Below are the 13 most recent journal entries recorded in ianbeam's InsaneJournal:

Thursday, November 18th, 2010
1:08 pm	Full House In Mesquite at the Eureka Casino a disheveled bride and groom were walking around the casino at 3 looking for the sports betting area. I couldn't figure out if this was what they were doing after the wedding, or they were killing time before the wedding. When we were at Palace Station on Monday about 5 PM a bride and groom were waiting for a car (turned out to be an old junk) to pick them up. She was a large brassy blonde 55ish, and the Asian groom was very small and thin and , looked to be about 30. After a very decent breakfast at the Plaza coffee shop we took off for Hard Rock with the ads from Showbiz Magazine..The ad reads, "Get $10 of free slot play, free cards, a gift and a $59 room by presenting this ad." Sounds easy. The ad is so specific. What a come-on. In order to get the "free" slot play, you first have to "earn" 8 pts in the casino. You have to put $100 through to just get 1 point. I think that this is a terribly misleading promotion. For the "free" gift you need to put $200 through. Very deceptive. Don't waste your time going there for anything free. Went to Terrible's for the Seafood buffet. It wasn't spectacular, but worth the $12.99 with the 2/1 coupon. I was surprised to read the recent Billhere where he says Terribles buffet is one of the 12 worst in LV. They had large crab claws, peel and eat shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, swordfish, salmon. Stopped at CC. We used to do fairly well there at BJ. Tonight certainly wasn't one of those times. Positively no cocktail service at the slots at either Terribles or CC. play poker (Comment on this)
11:14 am	Four Women In Las Vegas Got up early after about four hours sleep, felt great though. Four women in one bathroom getting ready in an hour and a half was an accomplishment in itself. Went down to the food court and had bagels and coffee (no line today), but as the weekend came the lines at everything got longer and longer. Got our tickets for the show "Lord of the Dance" for Thursday evening. Decided to do some sightseeing as B (from Oregon) had never been to Vegas. Crossed the foot bridge over to MGM and looked around. B and M bought a pearl ring for their younger sister at the pearl factory in the MGM that was identical to one the two of them had. They had once before decided to buy sister pearl rings when we were in San Francisco last year. They purchased three of them for themselves and their sister back home. Our car was broken into while we were there and their sisters ring was stolen along with everything else they owned so they were pretty excited to find the identical ring for Danielle again. This hotel is very, very large. It seemed like we walked forever. Each of us put 20.00 in a $1.00 Blazing 7 machine and ended up with nothing. Good start to the gambling day. Took walkway over to the Tropicana and signed up for their slot card. You get a free T-shirt after 30 minutes of slot play on your card. Only B wanted the T-shirt for her husband so we used just one card and played together. One hour later and we got the T-shirt (only costed us $150.00 for the T-shirt which you can buy for $15.00). We had fun though. Went over the walkway to Excaliber and looked around. We decided to each put a $20.00 in a machine at each hotel. Didn't win here either. I don't care much for Excaliber, although we didn't do much here either, just looked around. There are tons of children (I love kids and have five of my own), but when on vacation I don't especially like to share my space with 100's of them). Would not stay here, although I'm sure it is a great place for family vacations. Took tram to Mandalay Bay and Luxor. Thought both hotels were nice. We ate lunch (actually had eggs and bacon) at the Pyramid Cafe in the Luxor. Service was good and food was okay (except for the hashbrowns). They had some awful seasoning in them. At least we thought it was awful. Went back to NYNY via tram and walkways and freshened up for the show. "Lord of the Dance" was great. Loved every minute of it and would go again; but then all four of us love any kind of dancing. After the show we all went our own way and did some gambling. Tried online poker $5.00 tables for an hour or so. Held my own but didn't win any big money. B and I decided to play Elvis again and each stuck $40.00 in a .25 machine. He finally decided to sing for us and landed on the $1,000.00 bonus. This was only $250.00 dollars and split two ways we only got $125.00 but was great for us. Also tried the Empire slot where the ape has to travel to the top in two minutes and then you win a bonus. We had a lot of fun with this slot but didn't really win anything. We did seem to only win very late at night (after 2:00 a.m.). Didn't have to take any cabs today (so we are all still alive) and ready to get some sleep so we can be up and at them early on Friday. Third day coming up. Bye for now. casino slots (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 17th, 2010
