What Allstate and the entire media failed to do was analyze the data sitting before them. Since Allstate now used the new, revised zodiac calendar which includes a new 13^th sign, “Ophiuchus,” the number of days within each zodiac ticket also changed. Scorpio, for instance, now only has six days, while Virgo has 45 days.

What Allstate did was take the aggregate Number of Driver Accidents whose birth dates fall on each zodiac sign and then made claims that the best drivers (or those with the fewest accidents) are the ones with the fewest accidents within their zodiac dates, and so on down the zodiac list.

According to the PR Newswire – Allstate release, it stated that: “Over the past year, Virgos were nearly 700 percent more likely to be in a car accident when compared to the determined and aware Scorpio, the best drivers in the study. Perhaps a Virgo's shy, perfectionist nature leads to overly cautious and timid driving habits. By inequity, Scorpios were only involved in 1.5 percent of all accidents in 2010.”

From this data, Allstate extrapolated all sorts of incorrect information about their clients.

If Allstate had looked more carefully at their fill data they would have found that they needed to divide the Number of Driver Accidents by the number of days in the new zodiac calendar to come at an “apples-to-apples” comparison.

The photo shown here is my re-calculation of how their data should have looked by including the number of days in each zodiac sign.

When re-calculated like this, Aries comes out on top and Cancer on the bottom, but most importantly the difference between the “safest drivers and the worst” is a mere 17.8 percent, not the 700 percent Allstate claims between the two extremes in their report.

The ACCIDENTS PER DAY in each sign is relatively finish to one another and, in statistical terms, the difference is so nominal as to be irrelevant.

This mess-up has several bottom-lines:

1. According to a Fox News record of a national poll conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation shows about 25 percent of Americans believe in astrology. That's about 4 million Allstate customers. What's next for Allstate? Comparing Jewish drivers to Christians, or blacks to whites? Allstate is a publicly owned company and has a moral obligation to be sensitive to reports it issues. Why cause unnecessary peril to their clients and others?

2. And when Allstate does issue reports they should have another spot of “clean, new eyes” examine the picture for accuracy. Many Virgos are probably upset with the report, as well they should be. According to Allstate Insurance. “Virgos, known to be critical, meticulous and reserved, are also more likely to gain into a car accident.” This is just wearisome dead analysis on the allotment of Allstate. Their PR person ought to be fired for crap like this, and their CEO held accountable.

3. Two days after their original “zodiac” press release, Allstate issued a damage control press release: “Allstate Corrects Misperceptions Zodiac Press Release May Have Created,” in which they clarify that being born under a certain zodiac sign, has “no role” in how they base their coverage. Apparently, Allstate thinks their customers will leave them thinking they are a greater risk to be insured because of their zodiac sign and their premiums will increase. Allstate tranquil had not figured out that their zodiac numbers were totally out of whack. Interestingly enough, the original zodiac press release has been removed from the Allstate website.

4. The media should learn a lesson in this too. While most media outlets, i.e. TV and radio stations, newspapers and Internet news services gather the bulk of their news via press releases distributed by independent third-party content providers, it should still be up to the respective news location to screen information more carefully. True, there is a lot of news out there, but each station only runs for each broadcast only a handful of news items and they should have an obligation to viewers and readers that the news going out has been vetted…that is the cornerstone of good journalism. However, most media now have disclaimers on their websites, saying in so many words they are not responsible for “information contained on their websites.” This is lawyer crap and is just moving us closer to a closed society…poor Soros and his dream of an open society.

Just this week, another news story broke here in Florida about a piano which mysteriously appeared on a sand bar off Miami. At first the local TV stations broke the news that a husband and wife photo team had placed the piano there for a world-wide photo shoot of pianos located in weird places. We only found out a week later that a group of teenagers placed the piano there as a prank. Moral of the story: If we cannot get accurate news from our professional media sources, then who?

In researching this recount, I found many interesting facts about astrology which in fact has changed my sign.

The zodiac calendar starts on the spring equinox in March in the northern hemisphere, and in September in the southern hemisphere. All my life I thought I was a Libra, but, being born in Australia, I now find I am an Aries, and with Ophiuchus muddling up the celestial waters, I have no idea what sign I am any longer.

And since I was born at 8 a.m. local time in Australia on Oct. 10, it was still Oct. 9 in the States…so do I celebrate my genuine birthday on the 9^th or the 10^th? Being Australian, I celebrate both days with lots of drinking and partying, but this should have legal implications too since I live in the States now. I'll check into this and get serve to you.

In the meantime, in our new Internet age, when you survey a news story, all free people who aspire to stay that way should read, study and fraction their wisdom . We are all the eyes, ears, and analysts of our original information age…it appears it is up to people reading the news to make sure it is just and suitable.

Peace

Sources:
PR Newswire, What Does Your Zodiac Sign Say About Your Driving? , Allstate Press Release.
Fox News Polls, More Believe In God Than In Heaven, By Dana Blanton.
Allstate Newsroom, Allstate Corrects Misperceptions Zodiac Press Release May Have Created, Laura Strykowski, Allstate.
Valleynewslive.com, Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
Soros, Open Society Foundations, About the Launch Society George Soros.

