Abe from Oddworld was my best ever games I owned. (Including a few other cartoon games like Rayman, Bugs Bunny, etc.) We have owned an Xbox 360, but there never were games I really liked. With such a large range of game stations out there, which would be the best for me to play good cartoon/adventure type games on?

For you, there's nothing better than a nintendo wii because most games are adventurous and cartoony, next in line is PS3 only beacause of a game called little big planet (google it, its awsome). If u want a handheld, then get a ds for those kinda games.

powered by Yahoo Answers

If you think your kids are spending too much time playing video games on their Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, PC or PSP or Playstation Portable consoles then you may have a reason to be concerned, but not worried. Before you tell your child to put down the game remote and pick up a text book you should consider one fact and that is that there is a professional video game circuit out there with professional gamers who earn thousands, even millions of dollars.

South Korea has a genuine passion for playing video games. This is a video game obsessed nation. The electronic gaming events in this country can draw up to 100,000 spectators at a single event. Their cyber athletes make hundreds of thousands of dollars playing in tournaments that are televised nationwide. Some of them are so popular they cannot go out in public without body guards to shield them from adoring fans. They even date movie stars and get their faces on the covers of newspapers and magazines.

Recently there was an electronic gaming tournament held in Seoul, South Korea at Jamsil Indoor Stadium. This event was the equivalent of our Superbowl. The game of choice for this event was StarCraft, which is a web game that is played on PCs. This event was nationally televised and broadcast on the Internet. The audience of 1.78 million who viewed it on television and online were glued to their seats as they watched the daylong event unfold. They came to watch the most popular gamer in their country strut his stuff.

His name is Lim Yo Hwan, he is 27 years old and he is the Mick Jagger of e-sports in South Korea. This young man has made quite a name for himself playing StarCraft, the only game that matters on the video game circuit in this country. His fans wanted to see him put on a show, and he did, winning the event easily with a take home prize of $20,000. Lim Yo Hwan has won many of these events in recent years and this has put his income in the six figure category. Not bad for playing video games.

The United States has some Superstar cyber athletes too who make a very good living on the electronic gaming circuit. The brightest star in this country is a 26 year old man named Johnathan Wendel, otherwise known to his fans as Fatal1ty, which is his screen name. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri but his reputation lives all over the world.

Johnathan became a professional gamer at the age of 19, and in the past seven years he has won 41 major eSports video game tournaments. He has won more electronic gaming competitions than anyone else in America. Johnathan has also done very well financially, winning over $450,000 in prize money.

Johnathan Wendel has traveled all over the world playing in video game tournaments. To date he has played on every continent except Antarctica. These tournaments have been held at some very interesting, unique and famous places including the Great Wall Of China and Red Square in Moscow, so the idea of holding one in Antarctica some day may be not be so far fetched.

Everywhere Johnathan goes he is swarmed by fans who just love the way he plays video games. All of his expenses are paid when he travels and he lives like a rock star. With world championships in five different video games, Johnathan is considered by most in his sport to be the best in the world. No other gamer has even come close to matching his accomplishments.

In November of 2006 Johnathan Wendel defeated his biggest nemesis and won the world championship for his fifth video game, PainKiller, and in doing so he took home a prize check for $150,000. He defeated the reigning world champion for that game, a 20 year old man from Holland that goes by the screen name Vo0.

Johnathan is becoming more and more popular every day as he continues to shine as a Superstar in the world of professional gamers. He is a force to be reckoned with in the Cyberathlete Professional League. He has recently launched a line of Fatal1ty products that include such things as mouse pads, headsets and keyboards that are made specifically for playing video games. He has a marketing Guru named Mark Walden working with him and both expect to make millions of dollars selling these products to gamers worldwide.

The video gaming industry is expected to make $30 billion dollars this year selling video games and consoles for products like Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PSP. This is an enormous amount of money that is more than twice the yearly grosses of the NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball combined. With this kind of money involved and hundreds of millions of people playing video games all over the world the sport of professional video gaming is starting to attract major advertising sponsors and merchandising companies.

Professional video gamers are no longer just kids who are wasting their time spending endless hours playing video games. Many of them have managed to transform a hobby into a lucrative career. There are hundred of thousands, and even millions of dollars being made these days by gamers who travel the world all expenses paid and live like rock stars.

So the next time you think your child is spending too much time playing Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC or PSP games you should not worry too much. If they show more than the average amount of interest in the sport of electronic gaming, try not to discourage them from playing video games. It is important for you to realize that they may not just be playing games when they sit down in front of their television or computer, they could also be training to be a world famous cyber athlete millionaire.

