When planning any vacation, we all want to find the very best value possible. This is no different when planning a cruise vacation. Finding - and getting - cruise discounts is not that difficult. Not all cruise discounts however will give you the best value.

What is important to you in a vacation cruise is not necessarily what is important to me or anyone else. So the discount you get offered may be for a cruise, cruise line, or stateroom that doesn’t interest you. Sure, the price is right but if you get full enjoyment, where is the value? If you are flexible or if you simply want to ‘get-away-from-it-all’ then any discount will be a good one for you.

We have identified six different ways that cruise discounts are offered. One is sure to be right for you.

Early Booking Discounts

This type of discount is available from most cruise lines and for most itineraries. If you book before a certain date, the cruise line offers a special discount price for your vacation. Now these discounts may not be the ‘best prices’ you can get but by booking early you will most often get the cruise you want, on the cruise ship you desire, and the itinerary of interest, in the stateroom or suite of your choice. All of these items combined can make this type of vacation discount the very best value for your cruise. You may say that if you wait, with the cruise ships being so large these days, you can get exactly what you want. Be forewarned! Cruises do sell out.

Last Minute Discounts

This is by far the riskiest discount to plan on. If your preferred cruise sells out, you’re stuck without that cruise vacation. If you would prefer a balcony stateroom, all that may be available at the time could be inside rooms. However, having said all of that, these discounts can at times provide the very best pricing. So if you are flexible in itinerary, cruise ship, vacation date, and stateroom preference, perhaps this is your best bet.

Group Booking Discounts

If you can generate some interest in your planned cruise vacation with others, you could qualify for a ‘group rate’. Not all cruise lines would offer this - or any other - discount but it is certainly worth pursuing. The rates again may not be as low as for a last minute cruise discount but you can get in early enough to ensure that you get the preferences listed above.

Low Season Discounts

Should your vacation schedule fall into one of the ‘low seasons’ for cruise vacations, you would be in luck. In the Caribbean for example, the so-called ‘Hurricane season’ provides many great cruise rates for potential passengers. Now I know that ’summer season’ is a better name for it from a marketing standpoint but we may as well call it like it is. Keep in mind that on a cruise, should a major storm happen, cruise ships can divert to calmer waters. Today’s cruise ships can out-run storms as well. If you were to be in a resort on a land-based vacation, you would have no choice but to flee or take cover.

Value Added Cruise Pricing

This type of ‘discount’ does not change the price of the cruise itself. It does however give guests specials additions and ‘perks’. One such added value could be stateroom upgrades - you pay for a certain category of stateroom and the cruise line automatically bumps you up into the next category. Another common value-added feature is an on-board credit. In this case, the cruise line adds a credit to your stateroom account that can be used while on your vacation. Other perks can include free logo-wear or a bottle of wine in your stateroom.

Previous Cruisers Discounts

For first-time cruisers, this type of discount will be un-attainable. But next cruise on the same cruise line, you may be offered many different specials that you may find attractive. These could include free upgrades and on-board credits as detailed above.

Whether you take advantage of any of the possible discounts available for cruise vacations, one thing is certain. A cruise aboard one of the magnificent cruise ships will be an experience to cherish!

For more information on cruises and special cruise pricing, check us out at www.a1-discount-cruises.com.

Brian A Schmidt is the author and web publisher of your #1 source for cruise information, romantic getaways, cruise wear and great deals! Visit A1-Discount-Cruises to access some of the best deals on-line for cruises, cruise wear and romantic getaways. We have over 100 interesting and informative articles to help you choose the very best cruise vacation. Contact us with your comments or questions at info@a1-discount-cruises.com using the subject line “Questions”.

If you have begun exchanging links, you know how time consuming — and time-wasting — it can be. On the other hand, you don’t want to give up the process because you might actually unearth the occasional valuable link partner. After all, you know that getting links to your site is important because it brings in traffic, helps you find strategic partners, and enhances your Search Engine rankings. Your objective is to get hundreds of links, and you cannot get the job done unless you have a strategy that works.

First you have to accept that not all links are created equal. And that means that link partners have to be prioritized. Some are worthless because your links end up on pages that nobody looks at and have no PR.

But at the other end of the spectrum a few of your link partners will be very valuable because they will give you links on high value, high traffic pages.

Most of the rest of your inbound links will be marginally valuable. How you tell the difference between the valuable ones and the useless ones is the subject of many discussions and articles, some of which you will find at the Linknet Marketing Resource Library.

