Monthly Archives: August 2017

There are limitless types of card games to be played. People think because two games use the same deck of 52-cards that they are similar games, but nothing could be more different than Barbu and Speed, or Pai Gow and Pinochle.

Here’s a list of twenty different kinds of card games, and some facts about them.

1.Bridge

Bridge is a popular contract bidding game. Bridge has a culture — there are websites, newspaper columns, and even radio shows devoted to bridge strategy. There is a world-wide obsession with bridge, even though it has been called the hardest card game in the world. With a complicated strategy and steep learning curve, to many bridge is not just a game, it is a lifestyle. I wish I were exaggerating.

2. Whist

Whist could be called “Bridge, Jr” — and though it is not as big a game as it once was, and is dwarfed in popularity by big-brother Bridge, Whist has never really died out. Card gamers love trick-taking games — beating out your opponent in such a visual way is one of the more exciting part of any card game. Whist has some of the complexity of Bridge without any bidding.

3. Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is something of a legend — a poker variation with a story as rich as a Spaghetti western. This version of poker, a drawing and betting game, was invented and then made popular by old time poker sharks in Texas, hence the name. This is easily the most popular poker variant right now, and is bringing more new people to card gaming than any other game.

4. Hearts

It is said that most of the professional poker tour players are hardcore Hearts players and that they bet big money on cutthroat games of Hearts in dark mysterious rooms during tournaments. Romantic as that may sound, it would make sense for these card sharks to love the game of Hearts – an otherwise childlike game of matching cards (and no bidding) usually turns into a competitive nightmare. Because of the game play, there are lots of ways to screw your opponents in Hearts. Trick-winning and passing card are big elements of Hearts.

5. Spades

People don’t realize it, but spades is a variation of bridge that simplifies the game even more than Whist and changes the outcome of the game as well. Spades is really popular in large groups, on college campuses, and in tournaments around the world. There may be as many variations of Spades as there are groups playing it — thanks to “jailhouse rules” which penalize tactics like point sandbagging and the existence of multiple versions of “house rules”. A strategic game you can play without paying much attention if you want.

6. Go-fish

This is the simple children’s card matching game we all remember from our childhood. You can play Go-fish with as many players as you have cards. Some people claim Go-Fish is a variation of Rummy but the simplicity of the game and the children’s game gimmick make it likely just some toy company’s creation. Strangely enough, Go-fish is known as Literature in some parts of the world. Write in if you understand that one.

7. War

Another children’s game (or time-killing game) War is a straight luck based game. Depending on the flop of the card, you either win or lose a war. Most people under the age of 30 learned War before they learned any other card game. You’ll see War played a lot in lines at airports.

8. Oh Hell!

Substitute your own dirty word for “Hell!” and you know this party game. Most of the fun is the fact that you get to cuss a lot and people laugh at you. What keeps this game popular is that it is a strict betting game. The object of Oh Hell! is to bid the precise number of tricks you will win. You have to take only the number that you bid, no more and no less. Play is precise, and because of the structure of the game, one player always blows it big time. There. That’s what’s fun. Screwing your opponent.

9. Blackjack

A skill game that in some casinos is the best bet you can make, if you can play a perfect hand. This is one of the most popular casino card game, and has a place in popular culture as THE “Vegas” game. The point is to build a hand that adds up to a total of 21 points without going over, and ending up with a higher number than the dealer. Players compete against the House directly, adding to the fun. Little known fact — there exists somewhere in this world a blackjack player’s hall of fame. Safe to say that this game’s got a cult following

10. Baccarat

James Bond’s favorite game (don’t believe the hype — it wasn’t poker or blackjack — read the books) Baccarat is a basic betting game. Players bet on who will win a given hand – the player, the banker, or if there will be a tie. Sure it looks easy, but Baccarat is a skill game. A small sidenote about Baccarat — the name comes from the name of the worst possible hand. This would be like calling your video poker machine “High Card Poker”. Just doesn’t have the same ring as “Royal Flush”.

11. Solitaire

The most varied card game in the world. In England, they call this game Patience, and for good reason. Solitaire requires little set up beyond putting cards in specific places, and is usually played by yourself. Solitaire is another popular airport line waiting game.

12. Rummy and variations

There are lots of different kinds of Rummy, more than are probably written down on any list. I’ve written for a website that had me list 500 variations or other names for Rummy, so I’ll spare you the reading and just say there’s lots of kinds of Rummy. The more popular versions are called Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and Contract Rummy. The feature that makes a game a Rummy is a player matching identical cards into pairs and other groups. Some experts believe the Chinese game of Mahjong is part of the Rummy family, though I’d bet the Chinese are just fine with Mahjong as it is.