Michael Connelly
http://www.articlesbase.com/video-games-articles/professional-gamers-get-rich-and-famous-playing-video-games-123549.html

If you find yourself wandering aimlessly through the desert, the last thing you want to see is a mirage. Sure, the palm trees, the big, blue lake with the fountain in the middle and an army of bikini clad bartenders catering to your every whim would seem perfect when you see it, but imagine your disappointment when you realize that it isn’t real. A handful of sand just wouldn’t taste as good as a margarita fed to you by the Olsen Twins. In much the same way, a team that seems like it is a good bet until you get your money on it, at which point it reveals itself as a hopeless loser, is every bettor’s nightmare.

The Oregon Ducks are a team that has already revealed themselves as a betting mirage. They are 18-1 and perched at the top of the tough Pac-10, so the casual bettor might think that they are a good bet. At the start of the season they were. The public wasn’t believing in them yet, so they started out 7-3 against the spread. Since conference play started the team is a very respectable 7-1, but they are just 2-5 ATS. They are winning and looking good, but they are costing loyal bettors a fortune. They are a mirage. Here’s a look at four more teams that could be worth a fade:

Washington State - The Cougars are a team on the rise. They are playing in a conference that’s getting a lot of respect, and they are climbing up the rankings. They stomped their bitter rivals at Washington in December and that really set the ball rolling. After a rough 3-5 start ATS, the team reeled off seven straight covers. It was during that time that the team started getting more press and rising in the polls. They have won two of their last three games, but covered in just one of them. They, were, however, close to the spread in both ATS losses. That means that the public shift in opinion probably caused the line to move enough that any possible value evaporated. If they keep winning, expect the public to continue to drive lines up, creating possibilities for a play on their opponent.

Indiana State - The Sycamores have been a betting dream this year. They are a brilliant 12-4 ATS. The problem is, though, that two of the games in which they haven’t covered have come in the last four games. That’s indicative of a much bigger problem for Larry Bird’s alma mater - conference play has not been kind to them. They fattened up early in the year with impressive wins over Creighton, Butler, Wichita State and Purdue, but the weak early losses to Middle Tennessee State and a pretty dismal Ball State team were perhaps more telling of what the future held in store. They have lost their last four games in a row, including a blowout loss to Bradley that they really should have won. If that’s a sign of things to come then a team that has been a joy to bet on will lose all of its fun.

Illinois - The Fighting Illini, at 15-7, are playing decent basketball, though they still haven’t found another killer set of guards to replace the brilliant ones that led them during their recent glory days. Against the spread, however, the team has been an unmitigated disaster. At 4-13 ATS they are the second least profitable team in the entire country. To make matters worse, they covered their first two games, and then went on a dismal 0-12 streak. There is a light flickering at the end of the tunnel, though, even if it isn’t a bright spotlight yet - they’ve covered two of their last three. There are still signs that the team is held in higher regard than they probably should be - they were only 1.5-point underdogs against a very good Wisconsin team on Saturday, and the Badgers beat them fairly easily. The Illini are heading into a relatively easy stretch for the next few games, so they stand a fairly good chance of turning their betting record around and finally rewarding bettors who want to believe in the ball that they are playing.

West Virginia - The ATS shine has already dimmed a bit for the Pittsnogle-less Mountaineers, but there’s a pretty good chance that the ATS decline that they have started on could continue. John Beilein’s team started the season at 13-1, and rewarded bettors with an 8-1 ATS record during that time. Since then, though, they’ve lost three of their last five in the conference, and they have just one cover in their last four games. In two of the three games they haven’t covered, they haven’t even been close. A bad overtime loss to Cincinnati, far from the class of the Big East, was a good sign that things might not be going well in Morgantown. The public still has some leftover love for this team because of the last couple of years, and that love was reinforced and rewarded by how the team started. Therefore, it’s very likely that the public would be slow to react to a prolonged downturn by the team. That would mean that a team that has been a good bet would turn into a pretty bad one. They’d become a mirage.

T.o. Whenham
http://www.articlesbase.com/basketball-articles/which-teams-are-college-basketball-ats-mirages-97208.html

Have you thought about starting your own business? Have you started one and are having challenges with marketing, fear of failure, fear of success…I could go on and on. Has the question, Now what? ever entered your mind? If so, I would like to share my story with you. A journey, from corporate to business owner and everything in between.

