Jay's World

Winners & Losers

jayetayler — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:54:54 PST

Left Green Bay Wi at 755pm,stop in Minneapolis,then arrived in Vegas on time at 1155pm.Flew Northwest,nothing too exciting,nothing special on the flight.Took the bus to Alamo,van was ready and drove to Laughlin(won't go into details just a nice 2 days).It had been 7 years since my sister-in-law and I had been to Vegas for horse betting and 9 years since the guys had been there so the 4 of us looked forward to this trip and we were not dissappointed.

Left Laughlin early Saturday morning and did the Hoover dam thing.We used to live in Phoenix years ago so this was not our first time there but it is a site we never tire of.Took the regular trip(not the hardhat tour as the guys wear hardhats everyday)and it is always impressive. Got to Vegas at 230 Saturday afternoon and while the guys did the valet thing and luggags D and I went to the front desk(Harrahs).Bit of a mixup at first as clerk said she had no nonsmoking rooms! No problem as D and I smoke(don't know where she got the idea we needed no smoking)So That put a smile on her face and She said she had 2 rooms for us one with a view of the strip and one with not much of a view(I had my 20 bucks out at this point and sure enough we got a room with a great view looking right down at the Mirage volocano!).Now the bad news,Check-in is at 3 but the rooms are not ready till between 4 and 6 ???When in the hell did this start??? So we just headed to the casino.

Well I gotta say all 4 of us fell in love with the place right away.It is a very fun,busy ,happy place.We played all kinds of slots(sorry I can't be more detailed but we just jumped around)and had a ball till it was time to get our room keys.23rd floor in the Carinival Tower,the rooms were very nice,bright ,clean,quiet,best word I can think of is pleasant.A bit of a walk to the elavators but really who cares,it's Vegas!Tipped housekeeping 5 every day and got extra shampoo and stuff as we asked for.A really very nice property.Has our first meal at the buffet in Harrahs and we all thought it was very good,fresh,great selection,tasty,and about 30.00 a couple with beverage.Bob and I then walked to the Belliago to check out the fountians and it was so very romantic! I could have watched all night. online betting sports

Partying At The Hard Rock

jayetayler — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:47:33 PST

After the night that we had on Tuesday, waking up on Wednesday felt a lot better. We decided to eat at the new buffet at the Strat for breakfast. Glad that we did. Probably one of the best breakfast buffets I have had. Our minds were not really on food though, we were ready to see if the streak would continue. After eating, we went back to the same area we were the night before. Right when I sat down a guy came up to me and told me that after we left last night, he sat down at the machine that Leah hit the jackpot on, and hit for $640. I was happy for him. I probably wouldn't been as happy if we hadn't won anything at all! Anyway, I played on my hundred for about an hour, which I think is great. Leah on the other hand, went to the Wheel of Fortune slots. Her streak continued as she walked away from there about $900 ahead, again. There wasn't a whole heck of a lot that we had planned for the day, so we were off to Circus Circus, since I had never been there before. I wasn't missing much. What a difference it was to the newer casinos with brand new poker chips. After waiting forever for the valet (the only one we saw the whole ten minutes waiting), we finally headed inside. There, people were laying around all over the floor waiting to check in. It just looked trashy. But, we wanted to see the amusement park that they have. That was fun. We did a couple of the rides, even watched a girl puking in the garbage after one of them, and we one a stuffed dalmation from one of the games. That helped out Leah since she was missing our dog quite a bit. By then, I had more then enough of Circus Circus.

We wanted to find the Hard Rock and eat lunch. After another five minute wait just to give someone our valet ticket, the car shows up five minutes later. Not even seconds after we get in the car, there is a crunch on our right side. I was sure that we got hit by another car. When I look out the back, there is a baggage cart being dragged on our car! So we get out, and sure enough, our car is scratched, and has a nice dent in it now. I guess what happened is another family got sick of waiting for someone to help them get their bags, so they reached for a baggage cart. Not realizing that two of them were bungeed together, he started pulling the first one, causing the second one to fall and drag on our car. Well, finally security showed up, though it was faster then any valet. When he asked for insurance papers, of course the other family didn't have any with them. I don't really think it would be handled by their insurance though since it wasn't something that happened by their vehicle. Anyway, we filled out reports, and that is probably all that will happen. I doubt that Circus Circus will do anything, even respond to us. If they send us a comp, I will let everyone know I have one for sale, cause I would never, ever stay there. Enough on that. We were off to find the Hard Rock. Our emotions were on a serious low from the car incident, but we kept telling each other that we had won some good money, trying to get back happy.

