Advantages of Online Bingo As Weekly Prize Amounts Soar

Online bingo has been steadily climbing the popularity ladder since the last few years, and has eventually almost overtaken its ‘brick and mortar’ counterpart. With weekly cash prizes soaring well above £500, most people find such portals a welcome break from the conventional clichéd rewards available in the real-world games. The anonymity of the online bingo sites provides great cover for people who would normally avoid going to halls that host such games. This also includes a majority of women, who find it uncomfortable to play in a chaotic atmosphere present in such halls that host lotto or similar games.

The steep rise in the popularity of the virtual version proves that there are more than a couple of advantages that has helped its cause. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most prominent ones, which has forced gamers to choose the virtual version over the real-world one:

* Variety – The immense variety and flexibility of options in online bingo sites allow even amateurs to win substantial rewards. Unlike conventional game halls, there are opportunities aplenty for all types and kinds of players. From free sites to start-up bonuses and registration discounts, there is a host of initiatives to play for.

* Socializing – Unlike in conventional halls, socializing with players is not restricted to your local neighborhood. With thousands of players signing up with such online bingo sites every week, you can easily set up a huge network of friends. So if you had been missing out on the celeb gossip or the business chit chat, such sites offer themselves as a much better alternative.

* Accessibility – Whether you are on a camping trip or on a business meet abroad, playing your favorite game is not a problem anymore. Online bingo needs only a membership and a laptop to start playing. This is a huge advantage over conventional game halls, especially for regular players.

* High-end Rewards – The cash rewards or prizes in real-world games usually have a ceiling cap, unless you are playing in the casinos of Las Vegas! This constraint, however, is absent online. And with the number of players growing by the day, the prize amounts are rising fast too.

* Assistance – A lot of amateur players need assistance while playing these games that involve both luck and skill. Most conventional halls discourage the practice of aiding such players. Online bingo scores big here too, as you can actually have a group of friends helping you out while you sit and play the game on the web.

There are many more advantages that have pushed the virtual version of the game ahead in the race for popularity.

You can check out the host of portals offering a dig at the game on the web. Playing with authentic portals like ‘GenieBingo.com’, however, eliminated the possibility of being conned by frauds and scam hosts.

By: Gardner Wilkinson

To Yourself Be True

Many years ago English bard William Shakespeare wisely penned the words: “This above all: to thine own self be true.” In these days of celebrity culture and reality TV their relevance has never been greater.

Though we each originate from a single source, remain part of that source, and shall some day soon return from whence we came, we are all unique individuals. We come in different shapes, sizes and skin colors. We are born into and conditioned by different cultures and family conditions. We all have different personalities, talents, weaknesses… This is part of the miracle of being, and forms our very purpose. For all our differences point to different life paths, and different lessons to learn.

With its glossy magazines, multi-channel TV, and that marvelous but double-edged sword that is the Internet, modern society bombards us with images of what we “ought” to be. Fashions and fads come and go, today’s hip celeb is tomorrow’s has been. There’s so much pressure to model ourselves on what’s cool this moment. But isn’t all this missing the real point. You’re each born to be yourself, and whatever that may be, it’s certainly different from everyone else.

It can be hard to find one’s true identity or purpose among all the mass conditioning from friends and media alike. Indeed, the discovery of purpose and its subsequent pursuit is possibly life’s hardest challenge, with so many temptations to deviate. But it’s also just about the most useful and satisfying thing we can undertake.

So, how to begin? First, learn to tune out the noise. You don’t need to become a square or recluse and can still indulge in all the latest celeb gossip, just see it as a collection of individuals that are pursuing their paths rather than trailblazers to be badly emulated. Next, make time to listen to your inner self, that little voice within that tells you where you really want to be. Look out for your natural talents, interests, attractions – these are the signposts that mark the way.

Equally important is truth within yourself. Often through embarrassment or whatever we can find it difficult to admit our failings (or the reasons for them) even to ourselves. Re-inventing the present or past might avoid some temporary discomfort, but prevents us addressing what most needs our attention, and ultimately creates far greater future discomfort. Our inner dialog is rightly private, and while we ought show our best face to the world our very progress depends on complete honesty within ourselves.

