot d bst 4m suvi..n 4 dt she cn evn becum worst..rc says dts sufi….
Suvi siting in d Amphi..n is creatng her designs wd full enthusiasm..In d canteen..alisha is stng wd yuvi….she tks ot a gft box n hands ovr to yuvi..yuvi opens d box n 2 hs surprise its a watch..yuvi says dt he cnt tk sch an xpensive gfts 4m her..alisha says dt der is no price tag in frndshp n dts a return gft 4 hm for hs brthday party..yuvi tryng 2 tk ot his wtch..alisha deliberately aks dt cn she hlp hm ot..yuvi agress…(i hte ds lady..uff!!..cvs plz kp her away 4m yuvi..)..
Yuvi says dt hez dad too luvs ds knd f watches n gts emotional..alisha aska is evrythng fyn..he says ya..bt hez misng hs dad alt n d same thng wntd 2 share wd suvi bt she didnt listened to hm..alisha says dt ya she ws vry upset n may b suvi vll nt cm 2 clg for 3-4 dez..yuvi gts shocked n says dt u r wrng..suvi is already in d clg n hs spoken 2 rc n ira..dey bth hv gvn her a 2nd chance..alisha gts shocked….
In d classroom..rc n irs r gng thru suvi's design..ira aska suvi is she sure dt wd dez designs she vll gt d intrnshp??…..suvi says she dnt knw bt hpe so..mean tym alisha, annie n zorro too enters d class..ira gts up n screams sayng dt ds is d design she wntd 2 c n ws xcited since ystrday n suvi hs dun a fab job n shez selcted 4 d intrnshp..suvi thnx rc n ira..annie n zorro r happy..bt alisha shocked…..den rc says evry1 dt ders a news 4 all f dem..n dt is d intrnshp base hs been shftd 4m delhi 2 mumbai..evry one is happy n xcites xcept suvi..rc tela dem to plan ot der careers n lyf acordng 2 d changng scenario..
Annie n zorro r vry happy 4 ng 2 mumbai….bt suvi is nt..dey ask y is she so woried..suvi says she wnt b able 2 do d intrnshp as hw vll she convince her parnts 2 let her go 2 mumbai..its cz f her..her parnts muvd 2 delhi n hw vll dey shft mumbai..baby hs to mke her career too..n its nt necesary dt her dad vll liaten 2 her all d tym..Alisha thnks dt she ws woried dt hw she vll leave yuvi n go mumbai..bt nw as suvi herslf is bkng ot 2 go 2 mumbai..she thnks f hlpng suvi 2 convince her parents 2 ket her go 2 mumbai so dt she vll b away 4m yuvi n in d mean tym she vll bk ot 4m d projct @ d vry lst moment n vll b wd yuvi ih delhi n vll try brkng off yuvreen's long distance relatnshp….(gosh!!..she vll b killed by me smday..)..alisha says suvi dt if she wud hv been in her place den she wud hv defntly spoken 2 her parnts n try convincng dem..finally its all abt her career move..n she need nt wry abt being stayng alne in mumbai cz dey all 4 vll b stayng 2gthr..
Annie n zorro tries convincing suvi nt 2 lose ds golden oppurtunity n atlst try spkng 2 her parents..suvi says dt hw she vll jst leave evrythng n go away 4m her puppa, mumma n yuvraj..as says yuvraj she remembers dt she hs promised yuvi 2 meet durng lunch as it ws der date..she gts shocked!!….
Precap: Ira askng rc vll d guys muv 2 mumbai..rc says ofcorse..ira says shez nt sure abt suvreen..suvi cums n says ira dt she wnt b able to join ds intrnshp program due 2 sum persnal reasns..
Update Credit to: nazomel


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Departures Publisher Steven DeLuca Gets Promoted
Steven DeLuca, the publisher of Departures, has been promoted to senior vice president. According to WWD, it's a new role at American Express Publishing, Departures' parent.
DeLuca was named publisher of Departues in 2010, after having been with Condé Nast for several years. When he arrived at Departures, he told FishbowlNY that it was "a dream job."
In his new role, DeLuca will now oversee three titles: Departures, Travel + Leisure and Black Ink.