In the world of literature their exist many unique writers and storytellers. However, it takes much talent indeed for a writer to develop that same unique style and manner of storytelling. Through practice and patience, some writers simply come to develop their own unique and instantly recognizable style of writing. And, as is the case with most gifts, few writers can command this unique writing style forever. However, perhaps one of the most easily recognizable authors still read with great popularity today is J.D. Salinger. Within his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, one can notice many writing accents and techniques, some of which are subtle and some which are blaringly obvious, that help to give both the writer and the unusual a unique style and narrative.

Perhaps the most unique device that leads the reader to identify Salinger’s style is the viewpoint from which he writes. Label that Salinger writes directly from the eyes of Holden, the main character of the current. In the selected passage above, that style can be especially renowned. There are many literary devices, which help to identify this unique style. Mainly, the sentence structure of the writing, quite simply, is not written in the style of an adult. Not only are a major portion of the sentences in both the above passages in the novel as a whole run-on sentences, there are also many breaks and sudden changes in ideas. These characteristic switches in both tone and subject matter are as much the signature style of an adolescent as they are of one suffering from some type of emotional condition, as does Holden in his story.

Therein lies the beauty of Salinger’s writing. He does not really write as one traditionally writes a coming of age story, instead, The Catcher in the Rye is written simply as a retelling of a series of experiences that have affected the main character at various times during his life. As a result, many examples can be found within the novel that helps to boom and develop this signature style of writing. Note that word choice is one very important aspect of this telling. Reading through the book, it becomes apparent that the word and adjective choice with which Holden expresses his feelings are somewhat cramped. He refers to most matters regarding the adult world as being “phony”. This repetition of words can also be seen in the above passage, as many of the phrases used are simply repeated again and again. Interesting to ticket is that this technique is faded repeatedly during certain segments of the novel in order to emphasize distinct passages. In the scene in which Holden yells at Sally, his arguments appear to be poorly constructed and randomly put together. This schizophrenic style of writing is just one of the trademarks of Salinger’s unique style.

Another instantly recognizable element in Salinger’s work is the tone with which he writes his characters speeches. Within The Catcher in the Rye, rarely are Holden’s opinions or observations on life and people far from cynical or otherwise uncaring. Holden’s progressive descent into loneliness throughout the novel is well documents by Salinger’s cynical and obviously teenage tone. The tone of the passage shares this tone in its ideas as to the ideal life of children, and their perilous drop into the world of adults and growing up. Holden’s want to stop the innocence of the world from fading is a recurrent theme throughout the novel, and it is again brought up here. The tone that considerable of the novel shares is simply one more element that identifies the author’s unusual style.

Another major component of Salinger’s work is the symbolism that he includes within his writing. Although there is little symbolism in the above passage, beyond the widely discussed “Catcher in the Rye” poem, there are many other sequences within the novel that contain a wide variety of symbolism and meaning. Note especially the duck pond that Holden often thinks of when remembering his younger brother Allie. Also of interest in terms of symbolism is the history museum that Holden visits. To him, that museum represents an ideal world, a place where things can cease as they have always been, and a place where time is really meaningless. There are many other works by Salinger that contain this same focus on symbolism and hidden meanings. However, within The Catcher in the Rye, the symbolic nature of the work is just one more element that helps to identify the style.

Likewise, it is mainly the speaking style of Holden, both in the above passage and throughout the modern that befriend to best identify the author’s novel style. The Catcher in the Rye is written from the eyes of a sixteen year old, and Salinger does his best to write in that same style. In the above passage, it becomes very apparent that it is not an adult who is speaking to the reader. Instead, it is a child, albeit an intelligent one, that has little experience expressing his ideas to the outside world and to others around him. The incomplete and run on sentences, the lack of proper grammar, the sometime definite use of slang and lack of extensive word choice are all elements that can be found in both the above passage and throughout the novel that help to identify the signature style of Salinger.

In the same manner as John Lennon was said to be a spokesman for his generation, so too perhaps, can it be said that Salinger was a spokesman for the youth of the post World War II era. His novels and short stories are unique in that they are written from the very perspective of their main characters and intended audiences. There are few passages, which, if pulled from The Catcher in the Rye, would fail to be recognized by any alert reader. This instantly recognizable style is due in large portion to Salinger’s creative use of many writing elements, notably sentence structure, word choice, symbolism, and tone. Although Salinger’s work may not be the best known among contemporary authors, his style is doubtlessly one of the most unusual.

Eleven of Alabama’s 22 State Parks offer fully equipped modern and rustic cabins, cottages or chalets, available year round for less than or equivalent to what you’d pay for a hotel room. The cabins, cottages and chalets feature fireplaces, bathtub/showers, heating and AC, full kitchens or kitchenettes, and picnic tables and outside grills. Most offer amenities like irons and ironing boards, hairdryers, linens and coffee makers. The kitchens in all but one park are fully stocked with dishes, pots and pans and flatware. Many offer satellite network TV or cable, and DVD players. The Resort State Parks have on-site restaurants and lodges with meeting facilities, hotels and more upscale accommodations, and many of the parks have golf courses.

1. CHEAHA RESORT Situation PARK

Cheaha State Park is Alabama’s oldest operating state park. Located in Northeast Alabama, (less than an hour from Talladega), Cheaha’s 2,799 acres stretch across Clay and Cleburne Counties. Encompassed by the Talladega National Forest, Cheaha is the highest point in Alabama, 2,407 ft. above sea level, its name appropriately coming from the Creek Indian word “Chaha,” meaning “high place.