We found the Hard Rock easy enough, and lunch was great. We both had a BLT, something that I order maybe once every three years, but it was great, as was the service. We then moved over to the casino. I have to say, that I was a bit disappointed. Maybe there was a whole other part that we didn't see, but it was very tiny where we were at. Not a lot to choose from. We played the nickles for about an hour. Leah doubled her money, which was good because I lost all of mine, lol. After the Hard Rock, we were off to the Rio. Again, I had never been there, so I was excited to see something new. The Rio has always been good to Leah for winning, so she began looking for a machine right away. We were doing dollars again, and I was not hitting anything at all. After being down to about $15, I went to a different machine, and I had no idea where Leah was. Gambling slowed a bit as I watched the show from the ceiling that they did. When I was down to one of my last spins, I hit $250! I was pretty excited, considering we were not having a good day. The excitement left quickly as all the money went right back in without hitting for nearly the whole $250. Easy come easy go I guess. I was done, down and disappointed. So I began looking for Leah. What great timing. She just hit the $1000 on the spin on a dollar Wheel of Fortune! Right then we new it was time to go. We left the Blue Man Group tickets at our room, so we had to go back and get ready for the show. Once we got to the room, we couldn't find the tickets. In fact, we couldn't even remember if we ever had the tickets.

After going through everything we owned, Leah finally found them, sitting in the Blue Man Group pamphlet, on the desk! We had about an hour to do some gambling, so we did. We didn't win, but we did break even, so no complaints. When we got to the Luxor, we had to wait a long time for valet parking. We didn't realize that Wednesday nights is when they have some of the biggest DJ's at Ra. We finally got there with plenty of time to spare. We decided to buy the program/cd package that they have, because after the show all the Blue Men come out and interact with the crowd, and they will kiss the program and/or cd for you. I have head both good and bad reviews for their show.....I thought it was great! Everyone in the audience is involved at one time or the other. We then got some great video and pictures of them in the lobby. It was the 10PM show that we had seen, so we were exhausted when it was over. On the way out, there was some big wig coming in with an entourage of bodyguards. Neither of us had any idea who it was, but I taped him anyway! From there, we headed back to the room, nearly $2000 up again for the day. No more gambling, just room service. It was great as well, and took about 15 minutes. Neither of us could believe the stretch we were on for winning. Like I said on an earlier post, neither of us are high rollers, so we did the typical lay all the money down on the bed and take pictures of it. We didn't roll around in it though...lol. online poker

Dealing With Noisy Neighbors

jayetayler — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:43:56 PST

My parents own several amsterdam apartments, one which I lived in for about 6 years. The husband and wife who lived below me were extremely noisy, loudmouths. They always slammed doors, walked like elephants, shouted, had company & parties until very late. I never confronted them because I knew that they would only be louder...they were those type of people. One time at 12:30 am, they were being very loud and obnoxious under my bedroom, and the husband started to sing a song "getting to know you, getting to know all about you" at the top of his lungs. I banged one time on the floor so that maybe they would quiet down. Well, one of them responded by banging on their ceiling and then they started to be even more loud!

After this couple had a baby, things only got worse. When the baby was able to walk and move around on his own, I would be treated to the sound of balls bouncing for hours on end, cabinet doors slamming continuously for a few hours at a time, screaming and crying, running back and forth, etc. These people made excessive noise from 6 am until 12:30 am every day. They didn't put their infant to bed until about 9:30-10 pm every night. I thought to myself, don't these people ever shut up? Then one evening at dinner, this family was making noise beyond extreme, so I banged on the floor one time only, and they went nuts. They put on their stereo and blasted it, they banged pots and pans together, they jumped up and down, ran back and forth, yelled, etc (this is no exageration). Two hours went by, and this awful noise continued. How infantile for the parents to behave this way! I was now in tears (they've brought me to tears many times over the noise) knowing there wasn't a darned thing I could do about it. After that night, that family made it their duty to create disturbing noise day after day that was much worse than before.

Eventually, the family moved out and I was soooo happy. That same day, at 10:30 pm, the new people moved in below me. Well, guess what? The man who moved in is the brother of the lady who just moved out. So now the brother and his buddy were living below. These two jerks had loud company coming over after 10 pm on weeknights and after 1 am on weekends. They slammed doors, shouted obscenities, played loud music, etc. One weeknight they had a loud party, and when it continued past 10:30 pm, I finally called the cops. I ended up having to call the cops 3 times before they broke up the party at about 1 am. I tried to talk to the men in person about the noise problems, I even went to an apartment association meeting to solve the problem, but nothing was done and nothing changed. So, I moved out as I couldn't take it anymore with these selfish, inconsiderate neighbors. I could never relax in my place when they were home.