2:35 am	From Memphis To Las Vegas We set out for the Columbus Airport at 5:30 on Friday, July 20. Our flight was at 7:30 so we had plenty of time. I had purchased Northwest airline tickets via AirOutlet over the net and was hoping all would be OK. We checked in at the Northwest counter and all went great. Left for a bite to eat before the flight. Had some pizza and talked for a bit. He (Chris)kept saying he couldn't believe we were really going and he would believe it when we were on the plane. He was kind of nervous because he had not flown before. We caught our flight to Memphis and as soon as possible he got a Bud Light! Once he drank that down (in a matter of seconds) he was a lot better. They didn't have any food on the flight so when we got to Memphis we stopped at a Cheers place and got a couple of Hienigans, some hot wings and a salad. We had our first "we're on our way" toast and $50 later we were on our way to the gate. Our flight from Memphis to LV was pretty uneventful although Chris did get a little sleep. Not quite as nervous this trip. I had a very large lady next to me (I had a middle seat) that very nicely said she was sorry but her elbows kept going into my ribs. I told her I was sorry too! After many short breaths (couldn't get a good deep breath with that elbow impaled in my side) the LV lights came into view. I had told him what it would look like but as you know it is impossible to explain what the LV lights look like when you are flying in at night. When we got off the plane and into the airport his eyes bulged when he saw all the slot machines. Of course we had to try a few quarter machines while we were on the way to transportation! We went out Door #5 and there was no sign of LV Limo. It was all taxi's from there. We got in a huge line for the taxi and it really didn't take too long to get one. $13 + tip later we were walking into the Stardust! No line to check in.. this was turning out great! Got our room, went up to unpack and back down for a bite to eat! It was now midnight LV time and we had a bit of jet lag but the excitement took over. On our way to the restaurant we stopped at the slot desk to get him signed up. That was the first of many times that they checked his ID. He is 23 but just a little guy and does look younger than that. He didn't seem to mind and the guy at the desk was the first of many people that took him under their wing and got rather attached to his smile and personality. He is like his dad, he doesn't know a stranger! We got his slot card, I explained how it worked and then we walked around the casino to look around. The first thing he wanted to see was where he could place a bet on the Mosley fight! Stardust Book was not taking bets because the odds were so out of wack. Mosley was a huge favorite. I told Chris that we could probably bet at Caesars since that is where the fight was. He wanted to try blackjack, he was telling me, but he wanted to eat first. After a midnight breakfast special we went out into the casino and the blackjack tables were full. We decided to play a little poker online, we both lost and decided to wait until morning to play anymore. (He didn't have a hugh gambline budget and he was great at money management.. till he ran out..he saved back $35 because he wasn't coming home broke) I was planning on letting him gamble as much as he wanted and I would be the banker if necessary! I was up at around 8:00 LV time and felt pretty good. Chris was still sleeping so I went down for some coffee. Came back to the room and he woke up already talking about the fight. He also was quite interested in Let It Ride! Well, I said that we could try some after breakfast if he wanted and we agreed that was a good idea. Had a quick breakfast at the Paradise Cafe and headed for what would turn out to be our first of many trips to the Let It Ride Table. When we sat down they checked his ID and I told them it was his first trip to Vegas and his first time playing Let It Ride. Chris told everybody that would listen that we were there to see the Mosley fight. The dealer was great and even looked at his cards for him and let him know whether to pull back and really explained the game to him. When his shift was over, he told the young lady taking over to take good care of his new friend Chris who was there for the Mosley fight. We didn't win but we had a great time. Had to go to the cashier cage to get a travlers check cashed. The lady cashier checked his ID and then I told her this was his first time in Vegas. Chris told her that he was there for the Mosley fight and the two of them started chatting. There were other people in line and the lady didn't seem to care. After they became best friends he and I were off for another round of slots before we headed for the fight. We had another toast to our trip with a couple of cold ones and played some quarters and lost, played 50 cent slots and lost, he and I split a dollar machine and lost. That is when I introduced him to fuzzy navels! That was a hit!! We just kind of talked and laughed, watched people and talked about the upcoming fight. The time came to head off to Caesars so with another toast and a quick slurp, down went the fuzzy navels and off we went for a nice walk to Caesars. It was 105 degrees and that nice walk turned into a bit of a test! He was telling me that he was glad I unzipped the legs of my new pants that he picked out for me (remember me telling you about those?) and I was too! He looked at all of the hotels and was kind of speechless! Finally after about 20 minutes