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The fastest, most direct, and least painful strategy is to find link partners who will either sell or trade text ads on a number of high value pages. For example, at Linknet we do both of these things (selling and trading multiple links).

We offer up to 25 free links across 25 websites. And we also offer packages of 30 and 50 links for one small annual fee. For more information go to our Fr ee Advertising page.

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One solution is to put prospective link partners into three levels. This assumes that you have already rejected those that have negative value — the sites you don’t want to identify with for various reasons — pornography, violence, racism, pharmaceuticals, and so on. Here is a suggestion for three levels of inbound links (links pointing at your pages):

Level 1 - Basic Links These links will often be from sites you have not taken a lot of time to study. So they may not have significant positive value. But they will not have negative value either. Therefore, if exchanging links with these partners can be done efficiently, there is no downside to doing it. These will usually be “reciprocal” partners and can be given links on properly formed “link directory pages”. The more time and effort you put into your directory, the more valuable it will become.

Level 2 - Self-Generated Multi-Links The second category consists of “multi-links” that you generate yourself. You do this by seeding your articles, forum posts, blog entries and so on, around the web. Many of the strategies used to create these links are discussed in the “Power Linking” section of the Linknet Marketing Resource Library, mentioned above.

Level 3 - High Value Links The third and most valuable category consists of “High Value Links” on sites that you specifically target. These include high traffic sites in your area of interest, highly rated directories, and sites where you can get a number of quality links all at once. In some cases these links will bring you lots of traffic. In other cases they will enhance your PR and Search Engine ranking. You need both kinds.

As I mention in other posts, there are a range of strategies to get these “Level 3″ links. For instance,

- Write glowing testimonials. Target 10 or 20 high traffic sites in your area of interest, and send your testimonial to the webmaster. Usually they can’t resist publishing it where everybody will see it.

- Write positive reviews of sites and/or posts. Target 10 or 20 high traffic products/sites. Post the reviews on your site or in your blog, and make sure to send a copy to the reviewee. Again, most webmasters or online entrepreneurs are hungry for this kind of exposure. You might even create a “review” section on your site to show you are serious.

But the fastest, most direct, and least painful strategy is to find link partners who will either sell or trade text ads on a number of high value pages. For example, at Linknet we do both of these things (selling and trading multiple links).

Check out how to get 25 FREE Links.

Sign up for our Free Course in How to Get Hundreds of Links to your Website.

Have you ever used your intuition to solve problems? Can you trust your intuition? Can you improve it?

What Is Intuition?

Intuition is simply a feeling, sense, or hunch based on information not available to your conscious mind. Some say this comes from the ether or wherever, but I’m content to believe that our minds have a lot more going on in there than we know.

How can Gary Kasparov win a chess game against a computer that can calculate positions many moves further ahead than he can? By using his intuitive grasp of the game. His experience allows him to combine analysis with a “sense” of which move is best.

Intuition can also warn us. My wife and I felt we shoudn’t get on that bus in South America. We knew crowded busses were prime hunting grounds for pickpockets, and we saw the drunk man bumping into people. We didn’t think about these things consciously, but they registered in our minds, and warned us. We ignored our intuition, and I was robbed.

Of course, you can have a hunch for irrelevant reasons too. If you were hit by a taxi as a child, you might have “intuitive” hunches not to get into taxis for the rest of your life. So how do you know when to trust your intuition?

Three Simple Steps To Better Intuition

1. Watch for it. You’ll have hunches and ideas more often. I bought a conversion van, and now I see them all over. Have you had a similar experience? The same process will happen if you watch for your intuition - you’ll start to see more of it.

2. Question it. If I had asked myself why I felt bad about that bus, I might have thought, “Oh yeah, crowded busses are a bad idea. I know that.” Try to see in which areas your intuition works best, or not at all. If, for example, your hunches about people are always wrong, don’t follow them.

3. Give it good information. Your skill, knowledge and experience determine the potential effectiveness of your intuition. A weak chess player will never intuitively beat that computer. So learn enough about a subject, before you expect any good hunches. Remember the programmer’s maxim: garbage in - garbage out.

Do these three things and you’ll have more useful intuition more often.

Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You’ll find more at http://www.selfimprovementnow.com

The concept of an engagement started off as a purely religious ceremony during 1215 where it was pronounced that marriages were to be publicized in churches by the priests so that well-founded hindrances, if any, could be made known. The contemporary practice, predominantly western, of exchanging engagement rings is believed to have originated in 1477 when the then Roman Emperor, Maximilian I, gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring to consecrate their engagement - the first diamond engagement ring in history ever to be recorded.

There is yet another school of thought suggesting that the engagement ring goes back to the Egyptians. The early Egyptians wore the ring on the third finger of the left hand because they believed that a certain vein in that finger flowed directly to the heart.

Engagement rings from as distant as 4 AD resemble the Celtic Claddagh, which is a symbol of two hands holding a heart. Some others are of the opinion that rings speak of the burden of future bondage between a man and a woman. This apart, there was also a time when precious stones were mounted on gold and gifted as engagement rings. One customary pattern mounted six stones to commemorate the coming together of two families.

In modern American tradition too, an engagement ring is worn on the ring finger of the left hand of the woman to be married, indicating her engagement. It represents an official acceptance of the marriage proposal and a commitment to a future together. It is also not uncommon for a woman in America to buy the man an engagement ring.

The diamond engagement ring has universally come to be recognized as a symbol of love. The advertising industry, coupled with diamond corporations is solely responsible for this trend. In America, for example, young men have been brainwashed to believe that two months’ salary and nothing less should be spent on a diamond engagement ring, or their love is worth nothing.

The Xerox 13R546 laser drum cartridges are relatively easy to recondition. Similar in many ways to the 5318 style cartridges, which preceded them.

It is a simple matter of disassembly, a thorough cleaning, inspection of the Drum and Cleaning Blade, and repair of the Connector.

The Connector is key to resetting the status code (J7) calling for a new Copy Cartridge. Spare parts for these cartridges have been slow coming to the market.

Fortunately the Drums are capable of running 100,000 copies. There are two types of cartridges between which the only difference is the connector’s “type”.

The XC23-33 uses a 13R546 cartridge which is set up to run 30,000 copies while the XDL23-33 use a 13R555 which is set up to run 50,000 copies.

The connectors are not interchangeable although the cartridges are identical in all other respects.

Step-by-Step “How-to-Recondition Your Xerox 13R546″ Instructions:

This drum cartridge is compatible with Xerox copier model numbers:

•XC23
•XC23-A
•XC23-AS
•XC33-AS
•XC33-D

Specifications on the Xerox 13R546 Drum Cartridge

•Model Number - 13R546
•Manufacturer - Xerox
•Type - Brand New
•Color - Black
•Description - 1 cartridge per box
•Page Yield - Approximately 30,000 pages

These cartridges are relatively easy to recondition. Similar in many ways to the 5318 style cartridges, which preceded them.

It is a simple matter of disassembly, a thorough cleaning, inspection of the Drum and Cleaning Blade, and repair of the Connector.

The Connector is key to resetting the status code (J7) calling for a new Copy Cartridge. Spare parts for these cartridges have been slow coming to the market.

Fortunately the Drums are capable of running 100,000 copies. There are two types of cartridges between which the only difference is the connector’s “type”.

The XC23-33 uses a 13R546 cartridge which is set up to run 30,000 copies while the XDL23-33 use a 13R555 which is set up to run 50,000 copies.

The connectors are not interchangeable although the cartridges are identical in all other respects.

SECTION 1

Tools:

•Flat-Head Screwdriver (small)
•Phillips-Head Screwdriver
•Technician Vacuum Cleaner with a toner rated filter

Supplies:

•Starter Powder (dusting pouch)
•Yellow Dust Cloths
•Swab with Isopropyl Alcohol (or a Corona Cleaning Pen)
•White Polishing Sponge (optional)
•Drum-Coat Polish (optional)

Replacement components which you may need to do.

•Repaired Connector (necessary)

•Cleaning Blade

SECTION 2

PROCEDURE

1.First check the drum for flaws (turns counter-clockwise if you’re looking at the rear end):

•Look for scuffmarks, or scratches. Also see if the Cleaning Blade is leaving any streaks on the drum. Fingerprints and some minor scuff may come off when you polish the drum later.

2.Remove the guide rail over the drum (2 screws):

•Also, don’t forget to remove the Charge Scorotron (1 screw on the rear).

3.Remove the front-end cap (2 screws):

•Gently extract and remove the bushing from the drum along with the waste toner tube (leave the auger spring in place).