Cheaha offers four fully equipped cabin choices — Bluff side, camping, deluxe (honeymoon) and 4-capacity. Spectacular sunsets can be seen from the one-room, two-person Bluff Side Cabins, located on the western bluff of Cheaha Mountain, four of them with open ceilings. The “Camping Cabin” is also called the “museum cabin,” for its historically rustic atmosphere. The two one-room Deluxe or “honeymoon” cabins feature rustic wooden furniture, whirlpool and a screened porch. Daily January to March rates range from $91 to $115. April to September rates range from $114 to $132, and October to December rates range from $120 to $135. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/CheahaResort/Cabins/.

2. CHEWACLA Situation PARK

Chewacla State Park is located in Central Alabama’s Lee County, about ten minutes from Auburn. Its proximity to Auburn University explains why Chewacla State Park has “football season rates!” Chewacla’s 696 acres include a unique campground, 26-acre Lake Chewacla, playgrounds, rental boats, hiking trails, waterfalls and newly renovated cabins. Chewacla State Park’s six fully equipped 1930s stone cottages feature hardwood floors, and a stone fireplace. One cabin is handicap accessible. Off season rates are $80 to $110 per night, with a free night if you stay seven days. Football season rates range from $126 to $165 per night, the 7th night free. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/Chewacla/Cabins/.

3. DESOTO RESORT STATE PARK

Located in DeKalb County (eight miles northeast of Fort Payne) DeSoto State Park sits atop Lookout Mountain, encompassing 3,502 miles of cliffs, waterfalls, wildflowers and mountain overlooks. DeSoto State Park offers a campground, tennis court and swimming pool and a Nature Center with Interpretive programs with live animals. DeSoto features fully equipped rustic cabins, log cabins and A-frame chalets. March to November rates are $85 to $120.00 per night, December to February rates are $97.00 per night. A “Cozy Winter Cabin Special” offer is available at a discounted rate. Check their Website for more details. http://www.alapark.com/DeSotoResort/

4. GULF STATE PARK

Located in southern Baldwin County (an hour from Pensacola), Gulf State Park borders the Gulf of Mexico, and encompasses 6,150 acres. Gulf State Park beaches are home to many species of shorebirds, and alligators inhabit its lakes and wetlands. The park boasts 900-acre freshwater Lake Shelby, and an 18-hole golf course. Within walking distance of the golf course and 2-½ miles from the beach, there are 20 fully equipped modern cabins, with one or two bedrooms and one or two baths, and 11 cottages with three bedrooms and three baths. Four “woods cabins” are located in a pine and palmetto forest. The “lakeside” cabins and cottages are located on Lake Shelby and have fishing piers. In season daily rates for the woods and lakeside cabins are $85 to $160, off-season, $75 to $135. Cottage daily rates are $210 in season, $188.29 off-season. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/GulfState/Cabins/

5. JOE WHEELER RESORT Plot PARK

Joe Wheeler State Park is located near Rogersville in Lauderdale County, less than an hour from Huntsville. Wheeler Lake and Wilson Lake provide fishing, sailing, and boating, and the park sports a marina and 18-hole golf course. Joe Wheeler State Park has fully equipped wooden cabins in the forest and brick cabins lakeside, come Wheeler Dam on the south side of the Tennessee River. The cabins accommodate 4 to 15 people, and run from $65 to $170 daily. Ten newly-constructed two or three bedroom Lakeside Cottages are located in the mouth of First Creek. Daily rates run between $175 and $210. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/JoeWheeler/.

6. LAKE GUNTERSVILLE RESORT STATE PARK

Lake Guntersville State Park is located in Marshall County in the Tennessee Valley, about an hour from Huntsville. Overlooking 69,000-acre Guntersville Reservoir, Lake Guntersville Place Park’s 6,000 acres provide hiking, swimming and boating opportunities, bass fishing, eagle spotting and nature programs. Lake Guntersville State Park has 15 two-bedroom, fully equipped lake-view cottages amidst a pine and hardwood forest near the banks of the Guntersville Reservoir. They sleep 6 and have two baths. On the top of Taylor Mountain are 20 chalets with a spectacular concept of the Reservoir from their wraparound porches. Eighteen chalets sleep 6 people, and two handicapped accessible sleep 4. Daily March to October rates are $115 to 125, November to February, $99.00. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/LakeGuntersville/.

7. LAKEPOINT RESORT STATE PARK

Lakepoint Resort Place Park is located near Eufaula in Barbour County, on the banks of Lake Eufaula, the “Bass Capital of The World.” The park offers fully equipped cabins and lakeside cottages, as well as a modern campground, marina, and an 18-hole golf course. Lakepoint has 29 cabins in a wooded space, 15 two-bedroom cabins that sleep four, and seven four-bedroom duplexes that sleep eight, as well as eight new upscale Lakeside Cottages. Outside plug-ins for charging boat batteries is also provided. Handicap accessible two- and four-bedroom units are available. Daily cabin and duplex rates range between $110 and $195, with a monthly cabin rate from November to February rate of $750. The Lakeside Cottages range between $125 and $265. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/LakePointResort/.