Beware too that others don’t distract you from the path of self-integrity. There are those that feign friendship but in reality mean only to use your will to further their own ends. Learn to distinguish them from real friends, and those in genuine need. Don’t waste energy by fighting or resisting them, simply walk away. Should you find it within yourself, offer a thought for these troubled souls.

Don’t let the above prevent you benefiting from true role models. These are folk known to you or otherwise who inspire by example. Human history has many examples. Don’t try to become them – first, they are they and you are you, and second, closer examination will surely reveal they too have their flaws. But do allow their achievements to shine like a beacon guiding you along your own unique journey to be yourself.

By: J Finnis

Work From Home Business – Using the Internet to Earn Money

For many, the internet is still a place to tune into for games and chat, but for an increasing number of others the internet is used to operate their work from home business. These folks don’t just use online communities and resources to stifle boredom but to earn an income. And several of them earn a lot.

Heres how:

While many people still think of the web as a way to socially connect people who work from home know that it is also the worlds largest market place. They still use all the social and fun aspects of the internet, but they’ve taken it to another level. Instead of working on the internet, they’ve discovered ways to make the internet work for them.

In order to create a successful work from home business these folks explore the internet for affiliate marketing products that will sell quickly and gift them with large profits. Instead of spending hours searching for the latest gossip on Paris Hilton, they research updates and product developments within their chosen niche. If they’re niche happens to be celeb gossip then I guess the hunt for tidbits on Miss. Hilton is important.

However, earning a good income online requires more than knowledge about the latest big product launch you need to be able to implement exceptional sales and marketing tactics. Hours are spent on receiving training. People who work from home acquire the skills needed to boost their home business by reading books and articles pertaining to running a home business on the internet, listening in on calls and web seminars, and talking to industry experts. All this is done online without the hassle of leaving your home.

A quick search lets them find ebooks, web videos and online forums and chat room where they can get connected with others who are willing to share their success tips. It also lets them pick and choose which online communities they want to become part of. They use the ones that they get the most out of but also that they feel most comfortable in. Networking on the internet is a much more pleasant experience since you can connect with more people like you much faster. Even though people who work from home are working, they are also making new friends and having fun as well as learning.

The knowledge they acquire lets them become an expert in their field as well as in sales. Before long their sitting in the forums answering your questions and writing top selling books on how to work from home.

Because running a work from home business means operating a system that is open 24 hours a day people who work from home make a greater income in a shorter time span. However, just because your website is open all day and night doesn’t mean you’re forced to tend it every hour of the day. Most people who work at home only work 6-8 hours. While they are away from their computer their work from home business is still hard at work.

The hours they put in during their working time greatly pays off. Those that earn large sums on the internet understand that as fun and exciting as working from home is, its still a job and you have to put the time and effort in.

So, for the majority who still use the internet to play, many of us research our markets gain new knowledge and set up 24 hour profits machines by putting the internet to work.

By: Jeff Casmer

When Celeb-Hunting Becomes One of Our Favorite Sports – How Far is Too Far?

When the Hilton sisters emerged about a decade ago, they represented a new breed of celebrity. Noted not for their talents or even their beauty, Paris and Nikki became famous for, well, nothing. We knew where they were going and what they were doing, but we could never quite figure out why.

Soon, however, the Hilton sisters and similar celebrities seemed to be all over the place. Unlike in the past where actors, models, artists, musicians and the like were admired and followed, it seemed as though now we were following around Average Joes with no other talent than outrageous antics. Reality television because extremely popular, and we soon spent more time watching “real” satellite TV instead of comedies, dramas and other fictional programs.

Nowadays, reality television and outrageous antics have resulted in a new media atmosphere – one that entails the dogging of celebrities today more than ever before. Whereas ten years ago we followed only the Hilton sisters in their real-life events, today, we follow all celebrities in such a way. Tabloid magazines and gossip news programs play big bucks to photographers and paparazzi to search out the rich and famous day in and day out. Capturing them in interesting and often awkward positions (to subsequently talk about and often judge them) has become one of America’s favorite sports.

