Category Archives: Ideas: Good and Bad?

Random ideas that pop in my head. Some are good, some are bad — you decide.

Youtube videos can’t go viral when a user chooses the wrong license!

Posted on January 12, 2012 by
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This is an ironic example I came across today on Youtube. If you make videos yourself, don’t let this happen to you.

Quite simply, someone got legitimately upset, when the advertised price of the Baltimore Sun was $2.12 but a particular store was charging $3.12 instead.

Armed with a video camera, the person walked into the store and confronted the staff about it. He said that the video would be put “all over Youtube and that it would go viral”. After the initial shock, the staff proceeded to do something quite surprising (watch the video to see for yourself).

Now, as of the time of this writing, the video only has 58 views. That’s not very viral, is it?

Watch the video and read my explanation below as to why the initial standard Youtube license chosen for this video was incorrect.

There is something that is not understood by people who shoot videos and want them to go viral. There are two different licenses that each Youtuber can choose to release their video under as follows:

Standard License (reuse NOT allowed) :

While fair use laws still exist, this is a much more restrictive license.  It basically means that the video uploaded may be accessed through Youtube and it cannot be incorporated into other mediums (like in someone else’s video, tv program, etc) in its entirety.  For instance in this blog, I can embed the video, but the person still has to go use the Youtube service to watch it. If Youtube decides to remove the video, or the person deletes their channel, or get if they get suspended, the video is lost forever.

In addition, some parts of this particular video, the camera was held “sideways”.  Someone else might want to edit the video and fix that. According to the standard license, the moment you import that video into your movie maker software and start making changes and subsequently re-distribute it, you’ve violated the standard license agreement.

Ever see a television program where they reference a video, but they don’t play the entire thing? Some of the time it is simply because the video on Youtube has a “standard license”, so all they can do is use little pieces under fair use laws to reference the video. Do everyone a favor and use Creative Commons License, it makes a world of difference!

A MUCH BETTER OPTION:

Creative Commons License (reuse allowed):

You retain your copyright and other users get to reuse your work subject to the terms of the license.  Which basically means that the video can be incorporated in part, or in WHOLE, as part of another work (like someone’s own video, TV program, etc).

If you want something to go viral, I highly suggest you release it under the Creative Commons License.  You will have a lot more people interested in using your video and helping it spread.  Not everyone wants to link back to your Youtube channel. Some people want to redistribute the video their own way, by broadcast, by adding it to a DVD compilation for example, etc.

 

To encourage your video to go viral,  select “Creative commons license” when you upload it.

Content creators would love to use your creative commons video to help you spread the word. Give them that opportunity.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Writer’s Block: How to overcome it.

Posted on January 10, 2012 by
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I am not a professional writer. It doesn’t matter; writer’s block is something that happens to the best of us.

For instance, have you ever bought a birthday or anniversary card and rather than just sign your name, you attempt to write a little paragraph or two?  Instant writer’s block. How do you possibly put your emotions and personal feelings into a few short sentences?

Writing a business letter? How about a rebuttal letter to a newspaper article? Any of these can stimulate writer’s block.

Let’s discuss what writer’s block actually is, and ways to overcome it.

 

Writers block is publically defined as:

“Writer’s block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some “blocked” writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers. It can manifest as the affected writer viewing their work as inferior or unsuitable, when in fact it could be the opposite. The condition was first described in 1947 by psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler” [excerpt from Wikopedia]

(While we are on the subject of Wikopedia, please consider donating to them they are a fantastic resource).

These are my ways to deal with writer’s block:

AVOIDANCE

Avoiding writer’s block can be done by a variety of ways. Being refreshed and having a good sleep are key. Get a good night’s sleep the night before, and be refreshed when you begin writing. If you are half way through a literary piece and you find yourself struggling, take a break and come back to it in a few minutes. Go grab a coffee, munch on a cookie, whatever it takes to put your mind at rest for a brief period.

 

ENVIRONMENT

Create an environment where writer’s block is less likely to occur. This means, don’t write in a situation that is likely to cause distractions.  TV and radios can’t be blaring. Traffic noise can’t be causing a problem for you either.  People running around the office or the house can be distracting as well.

For instance, it might be wise for you to use time during the office lunch hour when the employees are away to compile your difficult letter.  Or don’t write that blurb in that birthday card inside the post office while people are coming and going while you sit huddled in a corner.

Writing a novel as a full time job? Modify your sleep schedule so you sleep in late in the morning, and you go to bed late at night. You’ll find that when the city seems to quiet down for the night, it is a very peaceful time to write.  Dogs are no longer barking, loud motorcycles aren’t driving down the street. Phones aren’t ringing, and the rest of your family is asleep.  This is a golden time to write as long as you, yourself, isn’t tired.

 

MINDSET

Your mind must be in a creative mood.  We all get moody for various reasons.  This could happen due to nutrition, stress, even simple interruptions.  Each and every day there are periods where you will be in a good, bad, happy, or even a creative mood.  Don’t write while you are in a bad mood unless it is a customer complaint letter. :)

When your mindset is right, AND the environment is friendly, you’ll be able to write without having writer’s block. It is that simple.

 

INSPIRATION

Perhaps both your mindset to be creative and the environment is right, but for some reason, you’re not having any inspiration.  That’s an easy fix. Think about what you’re about to write, and find someone, or something, to inspire you.

For instance, if you are planning on writing a fiction novel, go read a fiction novel that you didn’t write. Watch how the words and descriptions you are reading seem to turn your brain on to thinking about these things. Descriptive words from someone’s writings can inspire your brain to start thinking along those lines.

Thinking about writing an excerpt in a birthday card and having trouble? Look in your memory box for previous cards written to you. Read them.  If you put your brain through the exercise of experiencing something, it will become inspired to create like minded things.

 

With the foregoing being said, I’m going to re-define writer’s block MY WAY:

“Writer’s block is a condition that anyone can experience when attempting to write. It is a situation where the brain is not able to create or concentrate due to a wide variety of factors. The mindset must be right. The mind must be inspired.  Finally, the environment must be suitable for the writer to thrive.  When all conditions are favorable, it is impossible to experience writer’s block.” — Jason  http://lifeisfunny.freethrills.com

So the next time you are experiencing writer’s block, look at your environment and take some action.  Small changes can remedy that situation.