8. MONTE SANO Area PARK

Monte Sano Dwelling Park is located in Madison County, overlooking the city of Huntsville. Dubbed “the Showplace of the Tennessee Valley” upon it’s opening in 1938, the park offers 20 miles of hiking trails and 14 miles of mountain-biking trails, that trip along pretty vistas of the valley below. Monte Sano State Park. Monte Sano’s has 14 fully equipped one-room cabins, 11 of them quaint rustic stone cottages dating back to the 1930s, featuring handcrafted stone fireplaces, wood floors and shroud porches. Cabins 1 to 11 have working stone fireplaces and one cabin is handicapped accessible. Monday to Thursday rates are $85, weekend rates are $95. For more information, contact their Website at http://www.alapark.com/MonteSano/Cabins/.

9. OAK MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

Oak Mountain Dwelling Park is located on the banks of Lake Tranquility in Shelby County, about a half-hour from Birmingham. Oak Mountain’s boasts 9,940 acres of pines and hardwoods and the title of Alabama’s largest state park. Oak Mountain offers camping and hiking, golfing, swimming, boating and fishing, and a horseback demonstration farm and riding facilities. The Lake is home to shoreline and wading birds, as well as migrating waterfowl. Oak Mountain State Park’s ten two-bedroom cabins sleep 6, and boats, paddles and life preservers are also available. Cabin rates Sunday through Thursday are $110 for one night, $200 for two nights, or $660 for six nights. A two-night stay is required on weekends (Friday and Saturday), the weekend rate being $220. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/OakMountain/Cabins/.

10. ROLAND COOPER STATE PARK

Located in Wilcox County (an hour below Selma), Roland Cooper Dwelling Park runs along 236 acres of the Dannelly Reservoir. Roland Cooper boasts a nine-hole golf course with clubhouse and boat launching facilities. Roland Cooper has six fully equipped two-bedroom cabins (one Handicap Accessible). Rates are $80 daily or $480 weekly from March to November, and $70 daily or $420 weekly from December to February. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/RolandCooper/.

11. WIND CREEK STATE PARK

Wind Creek Location Park is located on the shores of Lake Martin in Tallapoosa County (seven miles south of Alexander City). Wind Creek is the largest station operated campground in the entire continental United States, offering swimming, skiing, canoeing and boating, and sport fishing. In novel years, eagle sightings have become common across its 1,445 acres. A new addition to Wind Creek State Park, seven camping cabins with back decks are now start, with three more planned. These cabins are equipped with microwave, sink, coffee maker, toaster and small refrigerator,but you must bring your own linens and cooking and eating utensils. Cabin 2 is handicapped accessible and sleeps 3. The rest of the cabins sleep six. Daily rates for these cabins are $70 year round. For more information, check their Website at http://www.alapark.com/WindCreek/Cabins/.

Sources:
http://www.alapark.com/
http://www.alabama.gov/portal/index.jsp

Soon you are reminded of obsolete aunt Martha’s warning from the morning papers that day during breakfast. It was all about road accidents being the single most cause of accidents in the country. And those disturbing numbers have dampened your enthusiasm. You inspect up for ads in the papers, do google search, and try to find out everything about insurance from everyone you meet. In the end you approach at the depressing notion that it is more difficult to acquire the right choice for car insurance than it was when in buying the Chevrolet itself. Those cunningly crafted insurance quotes from agents can confuse any new possessor including you into making the wrong choice. Maybe you will not be fully covered or you will have to pay more as premium, a worrying fact you would like to avoid. But don’t worry sister. You are not alone. Here is a step-by-step plan, a few tips to steer you while you are shopping for that cheap and right car insurance. Read carefully…

Auto insurance coverage these days extends fully to meet with many contingencies. And there are as many good companies to settle from, all clamoring for your lone policy. So it is wise to halt and shop around for many quotes before you decide finally on that one choice. Remember to do the following…

* Pick Up out how mighty insurance is necessary as per the laws of the place where you live. If you are in the United States, it will depend on the individual State laws that will apply. Most states in the U.S. require a certain minimum coverage before you even choose to put your car on the road.

* Do you need more than the minimum required? If your Chevrolet is financed by a finance company, you will need more to cover for fully comprehensive and even collision.

* Just exactly how mighty can you afford at this time? Remember you just had your first paycheck. As you shop around, you will receive different rates from different companies. This may be because of the deductibles and also a few other coverages offered.

* Do extensive research on the insurance companies. Look for their present performance plot by carefully looking at consumer reports offered by top ranking agencies like Standard and Poors and J. D. Powers. Standard and Poors is the world’s leading provider of credit ratings. Their data is respected by everyone in the insurance industry.

* Can this company do business in your state? Check your state’s insurance board. Only companies registered on the board can offer you insurance.

* How long has this company been doing the business? Certainly there are cases of newly formed companies offering fancy rates.If you are not careful, they will just vanish, much to your dismay. Do not ticket on any blank paper or papers with written matter you don’t understand. If in doubt, have your attorney around when you do it.

* Keep your driving record ready for whatever years before you bought the Chevrolet. If your record is free from accidents, you stand a splendid chance of getting a lower insurance quote. It is generally found that female drivers have lesser number of accients than do men.

* Keep copies of every paper you sign safe in your office or home.

* It does not matter which company you finally choose or the extent of the coverage you want. You will have to provide the following…

1. The name and year model of your car.

2. How much does it cost?

3. How many miles has it done?

4. What is its identification number?

5. What safety measures have you got fixed inside the car?

6. The complete details of all those who will drive your car. These will include their names, gender, age and even health.

