I wake up at 6:30, but manage to stay in bed and try to sleep a little more. At 7:30 I can't stand it anymore I have to get up and go play. I'm like that little kid in the Disney commercial that says "we're too excited to sleep". We'll at least I get up, Cliff won't get up for hours. I take a shower and head down to the casino.
I decide breakfast can wait and head to a poker game table. I stay long enough for the dice to make it around the table one time with no luck, so I cash out down $125. I walk around for a minute and decide to try the $5 slots. I slide a $20 in a Double Diamond machine, hit the play max credit button twice and that's all folks for that $20. I try the machine next to this one with the exact same results. Well, I knew I didn't like slots anyway. I walk outside to feel the crisp morning air and take a walk North on the strip, maybe I'll go to Stardust.
As I walk and observe the scenery, I realize just how beautiful the desert can be. I notice as I'm walking that there is something going on over at the Desert Inn to the entrance - hmm. I don't make it as far as Stardust because I decided to look in the door at Frontier and found myself buying in at a blackjack table. The dealer is Muhamed and seemed very nice although I only understood about 1/3 of all he said. The table is a little up and down, but I was up about $300 when Larry tapped out Muhamed. I swear Larry was sent to the table to talk my head off so I couldn't concentrate on the cards. He told me so many gambling tall tales that I was left with the impression that he either was stupid, a liar, or a stupid liar. Most of his stories went something like - "I bought into a roulette game for $3 had it up to $2100, but lost it". After a while, I decide to take what I had left and move to another table. I sit down at a table with an older dealer named Donny and immediately get on a very good run. I didn't keep track, but I know I went through one full double deck shoe head to head without losing a hand. Another player joins us and my luck slows, but is still quite good. After a half hour or so Donny gets tapped out by Tom. As Donny leaves the table he say "you'll like him, he's a real George" I'm not quite sure what was meant here, but all I can figure is that a George must be a good tipper, because I tipped him pretty heavy on my upward roll. I couldn't get anything going with Tom and cashed out up $1000 and asked for a comp to their steak house for 6. I knew asking for a comp for 6 was a long shot, but it doesn't hurt to ask. They said I hadn't played long enough and all they could do was 2, I said thanks anyway and walked back to TI, once again amazed at the beauty of the mountains in the distance.
It was about 11:30 so I went to the room to see if Cliff was up yet. He had just finished getting ready and had already eaten room service. Spencer and Brent had gone to the CES and Mike wasn't quite ready so Cliff and I go back down to the casino. Cliff goes to get a table for us in the high roller room (I still don't consider a $25 table a high roller, but they do apparently) and I go to the counter in the Terrace Cafe to get some breakfast/lunch. After I ate, I went and joined the blackjack game with Cliff. Mike comes down and joins us and we play ‘till around 1:45. We were on a good table, but I had a Vegas.com meet planned at Monte Carlo for 2:00 so we needed to leave. I cash out up $700. We catch a cab to Monte Carlo(I'm glad to say the cab did not smell like ass), they let me out and they go to NYNY to play there and catch up with Mark who stayed there for Thursday and Friday nights. Cliff got him a comp room there since he was coming in early.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Atkins Diet Revolution
You've probably heard of these diets like the meridia pill and the doctors behind them, but do you know which ones can provide the most healthful means for weight loss? My assessment may surprise you!
DR. ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION
Overall Philosophy
Dr. Atkins maintains that excess intake of dietary carbohydrate results in the overproduction of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that promotes fat storage and increases appetite. Supposedly, eating according to this high-protein, very low-carbohydrate regimen can lead to the following:
• rapid weight loss
• suppressed hunger
• reduced fatigue
• lowered risk for chronic illnesses, like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes
Overall Nutrition:
Unlimited amounts of protein-rich foods (including meat, cheese and eggs) are allowed while carbohydrate choices—bread, pasta, starches, fruits and vegetables—are severely restricted.
For example, during the first 14 days of the diet, Atkins restricts:
• fruit
• bread and other grains
• starchy vegetables (peas, potatoes, corn)
• all forms of alcohol
• dairy—excluding cheese, cream and butter.
