How to get the answers you want from a survey

This isnt about religion or politics, two subjects I tend to avoid. This is about surveys and how they can mislead.

I received this survey in the mail last week. It is from CatholicVote.org and is touted as the "largest survey of Catholics ever conducted on the issue of ObamaCare."

CatholicVote.org promises that the results will "send a strong and clear message to every politician running for election or reelection in the 2014 midterm congressional elections, that the overwhelming majority of Catholic voters demand ObamaCare be repealed."

Judging from the way the questions are framed, I think the message will be clear.

Here are a few examples:

From Section B "ObamaCares War on Christianity and Morality"

Question #2: Do you think ObamaCare is violating the Constitutions First Amendment protections for freedom of religion and freedom of conscience by forcing pro-life Americans to purchase health coverage that includes abortion inducing drugs?

A) Yes, this is certainly a violation of the Constitutions First Amendment protections.
B) No, this is not a violation of the Constitution
C) Not Sure
D) Other

Question #4: As a state lawmaker in Illinois, Barack Obama voted twice to deny lifesaving medical care to babies born in botched abortions. What is your reaction to this fact?

A) I support President Obama on this.
B) I am horrified and angered by this.
C) Not Sure
D) Other

From Section C "ObamaCares War on Freedom"

Question #5: Do you think President Obama knew about the crushing cost of ObamaCare for families across America, and was just lying about the cost to get ObamaCare passed into law? Or do you think he shares our shock and dismay at the staggering cost of ObamaCare?

A) I believe President Obama knew about the crushing cost of ObamaCare for families across America, and was just lying about the cost to get ObamaCare passed into law.
B) I think he shares our shock at the staggering cost of ObamaCare and was just unaware of it.
C) Not Sure
D) Other

Question #6: How do you think the mass exodus of doctors from medicine will impact your ability to see a doctor and get the medical treatments you need?

A) A doctor shortage on this scale will certainly drive healthcare costs up dramatically and make it far more difficult for me to see a doctor and get the medical care I need.
B) I dont think well see much impact from this doctor shortage.
C) Not Sure
D) Other

Had enough?

I look forward to seeing the results.

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Featured in Latina Magazine! Win an autographed copy!

Back in May I traveled to the Big Apple to shoot the "Real Women" feature for Latina magazines September 2011 issue. The issue was recently released and I can be seen on page 66, modeling a skirt appropriate for a petite frame. I am beyond thrilled; this is my first feature in a national fashion magazine and a big step in my modeling career! Whats even better is how proud my family is for appearing in a magazine dedicated to our culture. The best response was from my two nieces; they squealed when we picked up the issues and asked me to autograph their copies! That made my heart soar seeing their excitement and knowing that they are proud of their Aunt Vicki.




I love how things in life seem to work out. The universe works in mysterious ways. I was offered to appear in a magazine earlier in the year but you had to PAY for your "space" in the issue and I would have to pay additional prices to take photos for the theme they wanted. I would literally be spending hundreds of dollars to be in a magazine I never heard of. Wheres the accomplishment in that (paying your way into a publication)?  Id be embarassed to tell people I had to buy my way in. I passed and instead worked hard to earn an even better opprotunity. Looks like I made the right descion.

So to celebrate, Im holding a contest where the winner will receive an autographed copy of the September issue of Latina (with the stunning Zoe Saldana on the cover). All you have to do is show your fan appreciation for the cosplay girl; whether you submit artwork, create a You Tube video slide show, make a cosplay girl Barbie or action figure, create a t-shirt, comic strip, whatever you want! Just keep it clean and be creative! LOL Contest begins Tuesday, August 23rd and ends Friday September 23rd. You can email submissions to: cosplay.girl@yahoo.com

This is my fun way of saying thank you for your love and support throughout the years. Good luck!

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Cosplay Survey

Recently a Cosplay Survey has been circling around on Facebook. The questions seemed interesting and rather than fill it out and tag people on my personal account, I decided to instead share it on my Blog.


1 . Your first cosplay?
Aerith Gainsborough from the video game Final Fantasy VII.

 2. How many costumes have you done?
 Thirteen.


3. Your most recent cosplay?
Japanese Vocaloid Hatsune Miku.

 4. Your favorite cosplay?
Its always hard to choose just one but I would have to say Catwoman. Ive loved her all my life and have been with her throughout her many incarnations. The costume is comfortable and sexy. My Catwoman cosplay is featured in a cosplay calendar with proceeds going to the American Red Cross: http://angryweb.net/2012/01/10/angry-girls-2012-calendar-now-on-sale/  I also love Selinas heated affair with The Batman and her dangerous lifestyle.