4.Remove the Connector from the rear of the cartridge (2 screws):

•Remove the rear plate (3 screws & 1 E-Clip). Remove the metal contact located above the large white gear taking note of how it’ll go back on (it is loose once the rear plate is removed) Slide the rear drum collar off the drum’s shaft and remove the drum. Note that it’s normal for the large white gear, which is on the end of the spring auger to feel loose once the rear plate is off.

5.Empty the reclaim toner, which is inside the drum:

•Inspect the drum & put it in a safe place away from direct light.

6.Remove the metal top cover:

•Also, the plastic cover beneath it (2 screws). The Cleaning Blade can then be lifted out. Clean everything well. Pay special attention to the toner brush located behind the Cleaning Blade.

•Clean the corona wire with isopropyl alcohol on a swab or a Corona Cleaning Pen. Take care not to damage the thin Mylar Recovery Blade & the Scorotron Grid or its contacts.

•Inspect the blade for any imperfections. Replace the blade if necessary (if you do, use plenty of starting powder).

•If there are any minor scuffs or fingerprints on the drum, you may want to polish it with Drum Coat (use sparingly) using a clean white sponge… be sure to remove any excess polish haze after letting the drum dry for a minute or two.

•Any polish left on the drum will increase the # of copies you need to run to “break in” the drum again (you’ll get light copies for between 20 & 50 copies after a good polishing).

7.Reassemble the cartridge:

•Return the drum carefully to its cradle; slide the rear collar back into place. When re-installing the rear plate, note that there is one Machine screw, which goes on the right above the white gear; the other two screws are plastic tapping screws.

Once it’s all together, turn the drum (counter clockwise when looking at the rear of the cartridge) to see that all is well.

8.Send the connector in for repair:

•Once you get the repaired connector… the cartridge will run another full cycle.

Here are some codes you may come across and will need to know the codes.

Status Codes: Press ‘0′ to see the sub code

A Codes:

A Codes Document Feed Problems

C Codes:

C Codes Paper Feed or Pre-registration Jam Problems

E Codes:

E Codes Post-registration / Exit Jams & Duplex Problems

F Codes:

F Codes Sorter Jam or Interlock Problems

H Codes:

H Codes HCF (High Capacity Feeder) or ADF Problems

J Codes:

J1 Code Toner Empty
J3 Code Copy Cartridge not installed (or not seated properly)
J7 Code Copy Ctg. count expired (replace the connector)
J8 Codes Improper Copy Cartridge (or not seated properly)

L Codes:

L6 Code Key Counter not installed
L8 Code Platen Temperature too high
L9 Code Communication error with Inter-Image Lamp PWB

U Codes:

U1-1 Code Xerographic Motor Problem
U2 Codes Scanner Drive Problems
U3-1 Code Lens Drive Problem
U4-1 Code Fuser Thermistor Open
U4-2 Code Fuser took too long to warm up
U4-3 Code Fuser stays on after reaching operating temperature
U4-4 Code Fuser stays on too long after copy cycle
U4-6 Code Fuser Over-temperature
U5 Codes Sorter Bin Drive Problem
U6 Codes Memory Problems / Main Board Problems
U8 Codes Exposure Problems

Diagnostics: Hold the ‘0′ while turning on the power to enter diagnostics. To enter a code, enter the 1st part of code, followed by ‘Print’, then the 2nd part of code & then ‘Print’ again.

Fuser Overheat Reset: (50-20): First make sure that you have repaired the cause of the overheat. Enter the diagnostic code 50-20 as explained above, then press ‘0′ followed by ‘Print’.

NOTE: Watch to make sure the lamp cycles off the way it should once the machine comes to being ready.

Read Total Copy Count: (30-50)

Read Copy Cartridge Life Remaining: (30-91)

This information is for your records and should be read atleast 4 times before making an attempt to configure your drum cartridge. This is to ensure comprehension.

In description of, Joseph Mercado is known as The Internet Marketing Tyrant. He specializes in the consumable market involving studies on drum cartridges.

http://www.inksecrets.com

1. Most folks know that Americans celebrate a Thanksgiving Day, but they aren’t alone. What event is celebrated in The Virgin Islands on Oct. 25?