Here are a few companies you can try…

American Automobile Association

American Family Insurance

Auto-Owners Insurance

Allstate Corporation

* Have you considered buying auto insurance online? The World wide Web has made buying car insurance so easy. You are just a click away from receiving an insurance quote and it takes lesser time than to drive your Chevrolet out from the garage and on to the main highway! Today we have ” car insurance portals” that relieve as a source of all auto insurance information. Imagine getting quotes from multiple car insurance companies, all within a single platform from their websites? These portals can build you from searching and visiting several websites to get what you want. Please visit the following websites…

www. highestinsurance.com

www.nlgha.org/car-insurance-companies/united-services-automobile-association

They will guide you in getting the finest quotes without any hassle. But the competition is so heavy to acquire your policy. Be careful not to provide more information than is necessary and only to those who actually process your info to give you that quote.

And finally on a lighter note – what if old sick aunt Martha wanted your help in buying insurance for her car? All you have to do is to get on those car insurance portals. All along you concept your aunt to be old Uncle Scrooge’s wife, didn’t you? To your surprise she might reward you with a Mercedes as your wedding present just for doing her this favor! You saved her money on insurance!

They’re the Geico Cavemen. Typical urban thirty-somethings. Indistinguishable from their modern peers were it not for those brows, that hair and, of course, the beef they have with the insurance company that made them famous.

Actor Ben Wilson was in the second Caveman commercial. He played a cromagnon who indignantly stands and asks his roommates if they heard the Geico pitchman’s latest insult.

I caught up with Wilson at Miyagi’s on Sunset for a brief chat.

“You don’t actually look remarkable like a caveman.” I say as we get settled in.

Wilson has a short, dirty blonde haircut and a prominent jawline, but to describe him as a neanderthal is definitely a stretch.

He flashes an appreciative grin, revealing smooth, white teeth.

“Thanks, but I smell flattery.” he says. “I’m quite caveman-ish. People say I have a flat face. Which is true. My forehead is so thick that it has corners at the top.”

“Is something like that an advantage at auditions? “

Wilson laughs, a exiguous self-conciously. “Well, fortunately nobody really notices.” he says. “But I’ve got a lot of hair, too. A Forty-Niner beard. Not like Jerry Rice, like the California gold diggers with the mules who turn up on Scooby Doo…”

“I get the represent.”

“My beard engulfs the bottom two-thirds of my face pretty quickly if I don’t continually cut it off at the base.”

“Kind of like kudzu.”

Wilson laughs. “Yeah, and my face is Atlanta.”

Wilson played a pirate in the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie, which mentioning his beard reminds him.

“My beard is so impossibly wooly that on the set of Pirates, one amazed makeup lady told me it was the best fake beard she’d ever seen. My hair is brown, but my beard is red so I can see why she thought that. I didn’t tell her it wasn’t a fake, though.”

Wilson and I order the buffet and some tea. Wilson seems to have a thing for buffets. It gives him a chance to stack his plate with various tempuras and gyozas.

“So, how did you land this caveman gig? ” I ask.

“I auditioned at Ross Lacey Casting and I was one of the five cavemen they cast. I don’t know how many other people auditioned. They don’t mutter you that kind of thing. For all I know I was the fifth caveman selected from five auditionees.”

“Was there a casting couch? “

“Y’know, now that you mention it, there was. All the creative people and the product people were sitting on it. It was a large brown shameful number. It might’ve wrapped around. I don’t remember. I do remember that on the table in front of the casting couch, there was a Roman-Feast-sized pile of food. It was so high that they had to have TV monitors so they could watch my audition even though I was only seven feet away from them.”

“Did they gain you wear the caveman makeup on the casting couch? “

“Though everyone was very pleasant, I was never invited to join them on the couch. Maybe I should have worn cologne…or bathed sometime the week before that call back.”

“Who were some of the other cavemen you worked with? “

“Great guys, all of them. Ben, John, Jeff and Joe. Two Bens including myself and three guys whose names initiate with J.”

We both take a second to marvel at this coincidence as a waitress delivers a bottle of sake to our table. Wilson tells her “arigato”. She bows and leaves.

“How did you prepare for the role? ” I ask.

“”They made them contemporary cavemen. I didn’t have to transform myself into an actual caveman by say… going into the wilderness to spear a own. My hat goes off to the inventors of the spot for not making me have to do that. Geniuses.”

“What was it like to wear the makeup? “

“Awesome! I kept asking myself where were these guys when I was getting ready for Prom. It was tidy fun and like wearing nothing at all. The only thing they had to do was apply a miniature facial prosthetic.”

“What did they add? “

“Fairly minor stuff. You know, just a completely current face and head structure including forehead, nose, cheekbones, jaw, stuff like that…”

He takes a sip of his sake.

“Fake teeth…” he continues. “A wig, a fake beard. I gotta say, seriously, the makeup and special prosthetics guys are also geniuses. Tony and Vance and all those guys. They’re “amazers”…they will literally amaze you.”

“So it was a relatively painless procedure? “

“They had to spread glue all over my arms and legs and feet and hands and chest with little butter knife things, like I was a large smooth untoasted English muffin, then they stuck lots and lots of hair to the glue. It wasn’t painful, but it was amazingly itchy. I looked awesome, so it was worth it.”