we got to Caesars and went to the boxoffice to pick up our tickets! I was praying that nothing had gone wrong with our reservations and that the tickets would be there. Chris was beside himself with excitement by this time! The tickets were just as they should have been! Victory!! There was a poster of Mosley at the ticket counter and I asked if I could take his picture beside it. They said that there were no pictures allowed in the casino... right when I was clicking the picture! I told them I was sorry ) and off we went to the sports book! Now remember, Chris really wanted to bet on the fight... betting on his favorite fighter of all time to win! As it turned out you had to bet $2400 to win $100. The odds were that bad! So instead, he bet 3-$20 tickets that the fight would go at least 6 rounds. With this bet he would get his $20 back along with another $24 if he won. Well, we laughed because neither of us thought it would go 6 rounds but it was the only thing he could bet on! I placed $20 on the same bet and I also bet $10 on the guy that was fighting Michael Grant. If Grant lost, which we didn't think would happen, I would get my $10 plus $50. Chris told me I was throwing my money away on that one! We decided we better eat before the fight. We found a pretty nice restaurant and after the Chris told the lady matrade that we were going to the Mosley fight she told the waiter to take us to a nice table with a view of the pool. There was a guy playing the piano that was really good but he got on our nerves because Chris was talking a mile a minute now about the fight. We ate, sort of. Chris didn't hardly touch his meatloaf dinner. We talked and more he talked and I listened and I remember thinking that I was really a lucky man to be having this experience. I was happier at that moment than I had been for a long time! Just listening to him talk about his interests and seeing how much he actually knew about boxing was very educating for me. It was one of those "keep your mouth shut and listen" moments. Well, when he gave up on his meatloaf dinner, we were playing some slots near the walkway to the pavilion where the fight was going to be held. I took the camera with me everywhere on this trip. We had already gotten some pretty good pictures together. All the sudden, Chris came running up to me saying to come on and get the camera out! I asked what was going on and he told me he just got run into by somebody Forrester who was suppose to be Mosley's next opponent. By the time we looked around he was gone. Chris was so excited. "He ran right into me.. it was great". Man, Chris was in a zone now! The gates were to open at 4:00 and the first fight was to start at 4:30. It was about 10 till 4:00 so off we went to the Pavallion. When we got outside to go to the Pavillian, there were already some people waiting. I noticed that we were going to have to walk through the metal detectors to get in. They had these portable walk throughs all set up. As it turned out, Chris and I were first in line for one of the walkthroughs. As it turned out the security guy was very talkative and he and Chris became quite the friendly pair. I'm glad because it took almost an hour before they let us in. I don't know what the delay was but at 105 degres, it seemed like forever. We finally got to walk through and of course I had to walk through several times because I fogot my hearing aids set the darn things off. Chris laughed while he was standing in front of a fan spraying a water mist and I was playing "musical alarm". I smacked him a good one and off we went with our arms around each other's shoulders saying how awesome this was going to be!! He had just watched the Caesars, queen and guards walk by and he was still drooling over the queen's outfit. I asked Chris if he wanted a Mosley shirt and he about knocked down a dozen people to get to the table. Being the softee, I bought a shirt, a boxing glove key chain, a program and poster. $65 later we were walking into the pavillion to buy some water at $3 a bottle (very small bottle) and find our seats. online poker (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
12:56 am	The Guy Next Door I have a small but noisy desk fan both in the living room and in our bedroom. During the day, the living room fan stays on until we go to bed at night. During the night, the bedroom fan runs until morning. Not only does this mask the children's noise downstairs, and any voices, but it's also nice to have at night for times when the young guy in these amsterdam apartments comes home at 1:00 a.m. with his car stereo blasting, or when the paper guy comes around at 4:30 a.m. with his radio blaring, not to mention it masks the birds chirping in the morning also. I wish we would have thought of this several months ago when the really horrible neighbors downstairs were still there.... anyway, it works quite well. There is a big difference. Also, in the summer months, I've taken advantage of friends far away inviting me to spend the weekend... and now we own a tent and go camping once in a while, so we can enjoy some solitude and peace. Go to the library if all else fails or the weather or time of day does not permit you to sit in a nice park and read a book, etc. Also, having your landlord actually stand in your apartment and hear for themselves