13. Pai Gow

This is an old Chinese domino game that has been passed down through the years as a poker variation. You’ll see Pai Gow at casinos in both as a poker and a domino game — it is probably the casino game that the least number of people understand. This is a game of fast bets, player versus dealer. Pai Gow strategy is just as rich as any other poker betting game, and the culture of Pai Gow is similar to the Blackjack culture — super-fast bets and edgy behavior at the margins.

14. Spoons

A silly card game probably invented to keep kids out of trouble, Spoons is a bluffing game (with some elements of matching) that uses simple kitchen utensils as an added play element. The first player in the group to draw a poker style four of a kind reaches to a pile of spoons in the middle of the table, signalling the other players to grab for one. Since there’s one less spoon than players, one player will be left out every time. So its a social interaction game, and not a game chock full of card strategy. its still fun. Great date night game.

15. Speed

Speed (sometimes called Spit) is a matching game that is unique because both players play simultaneously and as fast as they can. In Speed, a player tries to ‘get rid’ of his or her cards by matching them to cards placed face-up on the table. This is a face to face game, though there’s actually little interaction between the two opponents. The last few moments of any game of Speed reminds me of solitaire on fast-forward, with hands and cards flying around and rows forming and draining like water pipes. Strange game, Speed.

16. Crazy 8s

This is another children’s matching game, you could say it is cousin to the popular game Uno. The 8s in the deck of standard cards are considered “crazy” not because they need to be medicated but to indicate they are wild cards. In some variations of Crazy 8s, not just Wild Cards but other “rule cards” exist, making the game more complex for older players.

17. Slapjack

If you want to teach more complex card games to younger kids, Slapjack is the perfect vehicle. The object of Slapjack is to acquire the whole deck of cards by matching and slapping pairs. Kids like to slap stuff, and the game can be played over and over again.

18. Old Maid

You don’t need an “Old Maid” deck to play this kid’s card game — any standard 52 card deck will do. Just remove one of the Queens. Old Maid is a matching game where players find pairs You trade cards with your opponent until that player is left with the unmatched Queen. Matching games are popular, and the novelty “Old Maid” packs are fun for kids.

19. Cribbage

This is a hybrid board and card game with complicated rules that generally intimidates people, even hardcore card gamers. You play cribbage by forming groups of cards that are worth different point values, and moving a peg on a board that represents your progress accordingly. Requiring a specific board (or a quick hand with a pen and paper) cribbage isn’t the best travel game, but as fans of cribbage will tell you, no two games are alike. There are solitaire versions of cribbage, and other varieties of cribbage game play to choose from if you’re bored with the standard version.

20. Pinochle

Pinochle is popular because it is a trick-taking game that you play with a 48 card deck. In Pinochle, you try to make melds or tricks, much like in Gin, but there’s a really complex scoring system making the game fun to learn and to master. To be good at pinochle, you have to play for a number of years, and lose plenty of hands. Though it is less popular year after year, Pinochle is one of those “heritage games”.

Johnathan Raban’s Bad Land: An American Romance brilliantly and descriptively describes the attempts by would-be farmers and ranchers, those of the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century, to make a living on highly questionable land. This land, most of it in eastern Montana and the western Dakotas could have been described as marginal land, but Raban’s fact-finding mission has made it abundantly clear that these lands were less than marginal.

The federal government and railroad companies would benefit by having settlers in this region. Their benefits: There would be more products to ship to and fro and travel to this region would be greatly increased. However, as Raban documents and, I have seen first-hand, this marginal land had shallow topsoil, heavy wind patterns, low precipitation, and extremely frigid winters; and, the efforts to cultivate the arid land were seldom rewarded.

This book was written in a casual, personable manner as the author walked this region and perused some of the failed homesteads. It is drama indeed as Raban explored the remnants of these numerous failed homesteads. He even found a book that described the best method to prosper on these arid farms. The book was entitled Campbell’s Scientific Dry Farming Techniques and it was subtitled The Camel for the Sahara Desert and the Campbell Method for the American Desert. According to meteorological figures any area with an average annual rainfall of less than three inches per year would be classified as a desert region. This eastern Montana region is certainly considered desert as most of it averages less than the three inches of rain per year.