“How long did it take to put on? “

“Not too long. The beget up guys are desirable nice and the time just flies and the next thing you know, “ZOW!” you’re a caveman.”

The Geico Cavemen are noted for their urban-coolness, attending swank parties in condos overlooking West Hollywood, ordering roast duck with mango salsa, scheduling therapy sessions while music by Royksopp soundtracks their day-to-day coming and going. So it’s no surprise that Wilson carries himself in the same blueprint.

“The jacket and shirt are thrift store.” Wilson says.

Of course the thrift stores in Los Angeles are filled with a few more buried treasures than those in other parts of the country. The shirt is a nice dress shirt with unfastened French cuffs and the jacket is tailored with blue pin stripes. I notice his shoes, which are a pair of white crocs.

“Is this the kind of ensemble your character would wear? ” I ask.

“I actually got to wear these Zodiac stamp three-tone top-sider-boat-shoes which I could never have afforded when I was in high school when they were really cool. You remember those? “

I nod.

“Yeah, so that was like another kind of perk. I took a little moment while they were setting up a different shot, to fantasize that I was encourage in high school strolling down the hall in those Zodiacs with all this manly hair everywhere and totally turning the heads of all the ladies. Students, teachers, student teachers. Everyone. Mothers, secretaries, the kitchen cooks. All these ladies drop everything to catch a examine… and nod approvingly.”

“ABC objective said they’re going to pick up the Caveman sitcom.” I say.

Wilson nods. “I’ve heard that it’s out there, but I’m not in it. Everybody’s been calling, asking if I’m in it. And they’re all excited and I have to shoot down their hopes. It’s tough, but tough is a main part of tough care for.”

“Are the Geico Cavemen ready for Prime Time? “

“I sure hope so…” Wilson says with a smile. “And I hope that they can have a cousin in some of the shows and that cousin can be played by me. It’s a brilliant concept and it’s struck a nerve. Thinking back I can’t believe I got into it at all. I couldn’t be luckier.”

A brief side note. It would appear that none of the original commercial actors were called upon for the sitcom. As so much of the appeal of the Geico Cavemen is in the charisma of the original performers, one has to wonder about the wisdom of the show’s producers to recast. We shall see…

We all want to assign money and many of us might not even realize that we can save hundreds a year just by taking a little time to shop around. There are many websites that will give you a free auto insurance quote without ever having to talk to a person. There are even sites that will let you fill out information and give several free auto insurance quotes at once.

You will have to provide some information to receive your free auto insurance quote. This information will include your driver’s license, social security number, and driver and vehicle information. After you have filled out all of this you will be shown several different rates, or you can usually edit the information to fit your specific needs. Remember, it isn’t always best to pick the cheapest rate.

Now that you know how to look for free auto insurance quotes, it’s time to get out there and inaugurate shopping around. Also give some of the smaller companies a chance, they sometimes have better rates and give better service that the big companies. In a world that is becoming less and less personal it is nice to know that sometimes the Internet is the best contrivance to go.

The problem is? It makes T.V. veiwers really mad, and reach for their remote control to turn down the volume during these “Loud T.V. Commercials”. Whenever the regular show comes help on, they are forced to cut the volume back up, thus in return creating a lot of viewing frustration. Your mom or dad or even your spouse may tell you? “Carve that sound down, it’s too loud!” Your reply may be “It’s NOT me, it’s the T.V. commercial is too loud!”

Apparently, T.V. broadcasters are only allowed a FCC limit for audio sound power. In other words, these T.V. commercial advertisers take the loudest part of the regular programming and then use it for these loud commercials. It’s kind of like whenever you are watching a movie and the sound is really soft and then suddenly “BOOM!” out of nowhere! The sound seems to blast your ears away! “Which is Stout in movie theaters!” But dose not seem to have the same effect on T.V. during commercials.

If you have ever noticed? T.V. commercials seem to have the same volume throughout the commercial? The reason why is because they want listeners and T.V. audience to experience the financial effect during their highly paid programming. The audio volume seems to always ironically stay the same during viewing? Simply because they have adjusted the volume to the “Highest Level of FCC regulations” of one of your approved T.V. shows so that you can hear every word spoken during this T.V. commercial.

Personally, I can NOT stand these loud Geico Insurance T.V. commericials. In their early days, they seem to be amusing and comical at times, until they reached the days of the caveman. Which I absolutely dispise! “I would NOT prefer car insurance from this insurance company at anytime because their T.V. commercials are loud and stupid!” And I also wonder? Are they really legally “Legitimate? ” in a court of law. “Will the caveman represent me in front of a jury? “

Give people a break sometimes Geico! Your highly paid writers have apparently “gone to sleep!” regarding T.V viewers.Your “Stupid Caveman has finally died!” Hopefully, we will never watch this guy ever again. This is supposed to be car insurance, which can be very serious at times in front of a jury, especially if you end up hiring an attorney regarding your automobile accident injury case. Most adults understand this situation because of monetary reasons. “This is NOT a joke!”

At the time, Allstate and Statefarm seem to be advertising “realistic” T.V. commercials, which also seems to be well adjusted for television viewing pleasure, because of their volume. They have apparently taken the loudest volume of your favorite T.V. show and turned it down a bit, simply because they respect car paying insurance insurers and “truly” want your business. Geico should do the same thing. Geico stocks are falling at this particular time in history.