sometimes gets some things done. For instance, between the horrible ones downstairs, and the nicer, quieter ones that are there now, the maintenance guy has installed these felt pads on the cupboards so that they don't make so much noise when they bang shut. As far as stereos and the like, I consider myself immensely fortunate this time around to not have to put up with that. We have a senior woman, a nice quiet couple who just watch t.v., and a nice couple with kids that behave, who don't even have their stereo here because they are building a house. I have, though, in the past, had two people evicted because of stereos, because luckily the landlord at the time had a "three strikes and you're out" rule. I never did understand why people are compelled to jack their stereo up for only a few seconds. It's the most annoying thing. AND if you're fortunate enough to leave the apartment life, be VERY careful when buying a house. All the books about home buying caution you to spend lots of time checking out the noise situation (by visiting the neighborhood at all different hours) before buying next to noisy people and being sorry. (Comment on this)
Monday, November 15th, 2010
10:11 am	Options For Shared Hosting In the research firm's opinion, shared hosting firms have a variety of options, including the lease or sale of equipment to customers, lowering vendor costs with pay-per-use plans and the leasing of shared infrastructure equipment. On the operational side, the research house suggests that Web hosting firms should adopt rational management practices. Instead of attempting to capture the largest proportion of market share through huge capital outlays on advertising and technical expansion, Mainspring infers that application hosts need to identify niche markets with clear requirements. With venture capital becoming extremely scarce, the company believes that application hosts should only target market segments with the best returns, rather than serving multiple segments that have different operating models. By so doing, Mainspring believes that substantial cost savings can be achieved through a set of operating priorities. These priorities include developing clear product and service offerings, cost effective customer acquisition, well identified channel strategies and operational improvements. Most importantly however, Mainspring counsels application hosts to explore strategic options to raise funding through sound equity investments from partners and large customers. The advent of Mainspring's managed hosting consultation business thus shows that the management of the managed host has evolved and is indeed becoming as outsourced as application hosting itself. web hosting site (Comment on this)
8:30 am	Web Hosting Revenues In 2006 we estimated the total U.S. Web hosting revenues in 2008 would be approximately $4 billion. We were remarkably close. The problem was that everyone else came up with their own similar predictions. Whether they estimated $2 billion or $10 billion, many vendors saw the potential, and they started pumping money into their own companies in order to capture their expected share of that market. Enough cash was put into building Internet data centers (IDCs) prior to 2008 to support not just $4 billion, but $40 billion in total web site hosting revenues. It's the same as what happened in telecom. Everyone invested in expansion on the assumption they would capture 10 times the share of the market they ultimately acquired. The result is no surprise in retrospect: In the middle of 2001, the average IDC was only 10 percent full. While some Silicon Valley IDCs were 100 percent full, that was only the case if you included their customers who would ultimately never pay their bills. Here in California, hosting vendors were hit particularly hard by the dot-com bust. A lot of those full IDCs housed sites whose owners would ultimately fail, and who would leave their vendors with empty bank accounts and data centers. So how did it come to pass that so many vendors made the same mistake and over-invested in their data centers? The answer is greed: mostly that of the investors. You may remember "get big fast," a phrase often attributed to Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. This strategy caught on with virtually the entire venture capital community. I can tell you from being in the boardroom of a number of such companies that the pressure to grow was extraordinary. The number one goal was to acquire customers and market share-at all costs. Revenues were a secondary objective, and profits were irrelevant. After all, the investors promised they could always keep the company afloat with a never-ending supply of capital Debt financing was equally easy to come by. The banks-many pushing the limits that differentiated them from Venture Capitalists (VCs)-worked closely with the equity investors. If the VCs vetted a deal, that was good enough for the banks, and they were more than happy to lend the sacks full of money it took to build those IDCs. Everyone believed they could win. Rarely did anyone stop to consider that only 10 percent of them could be right. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010
