By: Blake

I just got back from a five day vacation in Las Vegas and who goes to Vegas without hitting some of the casinos? Of course I had to try my luck and unlike many people I was able to walk out of the casino with more money than I came in with. That’s right! I actually made money. Of course winning is every gambler’s objective when sitting down to play any casino game. Trying to out smart the ”house” is a task people take upon themselves to try every day. Usually, it boils down to luck. But if you know the odds of winning, you have a much better chance of walking out with a little more beer money than you came in with. As for guaranteed odds… I know a surefire way to beat the roulette table without risking any money!

Roulette is probably the easiest game, next to slots, to play in a casino and is the game that won me most of my money during my trip to Las Vegas. It’s pretty simple, you place your bet on any of the 36 numbers you think the ball will land on. Each individual number has a 2.63% chance of winning, but pay out 35/1. You can also bet on an even or odd and black or red. These have higher odds of winning and is where I put all of my bets. The odds of winning if you bet on either black, red, even or odd is 47.37%, almost 50 percent. The payout is 1/1 since the odds are higher that you will win. The infamous zero and double zero is what gives the casino an advantage and makes it impossible to gain better odds than the casino. In the long run you will always lose all of your money.

Since roulette was invented people have developed betting strategies in an attempt to improve their odds. There is one in particular that I like, which I call Double Up. Here is how it works. You bet low amounts of money, say a dollar, on black or red and every time you lose you double your previous bet. For example, if you lose after betting one dollar you would bet two dollars the next round. If you win that round you will get your dollar back and make a dollar. Then go back to betting one dollar until you lose again. Rinse and repeat. Unfortunately this method will not work in the long run as you can only double your money so many times. Most roulette tables also have maximum bet limits. This makes doubling your money impossible after a certain point. These limits also make it impossible for someone to put 100,000 on black, double up their money and walk away. As for winning roulette without risking any money, well Albert Einstein says it best “You cannot beat a roulette table unless you steal money from it”. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Everyone is looking for the best way to beat a casino at their own games, but if that were possible then all casinos would be out of business. When I walk into a casino I don’t plan on winning. I just want to have a good time, but if I win a couple hundred bucks in the process then that will just add to the enjoyment of the experience. The key is to know when to quit and don’t be too greedy!

4.9 seconds.  But is horsepower everything? Some will say no, the Mustang is about 400 pounds lighter than the Camaro SS and the Challenger R/T. Dropping the extra pounds lets the Mustang make it from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds. Not bad in comparison considering the big difference in horsepower. The 2010 Mustang is smaller than it than both the Camaro and Challenger with a wheel base of 107.1, compared to the Camaro’s 112.3 and the Challenger’s 116 inch wheel base. The Mustang’s smaller size helps it drop the extra pounds.

The interior on the Mustang looks similar to previous models, but the hard plastic that was on the instrument panel top has been upgraded to a higher quality material that stretches from door to door and flows nicely with the rest of the dash. Many people are happy with this design change as it is a nice upgrade from the pieced together plastic panels from previous models.

There are many nice muscle cars available, but in my opinion there is no one vehicle that is better than the other. When it comes down to it you will pick the vehicle that you feel suits you the best. The new 2010 Mustang, Camaro, and Charger are a few possible options when choosing a muscle car to buy. Some people may not prefer a new vehicle and will stick with the classic 1977 Mustang they grew up with. For me though it’s a toss up between the Camaro and the Mustang. If only I could have both… 

(image courtesy blogspot.com)

By: Blake

Redbox is becoming more and more popular and as a result of its popularity a problem has formed. So many people want to spend their dollar on a movie that long lines form in front of the machines making the whole renting process a pain. Waiting for people new to the Redbox experience to figure out how to pick a movie can be frustrating. A long line in front of the machine may make you miss your 9:00 24 hour deadline. But wait, lets take a step back and look at the whole picture. Maybe long lines aren’t as bad as we make them seem.

