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How to Survive Being Broke

Losing your job is never easy, but in a tanked economy it can be a disaster.

So you’ve just been laid off. You’re frantic about what to do because you don’t have any savings. Your bills are not suddenly going to disappear. How in the world will you make it until you have a regular income again? Do not fear, because we have 7 tips that can help you keep cash coming in and pay your bills.

The very first thing to do before trying to make more money is eliminate all your unnecessary bills. If you have some optional monthly expense that you can do without, cancel it. Cut back on eating out, going to the movies, and anything else you normally do that isn’t absolutely essential.

Apply for anything. If you are desperate for funds, one of the most productive things you can do is apply for a job. Any job. It doesn’t matter if you’re overqualified. Some income is better than no income.

Tell your friends you are looking for work. Let’s be honest. If you have a personal connection to a potential job, you are more likely to land the job than someone without that personal connection. Even if your friends don’t know of a full-time job that you are qualified for, they may know of something part time that can help.

Find freelance work online. If you can write or take a picture, you can find work online. Web sites such as AOL’s Seed.com offer talented freelancers the opportunity to make some extra income doing things they already enjoy. When searching for freelance work, however, be careful about getting involved with any site that requires you to pay an up-front fee. Those sites can be scams to get your money and not deliver results. Look for reviews of the site from people who have used it, to be sure you're actually going to get what you pay for.

Check the classifieds - religiously! You may think of the classifieds as a place to look for a full-time job, but lots of short term opportunities also exist. You can take a look at both the newspaper as well as the posts on Craigslist.org in your area to see if there may be something you are qualified to do. Another alternative is to create your own ad, announcing the services you offer. Again, beware of people that want your personal or financial information before offering you work.

Sell your stuff. It may be painful, but desperate times call for desperate measures. You can hold a yard sale to get rid of some of the things you don’t really need. If you aren’t in the mood to hold a yard sale, you can try taking your more expensive items to a pawn shop in order to get some quick cash.

Sell your body. No, we are not referring to prostitution. It’s possible to make a little money selling plasma, sperm, or eggs. Human plasma is something that exists in your blood that you can be paid for. It’s not a huge amount of money, but it does add up and it is decent money for sitting still for a few hours. Check with your local Red Cross if you are interested in selling plasma. If you’re a man, you can contact a sperm bank to see if they are seeking donations. If you can make it through the rigorous screening process then it is possible you can be paid to donate sperm. If you are a woman, you can donate your eggs to be used in fertility treatments. Of all the options mentioned here, donating eggs is the most lucrative. If you are interested, check with a local fertility center.

Welfare. Yes, we went there. If you are completely out of options and you simply have no way of making money, welfare may be the way to go. There are many different programs designed to help people that need financial assistance. Don’t let pride keep you from something that can help you get back on your feet. To find out what programs are offered in your area (and the requirements!), check with your local government.

So there you have it…seven great ways to keep some money coming in even when your full time job is no longer there. Lacking a source of income can be a huge inconvenience, but it is possible to survive until you can land another full-time gig.

Mini Vacation Ideas for Couples

Isn't it more enjoyable to go on a couple of short vacations around the year, rather than going for a long vacation? And for couples, mini vacations are perfect antidotes to grinding chores and rigorous working hours. Therefore, a short break is essential to spend some quality time with each other, lighten up moods and cherish love once again. Some of the worth mini vacation ideas for couples involve spending moments of togetherness on the mini vacation destinations. But planning a trip within constraint of time is not always easy. So try something different this time.

There are ample options for weekend getaways. Remember, days are limited and you need to quickly plan out the most romantic ideas for couples. So how go to ahead with the ideas? Relax folks! Just take help from the ideas in following segment on mini vacation for couples.

Mini vacation Ideas for Couples

Romance in the Air
The vacation is just for 3-4 days. You can stay back at home and enjoy each other's company. Don't miss the opportunity to spend some intimate moments with each other. Decorate your house with beautiful items and create an ambiance of love. Light aromatic candles inside your room and decorate with beautiful fresh flowers. Purchase some nice gifts that he likes and cook his favorite dish. Is there a better surprise than this? Spend the days in each other's company. Hug, kiss, cuddle and have fun! Re-kindle love and passion, and feel the air with romance. Imagining yourself? Just be patient till the day arrives.