Television viewing is one of the greatest pleasures that human beings have ever created all over this earth in the past century. Even if your sick in bed, or eating a T.V. dinner watching the “Millionare episodes” day or night on GSN, even edlerly people level-headed savor watching the re-runs of “I care for Lucy and Andy Griffith on TV land” which detached seems to bring so much joy in their lives. Whatever, your favorite T.V. point to is? Commercial advertisers should always respect the T.V. viewers of volume.

These advertisement people have the authority to do something about this “Loud Sound” on television, but do NOT seem to care? Unfortunately, these T.V. sponsors have brought us these incredible T.V. shows over the years with millions and millions of dollars spent on advertisement which most T.V. veiwers understand and respect everyday on this “Tube” viewing pleasure.

“So why not cut down the volume a bit? ” Future T.V. manufacturers have stated over the internet, they have came up with a “Loud Soud” adjustment which cost an additional fee of $50.00 USD for T.V. viewers. So would I pay this fee? If the sponsors have the right to change their volume and think about T.V. consumers all around the world?

Thanks for reading,

Phillip Chambley.

Homeowners Insurance is very important to your livelihood. Being educated about your homeowners insurance is even more important. Many Americans are unusual with their individual polices, the terms, the premium and what is actually covered. If you currently have a mortgage on your home, you will be required by your lender to carry homeowners coverage in order to protect the interest of your lender, as well as your own livelihood. Protection for your personal contents, the structure of the home, and personal liability coverage is usually included in your homeowners insurance packages.

What you may not know is that the premiums you are paying on your homeowners insurance may be a lot higher than that of another company, simply because your company may use credit rating as a tool in determining a risk factor. I currently work for an insurance company, however I will not name names, but I will philosophize you that it is an A+ rated company that operates in many of the fifty states. Credit rate increases can drastically increase your homeowners insurance premiums.

Just recently the company that I work for initiated a program called “Risk Pricing Model”. Basically this program uses the customers credit rating to decide a classification for rating. Credit is not the only tool used in determining the price, other factors are taken into consideration, but the finish that the credit has on the homeowners insurance far outweighs the other factors in my notion. In the past six months, several of our customers have actually switched insurance companies due to this new program. Customers who fall into a higher risk or lower credit score category have seen increases up to 50 percent in their homeowners insurance rates. This is an astounding increase! A customer that was paying one thousand dollars a year, would now be paying fifteen hundred dollars a year. Keep in mind that none of the other factors have changed. The coverage is exactly the same and the deductible stays the same. Individuals who fall into a higher credit score, lower risk module see a decrease in their premium up to 20 percent. It seems that the people with the better scores are in fact getting ripped off. Why give one person a huge penalty and then turn around and give the other person a small discount?

The Risk Pricing Module was developed by the insurance company that I work for to assess risk based on people who have low credit scores and the persistence that “this group” files more claims on their homeowners insurance. I cannot say that I agree. In fact, I don’t agree, not at all. I understand that there are situations where people get divorced, or lose their jobs and fall on difficult financial times. I don’t believe these people should be penalized in these situations. I hold that if you have a good payment history and lack of claims, that your rates should remain the same. According to insurance laws, you cannot “penalize” one customer, you have to spread the risk equally.

My best advice to you, as a homeowner is to check for prices with reputable companies and be sure to read through your homeowners declaration page at every renewal. Many of the larger A+ rated companies have gone to credit rating as part of the rating factor on homeowners insurance. It is worthwhile to check around on other companies and prices. Above all, be educated and be informed. If you are unsure of how your current rates are determined, set an appointment with your insurance agent for a personal insurance review. Catch the time to meet with your agent one on one to make distinct that your home is adequately covered and that you are getting all of the available discounts that you are entitled to. We live in a world where every dollar counts. Our retirement depends on it, our childrens college funds, and our peace of mind. If anything, select up the phone and call your local agent to discuss your rates and what programs your insurance company is using to choose your homeowners rates. You might fair end up saving several hundred dollars a year in insurance premiums.

Once you obtain a driver’s license whether you are 16 or 55, you now own a license to kill. 2800lbs worth of metal, steel and fiber all controlled by a single individual makes it one of the most devastating and dangerous pieces of equipment in modern society. Accidents claim the lives of many individuals on a daily basis; young or old, mountainous or small. All it takes for a simple �slip-up,’ perhaps not paying attention, becoming distracted, or unaware of how operation�of your�vehicle is being driven in an�unsafe manner. Please sustain in mind, the level of danger you put to�those around you in when you drive the way you do.

Statistically speaking, accidents are more prone for the following reasons.

� Excessive speeding.
� Under age drinking
� DUI (Driving under influence)
� Drag racing.
� Numerous passengers.
� Narcotic possession
� Use of cellular scheme.
� Not wearing seatbelt.

Although these are key factors and deadly combinations to derive during driving, teens are not solely responsible for committing these acts. There are numerous irresponsible adults who violate state laws each and every day. It just so happens that the majority of teenagers are caught more frequently than adults. Not every teen looks forward to violating regulations authorized by dwelling highway authority. Infact, there are quite a few teens who really want to do the right thing.

