Counting cards how to escape detection

It is not a secret for anyone that casinos do not like blackjack counters and frequently ask them to leave or to play another game. Here, we will describe how casino management detects counters and how to act when caught. We also describe the countermeasures that casinos use against skilled players but most of all we show you how to count cards while not getting caught.

Do Casinos Object?

Most casinos have strict policies that ban any player from counting cards when playing blackjack, but some like those in New Jersey do not pay any attention to such players.

How Do You Know Whether A Casino Minds?

You do not. But you had better act as if they all do and thus save yourself the embarressment of being shoved out if they do mind and if they catch you red-handed.

How to Count Without Getting Detected?

Always keep in mind that since card counting is something that one does silently, the only method to detect it is through observing you and the manner you play. Thus, look out for the following:

1) Do not stare at the cards of other players. Glance once, count, and then move on.

2) Do not stare at the cards that have been discarded. Look quickly and then slowly move away by shifting your gaze nonchalantly from player to player.

3) Change your pattern of betting occassionaly.

4) Change the amount of betting money each round.

5) Even though you know it, loose a round or two. Do not bet big on those rounds. But likewise do not bet too small too. If the casino notices that you are always winning big and losing small, they might get suspicious.

6) Buy chips of different colours and then mix them around while playing to confuse the dealer.

7) Talk to the other players while playing, but this is especially difficult so practice this at home before trying it at a casino.

8) Pick your seat carefully: either the first chair or the third one so that you won't have to twist your head around as the cards are dealt.

9) Dress casually because smart and elegant clothes cause the dealers to think you are intelligent and they might watch you more closely.

10) Order an alcoholic drink and pretend to sip it because they are looking for those non-drinkers who are staying sober to count the cards.

The common denominator of all these is that you must never forget that the casino si watching you and how you play. Act accordingly!

Supposing that the Casino Catches On, What Should you Do?

Stay calm if the casino catches you counting cards and abide by their wishes quietely. Do not make a fuss. If they ask you to leave, do so. The faster you leave, the easier it will be for you to return later. Remember that if you make a fuss, they will all remember you, so desist from any unfriendly behaviour. Note that after shifts change, the new personnel won't know you so all you have to do is wait for that and then you can start playing again. You could also just enter the next casino and start earning money there instead of risking casino personnel from recognizing you.

Three fun birthday party ideas at no or very little cost

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When you get into planning a birthday party, ideas pop into your head and the most common thought is one that will be cost effective and fun at the same time. Birthday party supplies can cost more than the actual gifts but not if you look around and see what you can get for your money. The most common thing that people want to do now is throw a birthday party with a theme. Birthday party themes come in all shapes and sizes, from sports to theater to Barbie and super heroes for children’s parties. The following birthday party ideas are meant to be cost effective for the party thrower and fun for the party goers.

Instead of buying supplies, try making your own decorations and cake. If you have a computer, you can use one of your programs to make your own “Happy Birthday” banner. This will save on buying a banner or special ordering a banner so that the name will be included. Other decorations can be made from paper plates that have been drawn on and colored, as well as using blank white or colored paper that has been drawn on and colored as well. These homemade decorations can be hung up with cheap cloth string that can be bought at the dollar store or can be hung up with fishing line. As far as the cake goes, you can buy a nice brand of cake mix, some frosting and sprinkles, then bake and decorate the cake yourself. This won’t only be fun for you; this will also mean more to the person whose birthday it is.

The second birthday party ideas should be to make your own theme. If it is a child, find out what their favorite sport is or their favorite color. A university student once chose to have a “Rubik’s Cube” theme party. With this theme, he called everyone who would be coming to the party and asked them to wear an outfit where each piece of clothing was a color from the Rubik’s cube. The object of the night was not only to celebrate his birthday but also to see if everyone could end up in an outfit of entirely one color of the Rubik’s cube by exchanging clothing. His made up theme for his party ended up being a huge hit for not only himself but also for all of his friends that came to celebrate his birthday.

Finally, when making decorations or creating your own theme is out of the question due to time constraints, your local dollar store will have everything you need. Different color streamers, ribbons, and balloons can be bought for less than ten dollars. Though these decorations will only last for one party, they will be cheap and fun for all.

Supplies and tools for emergency preparedness

Every household should prepare in advance for emergencies. Recent surveys show that fewer than 20 percent of Americans feel they are "very prepared" should a natural disaster or emergency strike. Yet 67 percent of Americans acknowledge the importance of being prepared.