10:39 pm	How much weight can you lose in a week? How much weight should someone attempt to lose in a week? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a recent search for weight loss books at Amazon.com brought up over 1,200 titles, with 58 percent of the top 50 best selling diet books being published in either 1999 or 2000 and 88 percent published since 1997. The real irony is that while we are bombarded with the lastest weight loss books and television commercials highlighting the latest diet pills, over 60 percent of US adults -- an all time high -- are either overweight or obese. (I think we may be spending too much time perched on the couch exercising our eyes reading diet books rather than exercising our bodies and restraining our eating.) According to the USDA a realistic weight loss would be about 10 percent of your current weight over about 6 months. If you are 180 pounds, that would translate into about 18 pounds over a 6-month period, or about 3 pounds a month. Losing weight at this slower rate will allow you to enjoy enough healthy foods to feel satisfied and adequately nourish your body. Check my Dieting Guidelines for the important components needed in a healthy weight loss program. The bonus of eating a well-balanced diet producing a slower, steady weight loss is that the foods you are eating when you’re losing weight are the same healthy foods you'll need to eat to maintain your weight loss. Also, spreading your weight loss over a 6-month period, gives you the time to make the necessary changes in your habits, such as learning to minimize non-hunger eating and exercising regularly. Taken together, eating only when hungry, and exercising will help you get the weight off but also keep it off -- for the long haul. In essence, you're mastering maintenance while you’re losing weight. (Comment on this)
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
8:30 pm	Family Trip To Las Vegas Yes we took our daughter to Vegas and she had a wonderful time. In fact we all had a great time, just not much gambling. We arrived Fri morn at 12:30 am. The excitement in the car was overwhelming. It is such fun to be a newbie in Vegas. The strip had very little traffic and she couldn't believe all she was seeing. As we get about 3 blocks from the Stardust the traffic is bumper to bumper, now its 2:30 am and we couldn't imagion what was going on. As we get closer to the Desert Inn, it was all lit up and look chinese, and fire trucks and people all over. Lots of people dressed up in tucks and all. Come to find out they are taping the Charley Chan movie. She couldn't believe all the action. What a treat. Check us was and as usual the Stardust is the best. Yes I got a room with a balacony. My favorite! Drop off luggage and head to the restaurant. Already she loved Vegas. Sleep, finally sleep as its 5:00 am our time. Fri we get up and head to a buffet then off to the Mirage, Secret Garden. Ashley loved it. We spent 4 1/2 hours there and took numerous pictures. Ashley and Jamie just loved my new digtal camera, I still haven't used it yet. They would take pictures, go sit and get something to drink, look at the pictures, delete the ones they didn't like and go back to take more. It was alot of fun and we got some great shots. Ashley first Vegas show was Melinda, first lady of magic. It was very disappointing. Back to the Stardust for a late nite dessert. Vegas is alot different when you have a kid with you, even tho she is 14 going on 20 (that her thinking) Sat, Ashley had her meet with her internet friend from Vegas. Of course we meet at the mall. Another 4 hours, 2 shopping and the other 2 with 2 teenage girls chatting and chatting. They had a ball and now will email and snailmail each other. Sunday was Star Trek day and I mean all day and half the nite. That was her favorite and we read and saw it all. 136 pictures later and lots of money at the shops. Lunch, drinks and a snack later on in the cafe. We did take her to see "O" which she loved and now wants to see Mystere. Monday we went to Red Rock and had a wonderful time with lots of pictures again. They stop everywhere and went everywhere. All in all it was a great trip and I would do it again, in about 3 more years with her. We are still going through all our picture, (236 of them) and printing. What memories. The best part now is she understands why we love Vegas so much. Someday she will enjoy it as much as we do, she looks forward to being able to gamble, go to any show and have a drink at some of the places too. Everything comes in time. Thanks for reading. Oh yes Jamie did some gambling, couldn't get anywhere, craps or poker game, but the last nite he did recoup what he had gambled so we have a little stash for the April Spring Break, See you then! (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