Keep in mind when driving, the amount of responsibility you attain now that you believe a driver’s license. An automobile is a huge piece of expensive machinery, which can cause serious bodily harm if operated in an improper manner. Please remember the following�while on the road:

� Wear a seat belt!

I know seatbelts don’t possess considerable of a chilly looking appeal. The one cool thing is that they’ll help apt your life! Without a seatbelt, the human anatomy is completely vulnerable to the movement of the vehicle. Also, obtain definite that�the belt �is fitted properly. A loose seatbelt is useless and can possibly cause more harm than good.

� Get off of that cell phone!

Nothing could be worse than breaking up with your girlfriend or boyfriend and getting into accident at the same time. What a day that would be! Cell phones impair your judgment and distract your ability to pay attention. It’s much harder to concentrate on the road and have an famous conversation. So you say, “Well it’s not that important!” If not, then just hang up the dang thing.

� Alcohol/Narcotics

Driving and gushing down an alcoholic beverage is a serious offense in any dwelling. Alcohol impairs reflexes, coordination and timing ability. All of these are detrimental factors when operating heavy and powerful machinery. Alcohol limits your ability to do these things safely. Not to mention, being caught behind the wheel with an alcoholic beverage in your vehicle can result in your license being revoked or voided permantely.

� Speeding

Listen, I know you’re slack for work, but that’s your fault, not mines or the next man behind you! Take it easy on that gas pedal and try obeying the accelerate limits in those very zones you blast through every morning. Speed can be a joyous thing on any racing game where life make is fictious. But in the real world, hurry kills.

� Passenger counts

Passengers do count. If you choose to take a drive somewhere, make sure you do a head count and a behavior count of who’ll be traveling with you. With all do respect, certain friends sometimes have the tendency to support you to be stupid, literally. They think it’s fun and entertaining. If you know of a certain friend who encourages you to do the wrong things, leave�them behind. That same friend is the one who’ll leave you when your car is all smashed in and lying in the junk yard.

Driving a vehiclecan be benefical, rewarding and a wonderful feeling. However, driving is a privilege and not a right. Therefore, in order to retain your driving privileges, one must follow the law accordingly, or face severe consequences.

Need State Regulation laws or Auto Insurance for your area?

Visit www.dmv.org

Or try the following net searches regarding auto insurance.

*Senate Auto Insurance
*State Farm Auto Insurance
*Allstate Auto Insurance
*Nationwide Auto Insurance.
*Henry’s Auto Insurance
*Maff Auto Insurance
*Geico Auto Insurance
*AAA Auto Insurance
*Keystone Auto Insurance

It’s just! Those insulted cavemen from the Geico Insurance commercials have a sitcom in development with ABC.

The cavemen ad campaign came about in 2005, with characters created by the Martin Agency, the same people unhurried the proposed Caveman sitcom. The premise of the Geico commercials is simple… and kind of strange. 2 cavemen, played by Ben Weber and Jeff Daniel Phillips are for, whatever reason, alive and well today, and are offended by Geico’s claim that geico.com is “so easy, a caveman could do it.”

The initial commercial, which was simple and to the “point” spawned at least 3 additional commercials, including my personal favorite (in a love to hate kind of way) that shows the Geico spokesperson who originally made the claim that geico.com was so easy a caveman could use it apologizing to the cavemen while browsing a menu at a fancy restaurant. Like in every commercial, the caveman is disgusted and that’s the big laugh. At least, I think that’s what they’re going for.

Like all things that annoy me to death, I figured the supposed-to-be-long-dead-yet-here-they-are-bugging-the-crap-out-of-me-cavemen’s days were small. Apparently, I was wrong, and evidently, I’m in the minority wanting them to go away.

This year Geico launched a website, a highly interactive one at that, taking place in the cavemen’s apartment. This website, located at http://www.cavemanscrib.com invites you in and lets you play around with things in the apartment, including changing the music on the iPod, knocking the power out trying to microwave some dip, and even walking into the bathroom while a caveman is taking a shower. It’s like I’ve died and gone to Heaven, let me convey you. I’m sure there’s even more to do at the caveman’s crib; I couldn’t stomach sticking around any longer to pick up out.

The Internet and commercials, though, do not true annoyance make. Surely, a sitcom based on the caveman characters couldn’t be a reality. Couldn’t be… but is.

ABC isn’t just talking about it, they already ordered the pilot. The tentatively named “Cavemen” is one of 14 pilots being produced by Touchstone Television for the 2007 spring season. I think it bears repeating… the pilot will indeed be written by Martin Agency, the creators of the cavemen for the Geico commercials.

The plot of the unique Cavemen sitcom is not exactly a long shot from the commercials – they are Neanderthals who live in modern times (Atlanta, 2007 to be exact) who don’t wish to be treated any differently than the rest of us. And isn’t that just completely understandable… after all, they’re only supposed to be DEAD.

And there it is: The evolution from commercial, to website, to sitcom. I wonder if it’s those Nielsen families that are responsible for all this…

At any rate, how long do you think this show can pull off the same caveman reaction to the same modern day prejudice? Will Geico advertising be sprinkled throughout the explain, making it less a sitcom and more a really long, painful commercial?

On the upside, if they’re ever at a loss for guest stars, perhaps they could get the gecko to make a nice cameo!

As much as I’d halt away from this show if it were on, I’m morbidly fascinating to see if it does get picked up. It’s the masochist in me, I’m tellin’ ya!