An emergency can be as simple as the electricity going out, or something so catastrophic that you need to board up your home and evacuate until the emergency is over. The experts stress having a family emergency plan. Fortunately, sample plans are easy to find on the Internet. You also need to have the right supplies and tools on hand at all times.

You'll need food and water to last your family at least three days as well as medications and a first-aid kit. Other emergency supplies include a battery-operated radio, blankets and extra clothes. Everyone in the family should have a flashlight with extra batteries.

There is a wide variety of flashlights available. The experts at manufacturers such as Vector and Husky say flashlight-radio combinations can be a good choice, as are flashlights with clips or cords so they can hang from a belt or loop.

Hand tools and fasteners are also important. Quality hand tools such as those made by Stanley and Husky should be part of your kit, as should a box of nails and screws. You should have wrenches and pliers to shut off utilities, hammers and saws to board up windows and a crowbar to take down the boards. Many manufacturers make all-in-one tool sets that are easy to carry and include most of the tools you'll need.

Another good set of tools to have on hand is a cordless combo kit. Typical kits can include a drill, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw and a flashlight. Because these tools are cordless, they'll keep running even if your power goes out. Also consider a portable AC/DC power system, which can run corded tools and battery chargers; jump-start a car; inflate a tire; power a TV or radio; and recharge your cell phone. Plus, the kids can plug their games into it for hours of entertainment while you wait for the lights to come back on.

Before an emergency strikes, it pays to make a plan, practice that plan and stock up on the right supplies.

To be prepared in case of emergency, everyone in your household should have a flashlight and extra batteries.

Ten tips for the overextended commuter

Do you know a commuter who isn’t overextended because of the commute he or she must take to reach the office? Well then, you know someone who is using the tips outlined below. However they got there, any commuter who is at ease with their commute and not overextended because of the time and expense of the commute, has found the secrets to making the commute work for them.

According to federal statistics, workers are making longer commutes than in the past. More people are traveling greater distances to work. There are more cars on the road and public transportation is very crowded. Most people are resigned to the inconvenience and stress of long commutes. Others are willing to tackle the commute more aggressively. And that is the first key to saving some of the time, money and energy that a commute takes away.

Below are listed ten tips that may save you time, money and energy. Even using one or two of the tips will make a change in what you pay to live a distance from your work.

1. Make a plan. Think about what in the commute is taking your time, money and energy and do something about it.

Commuting is expensive and might even be a major expense in your budget. This expense might lead to energy - sapping stress as you worry about the output of so much money. Taking steps to adjust this output will limit your energy and money concerns.

How can this be done? You might share a ride with someone. There are web sites that will help you with this, just Google in “share a ride.” Or you might take public transportation at least part of the time.

2. Assess your needs regularly. You might have gotten into a rut that no longer works for you. The greatest assessment is around the job itself. Does it still meet your desires and requirements? Should you be thinking of moving on to another company or type of position?

The other assessment centers around your home location. Does it still serve you to be living where you do and commuting? Often, after a time, people find that moving so far from their work is no longer what they want. It is something to assess from time to time.

3. Be prepared. Be ready to walk out the door without searching for car keys, airline tickets, money. Some like to prepare the night before, others over the weekend. This is an especially useful tip if you have children to drop off at daycare. Getting the older ones into the habit of preparing for themselves will lessen your time and energy output even more.

4. Commuter’s needs change seasonally. Just the awareness and acceptance of this can have a positive impact on the energy expended on commuting. Some commuters who normally fly to other cities or states for work, use their cars or the train during the winter months then switch to planes once the danger of ice and snow is over.

5. Regeneration, daily, weekly and annually, is important in the life of the commuter. Long distance commuting takes its toll on the body and soul just as it does on the wallet, the car and the time of the commuter. Taking an hour at the end of the day to stretch, do light exercise and defuse by using calming techniques, meditation and relaxation are two, will help regenerate the energy and spirit. This is a good way to be sure stress stays within manageable boundaries.

6. Make healthy choices about what you do during the day. Packing lunches some of the time puts you in control of what you eat and, especially, portion size. Make the choice to walk up the stairs or walk to a distant bus stop. The payoff for these small choices will show in less stress, more energy and even more money.

7. Use tools to make you more efficient. Scheduling is one that could be used more effectively. Try scheduling all your activities, professional and personal, on one schedule. Also try estimating how long a particular activity will take and block that time out.

8. Family and social time is necessary to a happy life. It is not optional. If necessary, pencil it into your schedule – and stick to your schedule.