A. A Thanksgiving Day to rejoice in the end of the hurricane season

B. A Thanksgiving Day to celebrate the end of the harvest season

C. A Thanksgiving Day to mark the beginning of the harvest season

D. There is no such event except in The QuizQueen’s imagination.

A. A Thanksgiving Day to rejoice in the end of the hurricane season

QQ: The Virgin Islands observe a Thanksgiving Day on Oct. 25 to rejoice in the end of the hurricane season. That is certainly something to celebrate alright!

2. Where did turkeys come from?

A. Turkey

B. Europe

C. South America

D. Antarctica

C. South America

QQ: Turkeys weren’t introduced into Europe from the Spanish colonies in South America until 1523. However, by 1524, turkeys, imported from South America, were eaten at the court of King Henry VIII of England.

3. Thanksgiving is also a legal holiday in Canada. When does it fall?

A. Second Monday in October

B. Second Thursday in October

C. Second Monday in November

D. Second Thursday in November

A. Second Monday in October

QQ: Because Canada is north of the United States, its harvest comes earlier in the year. Accordingly, the Thanksgiving holiday falls earlier in Canada than in the United States. The Canadian Parliament set aside Nov. 6 for annual Thanksgiving observances in 1879. In 1957 the date was shifted to an even earlier day, to the second Monday in October.

4. Who originally domesticated the turkey?

A. The Turks

B. The Mexicans

C. The Chinese

D. The Vulcans

B. The Mexicans

QQ: The turkey was originally domesticated in Mexico. The ocellated turkey is native to the Yucatn Peninsula of Mexico and adjacent Guatemala and Belize.

5. What month is National Turkey Lovers’ Month?

A. May

B. June

C. November

D. December

B. June

QQ: Hah, bet lots of people got that one wrong! June is National Turkey Lovers’ Month, after all, June is the month for lovers, isn’t it?

6. Benjamin Franklin, who proposed the turkey as the official United States’ bird, was dismayed when the bald eagle was chosen over the turkey. Why?

A. He loved to eat turkey and wanted everyone to love it, too

B. He thought the turkey much more respectable

C. He said the bald eagle had a bad moral character

D. The turkey was a true native of America

E. All are true

F. None are true

G. A, B, and C are true

H. B, C, and D are true

H. B, C, and D are true

QQ: He may have loved to eat turkey, but after the selection was made, Franklin wrote to his daughter, referring to the eagle’s “bad moral character,” saying, “I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country! The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America.”

7. What Thanksgiving Day image can be traced back to ancient harvest festivals?

A. Candle

B. Cornucopia

C. Pilgrim hat

D. Turkey

B. Cornucopia

QQ: The cornucopia (a horn-shaped basket overflowing with fruits and vegetables) is a typical emblem of Thanksgiving abundance that dates to ancient harvest festivals. Many of the images commonly associated with Thanksgiving are derived from much older traditions of celebrating the autumn harvest.

8. Can turkeys fly?

A. Only the domestic ones

B. Only the wild ones

C. All turkeys can fly

D. No turkeys can fly

B. Only the wild ones

QQ: Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 20 miles per hour.

9. Although the U.S. is tops when it comes to turkey consumption (who knows if it is Thanksgiving that puts us over the top), what country is a close second?

A. France

B. Italy

C. Germany

D. UK

A. France

QQ: This was a tough question, because according to the USDA the French, the Italians, the Germans, and the British all follow US consumption of turkey (in that order).

10. Although often linked to Christmas, Kwanzaa is actually more closely tied with which holiday?

A. St. Patrick’s Day

B. Halloween

C. Thanksgiving

D. Valentine’s Day

C. Thanksgiving

QQ: Come on, even if you didn’t know that Kwanzaa was Swahili for “first fruits” this is a Thanksgiving-theme quiz! Kwanzaa has its roots in the ancient African first-fruit harvest celebrations from which it takes its name. However, its modern history begins in 1966 when it was developed by African American scholar and activist Maulana Karenga.

11. When Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin sat down to eat their first meal on the moon, their foil food packets contained what?

A. Roasted turkey and all of the trimmings

B. Spaghetti and meatballs

C. Hot dogs and beans

D. Peanut butter and jelly

A. Roasted turkey and all of the trimmings

QQ: If you got this wrong, refer to the title of the quiz!

12. What Jewish holiday could be associated with Thanksgiving?

A. Shabuoth

B. Passover

C. Hanukah

D. Yom Kippur

A. Shabuoth

QQ: Shabuoth or Shavuoth, also Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, is celebrated in the late spring during the Hebrew month of Sivan, seven weeks after Passover. In biblical times the festival was a thanksgiving for the grain harvest. Later tradition associates the holiday with the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai.