After working in the corporate field for 25 years, an opportunity presented itself to start my own business, to work out of my home. I found a fulfilling profession in personal and business coaching. I love working with others helping them to achieve a better life for themselves. Although it was my choice to develop my own business, I did not have the marketing experience and desire I needed to build that client base. The truth is, I disliked (kind word) marketing, I didn’t want to sell and I knew I didn’t have what it takes to achieve this part of my business…or thought I didn’t have what it takes. The fact is, if I had a dollar for every time I said, “I’m not a marketing person,” I wouldn’t have to market my business; I’d be set for life.

I did the typical routine of sending some letters of introduction to my friends and business acquaintances, giving away sample coaching sessions and making a few calls that felt safe. I even put a few ads in the paper. I soon came to the reality that the phone was not going to ring and people were not going to approach me while I was sitting comfortably at my desk. Then a turning point came while I was standing in my office one afternoon. I realized I just wasn’t a person that could be an independent business owner - what was I thinking that I could do this? I decided I should quit and go back to an office job. At that moment I heard a voice; it was very clear. “If you quit before you’ve given it 100% you will be very disappointed in yourself for the rest of your life.”

I thought I’d give it one more try. How was I going to do this? I asked myself two basic questions. What did I need and what did I want? The answers I received were simple. I needed movement and I wanted color. At that point that was all I knew. I decided to trust that these answers would forward my direction in marketing and building my business. About one week later I drove past a juggling academy in Burnsville MN. Color, movement - I signed up. I started with a juggling class, networked with friends and business peers and developed a monthly call with other business owners about “manifesting” what you desire. I started looking at me; what made me tick, what energized me and when was I at my best. This became a time period of self-discovery. I had been so tied up in who I thought I wasn’t, I had forgotten who I was; a great team player, a great partner, the queen of brainstorming and resource extraordinaire. I thrived from the energy of others to help build my business. I needed diversity to keep things interesting and took a look at what really interested me. What were my strengths and what made me unique? I also looked at what was giving me energy and what was taking my energy. I decided to cut loose a part of my business that was draining rather than energizing. About 2 weeks later “Marketing On The Playground^(TM)” was born. I had created the space for what was supposed to come in by releasing what wasn’t working.

About 1-½ years have passed since I allowed myself this self-discovery time and gave myself permission to market my business “my way”. My business has blossomed into: 1) writing a booklet, “Marketing On The Playground^(TM).” 2) developing playshops and teleclasses to help others struggling with marketing their business 3) creating retreats for entrepreneurs that need time to get away and develop their ideas.

Here’s the bottom line. Discover what works for you. It should be an extension of your own strengths, passions and uniqueness. You have chosen to be in your own business; that took guts, passion and a desire for making a better life for yourself. Tell me again why you don’t think you have what it takes to market your business? If you have passions, interests, the strength, and I do mean strength to step into this world and set your own course, you have what it takes to market your business. Now, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

What was my secret for overcoming obstacles? “True” belief. Belief so strong that you are willing to stand up and overcome anything and everything that challenges your vision.

A Few Marketing Tips: . Give yourself “permission” to follow your own style as an extension of yourself. . Network and Market Through Your Strengths, Your Passions and Your Uniqueness. . Trust Yourself - You are the only one who has Your own unique talent to market Your business. . Look at what’s working and what’s not - If it’s not working do you need to cut it loose? . Believe in Yourself, and “Be”Yourself.

Hernning Parr
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/online-marketing-business-opportunity-91811.html

Who knew that building a web site and active online community would be the path to qualifying for the Beijing Olympic Games?

Craig Harkins, the owner and operator of Fencing.Net, recently learned that he had become one of only 5,600 members of media worldwide to earn a spot in Beijing covering the Olympic Games. The Atlantan will be going to Beijing in 2008 to report on the progress of the US Olympic Fencing Team as their members attempt to improve on the Gold and Bronze medal brought back from the 2004 Athens Games.

“When I was reporting on the Olympics in 2000, I was staying up late, using my Internet connection to view the fencing and relying on past interviews with the Olympians” said Craig Harkins. “After that, my goal was to make it to the next Olympics. When I learned that the USOC had awarded Fencing.Net a media credential for the Beijing Olympics, I did a little dance!”

Fencing.Net has been featured in the most recent publication of the United States Fencing Association and recognizedas a key site on Olympic Fencing by Yahoo!’s Olympic guide as far back as the 2000 Games. The site, found at http://www.fencing.net/ offers a wide range of information about the sport as well as up to date news, training tips, and a thriving community site where fencers can discuss the latest news and share tips and gossip.