:-P Scientists are working a new medication in tablet form that will alleviate writer’s block.
– That’s a intended joke. But who knows, might that even possible some day?

Is there something I’ve missed? I’m experiencing a little writer’s block at this moment and need to hear from you.

Your Comments?

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New Year’s Eve Party Ideas

Posted on December 28, 2011 by
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The best part of every new year, is that we bring it in the same way.  A celebration!  Good friends, good times, good music, good food and drink, what a better way to kick off this holiday? If you’re throwing a New Years Eve party this year, now is the time to start thinking ahead.  There are things you can do to make your party a real hit.

What everybody always does (yawn):

a) Put out food and munchies

b) Have mixes and ice

c) Has the stereo going with decent music

d) Watch the apple drop (east coast), or the space needle drop (west coast) on TV

e) Invite a bunch of friends over. Watch as the night progresses and people drink themselves silly.

That’s often usually good enough – and fine, but wouldn’t you rather do something a bit more special this year?

Here’s some New Years Eve party ideas:

1) Setup a group game like Pictionary or Win, Lose, or Draw.

Basically all you do is get a whiteboard (with dry erase markers) or even a chalk board will do
Visit a thrift store, and you can find actual Pictionary cards, or even simple Trivia cards can work too, where the answers can words you have to draw

The idiotic drawings people inevitably make bursts the room into laughter, almost every time.

2) Karaoke

No body wants to sing at the beginning of the night, but by the time the night is over, everyone finds themselves wanting to be on the mic.

Karaoke machines are cheap these days. You can pick one up for under $100, they usually connect to your big screen TV with RCA cables too!

They need CD+G compact discs, but these are easily found. Just contact your local Target, Walmart, or Best Buy – they know what you are looking for..

3) Who am I game

Everyone gets a piece of paper taped to them with a famous person written on it.  They can only ask questions that yield a yes or no answer.

For instance, if you had Elvis taped to your forehead or your back. You’d ask questions like, “Am I man?”, “am I a musician?”, “am I alive or dead?”

Certain famous people would yield interesting questions, and interesting answers. Think of controversial famous people and it’ll be a hoot.

4) Quarters: Drinking Game

All it requires is a quarter and a cup.  Each player tries to bounce a quarter off the table. If they succeed in getting it to land into the cup, they

can appoint anyone else to have to take a drink.  If the player misses, they take a drink.

5) Make up the best man

First two male contenders.  Each man goes into a separate room, and the room splits off into two teams. Try and see who can create the best wo-MAN with makeup.

There are hundreds more – you can Google them into your heart is content.  Planning one or two of these for your guests will make the night a lot more memorable and generate a lot of laughs.  Get creative and think of some ideas that you think your guests would be willing to do..

I’d be interested in hearing any of your own ideas that you’ve tried before, and turned out to be a real hit. For me, the Win, Lose, or Draw / Pictionary idea works well every time, but we only do it after people have a buzz on and their guard is down.  It is not something you want to try too early in the evening.

Have a safe, fun, New Years Eve!

Your comments?

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People – and the do gooder attitude

Posted on November 24, 2011 by
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With this blog post, I’m going to take a different turn. I want to be open and honest to call out certain people (let’s see if you are one of them).

People Type #1: “Saved by attendance”

Saved by attendance people are those that go to Church, feel they are saved. They have a Bible, they read the Bible, and go to Church every Sunday. Not only do they go to Church, but they ALWAYS contribute to the offering. They know the 10 commandments and live by them (or so they think). They pray, they believe in God. They are members of a local Church, and believe that all you have to do is believe in God, or Jesus, accept him into your heart, and you’re saved.

 

 

 

          WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

 

 

 

I suppose the pastor of the Church hasn’t had the opportunity to explain this to you yet, but God doesn’t take attendance. If God exists, he’ll be a lot more interested in the way you live and conduct your life – not who was sitting in the piu, or what type of offering or donation you gave to the basket.

There are people (by the thousands), who think that God somehow takes attendance at Church every Sunday, just like elementary or middle school. He doesn’t. Yes, it could be considered by some, that it is God’s house — but if he exists, he can see past the superficial being that you are.

To explain in detail:

IF you are someone that attends every service, AND gives a generous amount to every offering – that is not enough, because both of those are superficial acts. Even a murderer could attend Sunday Church and give generous offerings — does that mean they will be saved?

No – the truth is quite simple. How you live your life on a daily basis. Not how you live your life on Sunday – or how you put on your best Church clothes or what type of offering you give. Those that don’t even go to Church, or give an offering, but do a kindness to their neighbor, stranger, or fellow citizen have a much better chance at the gates of heaven than you do..

BE VERY CAREFUL that you’re not following a stereotype. “Have a bible, go to Church, give an offering, I’m saved”. I am surprised about the amount of people that live in this plastic concept that there is a simple road to heaven this way.

HERE’S WHERE I CAN EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

The same Church person will generally have a routine, and after they’ve dressed up, attended the sermon on Sunday, gave at the offering, they will leave the Church and go out for a family breakfast at a local restaurant. I know this is true, because Church generally gets out at 10:30am, and by 11:15am, ALL RESTAURANTS ARE PACKED EVERY SUNDAY BY PEOPLE IN THEIR CHURCH CLOTHES.

…so talking like this, means I know something — don’t believe me? Go to your local iHOP Pancake house at 10am on a Sunday and watch the sudden crowd in Church clothes that appear at 11:30am – it’s very obvious.

Now that being said, and agreed upon..

This same Church crowd that visits the International Pancake House at 11:30am after Church has let out, will do certain UGLY and UNGODLY things:

1) They will honk and give curse expressions with their hands and arms while in bumper to bumper traffic

2) They will be selfish and try and race to get into a parking spot without concern to the other vehicle in the same lot, irregardless if they have their 80 year old mother with them.

3) They’ll sneer and think they’re above people of different color, race, financial position, or social status. You could almost hear them talking to their kids, saying “We were at Church, look at that drug addict bum. We were at Church, look at that FAT disgusting person. We were at Church, what would the Lord think of that gay couple?”