As a result of these limitations, the plan is packed with fat (specifically saturated fats) and cholesterol, and it is deficient in many nutrients, including: fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and folate. Since protein by-products must be excreted in the urine, this high-protein eating program promotes dehydration and a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis occurs when your body turns primarily to fat for energy, which usually happens when you eat very few carbohydrates in the form of grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy foods. Rapid fat burning produces ketones which accumulate in the blood stream, causing ketosis.
Ketosis does keep away hunger pains, but it also makes for bad breath, fatigue and nausea. Carbohydrates are a necessary part of any diet because they provide the body with fuel in the form of glucose. On the Atkins diet, glucose levels in the body can become very low. It should be noted that excessive levels of ketones in the blood stream can cause unconsciousness and, in severe cases, lead to a coma
Duration:
Indefinite. Atkins considers it a diet for life, but I would not encourage staying on this diet for long periods of time.
Expense:
Affordable, but on an ounce-per-ounce basis, the high-protein foods on this diet plan are more expensive than the plant and grain foods you would eat on a balanced low-fat diet plan.
Family Friendly:
This is for adults only. The poor nutritional content of this diet would not provide adequate nutrition for any children under the age of 18.
Menu Choices:
Meal plans are easy to figure out. Eating out is doable on this plan, as long as you can forego bread, potatoes; pasta, rice and other grains; dessert, and alcohol.
Food Choices:
This plan is low in choices from the bread, milk and fruit groups. Unless you really love meat and cheese, it's easy to become bored with the limited food choices of this plan.
Prepackaged Foods:
No prepackaged foods are required.
Exercise:
It's encouraged as a way to build muscle and reduce blood insulin levels. However, given the extremely low carbohydrate intake, sustaining aerobic exercise for 20 minutes or more would be questionable while on this plan.
Supplementation:
Large doses of Atkin's own brand of vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended, which is not necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, you'll need a daily multivitamin and about 1,000 milligrams of calcium to make up for what the diet lacks.
Success/Failure Rate:
There is no documented evidence in peer-reviewed journals of the success rate of this diet.
Overall Rating: 1 Fork.
Good way to jump-start weight loss, but it's not a long-term eating plan. I would recommend staying on this eating plan for no more than one to two weeks. diet pills
DR. ATKINS NEW DIET REVOLUTION
Overall Philosophy
Dr. Atkins maintains that excess intake of dietary carbohydrate results in the overproduction of insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas that promotes fat storage and increases appetite. Supposedly, eating according to this high-protein, very low-carbohydrate regimen can lead to the following:
• rapid weight loss
• suppressed hunger
• reduced fatigue
• lowered risk for chronic illnesses, like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes
Overall Nutrition:
Unlimited amounts of protein-rich foods (including meat, cheese and eggs) are allowed while carbohydrate choices—bread, pasta, starches, fruits and vegetables—are severely restricted.
For example, during the first 14 days of the diet, Atkins restricts:
• fruit
• bread and other grains
• starchy vegetables (peas, potatoes, corn)
• all forms of alcohol
• dairy—excluding cheese, cream and butter.
As a result of these limitations, the plan is packed with fat (specifically saturated fats) and cholesterol, and it is deficient in many nutrients, including: fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and folate. Since protein by-products must be excreted in the urine, this high-protein eating program promotes dehydration and a condition known as ketosis. Ketosis occurs when your body turns primarily to fat for energy, which usually happens when you eat very few carbohydrates in the form of grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy foods. Rapid fat burning produces ketones which accumulate in the blood stream, causing ketosis.
Ketosis does keep away hunger pains, but it also makes for bad breath, fatigue and nausea. Carbohydrates are a necessary part of any diet because they provide the body with fuel in the form of glucose. On the Atkins diet, glucose levels in the body can become very low. It should be noted that excessive levels of ketones in the blood stream can cause unconsciousness and, in severe cases, lead to a coma
Duration:
Indefinite. Atkins considers it a diet for life, but I would not encourage staying on this diet for long periods of time.