“US Fencing is delighted to hear that fencing.net will be making the trip to Beijing. We know that the U.S. market will be provided with real-time news and interviews with the U.S. team and international athletes from across the world.” said Cindy Bent Findlay, Media Coordinator for the United States Fencing Association. “Fencing.net has taken reporting on our sport to a new level and so we look forward to more great coverage from Beijing.”

Since 1995, Fencing.Net has provided resources for beginning fencers as well as experienced fencers looking to improve their level of competitiveness in the sport. Now the company site has extended its services to help people find fencing clubs and camps in their area and to provide the necessary equipment for participation in the sport.

Harkins, who is taking a break from competitive fencing, now runs Fencing.Net as a full-time enterprise, having recently opened an online fencing equipment store at http://shop.fencing.net/.

Craig Harkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-a-web-site-became-a-ticket-to-the-2008-beijing-olympics-138764.html

In this globally connected workplace, every successful company is benefiting from outsourcing, be it India for IT and software development or China for manufacturing. Benefits of well managed outsourcing contracts and offshore development centers have proven their merit beyond any doubt. No one is questioning that outsourcing is a must but people are still not sure when to outsource in the lifecycle of a company?

For a start-up, this question becomes all the more challenging. Should you start outsourcing at an early stage (self/angel funded) or rather wait for significant venture capital (VC) money to come in before going for an offshore presence? What if you are successful and need to expand development and sales at a rapid pace? Can you outsource effectively on a short notice or will it be too late? What if you outsource early and the venture runs into rough weather? Are you taking too much liability on your head?

This article tries to answer some of these questions and, as a founder of a start-up, helps you to determine the right time to outsource.

Here are ten reasons why a start-up should outsource early rather late. When we say early, we mean the start-up is funded by founders or an angel investor and yet to secure VC funding:

1) You have the funds to increase the R&D team to about 3-4 strength but you just do not have the bandwidth to do all the running around to do the hiring yourself. An HR manager would be a wasted overhead. How do you proceed?

  - An effective outsourcing partner will understand your skillset requirements and does all the ground work to shortlist effective candidates. They will also administer a qualification test as per your benchmark. You can review results, do a call with candidate and then give final approval. Outsourcing company will manage everything else and build a team for you with minimal demands on your precious time.

2) You have funds to ramp-up development but you are not able to attract best of the talent since you are really a start-up with a yet to be proven business model? There is limited talent available locally and people are reluctant to join start-ups. What do you do?

   - An effective outsourcing partner can attract best of the local talent in countries like India, where plenty of talent is available in almost all verticals. You can have a world class development team at a short notice.

3) You have funds which you would rather spend on team ramp-up rather then building the support infrastructure (office rent, communications, administration etc.). How do you proceed?

    - Outsourcing will solve this problem. Outsourcing partner will provide the complete infrastructure and you do not need invest a penny in the same.

4) As a founder you want to focus 100% of your energy (and expertise) on product development itself. You do not want your focus to be diluted by handling admin/HR/IT related issues. How do you manage this conflict as you build your team?

    - An effective outsourcing partner should be able to manage all administration, HR, payroll and IT related issues without having to take your cycles. You will be work 100% of your time on quality R&D work with the offshore team.

5)  As a founder, your next milestone is to secure VC funding and you would rather focus on activities leading to funding closure. Does outsourcing help?

    - Yes, very much indeed. All the angel/VC investors are well informed about the benefits of outsourcing. Most of them are invested in companies which have substantial off-shore teams. It creates a positive opinion when they see you, as a start-up, leveraging from offshore centers fairly early in the game.

6) After securing funding, your next priority is to target high growth markets such as India/China at minimal costs? Does outsourcing have a play here?

    - Absolutely yes. If you already have an offshore development presence, you can very quickly build upon it to set-up a business development office and start tapping the local market. Support will not be an issue since you already have team in place. A good outsourcing partner should be able to help you to build a strategy for India/China market and get you the right local partners. This can save you about 8-12 months of ground work and increase your chances of success in the first go.

7) Agreed that start-ups should outsource early in the game. But what about protecting the IPR? Isn’t that taking a big risk?