———-

So if you are one of those people, who go to Church every Sunday, and thinks God takes attendance — he doesn’t. He’s not watching the offerings you gave, as much as he’s watching how you conduct yourself outside of his house. Your thoughts, your demeanor, and not what clothes you wore to iHop are what matters.

I am really tired of seeing hypocritical people that believe that to love thy brother is to love one’s self is a concept to live by.. Immediately thereafter walk out in public and think their obligation ends as soon as they leave the Church steps.

God doesn’t take attendance – but he knows.

People Type #2: “I’m good because I did this simplistic action”

This is the most dangerous type of person. Those that aren’t necessarily “Bible thumpers” – excuse the rude comment, so I can prove my point. It sounds derogatory, and I don’t mean to be so obvious about it. However, it helps to make a clear line between people that believe in God, and that’s why they try to do the right things, verses people who DON’T go to Church regularily, but think they’re equally entitled to similar entitlements.

These are the people that walk around thinking “I’m good because I did this simplistic action”

Here’s a few things these people do, figuring they are worthy in life, of getting their just desserts later by simplistic actions:

1) They see someone standing on a concrete island at an intersection holding a cardboard sign saying “God Bless, Please Give. Hungry” — They immediately roll down the car window, hand $5, and figure not only did they do a good deed for the day, that proves something to themselves and everyone else they’re a decent person. After that split second donation, they can continue on their life path for the next 6 months and not feel guilty.

TRUTH: Most of the time (90% or greater), you’ve just handed your $5 bill to a professional con-artist / scammer. While you sat in traffic for that 2 minute RED light, what you didn’t see, is that he’s been there for the last 58 minutes, and found that everytime the light turns red, he gets $2 to $5. Over the course of an hour, he makes $40 to $50 for standing there with a cardboard sign. The problem is, he had a job, but quit it, and left for this business. He saw that making $19 an hour was peanuts. He’d rather pretend to dress in old clothes, stand at an intersection with a cardboard sign, and make double his annual wage.

Look closely. You might see the latest iPhone bulging in his pocket, or a chrome bicycle a few yards away.

2) People that travel in urban city areas and see an unkempt person, dirty, struggling and hungry and hand them spare change. What you don’t often realize is that same spare change will buy a case of beer of a 1/5th of Vodka that same night. When you give spare change to an individual, it doesn’t mean they are going to use it to make photocopies of their resume for a badly needed job.

Yet these same #2 people “I’m good because I did a simplistic action” will walk away smiling. I gave this person $2 for no reason, just to help them [buy wine] and that means I’m good.

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

You would have been much better off giving your $2 donation to the local soup kitchen, who turns that $2 into food (instead of wine or beer).

You walk away thinking you’ve done great, by giving a homeless person spare change.

Instead, you’ve enabled them to purchase alcohol or drugs, and without you, they may have been unable to afford those substances.

So if you’ve reached this point in this blog post, my question to you is:

Which of these are you?
PEOPLE OF TYPE #1: NICKNAMED “Saved by attendance”
PEOPLE OF TYPE #2: NICKNAMED “I’m good because I did this simplistic action“
PEOPLE OF TYPE #3: I don’t fit into either of these. I’ll explain below in my comment

A huge percentage of the population, can usually fit into one of these 2 categories.

For me, I’m type #3 – which I haven’t discussed, but soon will.

Your comments are appreciated.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Rants and Complaints, Weird People, What do you think?, What would happen if? | Tags:

MagicJack: It’s on TV – so it must work right?

Posted on April 18, 2009 by
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If you’ve seen the numerous commercials for MagicJack — the little USB phone thingy that plugs into your highspeed connection via your computer and gives you unlimited local and long distance calls, you’re probably wondering if it works.

Well if you do a massive amount of Google searches and spend time reading as much as you can, you will find that the majority of the people DO say that the MagicJack works and is well worth the money.

So how do they do it?

Well – I can tell you.  Basically the MagicJack is cheap to manufacture when you buy them in the hundreds of thousands.  The cost of the hardware, wholesale wise, is fairly cheap.

The problem begins with:

a) Marketing

b) Support

c) The network the needs to convert this internet traffic into analog phone line calls, where these calls are placed via the internet and converted over to the regular phone lines..

Now, to be honest, I really do not have any insider information whatsoever. I am approaching this issue from a completely logical standpoint.

If “I” was the MagicJack people (which I am not)… and I wanted to get my device into the hands of many, I’d offer it at a break-even cost… Sell as many of them as I could in Year 1 and Year 2…

Then in Year 3, I’d raise the cost and go into profitability.

What does this mean for the consumer? They’re getting a great deal in the ramp up stage.

What could this mean for MagicJack if I am right?  Well they are building a very nice little consumer empire, which could result in lots of future profits…

So who is behind the MagicJack, where is it going, and why is it so cheap?

Well Dan Borislow is named the inventor of MagicJack.  He’s not new to the Telephony business. However, he is a Thoroughbred RACE horse owner and breeder, which means he’s got a gambling streak to him.   So he must be betting the odds that MagicJack will make it to the finish line, and be a winner.

Now I found a good article about MagicJack’s Network that explains the behind-the-scenes technology that has to exist to make MagicJack work. It also mentions that $17 MILLION DOLLARS has been invested in MagicJack.

So Today’s cheap offering, and service quality is great for consumers.

BUT! Expect the near future (next year, or the following year) to yield some surprises.

So while its cheap, go get a MagicJack and enjoy.

Just get ready for new announcements coming your way, once the user base hits the numbers they are anticipating.

Not every great deal lasts forever.

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Drivers License with RFID chip?

Posted on April 13, 2009 by
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From what I’ve heard many Department of Motor Vehicles (MOT) or (DMV) are issuing new drivers licenses that contain an embedded RFID chip for enhanced security.

Actually they are referred to as being called the “new enhanced drivers licenses“.

What I do like about them, is that they will all be standardized now, so having a fake ID for young kids trying to obtain alcohol will be that much more difficult.

However, I don’t know much about RFID in identification. For instance, can retailers read this RFID chip so that I will no longer need to carry a loyalty card? I can just swipe my drivers license at the cashier to get my bonus points when I make a purchase?