But what is it that interests us so much about the lives of the rich and famous? There is no one single factor.

Of course, it is only human nature to be curious about the lives of others. And in today’s society, unfortunately, being famous often means being the subject of such curiosity. Famous people have things that we don’t have, or at least things that we don’t think we have, and many of us imagine them living outrageous lives. We believe that they have access to things that we do not – money, travel, etc. – and we wonder what such access must be like.

But our interest in the personal lives of celebrities goes beyond mere curiosity. Today, reports about the lives of the rich and famous are especially ruthless. And as much as we’d like to blame the media, we are the ones who most buy into it. We enjoy seeing others suffer (to a certain extent). It makes us feel better about our own lives, sometimes, to take pleasure in the problems of others.

This is especially true in the case of the famous, whom we often feel have unmerited advantages. Seeing a seemingly ungrateful actress unable to get work makes us more comfortable with our own employment struggles. Noting the lines and wrinkles on the skin of the supposedly flawless stars on our high definition televisions helps us to feel better about our own appearances.

There are, of course, many factors involved in our obsession with celebrities. What is sure, however, is that it does not seem to be going away any time soon.

By: John R. Harrison

Always On Stage – 3 Quick Tips for Trade Show Exhibitors

Do you feel uncomfortable when you’re in the trade show
booth? Like folks are looking at you? Like you’re on stage?
Got as little stage fright?

Well, folks are looking at you. Yes, it’s like you are on
stage.Here are three quick tips to make you comfortable
when in the booth.

1. Always face the aisle. You need to be able to see who
else is coming down the aisle. At most turn to a 45 angle,
even when giving a demonstration. Never have your back to
the aisle – that’s just rude.

2. After the visitor leaves the booth, don’t gossip or make
gestures that either show pleasure or displeasure. Why?
Because the visitor may turn around and see you. But more
importantly, the next visitor will see your reaction and may be
hesitant to approach you thinking you will make a comment
about him as well.

3. Memorize your booth layout. Know where your other staff
members are at all times. Not only do you need to know
your hourly show schedule and booth appointments, but
where other staff members are in the booth. Why? It may be
necessary to pass along a visitor who has a problem, a
visiting executive who requires special assistance, a client
with an order. If you can’t handle it, you must be able to
quickly find the right associate.

So, all the bad behaviors we think people don’t see us do?
Yes, they do. That’s why it’s important for staff to recognize
that they are on stage the entire time of the show.

By: Julia O'Connor

Fed Up With Your Eating Disorder, Diet Or Body Image Issues?

Are you fed up with your eating disorder, diet or body image issues? I was too. I know what it is like to be at the end of your rope in an unhealthy cycle and confusion about where to get help.

Have you tried other resources yet? I bet you have. I have a Ph.D. in two things: #1 Dieting and #2 Getting cured from Eating Disorders and Diets for life! I am offering you a few great tips that helped me take the right steps toward healing myself and breaking free for life.

Fed Up Girl’s Top Five List to Ending Your Diet Mentality TODAY:

1. Dress in something you love. I like to say fake it until you make it, or you know dress for success. But this is huge. Put on makeup and a CUTE outfit. No sweats and comfy shoes. Get dolled up as if you are going out on the town.

2. Go through your home and/or office and gather every single diet article, workout article, celeb gossip article and any spread with females bodies highlighted. Put them in a huge pile. THROW them in the recycling bin. Start breaking free from the media influence today. Who cares what Eva Longoria looks like in a bikini and eats for breakfast. Done.

3. Put on your favorite CD, piece of music, mixed CD, iTunes mix, whatever. I recommend turning it up and dancing around your new clean space. Free from media, dressed for success and jamming to your favorite song. Now smile.