    - Depends upon the outsourcing model you choose. It is a risk if you outsource as a one-off project either on time and material or a fixed price contract basis. However, if you choose build-operate-transfer model, the risks are minimal.  To know more about the best outsourcing model for start-ups, refer to http://www.articlesbase.com/outsourcing-articles/best-outsourcing-model-for-startups-508166.html

Resource:

Samadhan Systems is a technology services company which helps start-ups to set-up offshore operations on a build-operate-transfer basis without having to invest any significant $$s upfront. Several start-ups have used our IncubationPlus program to expedite development and reduce their time to become a successful company. www.samadhansys.com

Mr. Suresh Kabra
http://www.articlesbase.com/outsourcing-articles/ten-reasons-why-startups-should-outsource-early-584067.html

Increase Your Business with Opt-In Lists

There are a number of myths related to internet marketing that need to be addressed. These misconceptions are indeed an obstacle and may well thwart your business from generating a significant profit if you do not understand the fallacies built up around the use of opt-in lists.

Myth Number 1: Not everyone uses e-email

Almost every person in the globalised world has access to the internet. In reality, virtually every literate individual has access to e-mail. The simplicity and availability of e-mail allows users around the world to stay informed and remain in contact. This is why e-mail marketing has become one of the foremost marketing tools adopted by businesses the world over. This is evident in the numerous entry forms available on the internet, asking users to opt-in before processing the various transactions and page requests. The fact is that e-mail is a successful online marketing tool.

Myth Number 2: E-mail campaigns may offend people

The easy way to ensure recipients of your e-mail marketing campaign are not offended is to ask their permission. By utilising only permission-based advertising, you will reach an audience who has signed up, or opted-in, to receive such advertising campaigns from you. Everyone becomes a winner.

Myth Number 3: It makes no sense mass e-mailing so many people

By filtering your opt-in subscribers through their profiles, you can ensure that your e-mail campaign is limited to those that may offer your business better metrics and a higher return on investment. By not sending e-mail campaigns to those who do not fall under your target category, you are only targeting those who might be interested in what you have to offer.

The truth about building opt-in lists

Having cleared up any confusion relating to myths about e-mail marketing, you will now find out how to benefit from utilising e-mail campaigns through opt-in lists.

Building an opt-in list may not be as easy as it seems for the novice. The following information and tips allow you to succeed in your e-mail marketing campaign.

1.Strategic Data Collection

By understanding your audience you will be able to launch strategic marketing campaigns. Information gathered voluntarily from your opt-in users should include their full name and e-mail address, as well as more precise information relating to demographics. Ensure that opt-in profiles are regularly updated to ensure the relevance and success of your e-mail marketing campaigns.

2. Implementation

There are numerous methods and programs available to facilitate the collection of data for an opt-in database. Building an opt-in list no longer has to be laborious and specific information can often be retrieved with a few clicks of a mouse.

You should also utilise technology to track your e-mail marketing campaign and ensure its effectiveness. The results from tracking your current campaign can help to make other future campaigns more effective. You should also closely monitor the high traffic users within your opt-in database and note their activity and interests for successful future campaigns.

You don’t need to blow the budget whilst leveraging various online channels. The following tips provide you with information on how to maximise the success of your opt-in list:

1. Make the best use of your web site

Your web site is the perfect data collection tool. Add a form inviting visitors to consent to receiving e-mail marketing campaigns and offers.

2. Make use traditional advertising mediums

This includes the use of brochures, direct mail, print advertisements, radio and television. Always ensure your web site is legible and visible throughout any advertising campaigns. Inviting visitors to the site for the purpose of offering more information is an ideal tool for increasing opt-ins through sign-ups for offers and other campaigns. Free e-newsletters, or e-blasts, and reward programs draw loyalty and return users to your site.

3. Maximize your sales force.

Your sales force can maximise your return on investment by utilising e-mail as a form of correspondence. By strategically providing the option of special offers and programs through e-mail, your team is able to increase your opt-in numbers.

4. Don’t make your point of sale pointless.

Employ every available space. High footfall locations such as the area around cash registers can be a great way to increase your opt-in list. By offering the opportunity to receive further information on special offers and incentive days, you can draw in greater numbers of opt-in consumers to your list.

5. Conferences and trade shows

Through offering the opportunity to ‘win it big’ in a sweepstake you can increase your opt-in list greatly. It is important not to apply too much complication and too many questions to the form that might deter interested parties from submitting their details. You don’t want to frustrate your audience and you certainly want to gain their trust, so keep the forms as simple as possible.

Armed with this knowledge of opt-ins, you can confidently increase the success of your marketing campaigns through building a business opt-in lists.

For even more info on this, please visit my website www.ebookscomputer.com.

Good Luck!