Expense:
Affordable, but on an ounce-per-ounce basis, the high-protein foods on this diet plan are more expensive than the plant and grain foods you would eat on a balanced low-fat diet plan.
Family Friendly:
This is for adults only. The poor nutritional content of this diet would not provide adequate nutrition for any children under the age of 18.
Menu Choices:
Meal plans are easy to figure out. Eating out is doable on this plan, as long as you can forego bread, potatoes; pasta, rice and other grains; dessert, and alcohol.
Food Choices:
This plan is low in choices from the bread, milk and fruit groups. Unless you really love meat and cheese, it's easy to become bored with the limited food choices of this plan.
Prepackaged Foods:
No prepackaged foods are required.
Exercise:
It's encouraged as a way to build muscle and reduce blood insulin levels. However, given the extremely low carbohydrate intake, sustaining aerobic exercise for 20 minutes or more would be questionable while on this plan.
Supplementation:
Large doses of Atkin's own brand of vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended, which is not necessarily a bad thing. At the very least, you'll need a daily multivitamin and about 1,000 milligrams of calcium to make up for what the diet lacks.
Success/Failure Rate:
There is no documented evidence in peer-reviewed journals of the success rate of this diet.
Overall Rating: 1 Fork.
Good way to jump-start weight loss, but it's not a long-term eating plan. I would recommend staying on this eating plan for no more than one to two weeks. diet pills
Thursday, October 28, 2010
So You've Been Sedentary
If you've been sedentary, be sure to start your activity slowly—with as little as 5 or 10 minutes a day—and gradually work your way up to moving for at least 30 minutes. If you decide to take Modafinil, and you're over age 40 or have a chronic illness, discuss this with a health care provider first. If you choose to exercise at a moderate level, however, it's typically not necessary to get a physician's approval.
It's critical to hang in there, since greater antidepressant effects are seen when training continues beyond 15 weeks. For mental health, the main work is commitment, not exertion. Make the time, find the time and the benefits will follow.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. buy provigil
It's critical to hang in there, since greater antidepressant effects are seen when training continues beyond 15 weeks. For mental health, the main work is commitment, not exertion. Make the time, find the time and the benefits will follow.
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. buy provigil
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Why You Should Start Banking Online
Our accountant claims that electronic banking saved his marriage. At the end of each month he and his wife used to fight about who would do the bills, which in their family meant writing some 50 checks and reconciling 50 from the month before.
Then the couple signed up for electronic banking, and poof! Better than marriage counseling.
Electronic banking may not enable you to fire your therapist, but it can make your life much easier. Used in conjunction with a personal finance software program like Quicken or Microsoft Money, electronic banking can automate simple things like a cash advance loan in a few minutes of your time.
These days most banks are equipped to link to personal finance software; check with your bank before you purchase a program. Once you've installed the software your bank prefers, just follow directions -- the program will walk you through the steps necessary to set up a link to the bank. The bank will assign you an ID number and password, and that's it.
Set up automatic reminders of when the American Express payment is due. Choose bills whose payments never vary, such as the cable bill, and tell the program to transfer funds to the cable company automatically on the same date each month. The software will reconcile your online checkbook for you, monitoring the funds the bank subtracts from your account. Every time you log on, whether it's every morning or once a month, the bank downloads information on your account's activity, updating your database.
Then the couple signed up for electronic banking, and poof! Better than marriage counseling.
Electronic banking may not enable you to fire your therapist, but it can make your life much easier. Used in conjunction with a personal finance software program like Quicken or Microsoft Money, electronic banking can automate simple things like a cash advance loan in a few minutes of your time.
These days most banks are equipped to link to personal finance software; check with your bank before you purchase a program. Once you've installed the software your bank prefers, just follow directions -- the program will walk you through the steps necessary to set up a link to the bank. The bank will assign you an ID number and password, and that's it.
Set up automatic reminders of when the American Express payment is due. Choose bills whose payments never vary, such as the cable bill, and tell the program to transfer funds to the cable company automatically on the same date each month. The software will reconcile your online checkbook for you, monitoring the funds the bank subtracts from your account. Every time you log on, whether it's every morning or once a month, the bank downloads information on your account's activity, updating your database.
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