RFID technology is quite exciting in many ways. I love the new benefits of it.

However, I am also worried about the unknowns out there – what happens if RFID technology is used the wrong way? For instance, say that I owe a large Corporation money on my department store credit card, which is linked to my drivers license RFID chip?

… and then I walk into any chain of that department store to make a cash purchase, and upon entering the the store, their internal security gets alerted and I’m told that I am not welcome to shop unless I pay my outstanding bill.

Or what about unfair discounts – where some lucky RFID people get discounts, and others do not, based on a single swipe of their new drivers license at the checkout? Could this lead to new types of fraud by internal staff and white collar crime?

Could we do away with Debit and Credit Cards if we have an RFID chip on our drivers license? Does this mean that the 32 plastic cards I keep in my wallet can be reduced down to one?

If yes, I see the benefit in that..

But what if these large retailers start creating treaty alliances with one another, and start sharing customer information? Or is that happening already?  I suppose it is on one level with credit bureau agencies - but what if new RFID agencies pop up, and sell consumer information in a similar way?

I guess we’ll all find out soon enough. RFID is no longer a choice when the Government demands you have an RFID chip to drive an automobile, cross a country border, etc.

By law, you must be “RFID” enabled — so hopefully we all have common sense and keep this a nice thing for the people, and nothing worse comes out of it.

The way our lives are now, we’re basically RFID in paper form, which is coverted to computers. Everytime you’ve filled out an application, given your name, your birthdate, or your mailing address — it’s on a computer somewhere, for some purpose.

The only difference now, is that when you walk into a store, or a government building, based on the RFID chip you are carrying, they will be instantly notified you are there.

From what I hear, these RFID chips can be detected from as far as 50 feet. Which means as soon as you park your car, the front entrance of the building could know you’re on your way in..

Pretty neat technology. So many uses.

Surely they must have government law and legistlation that regulates the use of RFID right? If so, I haven’t heard anything about it.  I know that disclosing my Social Security Number is optional to me in many circumstances. But what about unauthorized reading of my RFID chip without my consent?

I’m interested in hearing your comments. Anything related to the new enhanced drivers licenses, or new passports, or the RFID technology in general.

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Aspartame vs Stevia – Why is there a choice?

Posted on February 19, 2009 by
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For those of us on a low-calorie diet, we’ve been introduced to aspartame — a chemical produced by man that tastes sweet, has zero calories, and is a substitute for sugar.

Then there is the stevia plant. A natural herb, quite similar to sugar cane, again, with very little calories, totally natural, but it’s not readily available.

So which do you prefer?

An engineered, scientifically produced chemical named aspartame as a sweetener that is widely accepted?

OR

A natural herb, that hasn’t received the merit from the government yet, but beats everything hands down, as a low calorie sugar substitute?

The choice seems pretty obvious to me.

The question is… “why is there a choice?”

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New Years Resolutions: Quitting Smoking – How hard is it?

Posted on December 30, 2008 by
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Many of you will make a New Years resolution to QUIT SMOKING.

The benefits are obvious… health and cost…

So how hard is it to quit smoking? It all depends on what angle you are looking at..

Is it possible to do it without “quitting aids”.. like nicotine gum, patches, etc, etc..?

Sure.

The best way to quit smoking is to have ONE SIMPLE CARDINAL RULE:

“Stop smoking 100%”

Sounds simplistic, but I really mean it..

1. No “can I have just a puff?”

2. No “I had a real bad argument, I just need one cigarette today.. only one”

3. No “Well if I cut back to only 1/2 a pack, its better than I was before”…

4. No “Ok, I’ll let myself have up to 4 cigarettes a day, after meals, that sort of thing, it’s better than where I was before”

5. No “I’ll only smoke when I drink. Or.. I’ll only smoke among friends”

6. No “I won’t buy my own, but if someone gives me one for free… well.. that’s a control in itself isn’t it?”

SEE.. the brain addicted to nicotine will play with your thoughts. I will rationalize a 100 ways from Friday why it is perfectly ok to have just that one puff, that one drag, that one cigarette.

Infact, your emotions will become so sensitive, and you’ll argue with people around you to the point your body cries out “just have a smoke. Look how bad things are right now. You have every right to have a cigarette at this particular point eventhough you quit”

Life is full of drama. But when you are detoxing from cigarettes and nicotene Your mind WILL play tricks on you. Your emotions WILL run wild…

Everytime I’ve managed to quit smoking, it has always been “cold turkey”, which simply means, no aids of any sort. I simply stopped putting a cigarette to my lips and inhaling.

People who don’t smoke, don’t understand. There are 3 types of people in this world:

1. Non-smokers. They have never smoked, have no desire to smoke, and secretly are disgusted and despise people who smoke. They don’t understand them, think it is a filthy habit, and “how could you”

2. Ex-smokers. These are a very specialized group of people that totally demand the upmost respect. They were non-smokers at one point. They also became totally addicted smokers. They understand both sides of the social coin that dictates that smoking is no longer socially or ethically acceptable.  Do they crave cigarettes to this day? YES THEY DO.. ALL OF THEM. There are records of people who have smoked for 10 years straight, then abstained and quit for 20 years, and then one day, out of the blue, something major in their lives has put them back to smoking again.

Ex-smokers, deserve respect.  They are fighting a day-to-day battle. Albeit, some of them are hurting more than others.. But any ex-smoker could be a smoker again tomorrow, given the right chance, opportunity, situation, and want.

Ex-smokers have it the worst of all 3 types.

Now the next type….

3. SMOKERS. These are people who are still smoking everyday. There are varying degrees of smokers. Some are up to a pack a day… some are only smoking on the weekends, or while drinking. Nonetheless, these are people who need to smoke cigarettes as part of their normal lives. The nicotine levels in their bodies dictate how often they smoke, and how much they crave to smoke.

Some of these people have quit before.. the majority have not – they have smoked all their lives, and it is the one daily routine that they have that they depend on..

Smokers who have tried to quit, and failed numerous times, have it the worst. They have not proven to themselves that they have the willpower to stop the addiction. They may admit to you, “yes, I want to, need to, and will do whatever it takes to… QUIT SMOKING”.