Jeff Spires

Jeff Spires
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-marketing-articles/increase-your-business-with-optin-lists-265940.html

Network marketing is a good and viable business option for anyone who has a goal.Based on my experience,network marketing offers more advantages than disadvantages.Here what I consider it’s general advantages/disadvantages:

The pros are:

-Very minimal startup costs compared to starting a franchise/brick and mortar business

-Flexible Scheduling

-Residual income

-Established infrastructure/plan.

-Potential for time/financial freedom

-Create the only true partnerships in business and make friends as well

-Presence of a sponsor/mentor to guide you throughout.

The cons are:

-Like any other business, there are good companies, and bad companies. If you’re not careful, you could get caught up in a bad company

-Certain companies may limit your creativity by putting some restrictions on advertising/marketing.

-You may have to compete with your peers in your area/region

-Frustration for new recruits who don’t receive proper support from their upline

-High failure rate

-Have to learn a lot

In MLM the key to being in the 5%(successful) and not the 95%(unsuccessful) is mentoring.

Why is franchising the most successful business model? It is because there is a system to follow which includes ongoing support and training(mentoring).

Because of the low start-up investment in MLM you attract many folks who are not self motivating or business savvy. Thus if there isn’t a strong mentoring program or upline mentor to guide them they give up/quit, or as the negatroids call it, fail.

Look for a solid debt free company with a product that is in demand, and, most importantly, make sure your sponsor is willing to take you by the hand and lead you every step of the way.

BUT, you yourself must work hard, invest in your business and eventually go from student to teacher/mentor to your people as well, if you want to be in the 5%.Look for company management with experience, timing in the company and the industry, a remarkable product, a compensation plan that pays its part-timers and a duplicatable system.

In a nutshell, those are the five essential pillars every company must have in place for YOU to be successful.

I believe that it works if YOU are willing to work. Think about it like a brick and mortar business. You have to invest in it. You have to be creative. You have to treat it like a job. Determine what hours and days you are going to work on it and Be there!! On time!! Find a mentor who is successful and follow them!

The truth is more people probably make full-time incomes promoting the direct sales income opportunities like | Liberty League International | Emerald Passport | Coastal Vacations | and while the “start-up” costs for these companies may be higher ( at least they are commonly perceived that way ) it takes no more effort to promote a plan where you earn $1000-25,000 per customer than it takes to promote an mlm where you earn a $5.oo residual per customer (who stays on autoship).

The direct sales companies are set up not only to attract people who have some funds to start a serious home business with early retirement potential, but also to sort of screen out those who are not capable of building such a business. People who get reactive over investing $1500.oo in starting a business are not the people you want for any team

People who are worthy of success will show merit in any situation, however, with the direct sales model it is much easier to spend valuable time only dealing with and mentoring those who are truly serious about building a business and back that up with an investment of time, money, and energy.

Lets have no illusions about what the real product of the MLM industry is: its the dream of easy big money for people with little education and no history of success in business. The vitamins, tonics, magnets, gas pills or whatever are the products that legitimize the industry, no doubt. And its great if you stand proudly behind the product you promote. But the real money is made by recruiting business builders who have been sold on the same dream we bought. Don’t forget it.

Alexandre Sobolevskiy
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-business-articles/pros-and-cons-of-a-network-marketing-business-229673.html

Working a day job has long been the norm for vast numbers of us, waking early and punching a clock in the morning before beginning a day exactly the same as the previous one. All that could be changing for the smarter ones of us though, because there has literally never been a better time to start your own home based business. You may have several personal reasons to quit your job, but there are a few here that you probably haven’t considered:

1. Freedom - I don’t mean financially or time-wise or whatever, I mean freedom to start whatever kind of business you want. With the advent of the internet, people can run literally any kind of business from the comfort of their own home. Let’s say you’ve always wanted a classic car polishing business? No problem. How about a mobile flooring business? No problem. What’s more, the internet coupled with the amount of franchise opportunities available these days means that there has never been more choice for a would-be entrepreneur.

2. Income Potential - How much do you make at your day job? Happy with that amount? Well imagine if you were the one with the purse strings…Not only that, but think for a second about all those ideas you had when you first started working there - the ideas that your bosses were too stiff to implement…Ideas become income very fast when you work for yourself, and that’s why even a small business has the income potential to outstrip even the most well paid salaries.

