Fire Wind water

If you ever plan a trip to Las Vegas, you will likely want to check out everything that this bustling city has to offer. Everyone wants to see the fountains at the Bellagio, the amazing height of the Stratosphere, and the lights that light up the city at night. Thrill seekers can’t wait to get aboard the wicked roller coasters that are offered by Circus Circus Hotel and Casino; The Sahara; New York New York Casino, New York; Buffalo Bill’s; and the Stratosphere Casinos. However, there is still much more to see when you make that trip to Las Vegas. In fact, some of the best Vegas entertainment is located just off the Vegas strip at Arizona Charlie’s Casino Las Vegas!

The owners of the two Arizona Charlie’s Decatur and the Arizona Charlie’s Boulder Casinos, American Casino & Entertainment Properties, are also the owners of The Stratosphere and The Aquarius Casinos. And, although Arizona Charlie’s Casino is situated in an area off of the famed Las Vegas Strip and not directly on it, guests keep coming back for more and more. This could be because Arizona Charlie’s has such a rich history in Vegas, or it might have something to do with the fact that they offer their guests such a wealth of different options for gambling entertainment.

If you like to bet on football, basketball, or any other sport for that matter, Arizona Charlie’s has a complete race and sports book available for you to place your bets. The casino also offers the one and only bingo hall that’s open a full 24-hours a day, seven days a week!

For traditional casino gaming entertainment, Arizona Charlie’s features nearly 1300 slot machines and a variety of table games. The slots range in denomination as much as in type. There are video slots, three-reel slots and five reel slots that offer a great variety of paylines. Guests can ante up at the poker table or cross their fingers and pray for 21 at the blackjack tables. Players can even place their bet on the roulette table and watch as the wheel spins. Of course, if a guest is up for fast paced action, the craps table is always a sure bet for fun.

So, if you make it to Las Vegas, stop in and pay a visit to Arizona Charlie’s Casino Decatur or Arizona Charlie’s Casino Boulder for loads of casino fun outside the strip!

Casinos in Aurora, Illinois, as well as those in East St. Louis, Joliet, and Alton claim that revenue is down; some showing decreases of nearly 19%. With the economy in shambles and the new smoking ban that took effect on the first day of 2008, even the rest of the state’s business owners are unsure of what to blame the lack of business on. Some claim that the reduced patronage is due to the smoking ban, while others swear that it is being caused by the horrible economic downturn. The truth is that it is likely a combination of both.

The casinos in Aurora, Illinois were showing a decline in patronage, as were Illinois casinos all across the board. The two casinos located closest to Missouri competitors, the Casino Queen and Argosy Casino Alton, were recently praying that Missouri voters wouldn’t pass Proposition A, which involved abolishing the loss limit for individuals entirely. However, Proposition A passed at the end of 2008 and Missouri casinos began raking in the customers that could no longer smoke their cigarettes in Illinois establishments. The result? Additional lost revenue for the casino and for the state.

Hollywood Casino in Aurora, Illinois, which is owned by Penn National Gaming Company, provided nearly $3 million less in tax revenues for 2008 when compared to the previous year and other Illinois casinos are comparable.

The fact is that with the majority of the Illinois casinos being located so close to the borders of Indiana, Missouri and Iowa – states that do not have any ban on smoking – it is difficult to compete. The once loyal patrons of the Illinois casinos are now turning their backs on them in order to enjoy their rights as a smoker and frequent casinos like the neighboring Casino Aztar Indiana instead.

Not only is this affecting the overall income for the Hollywood casinos, it is also direly affecting the tax revenue that the State of Illinois receives. What this means is that the hundreds of programs that are funded by the state’s tax dollars are going to see a huge decrease in funding; especially funds for education and higher education, since these have become almost solely funded by casino and lottery tax dollars. The municipalities that these casinos reside in will also see a decrease in funds; causing there to be less money for the streets departments, city government and parks departments.

With high hopes, the casinos in Aurora, Illinois as well as those across the entire state are currently in the process of discussing a change in the law that might allow gamblers to smoke on the gaming floor once more.