4. Do one really great thing for your inner child. Don’t know what your inner child is? Most people don’t and later on you’ll learn why this is the single most powerful element in recovery. Just think back to a time when you were under 10 years old and happy. What were you doing? My memories usually involve coloring, painting, listening to music, playing with friends. Pick one and do it for an hour!

5. Look at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes- look at yourself in the eye and tell yourself you will keep trying to get better and will find the solution. Believe it.

By: Bridget Loves

Celeb Rehab – The Art Of Compassion

In 1983, I founded a non profit organization, the Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC), to serve as a bridge between the entertainment industry and health and social issues. With these 25 years of experience, I believe I am qualified to respond to the finger-pointing, poking, prodding, lens clicking and tittering that surround celebrity rehab. And I’ve got something to say.

First and foremost, the celebrity rehab we read about is not a joke for people’s amusement. Thanks to our tabloid-driven pop culture, we-and our children-have unprecedented access to what addiction and mental illness look like. Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan and over two dozen other people gained headlines in 2007 for entering therapy and addiction recovery centers.

These are lives at risk, out of control, not jokes, and not reality television shows taking place on the streets of Hollywood for public amusement. If we pay attention, we can see complex stories unfolding before our eyes. One of EIC’s primary principles is to be non-judgmental in our approach and respect creative freedom afforded in our great nation. For those who make assumptions about substance abuse and mental health problems, I ask:
Don’t you think that every individual is entitled to kindness, compassion, and empathy– Especially during a time when he or she is emotionally and physically struggling?

These issues affect every cross-section of our population regardless of gender, socio-economic status, race or religion. The reality is– most of us can name at least one person in our lives who has been devastated by some form of mental illness or substance abuse. If you’re laughing now at Britney Spears, will you be laughing in five or ten years when, heaven forbid, your niece, uncle, sister, brother, even your mother or your own son or daughter loses control of his or her life? Will it be funny then?

There is a stark contrast between tabloid journalism, and gossip mongering programming that does nothing but flame the fires of misinformation– and media that makes a difference– sheds a light, educates, and may just save a life. What we often don’t realize in our collective rush to judgment, is that the entertainment industry can be an amazingly powerful ally in creating awareness and sensitivity to public health and social issues by airing programs that accurately depict the realities and the subsequent challenges we all may face.

VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, A&E’s Intervention, HBO’s Rehab– are among important, revolutionary shows that serve the public in a unique and valuable way. Highlighting those first steps to fight the struggles that come along with addiction and mental health problems, is a process not unlike walking through a maze blindfolded. It’s scary and it isn’t pretty. Some make it to the betterment of their own lives, the lives of families, friends, and society. And some sadly don’t. However if these insights portrayed on these programs can help with efforts to heal or help in our empathy and understanding, then that can be a good thing.

This access to the private lives of celebrities who face constant scrutiny and challenges unimaginable by most people- is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it exposes us to the waking nightmare that losing control of one’s life can be, but on the other hand, it has opened dialogue about addiction and mental illness that has, until now, been hush-hush. While I, like most of America, am concerned about Britney Spears’s welfare, as well as the health and safety of her children, I am encouraged that we seem to have a national shift from bemused fascination with her spontaneous antics to recognition of her condition as critically ill, and a new awareness of the real point of rehabilitation: to get better.

So the next time you get a peek into the lives of Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Mel Gibson, Kirsten Dunst, Pat O’Brien, Eva Mendes, Marc Jacobs, Jesse Metcalfe, Eddie Van Halen, and others, be grateful for what you’ve got and respect these people for seeking treatment. If their stories make you query your own actions, consider following their example and get help. Thanks to public attention to the recovery process, which can and often does include relapses, we must stop mocking and start understanding. These stories may be the gift others find to deter the sadness of losing friends, family and great, late artists like Heath Ledger, Brad Renfro, and well, you know the list.

John Goodman recently made a telling comment about his recent work in rehab:
“For my family and myself, I voluntarily took the necessary steps to remain sober the rest of my life.”

Go for it, John, and thanks for sharing. Yes, “thanks for sharing,” that often-repeated mantra: When anyone, but particularly someone who receives national or worldwide attention because of his or her name, shares experiences of such a personal nature, it really does mean something in the big picture.