3. Personal Growth/Education - Imagine that you’ve just launched a new line of products online, and they are so popular that your webpage crashes. Nightmare scenario huh? Now imagine that the programmer you hired is on vacation and you can’t reach him, but you’re losing money every second that the page is down. What do you do? You learn, you research, and after a few false starts you fix the problem yourself. Remember, Necessity is the mother of invention, and no lesson is learned as well as one you have had to teach yourself. You’ll be amazed at how capable you become and how much you’ve learned even after just a small time with your own business. Mark my words; some of your best days with your own business will be days that something went wrong!

4. The Ability to Be Yourself - Fed up with having to make mindless small talk just to fit in? How about having to make nice around the boss and pretend to give a damn about his son’s ball games? How about having to dress and behave in a certain way because it’s what others expect? Office politics soon become a thing of the past when you run your own business-you can behave how you want, wear want you want and for once people will be sucking up to YOU!

5. Financial Security - “Sorry to tell you Steve, but things are tight this year so we’re letting people go-your name was first out of the hat so it’s you. Sorry.” Sound familiar? Well if you are the top dog there will be no fear of redundancy, corporate reshuffles, or streamlining or any other buzzword for being given the boot-You will be calling the shots so your job will ALWAYS be set in stone. You will also find that business ideas and conventions are similar across many different industries, so should your new venture begin to struggle, you will be ready to dabble in other ventures or boost your income from other markets.

6. Confidence - You are at your partner’s office party. Their boss asks you what you do and you tell him you own your own business. He shakes your hand and wants to know more about it. Instant respect. Now rewind and imagine that you told him you were a desk jockey for some big faceless corporation. His eyes gloss over and he’s forgotten you instantly. When you own your own business it gives you an instant credibility with new people which can be used to endless advantage.

7. Tax Breaks - It may seem crude but it can REALLY be worth your while to use your home as a working environment. Not only will there be tax breaks on everything from household utilities and furniture, but imagine what you will be saving on transport and lunches etc-you will be in profit before you even earn a penny!

8. Pride - Who wouldn’t be proud of running their own business? How many people can say they have a job they are proud of? I’d bet the farm that it’s less than 10%. It’s not just the feeling of pride that’s the benefit, but how the pride motivates you. Who wants to admit to their family and friends that they let their business go down the pan by not being diligent enough? Nobody, and that’s why you won’t let it happen!

I know I said it before, but there really has never been a better time for you to break free of the grind and start your own business. Don’t you owe it to yourself to at least look around and see what all the fuss is about?

Dave Origano
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/eight-reasons-for-you-to-quit-that-pesky-9-to-5-now-128271.html

Baccarat simple to learn

The greatest thing about the online casino game of Baccarat is its simplicity. You can easily learn the game and become an expert in a very short time. As a player you will be required to decide on the sort bet you will make. Your function ends here and it is the dealer who then starts functioning. Whether to pay the money or get the money will depend on the final outcome of the hand. Mini Baccarat is the more common form of Baccarat that is prevalent these days.

Baccarat Lingo

The best way to learn any UK casino game is to start by getting familiar with the lingo that is used for the game. Once you get to know and understand the lingo the game becomes quite easy. Hence, let us first take a look at the following terminology used while playing Baccarat:

House edge – The advantage that the online casino has over the player is called the house edge.

Banker – This entails betting either on the player or on the dealer.

Tie bet – When the bet made is tie between the dealer and the player.

Vigorish – There is a 5% commission that is paid on the banker that wins. This is called vigorish.

Shoe – The cards that are to be dealt for the game are kept in this box.

Natural – When one of the hands adds up to 8 or 9 points it is a natural.

The Basics

The game is played in an entirely different area in the UK casino. At the baccarat table you are likely to find 3 dealers and around 12 to 14 players. There are basically three types of situations. The first situation involves the Banco or the banker bet. The second situation involves the Punto or the player bet. The third and more rare situation involves the standoff or the tie bet. In most online casinos there is a dealer to deal the pack of cards but certain casinos allow the player to take turns in dealing the cards. All the players take turn in making their bets. It is the usual norm to make a bet on the bank. If you do not wish to deal you may move the shoe to the player beside you. One player keeps the shoe till the bank wins and when the Punto wins the shoe moves to the subsequent player.

Now this is how the game goes. The dealer deals out two separate hands and each player takes a bet. The payment ratio is 1:1 if it is not a tie bet situation. If you win on the Banco you will have to pay a commission of 5% to the casino, this has more probabilities of winning. This is not applicable in case of the Punto. Every individual hand will have two to three cards. One hand is kept under the shoe face down while the other one is given face down to the player with the highest Punto bet who returns it to the dealer after seeing it. The dealer now sees both the hands, and a second casino dealer declares the result of the game and the winner. The hand that has the highest score will win. In case of a natural no extra card is dealt out. When there is no natural a third card may be dealt out.