9:44 pm	Herbal and Vitamin Supplements Below is a brief listing of herbal and vitamin supplements like meridia that can aid in managing and controlling your weight. Psyllium Eating enough fiber is an important part of weight management. Fiber helps to fill you up and aids in proper bowel elimination, which is how the body excretes toxins and excess fats. Psyllium contains soluble fiber and has been reported to help weight loss by increasing natural blood sugars and by causing you to feel fuller and therefore eat less. Psyllium comes in a powder form and is usually mixed with water or fruit juice and taken before meals. You can also find fiber supplements in capsule form at your local health food store. Chromium This mineral plays an essential role in metabolizing carbohydrates and fats. It is also involved in insulin production, which affects blood sugar levels. The recommended dosage is 200-400mcg of chromium picolinate daily. Foods that contain chromium include unprocessed, whole grain flours, wheat germ, brewers yeast and apples. Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) This is an extract taken from the fruit Garcinia cambogia, a small, pumpkin-like fruit found in Southeast Asia. Studies have shown that adding HCA to the diet helps to prevent the conversion of carbohydrates into stored fat and that it also helps to suppress the appetite. The recommended dosage is 250-500mg three times daily (preferably before meals). According to research, HCA reduces the conversion of carbohydrates into stored fat. Additionally, HCA suppresses appetite and induces weight loss. Pyruvate Pyruvate supplements can enhance weight loss and result in a greater reduction of body fat. Animal studies suggest that pyruvate leads to weight loss by increasing the resting metabolic rate. The recommended dosage is 30 grams each day. Potential side effects of this supplement include gastrointestinal upset—gas, bloating and/or diarrhea. diet pill reviews (Comment on this)
12:54 pm	How To Get A Good Night's Sleep There are a variety of things that can make hash out of a good night's sleep. Some of the prime suspects are the ordinary stimulants lurking in a soda, a cup of coffee or a cigarette. The nicotine in cigarettes, for example, is an addictive drug and a stimulant like Modafinil, the craving of which may actually wake you up! Caffeine hides in a variety of products besides coffee, so make sure you read labels--it's another stimulant that will only end up keeping you awake if you consume it too close to bedtime. Furthermore, it's important to keep other medications in mind as well and go over them with your doctor if you're having trouble sleeping. Something as simple as a diuretic for high blood pressure can ruin your sleep by getting you up several times to go to the bathroom. Interestingly, insomnia may be one of the sneakier symptoms of depression. Those who are depressed often wake early in the morning or experience less deep sleep and never feel refreshed once they get up. Many people realize they're depressed, but may not know they actually have depression, which is a treatable condition. Schedule a visit with the doctor to have depression ruled out if you're troubled by long-lasting insomnia. Gastric reflux, more commonly known as heartburn, may play a part in keeping you awake through the accompanying intense discomfort. Stomach acid leaking into the esophagus produces a burning sensation in the middle of your chest and sometimes in your mouth. To avoid heartburn problems at bedtime, eat at least three hours before you go to bed. Other sleep troublemakers include alcohol (it may put you to sleep, but the quality won't be good), excessive stress, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea. Restless legs syndrome produces a "creepy crawly" sensation in the lower legs, which urges the sleeper to keep moving around. Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous condition that causes the sleeper to stop breathing until they gasp for air with a loud snort or snore. To begin sleeping better, start by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, including weekends. Remember that erratic hours play havoc with your sleeping schedule. Watch out for caffeine, alcohol and any medications you may take that can cause problems and make you feel over stimulated. People who exercise daily tend to get to sleep faster and have a better quality of sleep. However, don't exercise or eat a large meal just before going to bed--the exercise will rev you up and eating before bedtime may trigger heartburn. Make your bedroom a haven from the rest of the world, not an extension of your office at work! It should be cool, dark and quiet with comfortable linens and pillows. If you have a lot of neighborhood noise, try masking the noise with a monotonous sound, like an air conditioner or fan. Finally, establish some kind of comforting nighttime ritual to quiet your mind and get ready for sleep. Turn the television off and leave the horrors of the late-night news to those who really want to stay up all night. Try something spiritual, like prayer, or listen to peaceful music as you bathe and get ready for bed. Some people have found that instrumental harp music is great for unwinding the weary. Counting sheep may be a last resort, but even that may work as well. The cost of sleep debt is higher than you think, so make sure that you're not the one paying the price for the lack of it. provigil information (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