But some of these smokers just can’t. They’ve tried cold turkey, they’ve tried nicotine gum, they’ve tried the nicotine patch, and they’ve tried all kinds of aids.. nothing works.

———————

Unless you’ve been a smoker, successfully quit, and remain a non-smoker to this day, please don’t volunteer or suggest anything to these groups of people.

Tobacco, nicotine, tar, and 3,000 other chemicals (including formaldehyde) are prevalent in cigarettes today. It is a very ugly and terrible addiction, but the surprising part is that it is taxed and made legal by our government to this very day.

To understand who is writing this blog post. I will let you know that I had successfully quit smoking for 8 years. That’s a very long time. At some point I went on vacation where everyone smoked around me. After 8 years of abstaining I figured I had the strength and drive to be able to smoke with them, and stop when I returned home.

Guess what?
Nicotine back into my blood stream… the addiction came back just like I was a smoker yesterday.

After returning home from my “vacation” where I thought I could smoke and flirt with cigarette death and stop at my own will power.. I proceeded to keep my “high” going for another few months, to another couple years, buying cartons of cigarettes upon cartons of cigarettes.. until one day I realized “I thought I could stop it anytime, but everyday I wake up, I find myself saying “not yet”.. maybe tomorrow”.

Cigarettes, tobacco, and nictotine, are sister families to cocaine, heroine, and alcohol.

Don’t be fooled…

Cigarettes are legal

Cigarettes are $10 a pack or less, affordable in most families

Cigarettes will eventually kill or maim you

Cigarettes are a drug

Cigarettes are extremely difficult to quit

Cigarettes haunt ex-smokers everyday, and should eventually be contra-band.

The addictive nature of cigarettes is enough for people to realise that they do not smoke “because they want to”.. but instead, their bodies indirectly crave and tell them “you need another smoke”.

So what is left to be said?

It’s New Years Eve, and you want to make a New Years Resolution infront of family & friends. “I’m going to quit smoking” you say.

Well compare it to some other socially acceptable things, and see how hard, and stupid your statement sounds…

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only watch TV programs for 12 minutes and then change the channel”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only take 2 bites into any hamburger I encounter, and throw the rest in the garbage”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resolution, I will only sleep 3 hours every night, and eventhough I am still tired and sleepy, I will wake up and stay awake for the remaining 21 hours everyday”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

“As my New Years Resoluttion, I will no longer smoke cigarettes. The pleasure, relaxation and history I have smoking cigarettes as party of my daily life will now stop, like a train hitting the side of a mountain. My whole daily life will change, on a dime without any friction or problem.”

DUMB? YES! HARD TO FOLLOW PERMANENTLY? YES

Please understand what smokers who try to quit, go through. Their salvation and pain is only a toke or puff a smoke away. When your body cries out for a dose of nicotine, and it plays with your mind why “it should be ok, just this once” realize those that quit smoking cigarettes as a result of a  New Years Resolution are heroes to themselves.

Is quittting smoking important? SURE

Can everyone do it? DEFINATELY NOT

What is the problem? Unless you’ve been a regular smoker and quit for many years, there is no point in talking to you?

Are you saying that nicotine addiction is like cocaine addiction?

YES, YES, AND MORE YES!

Any addiction is exactly that — an addiction.

Stopping a cocaine, crack, or heroine addict is the EXACT SAME THING as stopping a nicotine addict. But it is never presented to people that way…  Illegal drugs seem so wrong, and the addictions that go with them make people seem like outcasts of society. But since tobacco and nicotine are legal, it is perfectly ok, for a daily smoker to have trouble quitting — thats’ our norm.

The crap they put in cigarettes — the prices they charge — the socially unacceptable situations — smokers that need to quit, want to quit, and want to do it cold turkey…

Find someone that is quitting cold turkey, pat them on the back, smile at them, and say…

“I really DO understand what you are going through”

That’s plenty it itself.

A New Years Resolution to quit smoking sounds noble and special.

But people who actually follow through, quit cold turkey, never smoke a cigarette ever again, and fight the daily thought of “maybe if I could just have one, I wouldn’t want another”

……….all of us would have a better understanding of one another……..

Smoking is more than an addiction. Smoking is more than a legal privilege. Smoking is more than an anti-social activity, and smoking is more than a health risk.

Smoking is an epidemic, and the victims of it should NEVER be shamed. The tobacco companies who profited from it, and had early research on it, should be shamed.

If you walk down a local street tomorrow — see someone puffing on a cigarette. PLEASE DO NOT hold contempt for that person, but the exact opposite. Have a feeling that you want to help. You are sorry that they are addicted, and you know how hard it is to break the habit of quitting smoking.

To be honest, New Years Resolutions sound prim and proper, but deep down inside.. all they are, are common day issues that people find a time and date to deal with them.

If anyone who has read this blog, from top to bottom, who is addicted to nicotine, who feels that they have someone out there understanding them.. who can quit cold-turkey without aids..

Can register, respond, and leave a comment..

I am totally interested in hearing from you. Typing all of this, feeling all of this, and saying it all, will not seem like a waste of time if I can reach that one person out there.

Are you that person?

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New Years Eve: How to plan a decent party

Posted on December 29, 2008 by
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Planning a New Years Eve party sounds easy. Call a bunch of people, invite them, tell them its BYOB. Buy a bunch of potato chips, make sure you have ice on hand, put up some balloons and wait.

That’s right, that is the basic steps to running a New Years Party, but there’s a lot more to it.

To make your party memorable, people aren’t happy with “potato chips”.

They’d like to see some hot appetizers.. Even if it is melted cheese on a cracker. Anything. Something different that makes it worthwhile to have come to your party, vs anyone elses.

What about music? Do you have enough of it ready?  Is it pre-mixed? Have you spent time to put all the songs in order that you want them played, so the stereo can take care of itself?

At your New Years Eve party, what television station is the countdown going to be on? Are you sure? Or are you going to be one of these common party planners who rush around at 3 minutes to midnight trying to find the best channel to watch the count down? I’ve seen so many people running for TV converters at 3 minutes to twelve.. all it shows is that you weren’t prepared or organized to be running this New Years Eve party in the first place.

I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll mention it again.