Rules

The game is generally played with either six or eight decks of cards. The 10s and face cards do not have any worth. The other cards are worth their face value and Aces are worth 1 point. When the total adds up to a two-digit number the left digit is dropped. For instance a 12 is taken as a 2. We have already seen that a third card is dealt out under special circumstances. There are several rules that apply to this third card. There are separate rules applicable for the player and separate ones for the bank. Let’s first take a look at the rules that are applicable for the player.

• When there is a natural hand a third card cannot be dealt out.

• The player’s total score should be 5 or less for the third card to be dealt out.

• When the player does not take a third card the bank can take it with a score less than or equal to 5.

• When the player takes a third card the bank’s ability to draw a third card will depend on certain specific rules.

Now we’ll take a look at the rules that are applicable for the bank. They are given below.

• The bank can take a third card when its score is less or equal to 2 (irrespective of the value of the player’s third card)

• It can take a third card when its score is 3 but not if the player’s thirds card is 8.

• It can also take a third card when the score is 4 but not if the player’s third card is 0, 1, 8 or 9.

• When the bank’s score is 5 it can take a third card but not when the player’s third card reads between 4 and 7.

• Again when the bank’s score is 6 and when the player’s third card is not 6 or 7 the bank can draw a third card.

• Finally when the bank’s score equals 7 it has to stand.

House edge

When the player makes a bet on his/her own hand the house edge is 1.24%. When it is made on the banker’s hand it is 0.6% (in case of a 4% house cut) or 1.06% (when the house cut is 5%). When it is a case of a tie bet the house edge is 5% (in the best situation) and more than 14% (in the worst situation).

Caution

Any form of gambling, including baccarat, can turn out to be addictive and you should therefore be careful. In addition, when you play baccarat in an online casino, you should take special care to go to a site that is fairly well known and has a good reputation.

Online gambling and casino

Well, time is changed next few years. Developed new technology and all counties will be connected online. Major people make use of internet for playing online games like online casino, online roulette, online slot, online poker and online bingo. Baccarat is played online too on Internet and it is great fun for the players.

Online Scenario…

The basis of all casino online games is the brick and mortar ones. Unlike the offline, casinos the casinos online have tremendous flexibility and are in a constant phase of evolution. The game play software both online and downloadable will go a sea change in time to come as programmers work their minds and come up with greater permutations and combinations to make gaming more alluring and thrilling. The Internet has become the most popular intermediate for people to play bingo game and online casino game on the net. The game played in an online gaming or gambling sites (as it is also known) in United Kingdom is known as UK bingo or UK casino. Playing from within the comfort of your own home is certainly more fun as compared to playing in crowded parlors and parties. Not only does the Internet enable you to play various exciting versions of bingo, roulette, slot, and crap but also facilitates relations across the cyber world. The chat rooms offer great medium to transfer information and enhance the expertise of the players. Internet casino sites allow you to play casino games or gambling on the web.

Easy to download

The sites have downloadable the software to play games or you can play games online from the software that is installed there on the site itself. The online casino sites offer many online gambling games like free bingo online, keno, craps,play black jack,roulette, poker, and online slot. These are very popular games on the Internet and are played fro jackpot, bonus and cash rewards. You can win big cash money from deposits at some online bingo portals on Net.

Use portal to play online games

Take help from gambling resources like article on strategies, tip, advice, rules, news reviews, and offers to keep you informed on latest updates and promotions in casino gambling in UK and worldwide. There are various types of portals on www to play casino online that offer free gaming or gambling, free game, cash bonus, rewards, jackpot, fortune and no deposit gaming. Many portals on gambling online offer list or directory of online casino sites and online casino halls that offers online roulette, online bingo, craps online, free blackjack game, online slot, and video slot.

Free gamble on Net is fun to play, and you can win fortune get cash rewards, bonus, and a big jackpot. Free gaming site is the best for betting on Internet. Learn about gambling strategy, rules from experts and old hands. Cyber chatting is an added attraction for online bingo players as it helps them meet new friends. It is truly an exhilarating feeling to hit the jackpot in an online bingo game and have someone interesting from the chat room congratulate you on a great gaming fortune.

Jwaltz
http://www.articlesbase.com/online-gambling-articles/learn-how-to-play-baccarat-game-112589.html