7:51 pm	Planning Your Estate Estate planning - sounds sort of regal, doesn't it? It's a grand sounding name for a topic that makes most people squirm. In a general way, estate planning allows you to designate who gets what after you die. It's financial planning for when you've gone to the great hereafter, and no fun for anyone to think about. But it's absolutely vital -- not only do you want to be sure that your hard won assets are distributed according to your wishes, you don't want to accidentally launch your loved ones into an expensive and confusing web of probate fees and regulations. Not the best way to be remembered. So what is a will? It's a legal document that spells out your wishes regarding the distribution of your assets, charitable contributions or other final thoughts. It's your last chance to make your kids groan at your advice, too. Because it is a legal document, the courts are involved, which is where the problems always occur. Although the process seems straightforward, wills don't necessarily ensure a smooth transition. Fees, just a fancy word for taxes, are often stiff and comprise a big chunk of the assets you've inherited. Most states will value the entire estate, then charge a fixed-by-law percentage of that amount in probate fees. That might be a big number. Worse, your property will not be released from the court's stewardship unless the fees are paid, which if there is a problem, might take months or years. Even if you've just inherited a modest estate - your beloved childhood home, your Dad's small sailboat and a stamp collection -- you may have a whopper of a bill on your hands, forcing you to get a cash advance payday loan to raise cash. Probate rules vary widely from state to state, so you really do need an attorney. Another expense. In a nutshell, if you've got any valuable assets at all, you may inadvertently be leaving your loved ones an unexpected gift -- a free trip to debtor's prison. A better choice might be a revocable living trust. A trust also sounds grand, but it's merely a set of documents that create an entity which controls your payday loan assets while you are alive, and what you want done with them after you are gone. Best of all, it eliminates the court system entirely, so there is no probate to worry about, no wills to contest or surprise fees that will destroy the peace of mind of your grieving loved ones. A trust allows you to transfer ownership of your assets to the trust for your use while you are alive. You enjoy your money and "stuff" as you normally would, maintain control of the trust, and can add or change the assets of the trust as you see fit. You can also invest the assets of the trust, a wonderful benefit since you can help your estate to grow. Suze Orman, in her terrific book, The Nine Steps to Financial Freedom, describes a trust as a suitcase in which you put all your possessions. You carry the suitcase while you are alive, and change the contents as often as you wish. Then, when you are gone, the trust takes over the care of the suitcase, and distributes the items according to your wishes. It is what most people believe the probate system will do for them... only to discover that they've made a heartbreaking and expensive mistake. Setting up a trust is fairly easy, but I would recommend using an attorney to make sure it is handled correctly. And, since there are fees associated with funding the trust, it's cheaper to make as few changes as possible. As uncomfortable as thinking about the great hereafter might be, efficient estate planning is an ultimate act of love, so don't delay. Get on with the business of being alive, and stop worrying about money! (Comment on this)
Monday, September 13th, 2010
6:53 pm	A Late Night Workout I recently took a friend's advice about trying a late-night workout to help me sleep. I must admit I slept like a baby and had more of a workout than I had planned last night. For the third night in a row, I worked until 9:30 on a big proposal and was feeling wired when I left. I decided to go by the gym and work out before going home. It was after 10:00 when I started and I couldn't believe how empty the place was that time of night. I did 35 minutes on the treadmill and lifted weights until 11:30. I was starting to unwind and decided to finish off in the steam room. I changed into my two-piece suit and headed for the spa. The place was empty except for two jocks soaking in the jacuzzi. I rinsed off under the shower and went into the steam room. Since I had the place to myself, I sat in the corner near the rocks and stretched my long legs out to each side. I love stretching in the steam after a long workout to get all the kinks out. After about three minutes, the door opened and one of the guys from the jacuzzi came in. It was so steamy that I couldn't see his face, but he was tall and had dark hair. He didn't sit down, but came over near where I was sitting and stood in front of the rocks. I tried to ignore him and just tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I could feel him looking at me and the more I tried to ignore it, the more I couldn't stop thinking about those huge thighs just inches away from my hands. I realized it was almost midnight and no one else was around. The steam went off and it was suddenly too quiet. When he finally spoke, his voice was deep and almost hypnotic. "Pretty relaxing, huh?" I opened my eyes and looked in his direction. I still couldn't see his face, but his body was lean and muscular and there was a huge bulge in his speedos. "Yes," I answered trying not to think about what was bulging in his suit. "The steam room always does it for me." I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the obvious. "Yeah," he said moving