I wish there were apartment or apartment complexes where they had a section reserved for just quiet people. I have to move back into that apartment which now has a new couple living there or an apartment but I am riddled with anxiety that I may again face lousy neighbors. amsterdam housing

Shared Hosting Accounts

jayetayler — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:49:49 PST

A blue chip titan is showing its confidence in the Web hosting sector by outsourcing its Internet presence. Earlier this month, Microsoft selected Exodus Communications, a leading complex shared hosting provider, to supply outsourced Internet services for its corporate Web site, as well as several other Internet sites. The deal is not a surprising development, considering that Microsoft is now making a concerted effort to save a few bucks.

Announcing a profit warning a couple of weeks back, the software publishing behemoth expects that earnings for its 2001 fiscal second quarter would be five per cent to six per cent lower than expected. Not surprisingly, Microsoft is adjusting its business priorities in order to cope with the lower earning estimates.

According to a recent memo sent to company employees by Microsoft president Steve Ballmer, the company will cut back on expenses and investments in order focus on its core competencies. "Although we are a profitable company with good growth prospects, we do not have the financial resources, the people or the interest in doing things that are not consistent with our priorities", Ballmer wrote. Microsoft's task is therefore to create a new "cost-conscious culture", reminiscent to that which marked Microsoft's earlier years.

No better way to start saving millions of dollars than by outsourcing Internet and information technology requirements. According to a recent IDC study, most businesses realize a 301 per cent return-on-investment (ROI) rate when they outsource their hosting rather than build bandwidth and connectivity capacity in-house. web hosting company

Role of Managed Hosting Companies

jayetayler — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 06:59:14 PST

Managed hosting companies, as well as many other varieties of managed services providers (MSPs), play integral roles when it comes to their clients' technical operations. Their roles often include maintaining IT infrastructure, assisting IT departments with large-scale projects, helping manage deployments and many other vital duties. The increasing prevalence of IT into many varied industry types has made the role of the managed services provider almost indispensable. Perhaps one of the most important functions MSPs can play is in helping companies come to terms with the many laws that affect the technical aspects of their specific businesses and industries.

Today, more than ever, there are numerous federal, state, and local laws mandating the IT environments of a wide range of businesses. Below is a brief look at two of the most noteworthy and relevant laws, though there may be others than can directly affect your web site hosting company or clients. Check with your state and local governments to find if there are any laws that have implications to your business. The Gramm Leach Bliley Act If you are in the financial services industry, you are likely aware of the Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA). Enacted into law by Congress in 1999, the GLBA mandates that financial institutions protect non-public information belonging to their clients. This means banks, lending institutions, and other financial services organizations must comply with the GLBA. That's easy enough if you have a full service IT department with a great deal of experience in securing information, but it's not so easy if your primary business is providing financial services, with IT serving as one of the many tools your company uses to stay competitive.

It's safe to say that most financial institutions have already taken measures to bring their businesses into compliance with the GLBA. This does not mean that nothing more needs to be done. Constant vigilance must be kept to ensure that your client's IT departments remain safe, secure, up-to-date and within the letter of GLBA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 mandates, among other things, that companies in the healthcare industry make patient records private and confidential.

That the law was enacted back in the mid 1990s belies the fact that as healthcare companies continue to integrate technology into their businesses, constant attention must be paid to keep patient data safe and secure. Many managed security service providers (MSSPs) have specialty practices focused on HIPAA compliance and the healthcare industry. This can mean anything from large metropolitan hospitals and insurance companies to the smallest doctor's offices that must leverage their IT assets to become more profitable and efficient, while at the same time ensuring that patient data remains protected. web hosting sites

A Healthy Eating Plan

jayetayler — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 13:36:58 PST

Five of the nation's leading organizations in the health care arena have joined forces and developed a unified healthy eating plan to arm you with the best dietary defense against the leading causes of death for most of us: heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. While each of these national health organizations have had their own "healthy" eating message in the past, they have now united to speak one message in an effort to making eating right as simple as possible. In essence, this is one diet plan helping to fight a whole slew of diseases, or in shopping terms, this is "one size fits all" when it comes to basic, healthy eating.