 5. The character you have cosplayed that is most similar to you (if none that you have cosplayed, then one that you will cosplay)?
Oh geeze, I dont know! Obviously Im not from Krypton and Im not an enslaved princess on Tatooine! All of the characters Ive cosplayed are strong characters and a little fun so Id like to think Im a little like all of them.

6. Your cosplay plans for the rest of the year (if you have no more for this year, then do next year!)
Im doing something a bit different and am cosplaying non super powered characters such as Lois Lane and Pepper Potts. Ill be doing joint shoots with a Superman and Tony Stark cosplayer. Ill be debuting Monster High character Cleo. I would love to squeeze in Slave Princess Jasmine but we will see if I have the time.

 7. The dream cosplay that might just happen?
Huntress!

 8. The dream cosplay that will never happen?
Never say never! Anything is possible. I dont limit myself.

 9. Something cosplay-related that you will never do (eg. crossplay, cosplay from a certain series).
Im personally not into crossplay but am not against it. However you wont see me doing it.

 10. Your cosplay idol?
"Idol" is a bit of an odd term. I can tell you who I love, respect and admire; Iggy Cosplay, Han Pan, Lucid Cosplay, Danny Kelley, Jonathan Carroll and Margie Cox.

 11. Your cosplay specialty (ie. something that seems to apply to a large amount of your cosplays, it could be a specific series, or a common feature in their appearance, such as glasses).
DC Comics characters. Its pretty obvious Im a big fan of the DCU.

12. Your cosplay-making habits (eg. singing while working on cosplay):
I need peace and quite when Im working on something.

 13. Your least favourite thing about cosplay?
The phonies who dont know anything about the character their dressed as and only do this for attention. Stalkers are annoying too.

 14. Do you belong to any cosplay groups?
My girlfriends and I made a splash at the 2010 Philadelphia Comic Con aka Wizard World Philly as the Gotham City Sirens. I was also asked to be Catwoman for another Gotham City Sirens group for an upcoming show.

 15. What events have you cosplayed to? Future event plans?
Ive been to the San Diego Comic Con, New York Comic Con,
Wizard World Philly, Baltimore Comic Con, Zenkaikon and Monster Mania. As for future shows...wait and see!



16. What is your best cosplay memory?
Being offered a job as an official Slave Leia model.

 17. What is your worst cosplay memory?
Some guy kept calling me "Supergirl" when I was dressed as Wonder Woman. I felt embarassed  not for me, but for HIM and had to correct him! Also I had to tell a very rude individual off when he got angry I wouldnt grant his photo request (because I was on the phone).

 18. Have you won any cosplay awards?
Ive received titles. The Modern Tokyo Times and Axiom Magazine named me the "Queen of Cosplay". 

19. Your best cosplay derp photo?
When I was Black Canary my choker fell off. Does that count? Probably not...


20. Have you worn cosplay in a regular situation?
I sometimes take certain items and wear them out like my Black Canary or Zatanna jacket. Ive also worn my Wonder Woman and Belle wig out.

 21. Your most expensive cosplay?
Slave Leia and Wonder Woman. Each costume is worth over $300!

 22. Your most comfortable cosplay and most uncomfortable cosplay?
My most comfortable would be Catwoman. Most uncomfortable is Hatsume Miku. The wig and boots are heavy.

23. The cosplay you put the most effort into?
Hatsune Miku. Between the wig, makeup and costume it takes me over an hour to get everything on!


24. Any unfinished costumes? Will you ever finish them?
I currently have an Alice: Madness Returns cosplaying lying around. I really need to get the ball rolling and do a pro shoot with it!


25. How many wigs do you own? Which is your favorite?
Eight wigs and one ponytail extension.I love them all! I can change my hair color whenever I want!

26. Where do you work on your cosplays and where do you store them when they’re done?
I work on them in the bedroom. The wigs are all on mannequin heads. Costumes and accressories are in a giant bin in my closet. Footwear is with my normal shoes.

 27. What is your favorite cosplay item?
My Wonder Woman bracelets.

 28. Cosplay peeves/things you are particular about?
Half assed cosplays.

 29. Something you want to improve on for future cosplays?
I would love to get over my fear of sewing machines and start making my own costumes!


30. Cosplay-related work you are most naturally talented at (ie: sewing, prop-making, wigstyling, etc)?
 Im good with getting the hairstyles right weither it be purchasing and styling a wig, using my natural hair or adding hair extensions. Ive also become pretty good with makeup.