a little closer. "It helps me to relax too. But then it always seems to give me a hard on." I opened my eyes and realized that he was standing in front of me stroking his hard cock. The steam had come on full force again and I still couldn't see his face. I know I should have been disgusted and left the room to report him, but I felt totally paralyzed. On the one hand I was kind of frightened and yet I found myself completely turned on. "So I see," I responded. He inched closer and stood between my legs, blocking me into the corner of the steam bath. "Perhaps we can help each other relax," he continued. He reached out and stroked my face, tracing his thumb along my lips until I parted them. With his hand, he pushed my face forward until I was head to head with his cock, which was pulsing in his other hand. Nature overruled and I was swept away with the current. I opened my mouth to his cock and starting sucking its huge head. He tightened his grip on my hair almost to the point of pain and then dropped his other hand down and reached into my top. He quickly found my nipple and starting pinching it as I sucked. His cock was so thick that I grabbed his thighs with both hands to keep from being choked. I was getting very turned on like a little porno vixen and knew that the moisture between my thighs wasn't from the steam. Suddenly the door opened and I tried to pull away, but he grabbed my hair tighter and held my head with his other hand. I was so afraid that we were about to be caught. "Hey Jack," said another male voice. "What have you found over there?" "One of the best little cock suckers I've ever met," answered my capture as he continued pumping his cock into my mouth. I felt like a deer caught in a trap. "Do me a favor, will you Ron?" he called to the stranger. "Come over here and stroke her pussy for me. I told her I would help her relax, but I don't want to leave this beautiful mouth right now." (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 5th, 2010
9:54 pm	How not to run out of money in college In college, money is a very precious commodity. Whether you receive grants, loans, or work while you're in school (or a combination of these) not running out of money is imperative. Here are some ways to ensure that you have enough to make it through the semester without going broke (or calling Mom and Dad for money.) BUDGET: No one likes the B-word, but you have to do it to make sure you'll have enough to cover all your expenses-- especially if you get grants and payday loans. Before you begin spending your money you need to sit down and make a realistic budget. A realistic budget will include ALL expenses. If you smoke, include your cigarettes in your budget. If you typically go to the bar on Saturday night, include that in your budget. Include the tip to the bartender, too. Laundry money...lunch money...all your needs should be accounted for in your budget. Some students with jobs find themselves having to get an instant payday loan every now and then to make ends meet. Only do this if its completely necessary, but at least you know you have this option available for emergency situations. SAVE ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES: At the beginning of each semester, buy used books from your campus bookstore, or even better- from a student who's already taken the class you're preparing for. Often they'll sell you books cheaper than the bookstore because you'll be paying them more than the bookstore will during book buybacks. Sell your books to students when you're done with them. Find out what the bookstore buys them for and how much they sell them used. Charge somewhere in the middle. FREE STUFF: Get whatever you can for free. If they're giving away free sandwiches on campus for going to a lecture-- go to the lecture. It might help your grades in addition to helping your wallet. Also, if the places you like to go during the week have a night when admission is free, go on that night. SAVE ON CLOTHES: Many designer name brands are selling clothes with the slightly worn look. Some are selling clothes with the totally worn out look-- for A LOT of money. Even hats are sold with rips in them. So it makes sense to go to your local thrift store or consignment shop to find clothes. You'll save a good deal of money while being on the cutting edge of fashion. And you'll be less likely to have the same scruffy tee as your roommate. SAVE ON GAS: With gas prices higher than they've ever been, it makes sense to walk these days or to ride a bike. Not only will you be getting exercise, and helping the environment-- you'll be saving moolah. Plus, you're more likely to meet new people when you're not cooped up in a car. RECYCLE: Colleges are famous for fraternities. Fraternities are famous for parties. If you're living in a house where cans litter the hallways toss them in a bag and take them to a recycling center. Many centers pay, and over time it'll really add up. HAVE GET TOGETHERS: Instead of going to movies and to bars, why not get friends together to rent movies and throw in on a twelve pack? You'll be less likely to drink and drive, and you'll be more likely to stick to your budget on the weekends. STAY ON GOOD TERMS WITH MOM AND DAD: Because if all else fails... they might be willing drop you a dime. (1 Comment |Comment on this)