9. Corporations need to understand that the employee who has the commute under control is a better, more productive worker than the one who comes in harried from the stress of the commute. Those corporations will make provisions for their commuting employees because they value their work. Think about talking to your employee about this. If you are the employer, think how effective this could be in increasing productivity.

10. Commuting is a choice that was made, sometimes very long ago. That choice should be reconsidered periodically and whatever steps need to be taken must, for the health of the commuter and all who are close to him or her, family, friends, employer.

Use these tips and see what happens to the negative effects of the commute. My challenge to you is to make the commute into an activity that enhances your work and personal life.

Picnic tables available no reservations required

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One of the greatest social events ever dreamed up, a picnic is a combination of food, family, friends, recreation, entertainment, and merriment. At the first sign of spring, people begin firing up their grills and taking their meals outdoors, and they don’t go back inside until the world freezes over once again. In fact, there are some year-round, die-hard barbecuers who won’t quit unless someplace much larger and hotter freezes over, too.

Although the summer is filled with picnics, little is generally known about how and where they originated. Listed as a new word, “pique-nique” first appeared in the 1692 edition of Origines de la Langue Franзoise de Mйnage. It is believed to have been a combination of “piquer,” meaning to “pick” or “peck” and “nique,” an obsolete word, which meant “trifle” or “little pieces.” It was described as a potluck gathering, to which everyone brought a dish, and the food, transported in the first picnic baskets, was set out for all to “peck at.”

The word “picnic” was first introduced in English in 1748. In the 19th century, a group of wealthy Londoners formed the Picnic Society to promote this fashionable social affair, to which each attendee was expected to bring food, as well as contribute some form of entertainment. It was around the middle of the century when it became associated with the outdoors, and the first picnic blankets appeared. Its rapid rise in popularity soon led to the invention of the picnic table.

Today, a picnic can be anything from a casual meal on the porch, with paper plates and plastic forks, to a formal picnic lunch, with gourmet food served on good china. It can be a large gathering at a park, or a cozy lunch for two on a picnic blanket in a scenic spot. A picnic can be a grand affair, planned or months – perhaps even catered – or a spontaneous move outdoors to enjoy the weather. No matter how differently they may be defined, however, everyone agrees that picnics are fun!

Like the picnic itself, the picnic table has undergone many transformations. With porches, decks, and patios becoming more elaborate every year, and backyard gazebos popping up in record numbers, outdoor entertaining has reached new heights. Beyond barbecues, people are hosting dinners, formal parties, and even weddings in their own backyards. In order to accommodate these diverse uses, picnic tables have been created in a variety of sizes, styles, shapes, colors, and materials, to fit any occasion.

Besides the classic, rustic-looking cedar, oak, and pine tables, there are elegant dining sets, sometimes made from cherry or teak. Other tables are constructed from virtually indestructible aluminum, thermo-plastic, vinyl, and polywood. These are the tables you’ll find lining hospital grounds, industrial parks, office complexes, and college campuses. They can be rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, square, round, or oval, with benches attached or detached.

Indeed, there are as many versions of picnic tables as there are of picnics. To see the entire range of exciting possibilities, visit AllPicnicTables. com, a division of CedarStore. com. If you don’t find the perfect picnic table, they’ll be happy to customize one for you! For more information, call 888-293-2339, or e-mail contact@allpicnictables. com.

First aid something we all need to know

First aid is a foundation of information that we all need to know. There are several types of first aid and anyone can benefit from getting the first aid training out there. The good news is that, it is fairly easy to find this information. You will find that there are a number of different organizations that provide you with this information. You will also be able to find first aid training from local hospitals, the Red Cross or other areas. First aid is something we will all need in our time. The bad news is that only a few people will be equipped to take care of problems as they arise and that is very sad news as well.

First aid is a term given to the many various life saving techniques that the layperson can perform when there is no medical person in the area. In fact, first aid can and should be administered as needed until someone arrives to help in the emergency. Effective training is necessary when it comes to first aid. You can’t just do it, you need to know how to do it first. It is recommended that individuals get training every two years to update them on new procedures to help safeguard the individuals that are at risk.

First aid is often taught in a series of lessons that tell you to perform four steps whenever there is an emergency situation. Here are those steps:

First, assess what has happened. Determine if the patient is in need of being moved or if the situation puts you at risk of being hurt if you do help them.

Then, assess the patient to see how well they are, if they can or should be moved and then act accordingly.

Third, in first aid you will need to call for help. Use whatever means are necessary to get help.

Finally, do the best you can to help the patient. In other words, do what you have been trained to do to help them.