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Media blames Batman and cosplay for the behavior of a Mad Man

On Friday July, 20th the world woke up to the news that a crazed gun man walked into a midnight screening of the Warner Brothers film "Dark Knight Rises" and opened fire. Like many, I watched the report stunned at this horrific act of violence. I was angry that this had happened but my anger grew as the reporters claimed that it was a man in costume who committed this crime. One reporter suggested that he was dressed as Bane. The topic then shifted to the violence in the film and that it had somehow inspired James Eagan Holmes  to gun down movie goers even though no one in the theatre had seen the movie yet. Even after a survivor from the theatre called into the Today Show on NBC saying the man was not in costume but was wearing body armor and a gas mask to protect himself against the gas he ignited, the reporters remained ignorant and still pointed the finger at Batman and "passionate" people in costumes.

The media is no stranger to sensationalism (and reporting things that arent true yet failing to correct themselves) but in this case, many people in the comic and cosplay world were offended. Reports were essentially saying that it was one of us who went on a murderous rampage. A cosplayer took it too far. A comic fan wanted life to imitate art. It was Batmans fault. Its comic books fault. Its the cosplayers fault. Why was the blame shifted to us and not the lunatic who committed this crime? Why were they making excuses for him? Why were they bringing the art of comics, cosplay and movies into this? People have been committing violent acts since the dawn of time, before there were movies, comics or indoor plumbing. Jack the Ripper murdered prostitutes in London in 1888. Cain killed his brother Able in the Bible. In the Middle Ages acts of torture included limb and finger removal, bone breaking and boiling. There was no Batman to blame, only the perpetrator. Because of the Colorado shooting and the media spotlighting comics and cosplay, I wouldnt be surpried if Movie Theatres begin banning anyone in costume for Midnight Showings.





I have been a victim of the press and its sensationalism. A few years ago my grandfather was murdered in his own home. Because my Uncle is a Police Officer, the local news and media was all over the story, calling it "Father of a Police Officer Murdered In Home". Dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough but its a million times worse when they are taken from you. The press kept hounding my mother who unwillingly became our family spokesperson to help get the word out to catch the murderer. The press was very insensitive. I broke down in hysterics when I saw my grandfathers body being carried out of his home in a body bag on television. When it was time for the funeral, the reporters and camera men had surrounded the church, snapping shots of anything they could get. They went into a frenzy when my Uncles Police District arrived to pay their respects along with the Special Crimes Unit. After the casket was loaded into the hearse, a camera man jumped in my face to snap a shot of me walking with my mother. She grabbed my hand. I turned my tear stained face away so he couldnt get the shot. They didnt care about me or my family and many of them reported things that werent true. But it didnt matter. They just wanted to get a story.

Safe to say, I dont like reporters very much and strive to be different from them when it comes to my own writing. I am going to be very clear in making my point: The shooting in Colorado was the fault of  James Eagan Holmes. Not Hollywood, not Batman and not the cosplay community. New reports from the police are saying that this was done with "calculation and deliberation". His apartment was rigged with explosives and he murdered 12 people and wounded 58 others. Unconfirmed reports stating that he was inspired by the Joker are irrelevant. He wanted to kill. Hes a murderer, just like Jack the Ripper and other madmen before him. I can tell you personally that you cannot reason with madness and chances are you will never get your answer as to why it happened. I still dont know why my 80 year old Grandfather was murdered; why he was chopped up in his own home. I can tell you that it wont change anything even if I knew the answer. In all honestly, I dont care. I dont want to hear the excuses of the man who took my Grandfather away.  NOTHING will justify that and NOTHING will justify the shooting in Colorado. Like Micheal Cane memorable said in "The Dark Knight:"

"Some men just want to watch the world burn."

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Earn Money By Doing Survey

If you are looking to earn by doing small work then doing survey will be a best choice for you. It’s a very easy work. You just give your own opinion about the product. Most companies want’s to find right people for their products. They need to know what people like you and me thinks about their products. They need to know the market demand and competition. So survey will help them to attain these goals and helps them to increase sell by increasing the quality of the product.

Fake websites:            

          

If you search at google for survey websites then you will get more than hundreds websites. But no need to become so excited most of them are fake. Many online lead generation companies are trying to scam people by creating these websites. There are few things you should consider before joining.