When ringing in the new year in traditional Chinese fashion, you have to consider the importance of Chinese New Year food as well. Food plays a huge part in such celebrations. The Chinese New Year is a particularly special one. It is one of the most important Chinese holidays. Sometimes called the Spring Festival, sometimes called the Lunar New Year, it takes place on the first day of the first lunar month, as denoted by the Chinese calendar. It ends on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

There is a wealth of opportunity to eat delicious and symbolic food during this celebration. It is served for a two week period. From the first day of the first lunar month, the celebration lasts until the fifteenth day of the month. Some people have the food catered, some people make it themselves, but the food served is always strongly symbolic.

Sometimes, certain foods are served based on how they look. Entire chickens are popular because they symbolize togetherness among the family unit. When you serve an entire chicken during the celebration, it is assurance that the family will be together and stay together. This is something that all families want for the coming Chinese new year.

Noodles are another food traditionally found during Chinese New Year’s celebrations. In fact, they are practically required. In the Chinese culture, noodles symbolize a long, long life. For that reason, certain superstitions say they should not be cut. To do so would bring bad luck or worse. The inclusion of clams and Spring rolls are used to bring luck in matters of wealth. Clams are said to look a lot like bouillon. Spring rolls represent wealth because they look a bit like bars of gold.

Other foods are significant during the New Year because of the way they sound. Literally, they are used because of the Chinese pronunciation of the word. Lettuce is a good example of this. In Cantonese, the word for it sounds fortuitous. Likewise, certain citrus fruits are served because the words for them sound like forebears of good fortune, such as “luck” and “wealth.”

Fish is symbolic in several ways, and thus is frequently served. One reason is because the word for it is “yu.” This word resembles the terms for “wish” and “abundance.” Both of those are good things to have on your side in the new year. Symbolically, serving the fish whole is good luck as well. When the head and tail are still attached, then the fish is a symbol for a good beginning and a good ending in the year ahead.

In the old days, Las Vegas was all about enticing the players to do just that, play. Free food and drinks were customary as long as you were playing, and this business model worked well for years and years.  The model has changed dramatically over the years, but now economic times are forcing the hotels to
put together more attractive packages and deals in order to entice people back to Vegas.

As a gaming destination, Las Vegas is it. It is the godfather of casino towns, there can be no doubt about that. However, the rising cost of playing and staying in Las Vegas has led to flocks of people choosing other, more exotic locations, such as Macau, for some of their gambling excursions. However, most gamblers agree that you still can’t find a better game than in Las Vegas.

That is why the major hotels are now coming up with new ways to make staying in Vegas as attractive as playing in Vegas. One such package that garnered a lot of attention was the package offered by the Luxor Las Vegas. For a price of $210 you get a room, an all you can eat pass to the buffet, a pair of tickets to each of, “Bodies”, “Titanic: The artifact Exhibition” and the Criss Angel show. With spa passes and VIP passes included as well, this makes this package one of the best deals going in town.  But the Luxor Casino Las Vegas is not the only one offering special incentives, many other casinos and resorts are as well, like the Sunset Station Las Vegas, the Stratosphere in Las Vegas, or even the Rio Hotel Casino Las Vegas.

The best part is that with new deals like this being offered by the major hotels, everyone else is going to have to follow suite in order to remain competitive. This means that people can watch for more and more attractive deals to be coming from other major players on the strip that offer similar inclusive
packages.

So people can once again be sure they’re going to get value for their dollar in Las Vegas. That allows them to go back to focusing on what the town’s reputation was built upon: the gaming. With the worldwide increase in popularity of poker, the town is hotter than ever if you’re looking for a game of
cards. The casinos all have their regularly scheduled events as well as many international televised poker tournaments happening in town as well, proving that there is no place to go if you’re looking to gamble that can ever beat Vegas hotels and casinos. Free drinks and food might not be back, but the focus is starting to shift back to the tables where it belongs.