There are many cases in which first aid will be necessary. Taking whatever steps you can to help individuals is something we all need to do. Getting first aid training is the crucial first step. Don’t wait, because even a day is too long and could be too late.

The dreams for kids team will race across america-but not on sunday

The Race Across America (RAAM) is a 3053-mile race across the country beginning in Oceanside, CA and ending in Atlantic City, NJ.

RAAM is known as the world’s toughest event. Through deserts and over mountains, in conditions that will range from cold, heat, snow, rain, darkness and blazing sun, the finishers of this non-stop race across the United States will have climbed nearly 110,000 feet, equal to traveling a distance from the ground to the edge of space, four times the altitude of Mt. Everest.

Those few riders to reach the finish line will have traveled a combined distance equal to circling the earth at the equator four times.

There are solo riders, two-person teams, four-person teams and eight-person teams. The four-person team race begins at 2 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, June 13 and ends at 12 PM Eastern Time on Friday, June 23. In other words, the four-person teams have 9 days and 19 hours, or 235 hours to finish the race.

Dreams for Kids, a 501© (3), non-profit children’s charity, which is volunteer based and raises it donations through community fundraising and special events such as RAAM, works primarily to improve the lives of kids with disabilities. I am racing for Dreams for Kids.

The Dreams for Kids cycling team, however, only has 8 days and 19 hours, or 211 hours of riding time to finish the race. This is because the Dreams for Kids team will not be riding on Sunday. As a member of the Dreams for Kids team, I am often asked, “Why aren’t you riding on Sunday?” Let me explain.

I believe the Bible to be the word of God, and in the Bible it says:

(1) that God created the earth and its inhabitants in six days, that He rested on the seventh day, and that He blessed and sanctified the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3);

(2) to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8);

(3) if you keep the Sabbath day holy you will “eat your bread to the full” and that you will lie down with peace and not be afraid (Leviticus 26:2-6).

I believe that we are God’s children, that He loves us, and that when we do what He asks us to do He blesses us abundantly.

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word shabbath, meaning day of rest.

Therefore, to keep the Sabbath day holy, I believe we are to rest from our labors, rest from our selfish interests, and rest from our self-absorbing activities.

The Sabbath is also the Lord’s day, and thus while it is a day for resting from our labors, it is also a day for us to do His work. It is a day to pray and worship, a day to visit the sick and distressed, a day to perform acts of kindness, a day to read and meditate.

I truly believe that if I remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, I will prosper far more than if I was to labor on that day. Once again, I believe we are God’s children, that He loves us, and that if we keep His commandments He will bless us in ways that bring everlasting peace and happiness.

I do not mean to be lofty or obnoxious towards those who do not believe as I do, but as noted above, I am often asked why I am not racing on Sunday, and for me, the peace I have and the blessings I believe will come from keeping the Sabbath day holy are far more valuable than winning a race.

99 places where you need to watch out for germs

They're lying in wait for you at the ATM machine and on your computer keyboard at work. Secretly, they attach themselves to your hands when you push a shopping cart at the store. The little pests will even attach themselves to your children's hands when they romp on playground equipment.

They're germs, and they're lurking in more places than most people think, just waiting to be touched so they can hitch a ride on people's hands.

"Most people think they have a good idea of where germs are, but I think they would be surprised to learn of the places or things where they can pick up germs that may make them sick," said Dr. Charles Gerba, Environmental Microbiology professor at the University of Arizona.

Where the Germs Lurk

According to Dr. Gerba, many people know there are germs in bathrooms, but may not realize that the computer keyboard at work or the sponge in the kitchen can be even filthier than a toilet seat. From the workplace, the home and school to cars, trains and planes, germs are everywhere. Even during activities such as exercising, playing, shopping, going to the movies, attending sports events and commuting, people are coming in contact with germs and may not realize it.

A Simple Solution

Since many germs are spread by hand contact, practicing good hygiene every day is a solution to the problem. When soap and water aren't available, using an instant hand sanitizer like Purell will do the job. This alcohol-based hand sanitizer kills 99.99% of the most common germs that may cause illness.

A list of "99 Places Where Germs are Likely to Lurk" includes:

At work-elevator buttons, phones, shared ink pens

At the gym-exercise machine handles, mats

When traveling-subway poles and handles, gas pump nozzles

At school-shared toys and books, cafeteria trays, playground equipment

At home-pet toys, light switches, thermostats

When shopping-escalator handrails, shopping basket handles.

Knowing where germs are and practicing good hand hygiene can help keep families healthy.