These new Unified Dietary Guidelines were developed as a group effort combining the talents of the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health. Wow... Talk about Big Guns. The good news is that these new guidelines are not far off the beaten path from the classic U.S. Dietary Guidelines and the Food Guide Pyramid. The Unified Dietary Guidelines recommend harnessing a typical day's total calories from saturated fat to no more than 10 percent of the diet, while keeping the total calories from all types of fat to no more than 30 percent.

They also recommend that 55 percent or more of your total daily calories should be from cereals, grains, fruits, and veggies, better known collectively as complex carbohydrates. Dietary cholesterol should be topped off at no more than 300 milligrams (mg) daily. Your weight should be maintained at a desirable level, and it is also recommended that you sprinkle less sodium in your life, by keeping the salt to no more than six grams or one teaspoon daily.

Here's the easiest way to meet these new Unified Dietary Guidelines from the group:

1) Eat a variety of foods.

2) Choose most of what you eat from plant sources.

3) Take a few diet pills before dinner.

4) Eat six or more servings of bread, pasta, and cereal grains each day.

5) Eat high-fat foods sparingly, especially those from animal sources.

6) Keep your intake of simple sugars to a minimum. These Unified Dietary Guidelines are designed for individuals over the age of two. The group recommends that children between the ages of two and five be gradually be phased into the diet. When it comes to fighting many major diseases with a knife and fork, these guidelines should be part of your daily menu. dieting tips

Vacation with the In-laws

jayetayler — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 07:06:30 PDT

The knock on the door woke me up around 9:30am. My wife had ordered breakfast from room service and was moving me along at a good pace. You see today was spa day. What can I say she likes the spa. She likes to do this thing for couples and I have to admit I don't fight it. Bigg tubs, massages, sea salt ect. It's fun. I never thgught of myself as a spa person, she talked me into it, she was right.
Besides my inlaws were arriveing in a few hours and I needed to relax. I love my mother-inlaw, she acts just like the mom on That 70's show. I'm serious, my wife and I laugh ourselves to death every time we watch it. (looks like her too) My father-inlaw on the other hand is a grumpy guy. Lets leave it at that.

I went out to scout a friendly poker game and my wife wanted to go back to the room and read. A little calm before the storm. Did I mention that it was still raining. Someone told us the sun had come out for a couple of hours, but I missed it.
I had made reservations at Lawrys that had to be pushed back because their flight was late. We met downstairs around 7 called transportation and had drinks while we waited for the car (15- 20 minutes) Then it was off to dinner. Everything was great but on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 7. To be fair I have never had a 10. Good old dad, true to form never missed a chance to ***** about something, and correct me every chance he got. Oh joy.
Went back to the hotel, I played cards for a couple of hours and turned in. I know it sounds pretty boreing but it was another great day. Despite the rain, and the fact that I still hadn't gotten to put the top down on that porsche that was just sitting in the valet garage. It had better happen tomarrow, I have to give the car back and get something with 4 seats. poker

Tame Those Cravings

jayetayler — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:05:54 PDT

Even though scientists differ on the origins of food cravings they agree that these yearnings are not detrimental, except when you indulge in excess. If you long for ice cream, for instance, and eat just one scoop, no harm is done. However if you eat a whole gallon of ice cream, you have just gone from craving to bingeing; it is in the interest of your health to rein in this devouring. Nutrition experts suggest these easy-to-follow strategies, aside from taking the drug meridia for weight loss, to tame your appetite:

* A craving is like a wave that peaks and subsides so give yourself 15 to 20 minutes before you head for your refrigerator.

* While it is okay to succumb occasionally, especially when these pangs are overpowering, do practice portion control. A small bowl full of chips can be very satisfying, especially when eaten slowly.

# Substitute with a similar food that has a better nutritional value than the one you crave. A glass of chocolate skim milk instead of a candy bar is a healthier choice. If it works for you, try a low calorie alternative such as low fat flavored yogurt instead of regular ice cream.

# When attempting to modify your intake, don't be too restrictive. Incorporate some of your favorite foods into your eating plans.

# Eat a proper breakfast to lessen mid-afternoon cravings.

# Exercise regularly to release ''feel-good'' chemicals similar to those released when you eat the craved-for food.

# Maintain a journal of your cravings to determine if your emotional state is the underlying trigger. Once these emotional triggers are discovered, an appropriate eating regimen can be developed.