Like Raban, I too, have walked this land, but I walked it for a different reason. I was in search of sharp-tailed grouse and the elusive sage grouse. I was amazed, those many years ago, to have seen so many remnants – remnants of rotted and fallen wind mills, broken and gray boards of outbuildings, barns, and house, as well as, vacated rock foundations, long-rusted barbed wire fencing, fence posts that were rotted and lying flat on the ground, and space – wide open space… endless space. Raban’s book told a story of the many courageous human attempts to produce on this infinitely poor homesteading land, bad land. The government pamphlets and railroad brochures were, no doubt, at least spurious, if not downright lies.

Raban had an inspirational idea to write this story, and he followed through – brilliant inspiration, first-hand research, and highly descriptive writing!

Andrew Carnegie has been noted for saying that if you want to be successful in business then you must do what successful people do. And to do that you must study how they lived, what they did and get some insight into their methods of operation. This is indeed good advice which no one can deny. Perhaps, this is why business students, professors, and future entrepreneurs study all the great business leaders of the past?

Since this is the case, I’d like to recommend a very good book to you about past great entrepreneurs, it is a collection of their biographies, shortened of course, and it is still on my bookshelf after all these years. The book is:

“The Entrepreneurs – Twelve Who Took Risks and Succeeded” by Robert L. Shook; Harper and Row Publishers, New York, NY; 1980. ISBN: 0060140259.

There were numerous standout great quotes, one of them that I liked was by W. Clement Stone; “I don’t care what field you are in, anyone who truly wants to be successful must develop a plan to duplicate their success.”

Another great thing the reader will take away from this book was the authors note that if you want to win in business you must have goals; “Write down your goal, give yourself a deadline, set high standards, aim high.”

This book profiled such great past entrepreneurs as; John W. Galbreath, W. Clement Stone (insurance), Mary Hudson (oil), Dale W. Lang (media), S. Roger Horshow, William J Richards (farming), Mary Kay Ash, Joseph Sugarman, Richard Schultz, William McCowan, and John Delorean. And it explained their similarities, attitudes, methods, big business deals and drive. I know you will love this book as much as I did and hopefully like me you will keep it on your shelf for a reference, please consider this.

Fur is usually regarded as a great material because it looks stylish and luxurious. It’s also pretty comfortable, warm and lasts for a long period of time when appropriately cared for. A lot of people avoid purchasing coats and jackets made up of fur because they do feel that maintaining them could prove to be a bit expensive. Even though these kinds of materials are delicate in nature, you can easily take care of them just by following some crucial tips and instructions. The article discussed below will offer you some detailed information on fur coat maintenance.

Storage

The best method of storing fur is to store your coat and jacket in a place where humidity, ventilation and temperature can be easily monitored. In case you wish to store it on your own then you must ensure that you do keep it in a well ventilated, dry area. Fur is a wonderful material which needs some air and so you shouldn’t let it dry out by keeping it in an area which is absolutely dry. Try using a padded hanger for storing such a coat.

Cleaning

Fur must be properly cleaned and washed twice a year, even if you don’t wear it quite often. When several specialists clean such coats, they do condition them so that they don’t get damaged easily. If your budget allows, you could consider hiring a dry cleaner for this purpose. Ask them what kind of a method they are going to use for cleaning the jacket. The chemicals used for cleaning purposes must be good in quality so that they don’t end up ruining your coat made up of fur.

Water

In case your coat gets completely immersed in water, it is essential to seek guidance from an expert cleaner functioning in your area. Drizzle and snow, however, won’t be a big problem for most of the coats. In case your coat gets drenched in the rain then you just need to shake it out a bit to get rid of the moisture. Never use heat for getting rid of the remaining moisture in your coat.

Some additional tips for fur care

You should avoid spraying all kinds of chemicals such as hair spray or perfume directly onto the coat. Avoid fastening small pins onto your jacket as they could damage the fabric badly.

These are some of the crucial things that you should remember about the maintenance of fur jackets and coats.

For the average working adult, going back to school can be one of the largest investments he will make in his life. But if you have some time before you pursue your studies, instead of applying for a bank loan, why not let time and capital work for you. Even if you plan to pursue a bachelor degree in the near future, say, in three years more, you can still save for it.

First of all, you need to have a target amount. Usually, the course fees represent a large portion of the cost. Other costs are examination fees and living expenses for those who come from other towns.

Some students may choose to study full time so that they can focus on their studies. In this case, if your employer doesn’t give you paid time off to do your studies, your budget will increase significantly, as you now have to account for your entire living expenses. In addition to that, you’ll still have to continue paying for things like insurance, car, mortgage, credit card as well as utility bills.