13. Who gobbles in the turkey family?

A. Everyone

B. Only adult turkeys, not chicks

C. Only tom turkeys

D. Only hen turkeys

C. Only tom turkeys

QQ: Only tom turkeys gobble. Hen turkeys make a clicking noise. Click. Click.

14. The custom of watching football games on Thanksgiving Day also evolved during the early decades of the 20th century. Many Americans digest their holiday meal while watching football games on television. Traditionally, which two National Football League (NFL) teams host games on Thanksgiving Day?

A. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys

B. Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins

C. Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals

D. Houston Oilers and Cleveland Browns

A. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys

QQ: High viewership of these holiday games has made football an American Thanksgiving tradition. Yet another retail strike against America! And for your football trivia, The Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Oilers could not be part of any long-standing tradition as the Panthers and Jaguars were part of the 1995 expansion of the NFL and the Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 to become the Titans.

15. What is the turkey trot?

A. A ragtime dance

B. The gait of a horse

C. A card game

D. The way a turkey runs

A. A ragtime dance

QQ: The turkey trot ragtime dance is characterized by a springy walk with the feet well apart and a swinging up-and-down movement of the shoulders.

How to Play Video Poker Slot Machines
Video Poker is a game that requires some skill to play and bridges the gap between slot machines and table games for many players. It’s still easy and fun to play, but you have the potential to maximize your gains by being able to put the odds in your favour, making it a more involving playing experience. In most casinos video poker machines, (when played correctly), give a lower house edge than other online slot machines. When video poker machines first appeared in casinos, the only game played was Jacks or better draw poker. Today, there are over 100 variations of the game and they can all be played online.

How to Play
Video Poker is derived from draw poker and has the same rules, except that you are not playing against any other players, just a machine. The machine deals five cards on the screen. The player can if they want, take up to five new cards. The player keeps the cards they want to keep by hitting the “hold” button that corresponds to the individual card shown. When the choice is made the player hits the “deal” button, and the cards discarded are replaced by new cards. The result of the game is determined by the outcome after the final hand is completed. How much you win (if at all) is shown on the pay table that is on machine the player is playing. Video slots have better graphics and more effects than three-reel slots, and create an overall more visual and exciting gaming experience.

The Pay Table & Return
The major advantage that video poker has over other slot machines is that the return of the game can be calculated by reading the pay table on the front of the machine. Most video poker games use the combinations of hands that can be made from a 52-card deck. There are some Joker Poker Games that use one / two Jokers added to the deck. For example, the game Deuces Wild uses a 52-card deck but the deuces are wild cards. The number of combinations that can be made from the cards used in the game means the payout can be worked out by what the machine pays for each winning combination.

There are 2,598,960 possible hands from a 52-card deck. The programme in a video poker machine is set to simulate the probabilities of drawing any of these combinations. Because this is a set probability, the casino simply adjusts the pay table of the online machines to produce the house edge. There are software programs, books, courses, strategy cards, and online information sites where you can get relevant information to workout the payouts for each pay table. By knowing how to read a pay table, you can pick a machine with the best return and best odds of success.

Video Poker - Online Slot Machines with Skill
Many players start playing online slot machines, try video poker and stay with it. So why is online video poker one of the best online slot machines to play? Simply, it has all the fun and excitement of regular online slot machines, but there is also the possibility to put the odds a little in the players favour by introducing an element of skill. Many players who want to maximize their bankroll and payback like this!

About the Author

To read more original slot machine strategy articles visit the Slot Strategies web site:
http://www.slot-strategies.com/slot-articles-sitemap.html

How to Hire a DJ for your Wedding
By DJ Kazmere of Starr Productions

So your getting married soon and you and your future spouse decide it’s time to start planning for the big day. Besides the venue, the caterer, photographer, wedding gown, rings, cake, flowers, and more, you have to get a DJ or a band for your musical entertainment. Let’s say you decide to choose a DJ over a band. A lot of top-notch professional wedding Djs get booked anywhere from 6 months to 18 months in advance, so start looking early especially if your wedding date is in May or June.