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Anne Holtzman is Allied Solution's Senior Vice President of Claims & Recovery. She's sharing four key facts about product refund liability in anticipation of her presentation coming up at Used Car Week on Monday, November 11 at 3:15 P.M.
In 2019, the CFPB listed auto loan servicing as an area of focus and oversight to examine "unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices." Currently, the regulation of ancillary vehicle protection products varies widely by state and product. The CFPB's announcement identifies both ancillary product cancellations and refunds, and refunds after a repossession or total loss as specific areas of interest.
What does this mean for lending institutions?
As it currently stands, few lenders have the infrastructure to handle the complexity of the refund process, but lenders are facing increased scrutiny to handle and process the cancellation and refund of a product. Remaining compliant is difficult due to the varying regulations by both state and product type. Changing regulations makes an already lengthy process more complex among all stakeholders.
There is an increasing need for an audited solution, beyond simple automation, that provides an efficient cancellation process for RIC (Retail Installment Contract), product contracts, triggering events (i.e., repossession, total loss, re-fi, early payoff, etc.), and last reported mileage.
Four Key Facts About Product Refund Liability
- Product cancellations and refunds are complex processes
In the past, dealerships were largely responsible for handling any aftermarket product cancellations and refunds because they owned the relationship with the product carrier. Today, the burden to perform these cancellations and refunds has largely shifted from the dealers to the lenders. Yet, lenders will still need to work with a significant number of dealer networks, insurance providers, and product vendors to process the cancellation and refund.
Register today for Used Car Week 2019 and save!
- Regulatory guidelines put pressure on timelines
An important aspect of the refund process is how long it actually takes. Regulators are considering consumer-friendly practices. In other words, processing these cancellations and refunds needs to be quick and painless for your lending institution, while also being quick and painless for your consumers (i.e. consumer-friendly), and quick and painless for your dealer networks. Make sure you're reviewing regulatory requirements in your state. Then establish service timelines for all triggering event types.
- Accuracy helps ensure information is verified
If information is not accurate, consumers may not receive their refunds, receive the incorrect amount, or receive a delayed refund. Lenders may also incorrectly report deficiency balances. Additionally, dealers and lenders could face incorrect invoicing or chargebacks. A thorough review process is necessary to ensure information is being verified by the dealer or provider, and validate that points are being established for quality control.
- Communication among all stakeholders is key
Creating a timely, accurate cancellation and refund process means collaboration between all stakeholders: providers, dealers, consumers, and lenders. Manage cancellation and refund processes in a way that maintains friendly consumer practices while protecting relationships with dealers. This calls for acknowledgment and follow-up processes with dealers and providers to maintain relationships and hold accountability.
The main takeaway is this: Don't wait to plan your aftermarket product cancellation strategy (and the regulations that comes with it). Be proactive, do your homework and know your options, so you'll be well-equipped to handle these processes with confidence.
Want to Learn More? Join Anne Holtzman at Used Car Week
Be sure to join Anne Holtzman at Used Car Week on Monday, November 11 at 3:15 P.M. in Veranda A. "Developing Compliant Product Refund Strategies" will deconstruct what regulatory changes mean for lenders, review product refund strategies, and discuss the actual refund process. See the full Used Car Week agenda here.
About Allied Solutions
Allied Solutions, LLC is one of the largest providers of insurance, lending, and marketing products to financial institutions in the US. Allied Solutions uses technology based products and services customized to meet the needs of 4,000 clients along with a portfolio of innovative products and services from a wide variety of providers. Allied Solutions maintains over 16 regional offices and service centers around the country and is a subsidiary of Securian Financial Group, Inc.
Join the @UsedCarWeek conversation.