• 
  
• 1.     Fake websites claims to give 80$, 70$, 100$ per survey. On the other hand real websites will give you 0.10$, 0.20$ per survey. Some websites also offer free ipod, tab for just creating account.
• 
  
• 2.     These websites hide company information and they sell your information to third parties.
• 
  
• 3.     They offer big rewards for referring others or they may want money from you to give you training.  
• 
  
• 4.     They keep minimum payout so high such as 40$, 50$ which is not possible to earn after spending huge time.

Legit survey websites: 

Here I have listed some legit websites.

Swagbucks: 

This website will give you points for just doing simple work like answering daily polls, watching videos, playing games and by searching pages. You can get 40 points per survey. Once you have earned 849 points you can get 5$ amazon gift card. It also supports paypal. Link withoutreferral.

My survey: 

Another popular survey site which gives you point for doing survey. Minimum payout is only 3$ and you can withdraw it by paypal. To get 3$ you need to earn 345 points. Join from here.

Toluna: 

This site gives you 3000-5000 points per survey and its minimum payout is only 10$. You can get this by amazon gift card or Love2Shop gift card. 6000 points equals to 10$. Per survey takes 10-15 minutes. Sign up.

Cashcrate: 

This site is paying its 6 million members for more than 12 years. If you live in USA then it will be the best site for you because it gives most offers to USA. Major problem is non-English speaking countries are not allowed. Join here.

Superpay: 

Main advantage is that it supports many payment options like Payza, Paypal, Neteller, Gift cards and minimum payout is only 2$. Every day you will get many surveys to complete and it accepts all countries. Join from here.

Participate in survey via mobile:

To complete per survey you will need only 4 to 5 minutes. Another most interesting thing is that you can take participate in survey from anywhere like bus, school, office. Many survey websites have apps. You can download these in your smartphone for free and start making money.

Toluna mobile app: Download the app from here. Sign in with your log in information and start doing survey. You can also participate in discussions.

Swagbucks app: Like toluna this site also have app which allows you to do survey from anywhere. Download link.

SurveysOnTheGo: It is another app which gives .25$ to 1 $ per complete survey. Most surveys can be finished in less than 5 minutes. Minimum cashout is 10$. It gives money in your paypal instantly. Download link.

Mobee: It is another mobile application provides same service. Here you can complete survey of restaurants and retailers. Download link.

There are many legit survey sites. My advice will be to join every one of them and discover which is best suitable for you. Always read terms and conditions before joining and never pay to join.

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How to rank surgical residency programs

In September, Doximity, a closed online community of over 300,000 physicians, released its ratings of residency programs in nearly every specialty. Many, including me, took issue with the methodology. Emergency medicine societies met with Doximitys co-founder over the issue and echoed some of the comments I had made about the lack of objectivity and emphasis on reputation.

I wonder if it is even possible to develop a set of valid criteria to rate residency programs. Every one I can think of is open to question. Lets take a look at some of them.

Reputation is an unavoidable component in any rating system. Unfortunately, it is rarely based on personal knowledge of any program because there is no way for anyone not directly involved with a program to assess its quality. Reputation is built on history, but all programs have turnover of chairs and faculty. Just as in sports, maintaining a dynasty over many years can sometimes be difficult. Deciding how much weight should be given to reputation is also problematic.

The schools that residents come from might be indicative of a programs quality, but university-based residencies tend to attract applicants from better medical schools. The other issue is who is to say which schools are the best?

Faculty and resident research is easy to measure but may be irrelevant when trying to answer the question of which programs produce the best clinical surgeons. Since professors tend to move from place to place, the current faculty may not be around for the entire 5 years of a surgery residents training.

The number of residents who obtain subspecialty fellowships and where those fellowships are might be worthwhile, but would penalize programs that attract candidates who may be exceptional but are happy to become mere general surgeons.

Resident case loads including volume and breadth of experience would be very useful. However, these numbers have to be self-reported by programs. Self-reported data are often unreliable. Here are some examples why.

For several years, M.D. Anderson has been number one on the list of cancer hospitals as compiled by US News. It turns out that for 7 of those years, the hospital was counting all patients who were admitted through its emergency department as transfers and therefore not included in mortality figures. This resulted in the exclusion of 40% of M.D. Andersons admissions, many of whom were likely the sickest patients.

The number and types of cases done by residents in a program have always been self-reported. The Residency Review Committee for Surgery and The American Board of Surgery have no way of independently verifying the number of cases done by residents, the level of resident participation in any specific case, or whether the minimum numbers for certain complex cases have truly been met.

So where does that leave us?

Im not sure. I am interested in hearing what you have to say about how residency programs can be ranked.

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