Now that you know when to start looking for a DJ you need to know where to find them. You can find Djs from a variety of sources, friends, family, the internet, print ads, from other vendors, etc. A common mistake by most people is that they tend to believe that all DJs are pretty much the same, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Just about every DJ has their own unique style and level of professionalism which they bring to the table. When looking for a DJ look for a DJ that specializes in weddings, if they do other types of events to, that’s fine as long as they have a ton of experience in weddings (At least 100 weddings). A large variety of music is important, everybody has different tastes, and more than likely so will your guests.

Now that you know where to find a DJ, and the basics of what to look for, it’s time to start contacting Djs and start making appointments for interviewing. Keep in mind you want a professional for your wedding, not a hobbyist, this is your wedding day, and you only get one chance to do it right. As soon as you start to contact Djs you’ll know very soon which are professionals, and which are just “weekend warriors”. If no one answers the phone when you call, or they don’t return your inquiry promptly (no later than 24 hours) move on to the next one. Why? If a DJ can’t return your phone call or E-mail promptly, that shows a lack of reliability and professionalism. If they’re too busy to return your inquiry, more than likely they may be too busy for you when you have questions, plans, or issues which will arise. Now you have to look at your budget, what percentage of your wedding budget should go towards your musical entertainment? On average most brides spend about 5% on a DJ, but numerous articles in bridal magazines and the internet stated that most brides said that if they could do it all over again they would have spent probably 10%-15% of their wedding budget on a better DJ. So the price of a DJ shouldn’t be your only factor in choosing a DJ.

Make sure that the DJ has references, is willing to meet with you, see the venue, has quality equipment, and probably most important, has a written contract. I receive about 5 phone calls a year from brides whose Djs never showed up, or cancelled at last minute, and the bride never had a contract with the DJ to begin with. Before signing a contract, discuss any overtime fees, your plans for your wedding, special songs, their back-up plans for personnel, transportation, and equipment, etc. After signing a contract with any DJ, the key to a successful wedding reception (and sometimes the ceremony) is communication. I can’t stress this enough, don’t wait until the last minute to inform your DJ of exactly what and how you want something done. Most professional wedding Djs do much more than just play music, some are pretty much the wedding coordinators also. They make sure that everything goes smoothly and all your “wedding events” such as the cake cutting, toasts, garter and bouquet toss, special dances, etc get done in a reasonable time frame. So stay in contact with you DJ, keep him/her informed, and this way you’ll both be on the same page for your special day.

Article is the copyright of Starr Productions 2005

About the Author

Starr Productions
Sean Thomas aka DJ Kazmere has been a professional DJ for over 15 years and has performed hundreds of weddings.

A review of the Princes of Amber series written by Roger Zelazny.

If you have never read anything by Roger Zelazny, you are in for a treat. Zelazny’s Amber Chronicles consist of ten books revolving around the Princes of Amber and their struggle against one another for the throne and against the forces of evil for the survival of Amber.

This fantasy is based on the premise that Earth is only one of many alternate realities to the real world of Amber. Zelazny successfully takes the reader back and forth from Earth the the alternate dominions with skill and magnificent detail without the overpowering technical aspects of scientific explanations some sci-fi/fantasies feel necessary.

The story is told through the adventures of Corwin–one of the nine princes vying for the throne. The reader learns the history of Amber and the royal family as Corwin recovers with a bout of amnesia. Where Corwin’s tale ends, his son’s begins.

This series of ten books is suitable for all ages. The style is simple yet imaginative and the plot grows more consuming with each page. The characters are flawed but likeable as is the illustrious world of Amber. The action moves steadily forward without becoming overwhelming. I read the first book from cover to cover before I was even aware of it.

The Amber Chronicles are not new releases. They were published over a period of more than twenty years. I recommend purchasing the paperback The Great Book of Amber as published by Avon Books for your first reading experience as you can pick up all ten books in one volume at a good price.

The individual books are listed below with the copyright date. Nine Princes of Amber, 1970 The Guns of Avalon, 1972 Sign of the Unicorn, 1975 The Hand of Oberon, 1976 The Courts of Chaos, 1978 Trumps of Doom, 1985 Blood of Amber, 1986 Signs of Chaos, 1987 Knight of Shadows, 1989 Prince of Chaos, 1991

Interested in more information about Roger Zelazny or the Amber Chronicles? Visit these websites. Roger Zelazny Fans Roger Zelazny Vital Statistics Roger Zelazny and the Amber Series Amazon.com Reader Reviews

I do not find all of Zelazny’s works as entertaining as the Amber books, in fact, I have read two that I totally despised so do not assume if you like this recommendation that you will like everything he writes. I do have one more recommendation to make.