These measures do not give you a magical hold on your cravings, but provide a way to better manage them. Keeping your nutritional wits intact is a good approach on the road of healthy eating. weight loss

Are You Subject to the Winter Blues?

jayetayler — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 13:08:59 PDT

Are you subject to the winter blues? During the nasty cold months between November and March, when the days are short and the nights are way too long, do you experience feelings of depression, anxiety, mood swings, a general lackadaisical-ness that keeps you from really being happy? Well, you're not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as S.A.D.) affects hundreds of thousands of people, especially women, and there are many ways to combat it. One way is by taking a drug like Modafinil to help aid in keeping you awake during the day. Don't let anyone tell you it's all in your head--it's a real disorder with real consequences.

Although SAD is defined by the pattern of depressive episodes, recent studies confirmed previous reports that so called atypical depressive symptoms of insomnia and weight gain were more frequently found in SAD patients compared to matched non-seasonal patients. The studies also determined that family psychiatric history in first-degree relatives was similar for both seasonal and non-seasonal patients, but, in an interesting twist, the SAD patients were more likely to have alcoholism in their families.

As a Journal of American Medical Association article recently pointed out, bright light therapy was the single most effective treatment for SAD in comparison to others such as therapy and exercise. Light therapy had a specific antidepressant effect but it took at least three weeks for a significant effect to develop. The benefit of light over placebo was in producing more full remissions, meaning that "talk" therapy and drugs did not rate as highly as a treatment as the simple act of getting the affected person in contact with light!

So, when they say, "Let the sunshine in," it's not just some hippie-dippy way of saying "Have a good day." The simple act of catching rays, even artificial ones, is the single most important thing you can do in order to combat SAD. If you have additional questions or concerns about this disease, check out some of the following sites for concentrated and detailed information on ways to find treatment and utilize it for a complete cure.

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Opening a New Checking Account

jayetayler — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:43:11 PDT

Trying to choose a checking account can be a mind-numbing experience. Any bank you go to will shower you with choices, all of which have various pros and cons. How do you spot the best deal? The trick is to know what you're looking for before you walk in the door. Ask yourself these questions: How many checks do I write in a month? How much money do I usually keep in my account? Am I more apt to get personal bank loan or a cash advance loan from a payday lender? Next, shop around your local banks to get an idea of checking account features and costs.

Here are the major types of accounts you'll find:

* Basic Checking: As the name implies, this is a bare-bones checking account with small or nonexistent monthly fees. Such accounts usually let you write a few free checks each month. This type of account is great for students and other people who generally maintain a low balance and don't need to write many checks.

* Interest-bearing accounts: Checking accounts that pay interest sound more appealing than the really are. You need to keep your balance high to avoid fees. What's more, the accounts pay only about 1.5% on average--less than half the yield on the average money market checking account. If you maintain these accounts' high minimum balances, you give up more in interest payments your cash could earn elsewhere than you save in fees. But if you ordinarily keep a high balance in your checking account, an interest-bearing account may be right for you.

* Money market checking accounts: Like interest-bearing checking accounts, money market accounts require high initial deposits and a high balance to avoid fees. Withdrawals are limited to a couple of checks a month. Their chief advantage: relatively high interest rates of around 3.5%. That said, you can do better in money market funds (recent average yield 4.25%) if you're willing to give up federal deposit insurance on your balance.

* Lifeline accounts: Seven states require banks to offer these accounts, and they're available in most other states as well. The accounts target low-income customers. Monthly fees don't exceed $6, but account holders can write only five or so checks every month without incurring charges.

* Express checking: These accounts are great for shy people--or those who seldom use tellers. Express accounts usually allow unlimited free ATM transactions and checks. But try to talk to a bank teller and they'll sock you with a $2 to $3 fee.

* Joint checking: Joint accounts make it easier for couples to handle combined finances. Most types of checking accounts can be held jointly. Once you have decided the type of checking account you want, compare your options at several banks. Be especially wary of fees like these when you're making your final choice:

* Minimum balance fees: Does the bank charge if your average monthly balance is below the minimum, or do they charge for dipping below the minimum balance just once? Find out: These fees generally amount to at least $10 a month.

* ATM fees: Will it be convenient to find the bank's ATMs? Those $1.50 charges for using other banks' ATMs add up quickly. Also, find out how many times (if any) you can use ATMs without being charged.

* Getting your checks back every month: Ready for an ugly surprise? Most banks now charge for returning your cashed checks. And, these fees can be anywhere from $.50 to $2 for a copy of a returned check!