However, expenses can be higher if the course is done part time, as the person has less time to devote to his studies. As a result, he may have to prolong the program or even have to re-sit some papers, which means additional examination fees.

How much time you have to put aside the money depends on when you plan on taking up the program. When is the ideal time to start? To get more out of a bachelor degree, it would be good to have real world working experience of two to three years, on which to reflect upon when you’re doing the units.

At least three years of working experience would be good but you shouldn’t wait too long as the motivation level will drop. Even if you commence your studies in three years, you don’t have to pay the money in one lump sum. You can save through the study period as well which, gives you more time to accumulate funds.

Many education centers and colleges have worked out interest free schemes that you can use to your benefit. You can let your money work for you while you use the interest free payment option.

There is also an option for students to pay their fees in the monthly payments over the period of study and if the amount is paid in a lump sum, students are given a rebate. Another option is a scheme in collaboration with a bank, where students pay few hundred dollars at the start of the program and nothing else for two years. Thereafter, they have the option to repay in installments upon completing their studies.

Finally, you need to work backwards; given the number of years, inflation rate and a projected rate of return to come up with how much you need to put aside regularly. However, inflation may not have a large impact if your study period is short.

Once you have the total figure, you can start saving but you may not have to start from scratch. Perhaps you need not finance the whole amount yourself. Though the competition for scholarships is high, you may run into a bit of luck.

With a short time frame of three to five years, there are few choices in terms of investment vehicles. If you only have three to five years, you should seek a liquid and low risk investment such as putting your funds into a portfolio of fixed deposits, bonds and balanced funds. However, the chosen investment vehicle should also take into account the individual’s own risk profile and how much return is required as well.

Last but not least, it is important to review your plan regularly and rebalance your portfolio accordingly.

Swimming with Maya appeared on my TBR (to be read) pile toward the end of my pregnancy. The memoir was said to be “heartbreaking and heart-healing,” but I was pretty sure I would never be able to handle the heartbreaking part under the circumstances. I picked up Swimming with Maya and put it down after a few pages. I loved the story but was fearful of how I might deal with the loss and heartache Eleanor had to endure. Vincent’s writing and her triumphant spirit kept pulling me back in. I was so drawn in by the heart-healing part of the story that I found myself enjoying the memoir so much I couldn’t put it down.

No parent wants to think of the unthinkable death of a child; and yet each of us does. We don’t want anything to happen to our children, and yet as we carry them we fear miscarriage, after they are born we worry about sudden infant death syndrome, then there are school shootings, traffic accidents, etc… since death is a fact of life, we encounter thoughts and fears of loss each and every day. Eleanor Vincent raised her two daughters, Maya and Meghan, virtually as a single-parent and in my opinion this makes the mother-daughter bond even stronger.

It’s impossible to imagine what Eleanor Vincent was feeling when her 19 year old daughter, Maya falls from a horse and is left in a coma which eventually took her life. Eleanor’s made the courageous decision to donate Maya’s organs. Eleanor uses her difficult situation and Maya’s death to tell an inspirational and motivational story and Eleanor is even stronger (as is the reader) at the end of the story.

Swimming with Maya was more about triumph than I had imagined. I was thankful to have read through the difficult times to see the memorable and motivational message. I admire Eleanor Vincent for being able to put her story down on paper for all to read. I cannot imagine the tears that were shed as she relived those moments that would forever change her life. Thank you to Eleanor, Maya, and Dream of Things Publishing for sharing this triumphant story with readers everywhere. My personal thanks to Eleanor for writing in such a way the healing is more pronounced than the hurt – it was this reason alone I was able to read and finish Swimming with Maya.

The new hype in the Netherlands.

The American Wedding Planning trend has now hit the Netherlands with a big bang. Wedding couples are now using more and more the services of a Wedding Planner to organize and be present on the day of the wedding to make sure that everything runs smoothly and act as a focal point for the family members, suppliers and the couple themselves.

What does a Wedding Planner do actually is the usual question for most? A Wedding Planner can assist you from A to Z with the planning and organising of your special day and will be there on the day self to ensure that nothing goes wrong and goes exactly how you dreamed and wished for. In today’s modern society we live in couples are finding that they just do not have the approximated 250 hours themselves to organize their dream day. Stress is another factor why a Wedding Planner is asked to assist. Why would you stress when someone else can do all the stressing for you?