Why should you send Chinese New Year cards? Naturally, if you celebrate Chinese New Year itself, of course a card is appropriate. Cards are also a great way to let your family members, friends, and loved ones know that you are thinking about them. You can wish them well in the coming new year with a well chosen card. After all, the Chinese New Year is no different than the one celebrated on January first, at least as far as sentiment is concerned. It is the dawn of a new year any way you look at it. Many of us choose such a time to let the people we love know that we wish them health, happiness, and success.

Sending cards during a special occasion has been a popular choice for years upon years. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, et cetera - you can send a card for any occasion. Sending one for the new year is especially nice, however, because it is a time of new beginnings. It is the perfect time to send out the perfect sentiment.

Picking out a card for the Chinese New Year is a slightly different experience though. You have any number of choices of beautiful designs. It all comes down to picking the right one. Ideally, you want to base the design and sentiment on the card on your feelings for the recipient.

Just as, with the Western New Year, you want to send a card that accurately reflects your feelings, it is the same in this situation. In many ways, being able to send email greetings and cards over the Internet make it even easier to find the perfect card. In the case of the Chinese New Year, the only real difference lies in the styles and designs from which you get to choose.

Some of the decorations that are incorporated into Chinese New Year cards can be anything from paper dragons all the way to fireworks display. Whether you are sending an ecard or a paper card, including some of these designs would be a great idea so you can keep with the theme of the New Year!

Dragons are another popular element of design. Chinese characters and the foods associated with the celebrations are also common choices. Really, however, it all depends on what you want to send - and what the recipient likes of course.

Some people choose to design their own cards. This lends a truly personal touch to an already personal endeavor. Plus, you have a wider array of design choices at your disposal. You also have the added bonus of being able to let the people you love know exactly what you wish for them in the new year. Every card will be more personal and you can go all out with your design choices.

Sushi is a great traditional Japanese dish that practically everybody has heard of and more likely tasted it.  And if you are lucky, you have tasted at wonderful Sushi restaurant Temecula.

It is a great traditional dish that is usually made of rice, seaweed, and of course raw fish.

Now if you don’t like fish in the first place, of course you will not like sushi.But if the taste of seafood is something you love, then of course you will enjoy sushi.

Of course, most sushi is enjoyed in fine restaurants such as the one you can find at Sushi restaurant Lake Elsinore.  You can enjoy them in small fast food type of Japanese restaurants.

Or you can enjoy them in more formal dining environments, like the one found at Sushi Restaurant Hemet.

Or best of all, you can enjoy them in an all you can eat style.

But if you are in a creative mood, maybe you might try cooking it up yourself at home.

Well here is a brief rundown of the 3 types of sushi you can make.

First, there is the Maki sushi.  It is the usual that you are used to that consists of fish/seafood with rice that is then wrapped in nori or seaweed.  Most famous of course is the California roll

Now the Maki sushi does contain two different types within it.  There is the “fat maki” called the Futomaki and it is called fat, because it contains 2 or more of the filllings (fish/seafood)

Then there is the Hosomaki or “thin maki” that is made with only one filling of fish or seafood.But it can also just be one vegetable as well.

Then there is the Nigiri sushi which is our second type of Sushi.  This is a popular sushi that has a thin slice of raw fish, seafood, or other types of toppings that is placed on top of a rectangular chunk of rice.  There is nothing
that wraps it up such as seaweed, like the Maki sushi.

Finally you have the Uramaki, which is also known by the name of inside out sushi.It is known as the inside out because it is exactly that, a backwards version of the Maki because the rice is on the outside of the nori rather than the inside.  Also what is inside is the fish or seafood type of fare.

There you go.3 great types of sushi you can give it a go at making it from home.

Naturally, the greatest way to make it the best is to first try some at a good sushi restaurant, so you can try all 3 styles and see what ingredients there are.

So enjoy eating.