Book a Beach Resort
Beaches always allure couples. If there's a beach nearby your residence, just book a beach hotel for few days. Enjoy the sun, sand and sea in each other's company. This is probably the best summer vacation idea for couples. Book a luxurious room by the sea side and adore the beauty of the sea from the balcony. Play indoor games, swim and bask. At night, stroll with your partner, shop and dine at exotic restaurants. Some of the beach resorts have wonderful spas. Get a good massage done to rejuvenate yourself. Enjoy your favorite cuisines and just spend the days in cool!

Outdoor Adventure
Vacations give you the opportunity to rev up your energy. If you are enthusiastic about outdoor sports, just set for an adventurous journey. Arrange your backpacks and head on. Travel in your personal vehicle so that you enjoy the liberty to halt in between the journey as per your need. You can also set up camping at a prime location or book a low budget hotel and put up for a couple of days. Trekking with your partner or visiting a wildlife sanctuary is a different experience when you are with your partner. The other options are snow skiing, yachting, scuba diving, kayaking, river rafting, bungee jumping, paragliding, etc. These activities are meant for couples who are highly energetic and have a true passion for challenging activities.

An Intellectual Treat
This is one of the most unique vacation ideas for couples, who have the urge to gather knowledge at every moment of their life. Although, the idea might be boring for some. Your working hours might not permit you to add new volumes of books to your home library. In 2 or 3 days you can make a list of your favorite books. Procure them from the nearest library or purchase from bookstores. If both of you have avid interest for reading, just do it in the holidays. This doesn't mean reading 24 hours! In between, watch your favorite movies eat and drink. I hope this mini vacation idea will be liked by couples who are eager to improve their intellect at every point. Henceforth, a worth intellectual treat!

I'm sure you will love to adopt any of these mini vacation ideas for couples. Set your nerves to motion and feel the warmth of being in each other's company. Make the days special so that each moment spent is memorable in your life.

How to Ice Skate

Are you one of those who love to watch the skaters gliding on the ice? Do their twists, turns, lifts and their way of performing fills you with enthusiasm? If yes, then this article can help you for sure. Whether you want to take it as a game, as an exercise or just for fun, first you have to get into the basics of it. It's a bit technical but easy to learn. Trainer is always required for a better and perfect training but it is not difficult to learn ice skating. To learn how to ice skate for the first time, you may need some guidance. You can't directly jump to queries like how to ice skate backwards, how to twist, how to turn, etc. As a beginner you have to start from the scratch. Before starting, always remember if you are not in the skating arena, then check for the thick ice. Avoid going to the thin ice surface as speed is the only thing that can save you from breaking the ice and as you are a beginner, you very well know what your speed is. So let's start from the very basic question of things required for ice skating.

Things Required for Skating
Skates
When you start with skating, the first thing you should have is a good pair of skates. You should go for a good fitting skate so that it does not come out while skating. Instead of buying a new pair, take them on rent or borrow them from someone. As a beginner, you have to practice a lot and so, to save your new pair from being spoiled, start with the old ones. After getting used to it, you can switch to your new pairs.

Clothes
Where ever you go for skating, the temperature will be around 50ºF to 24ºF. So, it's very necessary to take care of your clothing. You should wear something which is warm and should also be comfortable, so that you can move your body easily. Gloves and mittens are compulsory as they not only protect you hands from cold but also give protection from injuries if you fall. Apart from this, helmets are optional but as a beginner wearing helmet will be a better idea.

Correct Posture for Skating
Proper posture, good skates and a will to learn something new are some of the important points, if you are looking for how to ice skate for beginners. Posture is very important for balancing. If you don't maintain a proper posture you will not be able to balance yourself on the slippery ice. Avoid leaning forward to minimize the risk of falls. Chin-up, chest out, body straight, knees slightly bend, hands and arms to your side, hips over your heels, weight over the instep, etc. These are some of the most important postures to have a good balance. If you do not have figure skates and you are practicing with hockey skates, you have to put you weight to the front side of the blades as they lack the tail of figure skates.

How to Ice Skate?
Now after getting good skates and an idea of good posture, follow the below mentioned steps to start with the practice. You may like to get familiar with some common ice skating terms before learning how to ice skate.