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Social Media has been evolving in India and one of the reasons behind this is the awareness that is being created. Social Media Training institutes are one of those bodies spreading the right words about social media and Digital Vidya scores high in them. Digital Vidya is India's most respected Digital Marketing training company and the first to launch Social Media Marketing workshop series in India. The reputed institute which has trained 500 plus brands that included more than 2000 participants is going to achieve the milestone of having conducted 100 workshops. To mark this occasion, Digital Vidya will celebrate its 100th Social Media Workshop by organizing its 2-day workshops in Mumbai on July 19-20, in Delhi on July 26-27 and in Bangalore on Aug 7-8.
Digital Vidya started its journey in early January 2010 under the staunch leadership of Pradeep Chopra and Kapil Nakra. Since then the motto has been to help individuals and organizations to leverage the digital medium so as to grow their businesses by offering hands-on workshops. With time, the motto has been fulfilled to a great extent as it holds the credit of training ample number of brands, agencies, individuals, etc. The mighty list includes brands such as Google, eBay, Airtel, MakeMyTrip, SnapDeal, Naukri, Cisco, Infosys, Asian Paints, Shoppers Stop, Nokia, Intel, Citibank and General Motors.
The success story of Digital Vidya has not only been heard in our country, today Digital Vidya is creating it's presence in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, etc. In addition to this, Pradeep Chopra had recently shared that they are planning to move beyond to newer geographic areas such as Middle East, South East Asia, Europe and North America.
So if you wish to explore the world of social media or having difficulty to understand why you are failing to engage on social media then you should explore Digital Vidya. And as they say, users are your brand champions. Here's a testimony given by Sameer Bajaj, Associate Director, Corp Communication at ESPN,
"Strongly recommended for anybody who wants to understand the social media"
If you would like to know more about the training details then click here.


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Sarzana is, of course, a lot more than its fortresses. The town has some very picturesque streets:
and for restaurants and bars one is spoilt for choice: it has truly a culinary prodigiousness..
Italy is famous for its historic cafes but one doesn't have to go to Padua's caffé Pedrocchi or Lucca's Caffé Simo (one can't enter that one, anyway as it's been shamefully closed for several years now), Sarzana has one of its own and it's placed on the corner of an almost fantailed shaped piazza which I would rate as one of the most charming I have come across in Italy.
The Piazza Matteotti is especially important as it's one of the very few documented places where Dante is known to have been during his exile and where he received a safe conduct from the Duke of Malaspina. As the inscription in the square states "Ombra di Dante non si cancella". (One cannot cancel Dante's shadow).
The Caffé Costituzionale (like so many other historic cafes in Italy) was a centre of intellectual and political discussion and a hotbed of ideas leading towards the Italian Risorgimento. Founded in 1833 by Signor Manena it was the meeting place of patriots including Berghini who was a member of the Giovane Italia (young Italy) movement. It still preserves something of the atmosphere of those heady times. Certainly, political discussions were still going strong.
Historic cafes are normally overpriced but this one certainly wasn't'! Two euros provided me with a caffé macchiato and a brioche with crema pasticciera brought to my outside table for just two euros.
I could have stayed more but now needed to be on my way to discover some of Sarzana's churches.
On the way I passed this nineteenth century former launderette.
A recent plaque recorded the unsung labours of women and their continued suffering under tyrannical males (Italy has one of the highest feminicide rates in the western world.)
The Pieve di Sant'Andrea is Sarzana's oldest church and dates back to the tenth century.
Like so many other churches in Italy, it had a baroque make-over but more recently the side walls have been laid bare to reveal a far more ancient Romanesque building.
In the wall niches there are some very beautiful statues dating from this earlier period.
I didn't know what to expect from the Duomo or cathedral. The entrance portico was elegantly gothic with some beautifully fluted columns:
Inside I was bowled over by the width of the gigantic spans separating the nave from the aisles.
The gorgeously decorated apse was outstanding-
There were two impressive gothic side altars loaded with statuary:
and some pretty della Robbias:
However, the greatest treasure of Sarzana cathedral and certainly one of Italy's greatest artistic riches is the painted crucifix by Mastro Guglielmo which dates back to the eleventh century. It's the oldest painted crucifix in Italy pre-dating those masterpieces by Berlinghieri and Cimabue by over a hundred years.
Interestingly, Christ is shown triumphantly on the cross and not passively suffering as became the fashion later on (and remains to this day). The "ecclesia triumphans" had to be the motto at the end of the dark ages when power and glory battled against the sinister forces which destroyed Rome and almost demolished Western civilization.
Returning to catch my train I passed some elegant art nouveau houses. Here too, Sarzana showed itself as one of Italy's most delightful towns.
But perhaps I shouldn't say this as one of the pleasures in perambulating its streets and alleys was to encounter a minimal number of tourists.