PAPER SUPPLIES are one of the first things that people run out of at parties.

How many times have you heard:

“Do you have any more paper towels? or napkins?”

OR

“Where are all the paper plates?”

“I can’t seem to find any more of the cups”

What you will not hear is:

I was just in the washroom, and I ran out of toilet paper and couldn’t find any more in there..  Oh no, that will be a deep dark secret that no one will dare mention. Instead, you’ll find every last bit torn off of the cardboard roll. I threw a party once where one of our towels looked ideal to someone that had too much to drink. [I know, horrible thought]

The point is, make a list of items you will need. It should take 20 or 30 minutes to draw up a full list.

Consider things like:

Moving your cars 2 blocks down the street early in the day, so guests can use your driveway. Put a couple pilons or similar infront of your house. Remember, New Years Eve is a party everywhere in the neighborhood, and parking can be one of many obstacles.

Have plenty of mixes. People assume already that you will have both kids of soda pop on hand.. They won’t expect to bring their own. What about cranberry juice? How about lemons & limes?  What about marichino cherries? STRAWS? Don’t forget straws!!!

Some parties do well with an hour or two of some sort of group game, like Win, Lose, or Draw. Or other similar minded games. Even Kareoke might be fun. They sound stupid and corny now, but when people have a few drinks in them, they sound like a lot of fun!

Have plenty of snacks available. Have the number ready for some taxi cab companies incase any of your New Years party guests have too much to drink.

What about party favors, hats, noise makers, and Happy New Years signage? This isn’t just a regular party, it has to have a definate New Years theme to it. That will make it memorable throughout the year. This is a special ocassion and people aren’t just looking for a place to have a few drinks — they want happy memories!

Now… WHAT IF….

Some of your guests are too drunk to drive, want to lay down and rest somewhere, and totally unexpected, they end up spending the night.

Do you have Coffee, Tea, Eggs, Bacon and Toast for the morning? Surely you aren’t going to wake them up and make them leave without some breakfast in them in the morning?

As you can see.. being prepared, thoughtful, and on the ready, will have your guests trust you to show them a good time during future party events. You will find it will be increasingly easier each year to have guests agree to come to your party.

After all, on New Years Eve, people often will get 4 or 5 invitations from different people. They always end up picking the most favourite of the bunch.

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Boxing Day Deals: Where to shop, and how.

Posted on December 18, 2008 by
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If you’re an expert shopper, you can pick up some fantastic boxing day deals. There are a few tricks I’ve learned over the years.

I’ve done everything from sit outside of an electronics store overnight, being 3rd in line, for 18 hours straight. Temperatures were down to -1 but the windchill brought them down to as low as -9 degrees celcius.

That may not sound cold, if you bring blankets, a hat, two pairs of clothing ontop of each other, double socks, and a warm thermos of coffee..

But when the coffee runs out, and all the nearby coffee shops are closed..  things get progressively worse. When you get tired, the cold gets to you fast.  What was I going after? One of the first DVD players on the market for $139 while the rest of them were priced at $549 and above.

After a long hard night, and to the point where I thought about giving up and leaving 3 separate times.. I finally made it into the store, and got my DVD player for $139.

Problem? It was a buggy low-end model that the store got ahold of at rock bottom wholesale prices to them. It only worked with about 80% of DVD’s put into it. The fast forward feature was difficult to use. I was very unimpressed that 18 hours of waiting in the cold to save $300, turned out that I ended up with a cheap clearance item.

So would I do it again? Probably not. I don’t trust these ultra low deals. There may be a reason why the store has decided to knock down that particular model.

But with any sale, you can pick up good Boxing Day bargains, because the rest of their inventory is also knocked down. Now here’ s the catch. Many stores will open at 7am boxing day. Some open at 9am, and others open at 10am.

The key is to get a list of the stores all lined up and planned out, find out their opening hours. Instead of you and 3 friends going store to store… why not split up the work load, and have all three of you in three different locations grabbing the things you all need?

Boxing Day has planning involved. In the courier business, they call it “logistics“.

So this boxing day, take the extra time to grab all the flyers, study them well in advance. Make sure you are completely ready, and then hit the stores in the right sequential order.

Oh, and please DO yourself a favor. Even if a GPS that normally costs $300 is marked down to $80 — do the research on that particular model number. You might find out that people who bought that item at full retail might have some grips and complaints about it posted on the internet.

I love the chaos of Boxing day sales.. Sometimes I go just to watch people scramble around like idiots even if I don’t feel like buying anything. But look at it from the store’s perspective. It is their opportunity to clear out overstocked inventory. Or to put things on clearance to bring in the new year’s models.

Also pay special attention to the “3 per store” in little fine print beneath the ad. Then drive there early before the store opens.. Speak to the people in line (that sat out the night before).. they will happily tell you what deal they are after, and it will be easy for you to realize what your chances are of getting that particular item.

If you have any boxing day deals you’d like to talk about, I’d love to hear them.

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Christmas Gifts: Ideas on what to buy someone

Posted on December 17, 2008 by
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Every year people always wonder what to buy their friends, family, and co-workers. There is a few gift ideas and rules of thumb that should be helpful to you:

#1: Avoid giving money. Money is often used for trivial things like paying bills, buying groceries, or filling the car with gas. Most of the time people who receive money will also use it to buy gifts for someone else. If you want to someone you care about to have a little special treat, this is the worst way to do it.

#2: Gift certificates are a good alternative to cash as long as you buy one at the right store. However the minimum amount should never be less than $50. I know $25 gift certificates exist, but these days, hardly anything worthwhile can be bought for less than $50. Also a little note that says something like “if you’re shopping on boxing day, hope you can pick up a real deal on something special for yourself”.  Boxing day is the day that everyone runs out and buys things that they had their eye on all year, but they never materialized at Christmas. Your gift card at the right store can come in very handy during this special time.

#3: Christmas ornaments for someone’s tree that are engraved, monogrammed to make them more personable are a nice cheap way of giving “a gift that keeps on giving” every year. Consider this option for certain people.

#4: Pre-pay a yearly magazine subscription to a hobby magazine or similar is something people will rarely buy themselves. When the issue comes in the mail every month, you’ll be thought of everytime. The gift of knowledge is always helpful and appreciated.