Going to rehab or seeking professional counseling for a mental health problem should be a personal and private experience, void of judgment. However, since it’s not for so many, why don’t we support those who face it openly and learn something? Cheers to media that enlightens us. And cheers to John Goodman and everyone else who has the strength and courage to ask for support and to do so in the public eye.

So now, why don’t we try to stop making assumptions, pointing the finger and practice a bit of compassion as celebrities as well as anyone who may be struggling with mental health issues or addiction, work to win their lives back?

By: Brian Dyak

Top 10 Useless Apps in the Apple App Store – Apps For Just About Everything

One of the more entertaining aspects of owning an iPhone is the plethora of apps that are available for your use and enjoyment. Some of them are really helpful, informative, or at least interesting: weather updates, celeb gossip, directions, movie times, etc. Then there are the completely superfluous apps that make you scratch your head and wonder why anyone would ever need that – right before you download it yourself.

iBeer is probably one of the most pointless apps, yet everyone seems to have it. It’s an app that turns your screen into a full pint glass of beer, and you can “drink” it by tilting your iPhone downwards. The beer then flows out of the pint glass. Sounds simple enough, yet it’s enough to reduce grown men to giggles when they all use it.

Tickle Me! is another app that seems to be mainly for the amusement factor – even if that factor does wear off pretty quickly. The app enables your touchscreen to respond to you tickling it, with a slightly irritating child’s laugh.

One that still makes no sense is Hold On, an app where you hold your finger in one spot on the touch screen for as long as you can. That’s it. This could probably be amusing for a bunch of drunken people who are pretending to be sober, but that’s about it.

Everyone loves to pop bubble wrap, which is most likely why the Bubble Wrap app is so popular. It just fills your screen with bubble wrap that you “pop” by touching each bubble.

While this one doesn’t do it anything useful, it certainly is cool – the PhoneSaber. It basically turns your touchscreen into a light saber, complete with visuals and sounds. It’s pretty awesome, yet there seems to be limited things you can do with it. Challenge your friends to a duel, maybe?

One that may seem silly, but has popped up at concerts and rock shows a lot lately, is the Virtual Zippo. Gone are the days when you hold up a lighter at shows if something moves you – now you have the virtual version. This is admittedly better than people just holding up their cell phones, which has always looked silly.

CoinFlip is another that goes into the “is that really necessary?” category, yet everyone seems to have it. It does exactly what its name indicates – it flips a coin.

A pretty amusing app is the Abacus, which seemingly goes against everything the iPhone really is – cutting edge technology. But again, maybe for the drunk folks trying to figure out how much money they have at the end of the night, this might work.

Too tired to yell enthusiastically for your sports team of choice? Then the “Wooo!” app may be for you. It’s a button that shows up on your touchscreen, and every time you hit it, a tinny voice says “wooo!” Very exciting.

Lastly, there is the I Can Has Cheezburger app, which sends you an update every time there’s a new location posted. Who doesn’t need that?

There’s something compelling about some of these iPod touch apps, even though they do absolutely nothing useful, and in fact, just mostly take up space on your iPhone or iPod touch. However trivial some of these applications may seem, they offer enjoyment to the hundreds of thousands of users who download them. After all, isn’t that the point of these applications?

By: Neal Adam Hamou

Celebrities As Role Models?

In today’s world of 24/7 media young children are constantly exposed to images of their favourite pop stars or film stars. The age that children become immersed in the world of media is also getting younger as a result of the advances in media technology. Young children are still as impressionable as ever, so does this mean that celebrities should control their behaviour in order to become appropriate role models for their fans?

Firstly, celebrities are absolutely aware of the influence that they have over us normal people and more importantly over young children. It would be impossible to ignore the media hype that surrounds most celebrities. Does this mean that celebrities have a responsibility to present themselves in a certain way? To a certain extent this is true as idolisation is something that naturally comes with the job as a by-product of being famous. However, it is also true that most film stars did not decide to take up acting in order to mould the view of the public and they are of course entitled to privacy.