I will admit, in congested areas renting a DVD from a Redbox may be difficult. Especially if you are renting during Redbox rush hour, the weekend. Some people will go to great lengths to find a Redbox in a discrete location so they will be able to avoid the hassle of dealing with long lines. The only solutions I see is if there were more Redbox locations or if you rent when no one else is. Reserving a movie online can save time as well. If everyone reserved online the lines would move much quicker if a line even had time to form.

As for returning a DVD just before the 9:00 deadline… if you are really worried about an extra dollar then you will get the DVD back well before 9:00. It is only a dollar after all, so if you end up spending 2 dollars on a movie rental you are still better off than if you rented from any other movie rental service. Hollywood video in my area used to charge 5 dollars for a week rental. Ever since Redbox showed up they have lowered their price, but 2 dollars still beats their new price.

Ultimately if renting from a Redbox is too much of a hassle then I would go back to one of the original ways of renting. That’s what I would do, take the path of least resistance. Once Redbox became convenient once again I would go back to using it’s service, but right now in my area long lines aren’t much of a problem. So, until that happens I’m sticking with the Redbox.

(If you liked this story about Redbox click Here)

Place adsense click ads in Wordpress Blog with text going around with a simple code.

By Dennis Bandy

There is a simple HTML code used in Wordpress blogs to position adsense ads and some adsense alternatives, with no plug-in required. The code allows positioning of click advertisements into the post so that the text will wrap. This not only makes the page look better, it can also increase CTR (Click Through Rates). I like that there is no plug-in required to place the click ads or affiliate program html. The ads can also be set to appear on the left or right with the text wrapping nicely.

By using the code to insert adsense click ads, the space on the page can be used more effectively and will in turn help your website to monetize at a higher rate. A little bit of experimenting with different size and formats of ads may be necessary depending on which Wordpress template is being used. After a little trial and error the right combination can be figured out quickly. At the time of this post, I’ve not tried the wrap code with adsense alternatives like Chitika, Taboola, Widgetbucks, Adbrite, Clicksor, Bidvertiser, Adtoll, ExitJunction, TargetPoint, FastClick or ClickThruTraffic. I’m interested to find out if the simple adsense wrap code will work for those alternatives in Wordpress as well. So comment and let me know (and pick up a link at the same time).

The html code places the adsense ad to the left and text wraps around it.

If you want the adsense ad placement to the right, simply change the [float: left] to [float: right] see below;

<div style="float: left; margin: 3px 3px 3px 3px;">

place adsense script here</div>

Please bookmark this page and any links are appreciated!

(Photo courtesy hitempohobiekayaks.wordpress.com) 

Buying the right kayak can be easy if you know what you are looking for. There are many to choose from, but I know my favorite brand is Hobie. They offer a variety of kayaks that are built to handle the requirements of many outdoor activities. With a set of foot pedals, traveling on the water has never been easier. Use your pedals to silently propel you to your favorite fishing area. Some of the Hobie kayaks come fully equiped with everything you will need for a day of fishing.

This particular kayak has a place to clip your rod on the side of the boat where it will stay until you reach your fishing destination and a place to hold your rod while you wait to catch a fish. This Hobie even comes with a live well where you can keep fish you have caught. If you are like me then you enjoy taking your kayak down a spring river.

Before we had our Hobies we used to rent kayaks so we could go down Weeki Wachee Springs where we would start up river and go down river. Now we don’t have to rent. Instead we park down river and pedal the kayaks up river to the point where we used to rent. Once we get there we turn around and follow the spring back to our vehicle. Of course this could be done with regular kayaks, but getting up stream would be much harder without the foot pedals.

Hobie is a great company. Certain days of the month they will go out to a body of water and let people try out Hobie kayaks. If there is a specific type would like to try all you have to do is call them and if one is available they will bring it so you can try it for yourself. This is how I got hooked on Hobie. Ever since I got my kayak I can’t wait for the weekend so I can get it out on the water.

By: Blake

LTD, live the dream is the motto painted on my new guitar. The KH-202 is a huge upgrade from my previous guitar which was a Squire by Fender. I had to retire my old guitar, which was also my first guitar, after I started trying to learn more difficult songs. There were some things that just couldn’t be done on it. After a trip to Sam Ash I was able to find the guitar that would suit my new song choices.