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These are the 5 pillars of Amba, that I teach in the Amba Embodiment Circles, and have used personally to create a life that feels deeply fulfilling on many levels: 1) Earth Connection: Time in nature, and practices that ground you into the earth of your body 2) Vital Energy Cultivation: Breath, movement, vibrant foods…(Read More)
4 Best Beauty Secrets on Earth 1) Feel your heart, your love for yourself, and radiate that love from inside you. 2) Sense your gratitude for your life, for the sweet and challenging aspects. Feel the appreciation you have for all of it, for the opportunity to grow and evolve on this earth. 3…(Read More)
Embodied Appreciation Gratitude and appreciation are often experienced as a mental exercise, such as a gratitude list. From a whole being, embodied standpoint, appreciation is something you want to feel as a whole, throughout all your tissues. If I outwardly appreciate someone in my life, but I simply mentally appreciate them, they don't receive…(Read More)
Here's a new moon ritual that I've been doing for the past year. It's a powerfully transformative practice: 1. Find one belief that you have that isn't useful to you. Examples: "I have to overwork and be stressed out in order to be successful." "I'm not lovable the way I…(Read More)
A prayer for all women May you know how loved you are by life May you stay true to your timing, and honor it May you open and feel your breath deep in the tissues and skin of your back, supporting you always May you trust your wild instincts, your gut knowing, no matter what…(Read More)
As the end of the year nears, the vitality giving practice of following through has been my go-to. Follow through is so deeply nourishing and vitalizing. Follow through creates natural growth. It's what the sun does. The ocean does it. The trees do it. Here are some ways to explore follow through: Follow…(Read More)
This is my first fall living in Topanga Canyon. I've been loving the chilly mornings, fog, and giant oak trees. Nature connection has become a huge part of my life, and of Amba. On these darker, slow, sweet canyon mornings, I've been making the most delicious teas and lattes. Here's my basic…(Read More)
I've been spending time every day hiking up in the mountains where I live. This is a message I received from a recent hike, which I offer you today, from my heart to yours: You can be sad. Fully sad. And keep moving with the light in your heart. You can be disappointed. Let…(Read More)
I'm astounded to look back to just a month ago, when we started to hold women's moon circles in Topanga. In just one month, there has been so much love, community, and energy brewing here in the canyon. This past weekend's circle, continued through tonight on the actual full moon, has…(Read More)
Leo Love
We are approaching a full moon, exactly a week from today. In the midst of summer, and Leo season, with so much passion and energy, it's important to continue to keep softening and receiving as well. This tea does just that. My friend and local Topanga herbalist and Naturopathic doctor, Christine Surrago, has formulated…(Read More)