After all, celebrities are normal people who are talented and have been lucky enough to be put in the spotlight. They will make mistakes and should not be chastised for doing so as it is natural human behaviour. What is not natural is that these mistakes are then played out for the whole world to see. This is not to say that we should feel sorry for these celebs for being in the limelight, rather that they should learn to exert the certain amount of control that they do have to make sure that they are not setting a bad example to their young fans. We can all understand that there are certain things that a celebrity cannot control but they can control what they wear or more importantly what they are not wearing, (think Britney’s knickerless scandal) and what they are pictured doing precisely by not doing it. It is not a good message to young children to see their favourite celeb falling out of a club at 3am dressed in a skimpy outfit.

Everyday both children and adults are bombarded with images of their favourite stars and it is perfectly natural that they should want to emulate them by dressing and acting in a similar way. However, if this emulation results in negative behaviour then this is when alarm bells start to ring. If we get to a stage that we are looking to celebrities to show us how not to behave rather than how we ought to behave then it is time to reconsider how we view celebrities.

Of course it is natural to be more concerned with the effect of our celebrity saturated world on children and young people than adults; after all younger people are more impressionable. But are we giving our children enough credit? Children are often cleverer and more perceptive than we think they are. People have always grown up with celebrities but there has never been as much concern about their influence as there is today. So what has changed? It is true to say that our society is extremely media saturated so perhaps it is more that we are aware of celebrity rather than celebs having a greater influence on the public.

Whatever the reason, you cannot get away from the fact that celebs do have a certain amount of influence over the public, be it the way we dress, our aspirations or the way we behave. But it is not correct to assume that all celebrity influence is negative. There are some celebs who present themselves well and do good deeds like giving money to charity. There are some celebrities who shy away from the limelight preferring to get on with their job. All we can ask from people in the spotlight is to try and live their lives as positive role models as best they can.

If you or someone close to you has a favourite celebrity that they idolise then have a browse on Genuine Memorabilia’s online catalogue of signed memorabilia. There’s something for everyone in their catalogue of over 6,000 pieces. Visit Genuine Memorabilia [http://www.genuinememorabilia.co.uk/rock-pop/bands/groups/cat_55.html] today.

By: Lydia Cooper

Ringtones For Your Beautiful Mobile

Over the last 10-15 years the mobile industry has seen booming increase in popularity and revenues coming in. Virtually the entire world now has access to some kind of mobile device and more then ever before these same mobile phones are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. Even some have made them so much a part of their life that they could be said to have some sort of addiction to the cell phone. Most people don’t fall into this latter category but it is clear that for the majority, cell phones/ mobile phones are very important to their everyday life.

One aspect of cell phone uses has been the advent of mobile phone ring tones. These are little sounds, small musical clips, movie sounds tracks or customized noise that can be used when people call you. Many of these different types of ringtones are proprietary to the particular brand of cell phone you have. Such as, if you have a Nokia Cell Phone then you will have a default number of Nokia ring tones available to use on your phone.

The good thing is though you are not relegated to just listening or using the default ring tones. There days you now have complete sites dedicated to helping you find the best ring tone for your personality and taste. You can choose from popular music titles, music artists, bands, movie clips or even celebrity gossip clips (these might be sound bites of your favorite celeb). Any of these different types are used to make your ring tone set as personalized as you would like.

This generation is crazy for all the different types of ring tones available and this craziness has produced an almost billion dollar industry since 2007. With this much revenue at stake the competition for consumer market share has heated up the ring tone industry. Many sites are now offering free ring tones just to sign up or you might get a special bundle of ring tones directly from your favorite music stars site. These exclusive offers make certain ringtones especially valuable, until, of course someone rips it for their own.

So whatever your taste or liking the mobile ring tones have variety, expressiveness and are quite the rage for many young people. You now have hundreds, if not thousands of sites helping you to choose the absolute best ring tone for your phone.

By: Shawn Manaher