A Night in Lonesome October is a supernatural fantasy told through the eyes of Snuff, the pet of one of the supernatural beings who have gathered for a Halloween ritual. He takes you through his life as a dog dealing with the pets of the other supernatural beings like the vampire, the witch and the evil vicar.

You may have trouble locating a copy of this one, but it is well worth the hunt.

About the Author

Betsy Gallup is a full-time mother to an 11-year-old son, and infant twins. She has had several articles, essays, and short stories published. She is now writing a non-fiction book under contract for publication, and she has recently procured an agent to represent her first novel, Destiny, a suspense/romance delving into the world of a renown psychic. With what time she has left, she operates www.whimsplace.com, a showcase for the work of talented writers.

There was a short, pocked-faced, plain-looking man walking the streets of Vienna in the early 19th century. No wonder all women he proposed to rejected him and so he remained single all his life. The poor thing! As a boy, much to the chagrin of his father, he showed no signs of being a child prodigy; he was often crying, as he was forced by his father to play the piano.

And yet most scholars, musicians, and music lovers worldwide would agree with this statement: “A universal genius widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived, Ludvig van Beethoven dominates a period of musical history as no one else before or since.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, Volume 14, p 737a)

Music scholars and composers consider these music genres as the main ones: piano sonata, piano concerto, violin concerto, opera, mass, symphony, and string quartet. Most scholars would agree with my evaluation here:

Best piano sonata ever: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No 29 in Bb, Opus 106, “Hammerklavier” (1817-18)

Best piano concerto ever: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 5 in Eb, Opus 87, “Emperor” (1809)

Best violin concerto ever: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D, Opus 61 (1806)

Best opera ever: Mozart’s Don Giovanni. But Beethoven’s Fidelio, Opus 72 (c1803-05; 1814), follows very closely.

Best mass ever: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in D, Opus 123 (1819-23)

Best symphony ever: Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 in d, Opus 125, “Choral” (1822-24), or his Symphony No 5 in c, Opus 67 (1807-08)

Best string quartet ever: String Quartet No 14 in c#, Opus 131 (1826).

The string quartet is my favorite music genre because it’s the most concise and elegant of all music genresit expresses deep thoughts and ideas in a few phrases, just as mathematics expresses the deep secrets of the universe using a few symbols. The languages of music and mathematics have the same ground of being. But even though there have been a few people fluent in both languages, most music geniuses have not been great mathematicians and vice versa; Beethoven often struggled with basic arithmetic.

Furthermore Joseph Haydn, the father of the string quartet, considered it as great conversations with nature. And many scholars consider the string quartet as the pressure cooker of music, the most demanding musical genre, the brightest jewel in the crown of music. It is by far the best medium to write absolute music.

Moreover Beethoven spent the last two and a half years of his life writing nothing but string quartetsOpuses 127, 130, 131, 132, and 135when he was totally cut off from society because he was stone-deaf. Doesn’t this fact tell us something? He was sensing that his life on this gorgeous planet was coming to an end; he loved nature deeply and took long walks to gather musical ideas, which he jotted down using a carpenter’s pencil. So he zeroed in on the most beautiful medium, the string quartet, to express abstract, concise, beautiful musical ideas.

Therefore “The five late string quartets contain Beethoven’s greatest music, or so at least many listeners in the 20th century came to feel.” (The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Second Edition, 2001, Volume 3, p 106a)

Thus to me Beethoven is the greatest composer ever and his String Quartet No 14 is the greatest piece of music of all time. “…Beethoven next wrote the most closely integrated of all his large compositions. From this point of view, the Quartet of C# minor op. 131 may be seen as the culmination of his significant effort as a composer ever since going to Vienna. The seven movements [c#D(b)AEg#c#] run continuously into one another, and for the first time in Beethoven’s music there is an emphatic and unmistakable thematic connection between the first movement and the lastnot a reminiscence, but a functional parallel which helps bind the whole work together. A work of the deepest subtlety and beauty….” (The New Grove, Volume 3, p 107a)

About The Author

Copyright © 2005 by Jerry Montero

Jerry Montero

Online Business Professional since 1998

Writer/Editor/Translator/Polyglot

Email: doughmoola@yahoo.com

Website: http://tinyurl.com/942lo

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