#5: Arts and crafts, if you have special talent will be treasured. For instance, making a homemade quilt, or painting a nature scene, or even carving something for someone has low cost, but high amount of time and effort. These gifts are appreciated. The key here is you must have special talent. Shabby arts and crafts can be quite embarassing for both the gift giver, as well as the gift recipient.

#6: Food, Drink, Chocolate, Specialty Coffee. These are little inexpensive gifts (generally $25 or less), but they are appreciated. Very rarely do they go to waste. Just be sure the person you’re buying for isn’t suddenly on a new diet, or recently diagnosed as a diabetic. :)

#7: Clothing: Try to always avoid buying clothing because this is a matter of personal taste. Nothing worse than buying a sweater for someone that they end up putting in their closet unused because it doesn’t fit their own personal style. What may look good to you, may not look good to the person receiving your gift. Not only that, but sizes may be labeled right, but when the garment is worn, it may feel too tight or too baggy on the person, and they won’t have the courage to say anything to you.

#8: Lottery tickets: Always a welcome gift. They are usually cheap too ($25 and under), but they carry the potential to win someone a lot of money. Not only that, if they do win, some of it may come back your way. Not everyone is a gambler, or will spend money on the lottery. However, if it is given to them as a freebie, I have yet to see anyone not enjoy the thrill of being able to possibly win some money.

#9: Gag gifts. Save these for April 1st / Fool’s Day. This is the worst time of year to give someone a gag gift. There are plenty of other special occassions like a stag, a bridal shower, a birthday, etc, to give a gag gift. Christmas is not one of them. Also avoid stupid gifts that are often shown on TV only this time of  year.

#10: Rare coins, rare collectables, etc. If you find something that is in your budget, that you can give to someone that will appreciate in value, they are very likely to hold onto it for a very long time. This is another gift that keeps on giving. People who aren’t collectors will still appreciate the fun and novelty of owning something that is rare and collectable. It makes a great conversation piece for them, and it’s something they normally would not expect. Depending on the person, and which item you choose, this could be a very great gift.

#11: Necessities: These are always appreciated. They could be things like DVD-R’s, or a stationery set. If the person golfs, maybe some new, high quality golf balls. Any type of consumable item that the person is always needing every few months, will be appreciated. This type of gift means that you know the person well enough to know what is useful to them, and you’re saving them the time and cost to replenish their consumables.

#12: DVD Boxed Sets: Getting the entire series of their favourite television show, or movie trilogy could give them hours of entertainment. Be sure that they don’t already own it. But these generally can be expensive… $5o to $200, but the right boxed set, at the right time, will be very appreciated to whoever is lucky enough to receive it.

Another few caveats…

If you are buying a gift for someone, do some research. Get hints and tips from the prospective person who will be getting your gift. Talk to THEIR friends and family to be absolutely sure that you aren’t going to be buying a duplicate gift that someone is already intending for them.  Nothing worse that getting two cameras on Christmas morning. One that is a cheap $60 one, and one that is an expensive $350 camera.  It causes embarassement all the way around.

Always have a gift receipt ready incase someone would like to exchange the gift for one reason or another.

Don’t over spend, but at the same time, don’t under spend either.

Good gifts are more about thoughtfulness and knowing some time and effort went into getting the proper gift. It is not about how much you spend.

Always have “a prewrapped generic gift” on hand, incase the neighbors unexpectedly come over with a gift. This way you can have something to offer them in return and it doesn’t put you at a vunerable situation. This time of year, is when people socialize together a lot, and if someone gives you a gift spur of the moment, having a gift on reserve in the trunk of your car, or in your bedroom closet (or even in your office drawer) that can be ready in an instant, is something that can come in very handy.

Hopefully this has got you brainstorming about what Christmas gift ideas are good and bad. I’m sure the best gift idea will come from your heart, just be a little creative and take your time.

Finally.. SHOP EARLY.  Nothing worse than running around trying to pick up last minute gift ideas when the stores are running out of stock on certain items.  Christmas shopping is something you can do all year long at the right time, when you see that special something.

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Stealing Christmas decorations… what is the point in that?

Posted on November 30, 2008 by
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Every year, people report that their Christmas lights, blow up characters, and other decorations “get stolen”.

What is a decoration thief thinking?

To put up holiday decorations, you are trying to give back to your community. So when someone with an evil spirit stomps on your lawn, rips out your decorations, and brings them home…

..and then puts them up on display on their home.. what are they thinking?

Here’s a pseudo interview with a decoration thief:

Interviewer: “So you walk around late at night and steal Christmas decorations?”

Thief: “Yup”

Interviewer: “why?”

Thief: “Cuz decorations are expensive, and they are cheaper to steal”

Interviewer: “why do you want these decorations?”

Thief: “So I can display them and feel good about myself”

Interviewer: “Can’t you feel good about  yourself knowing they are already being displayed on the owner’s house.. where everyone can see them?”

Thief: “I never spent much time thinking about that.. but I want to be the one that people think favorably about..”

Interviewer: “So what you are saying is, it is OK to rip off the community, steal and take, display what you’ve stolen, and when that happens, you feel good about yourself?”

Thief: “All I know is, they can afford the decorations, I can’t. I have the Christmas spirit too… So those that can afford it, can replace whatever I take..”

Interviewer: “How do you know they can afford to replace what you’ve taken?”

Thief: “Well I assume. Well I don’t know.. Actually well I am just guessing they can..”

Interviewer: “Isn’t the spirit of Christmas about giving? About sharing? About joy? In what way are you a part of that when you steal from someone on the street and fabricate your own display knowing you’ve caused disheartment to someone else?”

Thief: “I never paid attention to any of that. I want decorations, I see people that have decorations. I can’t afford decorations, and they are easy to steal. Will you please stop appealing to my sense of right and wrong, and STOP asking these questions?”

Interviewer: “Does it bother you when I ask you to account for  your actions?”

Thief: “Yes. I saw an opportunity, it seemed right at the time. I don’t want to think about my behavior like that…”

Interviewer: “Do you realize you’re hurting people, cheating your self, and acting like a moron who doesn’t know the difference?”