Try to walk on the rinks as they have rubber matting that makes a good grip on the skates and also helps you to get an idea of balancing with the skates.
Now try to walk on the edges of the rink while holding the wall or the railing given at the end of the rink. This will make you understand the friction of ice and will help you to balance with skates.
Leave the wall and start balancing without holding anything. Take you hands up but not above the shoulder level and bend you knees a little.
Now you can start squats. For it, stand up straight, arms in front of you and feet at hip distance. Then start the squats. Repeat it till you become comfortable doing it with balance. Try keeping your eyes in front.
It is said that you stand more strongly after a fall. So, fall is the best thing to make you learn. While practicing ice skate, you are bound to fall or we can say to learn how to stand you have to fall. So fall accidentally or purposely the thing is you have to fall.
After the fall, try to stand up slowly. First try to sit in a kneeling position and hands on ice in front. Now put one foot in between your hands and then the next one. Now try to stand up slowly.
Now start sliding. Lean on your front foot and with the help of your back foot try to push the front foot in the diagonal direction. Keep on repeating the process with the other foot.
Many people wonder how to ice skate faster as to copy their famous ice skaters. This step will probably solve your query. Just try to give extra flick to the ankle and toe. This flick should be at the end of every stroke and keep your knees bent. It will give you power and you will glide with your ice skate.
Now the question is how to ice skate backwards? So, for this form a 'v' with your feet and push them apart. Pull your feet together so that you can touch your toes, separate the feet and again pull them together so that your heels touch.
Now you should learn about how to stop while skating. There are many methods for stopping in the ice. They are hockey stop for ice hockey, snowplow stop, and, the t-stop. Best stop for beginners is the snowplow stop. Rest of the two stops are difficult and should be practiced after you get the techniques of ice skating. For snowplow slightly bend your knees and point your toes towards each other. Then slightly push your heels outside and try to slide while making a 'v'. Try to apply pressure on the inner edges.

So, now that you know how to ice skate backward and in front, you will definitely be excited about how to ice skate in hockey? But my suggestion is to learn ice skate in hockey under a good supervision of a coach or a trained professional. Here we can give you ice skating tips and techniques but your real experience and speed will come only when you will be on the ice skating arena or field. So, try the above given tricks and keep practicing with lots of fun.

Online blackjack playing culture

Some games are known for their spirit of union and excitement of acting as a team and it's quite common in team sports such as football, baseball and basketball. However, some individual games are known for the same level of adrenaline rush and for many it will be a real surprise to learn that some online casino players describe their excitement just like football players would do.

One of the games that is known for its excitement and exquisite tension that makes the player as involved as with a physical sport is of course blackjack. And no big surprise that some many online casino players choose this particular game when entering numerous online casino sites all over the world.

The cultures of online and real world blackjack playing are quite different despite the fact that it's pretty much the same game being played. The main difference is of course that when playing online you're playing alone, usually in the comfort of your home without the typical distractions and tension you get in brick-and-mortar casinos. Of course, there's a downside to it - you don't get the thrill and excitement that make blackjack games so exciting.

People who play blackjack form close communities because they are very passionate about the game, And taking the fact that it's all in all a gambling game where the stakes can go sky high and earn the winners a fortune, sometimes the communication between blackjack players can seem to be a bit esoteric to those who are not in the game.

That's what online blackjack is famous for - there are numerous specialized forums that form communities of players all over the world. The Internet lets many players communicate regardless of their location, and when there are many people sharing the same passion for such thing as playing blackjack online you can definitely say that there's a real culture behind it.

Just with any other game-specific forums and communities you can get lost and confused the first time you enter such an online community. They are quite often based around online casinos where you can play blackjack anytime, and discuss the game after you had your fun at the online table. Of course, some forums are more open to newbies than the others and with some communities you will find it hard to communicate with other players if they haven't seen you in the casino.

Still, without a doubt, the Internet has revolutionized the culture of blackjack, turning it into a global phenomenon rather than a local community-based game, revolving around clubs and real casinos. Regardless of your location, you can play blackjack online, take part in tournaments with large prizes, win real money and discuss the strategies and experience with other players who enjoy playing blackjack just like you do. And you don't need to pack your bags and go to a city where playing blackjack is legal. All you need is a good Internet connection and plenty of time to enjoy this exciting game.

Which planet has the shortest day?

Jupiter is the largest planet, and it has the shortest day. Although Jupiter has a circumference of 280,000 miles, compared with Earth's 25,000, Jupiter manages to make one turn in 9 hours and 55 minutes.

How old was Queen Cleopatra

Cleopatra was no older than 18 when she became the queen of Egypt. Despite her glamorous image today, she is depicted on ancient coins with a long hooked nose and masculine features. Yet she was a very seductive woman. It was reported that she had a lovely singing voice, exuded great charm, and was very intelligent. She spoke nine languages (she was the first Ptolemy pharaoh who could actually speak Egyptian) and was considered a shrewd politician.