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Michigan Department of Human
Service's Central Registry
In Michigan, if you have been charged with child abuse or neglect that is Category I or Category II, you will be placed on the Central Registry. The Central Registry contains your name and the allegation against you of child abuse or neglect. Within 30 days of classifying your suspected abuse as Category I or Category II, the Michigan Department of Human Services (or Children's Protective Services) must notify you in writing that you are on the Central Registry and that it will be possible for certain people to access that information.
The Central Registry is a document that is internal to the government and not available to the public, however there are a few people who do have access to it.
The following is a list of some of these people:
- A phsician treating a child suspected to have been abused or neglected
- Law enforcement or a child protective agency investigating a report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect
- The person listed as the perpetrator of child abuse or neglect
- The victim of child abuse or neglect, so long as that victim is an adult
- A court or grand jury, when the information is necessary to decide an issue
- An adoption agency or foster care placement agency
The identity of the person who reported the child abuse or neglect is kept confidential unless that person consents to release of their name, or if release has been decided by judicial process.
Even though the DHS / CPS Central Registry is internal to the government, it is understandable that people do not want to be listed on the Central Registry. Being listed on the Central Registry in Michigan prevents people from adopting a child, being a foster parent, licensing a daycare, working in a school, and more.
Contact a Michigan Child Protective Services Defense Attorney
Know Your Rights – Speak with an Experienced CPS Lawyer
1 866-766-5245 | Email Us
You will automatically be deleted from the Central Registry if CPS investigated you but found no evidence of abuse or neglect. You will also be automatically removed if you die.
If you are currently correctly listed on the Michigan Central Registry, you may request the Michigan Department of Human Services amend an inaccurate CPS report or record. You may also request that the Michigan Department of Human Services expunge your record, meaning they remove your name and the evidence against you from the Central Registry if they find that it is in the best interest of the child to do so. If the Michigan Department of Human Services refuses your request for amendment or expungement, or fails to act within 30 days of your request, they must hold a hearing regarding the proposed amendment or expungement. There are also appeals available if you do not agree with their decision.
At The Kronzek Firm, we are experienced in representing clients who request amendments or expungements. We can be reached at 866 766 5245 to discuss your removal from the Michigan Central Registry. We are a state wide practice helping families and people with CPS and Central Registry problems.


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You're a Spider!
It seems like you have eyes in the back of your head sometimes, and
you have an uncanny knack for creeping people out with that ability. You really
enjoy eating wraps, though you like them even more if you made them yourself. You
work tirelessly so that you can eat, but are good at getting rid of annoyances for
other people. There's always just a little more drama than necessary when you're
around. Oh, what tangled webs you weave!
Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Quiz! What kind of animal are you?
- Post a new comment
- 14 comments
- Post a new comment
- 14 comments


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Sena disapproves with 'Ghar wapsi' of Nitish Kumar
Reacting to the return of Janata Dal (United) to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold, the Shiv Sena in its editorial today fired a sardonic salvo at the new tie-up and said both the BJP and the JDU, who are brimming with bonhomie presently, in the past two years left no stone unturned in bringing each other down. "Amit Shah said that if Nitish Kumar wins Pakistan would celebrate, so is Pakistan celebrating now? Seems like the BJP has itself made Pakistan happy by collaborating with Nitish," edit says. Shiv Sena whose relationship with bio is not at all good, is disturbed as bio got another formidable ally in British. There are reports that 2 JD(U) members may be inducted in union cabinet, which is sending tremors in Sena camp having 16 MPs but just one Minister. Taking an opportunity, Sena fired a salvo on BJP using the word Pakistan's celebration and British victory.


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Since our Community Organising Fellowship kicked off in 2014, seventy-three passionate organisers have graduated. They're hard at work building leader-full campaigns and movements right around Australia.
Twenty-five graduates came together on Friday 25 November for our first graduates' retreat, a weekend of conversation, analysis, celebration and connecting. The retreat was timed to coincide with the second national 'Organise' conference convened by the Centre for Australian Progress. Many of us led sessions during Organise.
We gathered at a bushland retreat centre above Sydney's northern beaches, on the land of the Kuringgai people.
It was inspiring to hear everyone's updates and to witness the diversity and power of the community campaigns they're building. During the weekend, there were several discussions about the NetChange report and other approaches to decentralised organising. Folks reflected on Brexit, the recent US election and the rise of populist parties on the left and right to consider implications for upcoming state elections in Australia. There were open space sessions on the training programs that several of our graduates are leading. During the first half of 2017, these programs will train several hundred community activists and leaders. Other discussions explored the complex blend of organising, mobilising and advocacy ('lone wolf') work. It's uncommon to work exclusively within one of these approaches, and our approaches are steered by strategy.
All in all, a great weekend. Thanks, everyone, for the good energy.