The online gaming industry took a heavy hit in 2006, when the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed. The Act was passed due to a surprise maneuver of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who had evidently tacked the Act onto a bill for port security. This new Act outlawed monetary transactions between Online gaming entities and American citizens; vastly reducing the once flourishing industry’s regular players and cash flow. It wasn’t just the online casinos that were disappointed with the Act; several thousand United States citizens were upset as well.

Although there may have been disappointment among online casino goers from the US, but the larger portion of disappointment fell upon stockholders that had invested funds in companies like PartyGaming and 888 Holdings. Upon the Act being passed, their shares fell a record 57% and 33%, respectively. The spokespersons for both companies cited surprise as their initial reaction
to the Act. Although both had been aware of the US government considering interference, neither had suspected that it would happen so quickly. US gamblers reportedly made up nearly half of the visitors on these and similar online casino sites.

Today, there may be chances for a reprieve from the outlines of the Act. Currently, Representative Barney Frank is preparing to present a bill next month that proposes legalizing online gambling within the United States, but with some regulations in place. The bill is expected to pass through the committee and House fairly easily but the Senate may pose a challenge. Regardless, many seem to be looking positively on the fact that the bill we be
presented during the Obama administration.

If this proposed bill passes, it could turn the tables for many in the online casino business and allow them to reestablish their relationships with former US players. At least, that is the hope of online casinos such as PartyGaming, recognized back in the days as offering the best online casino bonus.

If this proposed bill passes, it could turn the tables for many in the online casino business and allow them to reestablish their relationships with former US players. At least, that is the hope of online casinos such as PartyGaming.

Roulette, believed to have been invented by French mathematician Blaise Pascal, is a popular casino game that is frequently played at both land based and online casinos all over the world. Its existence is believed to have begun sometime during the 17th century. The game consists of determining where the roulette ball is going to land on a wheel of 38 numbers. There are, however, a few different versions of roulette that players should be aware of before attempting to place a bet.

In American Roulette, the wheel is marked with the numbers 1-36, 0, and 00. The table is marked similarly, and each of the valued numbers (1-36) is marked either red or black. The numbers 0 and 00 are green. There are also three areas at the long end of each row of numbers that allow players to bet on all numbers in the row. There are also areas where players are able to place a bet on red, black, odd or even.

The majority of land based casinos have a minimum bet for their roulette tables and online casinos (computer roulette) are no exception as most tend to have the same rules for their roulette games as land based casinos. The required minimum is usually $5 at most casinos; however, there are a few that have a $10 minimum. In most cases, the minimum must be bet either inside the table or outside the table. Outside is considered to be the green area that surrounds the numbered (inside) area. A variety of bets can be made both inside and outside the table, up to the table maximum and there are a variety of “beat roulette” strategies, some that have validity, others that don’t.

The wheel is spun and the roulette ball is spun into it in the opposite direction. Bets must be placed prior to the dealer or the computer in online casinos, stating “no more bets” and waving a hand across the table to visually alert the players. This means that the ball is slowing. When the ball finally starts to drop into the slots on the wheel, it will likely skip a few times before finally settling into one specific numbered slot.

If the bet that you placed included the number that the ball settled in, you win. How much you win is ultimately decided by two things: the amount of your winning bet and where you placed your winning bet on the table. Bets placed directly on a winning number pay the best; paying 36- 1 for numbers 1 through 36, and paying 38-1 for numbers 0 or 00.  More information is available at best roulette.

In light of the recent swine flu outbreaks in many parts of the world, the World Health Organization has raised the swine flu warning to Level 5. With this warning, governments around the world must put their pandemic plans into action in order to stop the spread of the swine flu virus. A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area, affecting an alarmingly large proportion of the population.

In Sweden, a new invention by The Swedish AAA-rated company Gert Strand AB may be the cure for swine flu. Called SMITTSTOPP, this Swedish invention is touted to stop diseases, bacteria and virus from spreading. A spray-on product that comes in a 500-ml (16.9 oz.) bottle, SMITTSTOPP is a cationic polymer, a positively charged substance that attaches to all surfaces. Viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms all have a negative charge. SMITTSTOPP works by attracting these negatively charged microorganisms, stopping their growth and effectively killing them.