There were several songs that I wanted to learn on my old guitar. A couple were Thunderstruck by AcDc and Crazy Train by Ozzy. You’ve most likely heard both of these songs and know that there are some fast parts that require some taping. After trying both songs for a couple of weeks on my old guitar I was beginning to think that I was never going to learn them. That was until a friend came over that already knew Crazy Train and was unable to play the solo on my guitar. He promptly told me that I needed a new guitar.

We took a trip down to Sam Ash to look for my new axe. That is when I found the KH-202. I pulled it off the wall and started playing. After playing some Metallica songs I was comfortable with I switched over to the intro of Thunderstruck. To my surprise I played it perfectly, I could hear Brian Johnson chanting thunder as the notes flowed through the store’s amp.

The pickups on the KH-202 were much better than my old Fender and made playing in general easier. Hammer ons and pull offs sounded like I was picking each note and taping was now possible. The fact that it was a part of the Kirk Hammett series made it that much more desirable.

After I got my KH-202 LTD home i was living the dream. The $400 price tag wasn’t that bad considering that I won’t need another guitar for a very long time. Besides it has many features I like including the Floyd Rose bridge and skull and cross bone inlays. It’s a sweet guitar that will keep me satisfied for a long time.

After seeing the new Prius commercial I realized that I had just heard a song that was strangely interesting to me. It isn’t even close to the type of music I listen to, but I had to know more about it. I know there are many other people who have gotten the urge to google the Prius commercial after hearing the song, so hopefully this information will answer a few of your questions.

The unique commercial is filled with people acting as scenery with a unique song playing in the background. After doing some looking I was able to find out that the song was originally by the Bellamy Brothers and is called “Let your Love Flow”. The song released in 1976 and reached the top of the country charts in 1979. Of course if you have heard this version you will know that it is not the same as the version in the Prius commercial.

The version of “Let your Love Flow” in the Prius commercial is a cover by Petra Haden. Unfortunately this version is only currently available on the Toyota website. I think that was a great idea to get people to visit the Toyota site although it does limit the songs availability. Most people would expect to find the cover on Itunes, but only the Bellamy Brothers version is there. It seems like a lot of people like Petra Haden’s cover of “Let your Love Flow” and the only place to get it is on Toyota’s site, but I think it will make it to Itunes some day.

So there you have it. The Bellamy Brothers classic hit “Let your Love Flow” was revived by Petra Haden on the new Prius commercial and it seems that it has become a hit song once again.

By: Blake

Since the 2010 Camaro’s release people have been scrambling to get their hands on one of these retro inspired vehicles. There’s no debate, it looks awesome. Probably the crowd most drawn to it is the people who drove a Camaro when they first came out on the market. Of course younger generations like it not for its retro look, but for it’s stylish and fresh design. That’s right it has the best of both worlds. The fact that it is a muscle car can only help, but where did it begin? How did the Camaro get started and where did the name come from? Just a couple of questions I think any Camaro enthusiast would be interested in.

Chevy started developing the Camaro to compete with the Ford Mustang, also a nice car in my opinion. Just before the car was launched it had no official name. Some names considered were Nova, Panther, Chaparral, and Wildcat. GM even thought of incorporating the letters g and m into the name of the car and came up with the GeMini, but decided against using GM in the name in case the car was a failure. Finally when the car was released the official name was learned, Camaro. It was a perfect name because no one knew what it meant. Of course a meaning had to be discovered, so Chevy found a French dictionary that said Camaro meant friend or companion. The search for meaning led Ford to find a Spanish dictionary that said it meant small shrimp like creature, lol. 

With the Challenger and Camaro, classic car buffs have some choices in new rides.  

Call it what you want, it is a nice car and everyone knows it. Camaro has outsold Mustang for the first time since 1993 which is a huge victory for Chevy. There is so much demand for the retro muscle car. Chevy has received 14,000 pre-orders and another 25,000 orders from car dealers. Car dealers are having trouble keeping the Camaro on the lot, a problem I’m sure they don’t mind having.