Thief: “I have nothing more to say, other than.. ok, FINE. 5 minutes of thinking about this, I won’t do it anymore..”

..and there you have it…

When a thief steals your holiday decorations, there is no thought in it. They see decorations, those that they can’t afford.. they think the victim must be able to afford it, and stealing is perfectly fine. But when you drill down the concept to the thief, they buckle quickly and realize their mistake.

This is the world we live in.. stupid criminals stealing and taking without realizing what they are doing..

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, Weird People, What do you think? | Tags: , , , , , , ,

New Casino Idea for small towns!

Posted on November 27, 2008 by
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Many people like to gamble. They usually allocate $50 to $200 as their limit, and visit a casino. They spend anywhere from 2 hours to all night long trying to triple their money, or more..

But the cost of building a casino is too expensive for small towns, therefore they are out of luck. Even just the cost of one slot machine is very expensive.

So I was thinking of a streamlined, efficient casino idea for small towns.

They could have a small doorway, all light up and decorated. You walk in, hand over $200, they pick a number from 1 to 10, and if your number matches, you’re an instant winner.

Otherwise, for efficiencies sake, they say “sorry, the house took ya” and wave goodbye as you turn around and leave.

Why waste time fighting the inevitable for 2 hours? You can either win or lose your $200 in an instant, and get it done and over with, in a quick efficient manner.

If this was the case, and it was streamlined this way… Would anyone try it?  I think I’d be interested to be a guinea pig for this type of scenario…

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Travel agencies aren’t utilized enough.

Posted on October 25, 2008 by
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With the addition of the internet, people nowadays can book their flights and hotel packages online. This lets you get past having to pay a Travel Agent for their services (or artificially raising the price).

Here’s something I learned, and I’ll share it with you.

We were looking at booking a trip to Las Vegas from British Columbia, Canada. We were thinking of booking a package with Westjet as the carrier.

On a whim, while passing through the mall, we saw a travel agent that did not seem busy. (They are really not being given the business that they should).

We stopped in, and talked to someone. After logging into their specialized agent system, which was somewhat of a website backdoor into various airlines, she quickly gave us a quote that was about $s250 less than if we booked it ourselves.

“How can that be?” we asked.

Well she said, you have to be careful on the price breakdown that the retail travel websites give you. Everyone looks at the airfare price, and then quickly move through the ordering process, not reading the fine print. By the time you are done, there are all sorts of extra surcharges, levies, penalties, reservation fees, etc, that get tacked on to inflate the price.

When you book through us, we avoid a lot of those common pitfalls.

She quickly pointed out.. “Look here. See this, if I go through the website, it automatically adds on priority boarding surcharge of $20 and it didn’t even give me that as an option. It just added it on its own. Now look here, you said you were only going to bring 1 bag, but they’ve added a charge for 2.  You didn’t want cancellation protection, but again, they’ve automatically added it”

She then went on to explain how the taxes are much lower by flying out of Bellingham, Washington USA, than in British Columbia. You can save yourself another $150 just by driving to the other airport across the border.

She then went on to say “if you book it yourselves, and the airline carrier goes out of business or cancels the flight (and it does happen in the USA because airlines are having financial issues), you would not be protected. However, if you book through our travel agency, you are completely covered in the event of a complication like that”..

She added a lot of insight to the while thing, and it wasn’t just a sales picture. We actually saw the savings in our travel itinerary if we went through the travel agent.

We thanked her, and took a business card. We signed nothing, paid nothing, and were under no obligation. It was a very calm, informative experience.

Understand that while you may only book yourself a couple trips a year…

These people do it 9 to 5, five days a week, every week. They know where the deals are..

The airlines, the holiday package websites, are all made in such a way, to secure the most reservations while tricking the customer into spending the most..

Don’t be fooled, and don’t cheat yourself. At the very minimum, speak to your local travel agent before you hit the “charge my credit card” button on the website when booking your next vacation.

Good luck.

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Online Bingo: Can you trust it?

Posted on October 5, 2008 by
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Online gambling sites are illegal in many parts of the world. In order to run one in North America it isn’t easy. Therefore, many setup shop overseas. Once you do that, people worry about trusting the establishment, since they seem so unreachable. (Ie: Not easy to drive over to their office, or file a complaint with the local authorities).

So it’s about trust. It’s no secret that the early online casinos and online bingo halls were run by fraudsters and tricksters who would modify their software to give few few payoffs.

Things have changed now. I’ve been playing one tonight named www.bingosky.com and it seems very legitimate. There are rules and regulations that you do need to know about, but other than that, it seems like a real legitimate outfit.

For instance, in order to keep your “bonus dollars”, you must make a deposit (minimum $20) every 45 days, otherwise you just get to keep your current cash balance and any winnings. So when you are awarded a 500% bonus when you first login, it is important to make note of that fact.

If you do not keep your account “active” which means either buying bingo cards, or making a deposit once every 6 months, all money you have in your balance is forefeited and donated to charity.

These are big deals that many people do not read when they first login. So before you make that spontaeous decision to start playing. READ THE FINE PRINT. It is there to protect the online gambling site, but also to protect the consumer too.

Now that we’ve talked about the negative aspects of online gambling, let’s talk about the positive ones. You can gamble from the comfort of your own home. That saves on gasoline, wear and tear on your car. It saves on expensive food bought elsewhere. It guarantees you a comfortable seat, in a comfortable setting (your home). You have access to your own private washroom. Using a cellular phone or regular phone in the middle of the session is perfectly ok.

It’s really enjoyable to spend a bingo night at home.

The way I found www.bingosky.com was in a magazine advertisement. Right on their website it says that they have received a stamp of approval from the Internet Gaming Commission.

After doing some more reading, it appears that the Internet Gaming Commission (IGC) was actually a fake watch dog site, a parody of the real “Internet Gaming Council”

So what I’m basically telling you, that if you are gambling, realize, that the whole concept of gambling online is a gamble in itself. You might get paid, you might not. The payoff odds might be correct, or they may be in the house’s favor.

Either way, it is fun. Just be careful with how much you spend. Keep an eye on your credit card balance too. :)

Good luck to you.

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Categories: Ideas: Good and Bad?, What do you think?
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