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Big GovernmentHealthPolitical Theory
Although the recommendations of the Great Barrington Declaration would be an improvement over the status quo, the declaration grants far too much power to the state to act in pursuit of an alleged "common good."
HealthMedia and Culture
Given the overt hostility that progressives have toward private enterprise in the first place, politicians will take shutdown-caused shortages and empty shelves as "proof" that private enterprise has failed.
ProgressivismMedia and CultureU.S. History
Woodrow Wilson was an especially devoted white supremacist, even by the standard of his day. The Left is finally targeting Wilson for this, but Wilson's legacy is far worse than even the Left will admit.
HealthMedia and CultureU.S. History
The costs of this government-forced economic collapse—in terms of lost lives and ruined health—are likely to be devastating.
Financial MarketsMonetary PolicyU.S. Economy
Printing up paper money—which is the Fed's solution to nearly everything—will not bring about a miraculous replacement of the lost goods and services or repair broken supply chains.
Legal SystemMedia and Culture
All of the "crimes" tied to this case are essentially fictional charges that are derived from some other action. These are "derivative crimes," based on invented violations such as "false statements" or "obstructing the mails."
Global EconomyWorld History
Zimbabwe's government has embraced a potent mixture of monetary inflation and price controls. The result has been economic disaster.
Media and Culture
Woke journalists are not barriers to state-sponsored oppression, but rather its enablers.


text: Pilots coming in for a landing 9:07 PM PDT 5/13/2009 by Nellie Andreeva , AP FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Several incoming and returning series look likely for pickups It's down to the wire for the pilots vying for a slot on the broadcast networks' schedule for next season. At ABC, in addition to the already picked-up drama "Flash Forward" and comedy "Modern Family," dramas "The Forgotten," "Happy Town" and "Eastwick" are going very strong, with "Empire State" and "Inside the Box" in contention. "V" remains a possibility for midseason. On the comedy side, "Cougar Town" and the Cedric the Entertainer starrer "The Law," which is staffing unofficially, look solid, with "The Middle" and "Romantically Challenged" in the mix. At Fox -- which also already picked up a new drama and comedy series, "Human Target" and "Sons of Tucson," respectively -- the comedy "Brothers" is hot, with support for drama "Past Life" said to be split among the network's top echelon. Meanwhile, comedy "Ab Fab" has been passed on, joining "Two Dollar Beer" and "Eva Adams." At the CW, "Melrose Place" and "Vampire Diaries" are considered a lock, with modeling drama "Beautiful Life," "Life Unexpected" (formerly "Light Years") and bubble freshman "Privileged" battling it out for the third slot. The "Gossip Girl" spinoff in consideration for midseason. At CBS, always the hardest to read because of its imposed cone of silence, comedies "Accidentally on Purpose" and "Waiting to Die" supposedly are still going strong, with the status of another comedy, "Happiness Isn't Everything," constantly changing but now looking at a possible midseason berth. The "NCIS" spinoff is as a sure thing as they come, with "The Good Wife" looking good and "Three Rivers" in the running with star Alex O'Loughlin. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Nellie Andreeva firstname.lastname@example.com @thr AP email@example.com @thr


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30 Passenger Executive Mini Coach
30 Passenger Executive Mini Coach Features:
- High Back Leather Reclining Seats
- CD Player, DVD Player
- Flat Screen TVs
- Tables and/or U-Couches
- PA System
- Luggage
- Heat/AC
- Bathroom
30 Passenger Executive Mini Coach
If you need to travel to a certain event or simply a trip with a large number of people, then you need to charter a bus. The 30 Passenger Executive Mini Coach is just the perfect bus for the job. It is spacious, well-built and has very good mileage making it great for very long trips. The bus can easily be hired from Unlimited Charters where we offer you this among other types of cars at very reasonable prices. We have great offers to suit your budget which is why our event bus is what you should consider next time you need transportation.
You need to check that the particular 30 Passenger Executive Mini Coach you need is available on the specific dates that you need to use it, Because this will avoid last minute disappointments. It is advisable that you book a bus ahead of time, this way it will be ready for the date you need it!
For most people, chartering an event bus is a very expensive affair, however, all of this changes when you come to Unlimited Charters. We offer discounts on different occasions depending on how long you will be hiring the vehicle ,hence you are free to ask if you can have a price reduction. You do not have to sacrifice on account of budget restrictions; if you come to us, we will help you through it.
Depending on the number of people travelling and the amount of luggage you have to carry, we will advise you on the perfect mini bus for you to use. We have experts who can be able to correctly approximate the kind of size that you will find useful all you need to do is come to us with details and we will be more than happy to advice.
Safety First
Have you ever chartered a mini bus only for it to breakdown in the middle of nowhere? Well, this is a very unfortunate situation that you will not encounter when you chatter our executive coach rental. We ensure that our buses and vehicles are all serviced regularly and are in perfect condition when they are delivered to you. However, in case of any emergency, our team will be more than ready to assist.
Unlimited Charters is the perfect car hire company where you cannot go wrong whenever you need a vehicle. Our team is qualified and always ready to assist you so that you get the best mini bus from us.