Planning a wedding for most couples can be a task, from finding the right location to finding the perfect dress! Your Wedding Planner will offer you suggestions and ideas and will provide you contacts with suppliers and locations. You will always be in charge of your own wedding day and your WP will act upon your decisions so don’t be scared that they will take over… it is your day!!

With many wedding couples now opting for their own   unique  ideas that will suit their personalities and budgets in place of the conventional traditional wedding, the wedding industry in the Netherlands is now becoming larger with a lot more wonderful choices to choose from.

Themed weddings are now also the in thing to do! With one recent wedding couple choosing to have a 80s themed wedding! Glitter balls, Glitter curtains, luminous lights and disco balls… wedding guests were greeted at the evening party with wigs and accessories to go with the theme. Music from the 80’s… John Travolta here I come!! Let your fantasy set the stage! Whether it be traditional, fun or themed, go with your own original ideas and style!

Modern technology has changed the way we do many things in our lives. Now modern technology has come to the golf course. Of course there have been improvements in the materials that clubs are made of and certainly the attire has improved over time, but nothing that has come before can improve your game more than a personal golf GPS device.

These wonderful little machines can give you the advantages that the Pros have without all the work. Pros have the time to go out and walk a course and take measurements that help them to decide what clubs to use and how much force to use when striking the ball. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have those advantages too?

Now you can. A hand held personal golf GPS device uses satellite technology to give you accurate measurements not only for each and every hole on the course, but also relay to you the distance left to the green and the hole after you have hit the ball off the tee. It can also let you know how far you are from bunkers or water hazards.

Most personal golf GPS computers will also tell you what par is and keep track of your score for you. Its like having a professional caddy right in the palm of your hand.

Not all personal golf GPS devices are alike however. Some come preloaded with all the relevant information, including all the measurements for every hole on every golf course in the United States. Others you will need to access the devices website and download the information you need. Either way, having this information will allow you to completely change the way you play the game.

Your golf buddies will wonder at the vast improvement in your game. Whether or not you let them in on your little secret is entirely up to you, but be warned, if you tell them, they are likely to want to borrow yours. This will level the playing field and you may go back to losing a round or two.

So, if you like playing golf and you enjoy winning, the personal golf GPS may be the perfect golf accessory for you. It is now even possible to get this function programmed into some cell phones so you wont even have to worry about being weighed down by too many electronic devices. It could not be any easier to improve your golf game.

Here are some things to consider with regard to getting Disney Channel Auditions

Do You Have Skills and Talents Other Than Just Acting?

You should know that a lot of Disney performers have skills that are not limited just to acting. They can also sing and dance and often lend their voices to animated characters. There are specific agents that look after these areas and sometime in the future of your acting career you may want to consider having separate agents if you want to work in more than one field.

Is All This Really Necessary?

You will find people who will tell you that it is not necessary to do ‘all that’ and if you do, guess what? They will be right. Anything is possible, BUT having those skills can dramatically increase your chances for success. Have skills other than just being able to act also widens your range of possibilities to get work. You automatically make yourself available for more types of jobs. Look at Zack Efron for example. He sings, acts and can dance!

It’s About More Than Just The Look

What I have found is that many youngsters rely on being good looking or even beautiful. Those who fit into that category should realize that there are so many good looking kids out there and that if they really want to have a chance at getting Disney Channel auditions, because of the enormous amount competition, it is really necessary to do something to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd.

What Agents Want

But first, remember that when you are looking for an agent that you will have a better chance of getting signed if you have a headshot and professional actor resume and have taken some classes or participated in on-going training. What’s even better is if you are training in a reputable school and/or acting teacher. You can increase those chances even more if you have some experience performing. All of this shows you have at least some experience in the field that you are hoping to break into and that you are serious.

Do You Have Stars In Your Eyes Or Are You Serious?

Casting directors and agents know that there are so many kids and even adults with ‘stars in their eyes’ and the dream of becoming famous who are not even willing to do the basic work that is necessary to get started. They just want to be discovered. People like that won’t go very far and those casting directors and agents don’t want to work with people like that. If you really want it, then you have to be willing to work for it! Remember it’s not about being discovered, it’s about working hard to position yourself to be discovered.

How Can You Prepare?

You could take private singing lessons, join your local youth theatre group, drama club at school or even work as an extra to get experience in a professional environment. These are all ways of giving yourself necessary exposure and gaining experience. Just keep in mind that when you do meet with an agent you should always take a parent or guardian with you and you should never be expected to give them any money up front. Agents take a cut from what you earn so they don’t get any money until you do.