There is no doubt the Camaro is a huge hit and is sought after by many people from different generations. We know it can be difficult to please everyone. People from different generations will naturally like different things, whether it is the style of clothes they wear or the type of video game they play or used to play. Of course your kids will not be playing galiga at the arcade or wearing your stylish bell bottoms, but there is one thing you can both agree on… the Camaro is an awesome car. Times may change, but the Camaro will remain a classic!

By: Blake

If you have acne then you know it can be painful and no fun to deal with. I had it for several years and have tried many acne products with no luck. From skin care products from Walmart to trying a product I saw on tv. Everything I did failed until I tried a great product from Obagi.

My first attempt to fix my acne problem started at Walmart where I found several products to try. For several weeks I used Rapid Clear from Neutrogena and had almost no change in my acne. After deciding that Rapid Clear wasn’t my fix I found another product called Clearasil Ultra. I tried it for a while and found that it gave me similar results. Now I know that these acne products must work. I’ve even seen Clearasil on tv, although I don’t know if it is the same product as the one I bought in Walmart. Finally I tried to use both products together to see if twice the acne fighting power could overpower the nasty bumps on my face. Sure enough… fail. It seemed that nothing from Walmart would work for me.

After seeing Jessica Simpson’s acne solution, Proactive, on tv I decided to give it a try. It has a three step system that was designed for fighting acne. I’m not sure what each step specifically did, but I followed the directions and used the product for about a month. At first it seemed like the Proactive was working, but after about a week or two my acne returned. It was like my skin developed some kind of immunity to it and the acne just came back. I guess I just have stubborn skin.

So once again I went looking for a different product that would be able to tame my acne. I came across Clenziderm M.D. from Obagi. At first I wasn’t going to try it because it was similar to Proactive’s three step scheme, but I went for it anyway. After the first few days I noticed a change. My skin was clearing up and a couple of days later my acne was gone, but the real test was to see if my acne would mutate again like it did with the proactive. A month went by and then two months, still nothing. I finally found an acne solution that worked for me.

If you have had a similar battle with acne as I have then I think it is time to send in the reinforcements and try Obagi’s Clenziderm M.D. I’m not going to promise that it will work for you, but it is something else to try. I just use it twice a day and it keeps my face acne free.

By: Blake

If you own a small business or just sell items on eBay that requires you to ship products from your home or storefront, then you most likely have a problem with getting shipping boxes cheap. Of course you could buy shipping boxes, but most people don’t want to spend their hard earned profit on cardboard. Dumpster diving and collecting boxes from stores are cheap alternatives, but if you don’t want the hassle of jumping through hoops to obtain free shipping materials then check out this easy way to get FREE shipping boxes delivered to your front door!

Surprisingly a lot of people don’t know that the United States Postal Service (USPS) and the United Parcel Service (UPS) provide free boxes when using some of their services when ordered on-line from their websites. They offer many different size boxes as well as express and flat rate boxes so finding the right box for the job should be easy.

How do you get them you ask? For USPS, all you have to do is go on to their site: USPS.com

1. Click “Shop at the postal store” which is in the left column
2. Click “For Mailing/Shipping
3. Choose the type of box you want

The Priority Mail, International, and Express boxes are free of charge and they will be delivered to your front door.

1. Get free delivery confirmation with USPS when printing the label on-line.
2. Avoid lines at the post office by printing labels at home.
3. Use the drop off box at the Post Office and smile as you leave people standing in the long lines!  

UPS is a bit different because you have to create a user name for the site, its free to sign up. After you have done that:

1. Mouse over the “Shipping” tab at the top and click on “Get UPS labels, packs, and more”
2. Click on “Add supplies”
3. Choose the type of packing you want - Next day air, Second day air, or International
4. Pick the size box you want

UPS doesn’t offer free UPS ground boxes, but for many expedited shipments like Next Day, Second Day and Three Day Select, shipping boxes are available for free and they’re delivered to your door.

If this method doesn’t completely solve your box problem, it certainly will take the work out of getting some of the boxes you need and will keep some of your profit in your pocket.