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A special issue of International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation
Differential evolution (DE) is a method of mathematical optimization of multi- dimensional functions and belongs to the class of evolution strategy optimizers. DE finds the global minimum of a multidimensional, multimodal (i.e. exhibiting more than one minimum) function with good probability. The crucial idea behind DE is a scheme for generating trial parameter vectors. DE adds the weighted difference between two population vectors to a third vector. In this way, no separate probability distribution has to be used, which makes the scheme completely self-organizing.
The objective of this special issue is to bring researchers from academia and industry together to report and review the latest progresses in this field, and to explore future directions.
Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Theoretical advances in differential evolution methodology
- Differential evolution n for complex constrained optimisation problems
- Differential evolution for multi-objective optimisation problems
- Differential evolution for dynamic environment optimisation
- Hybrid methods combined with other optimisation techniques
- Learning and search strategies in differential evolution
- Applications of differential evolution, such as bio-informatics and chem-informatics, computational biology, etc.
- Future directions of differential evolution
Submission Deadline: 1 November, 2008
Acceptance Notification: 1 February,2009
Final Manuscript Submission: 1 March,2009


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Earlier this month, Chris and I met my parents and youngest brother in Old Salem (N.C.) for some visiting and walking around. You can find a map here.
Old Salem is an old Moravian village that's now surrounded by the City of Winston (now called Winston-Salem). All middle school students in the area take a field trip to the village to learn history and sample some delicious Moravian cookies.
Moravian stars are a popular Christmas decoration through the region.
You can buy tickets at the museum to visit interpreters in trade shops and stores.
But if you don't want to do that, there's plenty to see on foot and you can visit the retail shops, such as the bakery, a tavern and a gift and garden shop.
Since it was a Monday and a holiday, the museum and interpretive sites were closed. So we walked around, snapping photos of the beautiful buildings and gardens. We ate lunch at Mayberry Soda Shoppe.
I think Dad, Chris and J.J. enjoyed discussing the various construction techniques and materials used in the old buildings.
Mom and I loved the bakery!
Before we went home, Chris and I stopped by the garden shop and bought some rosemary, tansy and a ornamental pepper plant.
I love rosemary and can't wait to use it with garlic in mashed potatoes. Chris wanted tansy because it's a colonial plant that colonists used to keep ants and other insects out of gardens.
The ornamental peppers were just cool looking. It has small, pebble-sized, purple peppers. It's not for culinary use, but we thought they were pretty and got them anyway.
We'd also bought my mom a sensitive plant — a fern that folds up its leaves when you touch it — but it died after being left in direct sunlight. I guess it was really sensitive!
Here's some pics: (All photos by E.A. Seagraves. Do not use without permission.)
I loved this house. The colors and look of it.
These chairs and table were on the porch of the house in the picture above. It looks so lovely here.
Peeking down some alleyways, you can see some backyards. A lot of the houses are private residences so you're not free to roam around.
Want a carriage ride? We saw some visitors get in the buggy soon after I took this photo.
I love this door. There's several of these doors around Old Salem.
Another house that I like.
And a shop.
Here's a view of one of the tree-lined streets.
Want to learn more about Old Salem? Check out these books:


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