The swine influenza virus, according to the Infectious Disease Institute, is spread through the air (e.g., coughing or sneezing). Once air-borne, the virus can land on any surface, contaminating it. When the contaminated surface is touched, the virus is then transferred to the hands and fingers. It enters through the eyes, nose or mouth when the person touches his face with his contaminated hands.

Masks are ineffective in keeping bacteria and viruses like the swine flu virus from getting into the respiratory tract. This is where SMITTSTOPP becomes the first line of defense. By spraying it on surfaces and allowing it to dry, SMITTSTOPP creates an invisible layer of durable, non-toxic, food grade polymer, which works to significantly heighten infection protection. This polymer layer attracts negatively charged microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria and kills them, effectively stopping them from spreading.

SMITTSTOPP is recommended for use in clinics, hospitals, restaurants, public areas, schools, shops, cabs, buses and homes. SMITTSTOPP should be sprayed on surfaces that are most likely to harbor contaminants like the swine flu virus, staphylococci and salmonella. It works to stop the spread of viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms when sprayed on surfaces such as handles, taps, switches, toilet flush, toilet seats, counters, equipment, and even keyboards, mouse and cell phones.

From the ratings, it is apparent that just about everyone loves So You Think You Can Dance and the contestants on the show. We especially love the ones we voted to win the show. One question remains on our minds though, what are they doing now that they have won. Spanning back as far as four years, to the very first winner, Nick, here is the break down of what happened for these lucky dancers after SYTYCD and what they are doing today.

In the premier season of SYTYCD, Nick Lazzarini was the lucky winner and voted “America’s favorite dancer”. Not only was he an amazing dancer, but was also a great person and quite good looking :). The reward at the time was $100,000 and a year in a Penthouse in New York City. Because Nick was living in Cali, he decided to take the cash value of the Penthouse instead of moving. As the winner of SYTYCD, Nick was featured on the cover of Dance Spirit Magazine twice, and was actually the first person ever to have been featured twice. He also is a founding member of Evolution Dance Company. As of most recent, Nick works with Jump Tours, a convention full of classes and performances of amazing dancers.

Benji Schwimmer was probably the most entertaining contestant to grace the screens on SYTYCD and was also the season 2 winner. Not only did Benji claim the title of “America’s favorite dancer”, but he also received a car, $100,000 cash and a highly coveted year contract to be in Celine Dion’s Vegas show. He took the car and cash but did turn down the gig with Celine, stating it was an honor but he didn’t want to live in Vegas but wanted to travel and pursue television. One thing is for sure, he is definitely traveling. Since the show he has been teaching and performing all over the world pushing his and Heidi Groskreutz’s  instructional DVD’s. Benji is also co-producing a movie about dancers called Love N’ Dancing. Love N’ Dancing was originally filmed to be a TV movie, however has since turned into a theatre released movie. Benji is also rumored to be casted in two other films in the near future. Additionally, Benji was in Christina Aguilera’s music video “Candyman”. Benji was also recently featured in a ten page spread in Dancer Magazine and also covered his photography, CLK’d by BNJI.

The third season winner, Sabra Johnson was the first female to win and also took home the hefty prize of $250,000. Not bad for only having danced for four years before the show. She is truly a talented dancer and deserved it. Since the show she has been on the cover of “Movmnt Magazine”, February 2008 edition. She has also been traveling the world teaching dance including Australia and South Africa. Sabra does have future goals of maybe taking her talents to Broadway and dance professionally. As far as Broadway goes, I think she would be amazing.

Joshua Allen is the most recent winner of SYTYCD on season 4, taking home the grand prize of $250,000. There isn’t too much to report on him since his win didn’t take place as long as even a year ago, but he has been around. Joshua was one of the least trained dancers on the show but really showed his talents to the world. Also, like Benji, he was never found among the bottom three dancers. Since the show he has been teaching workshops around the country. It will be interesting to see how his career develops over the years and where this win will take him. Whatever he does though, he will be living his dream.