Free Online Blackjack

The Monetizer used to be more of a gambler, with the game of choice being roulette. If you're reading this entry from anywhere besides the United States or Canada, you may enjoy the gambling site BlackJack Club which offers online black jack. BlackJack Club's motto is "where the smart players come to win". However, the smart players can only be gamblers in Europe and the rest of the world. Players outside of the US & Canada will surely enjoy the chance to play online slot machines, table games and fun 3-D games for free or money.

First off, BlackJack Club has a slick and stylish gaming look and feel to its site. Done in all black, red and white colors with great images of casino games, there's no question what the site is all about or has to offer. The site offers virtual casino gaming and some great promotions to give free money. In a current promotion, the site is offering to give gamblers a 50% bonus on their first deposit to the site. So if your initial deposit is $100, you'll be given $50 additional. On your second deposit the site is giving a 100% bonus. So $100 becomes $200, $200 becomes $400 and so forth. There's other promotions as well such as $100/pounds for getting a friend to join the site, weekend Double and Triple points on slot games and more! It's always nice to gamble with some free money for the chance to win even more money, so I'd fully recommend this site if you're the gambling sort from Europe or elsewhere. There's also loyalty reward points gamblers can accumulate for every 20 dollars or pounds bet in particular games. 25 Reward Points equal 1 US dollor or a pound. This encourages the gambler to continue playing while racking up more money to play with!

It still is unfortunate that the site won't allow players from US or Canada, but this is due to various gambling regulations and completely understandable. The site also offers some great looking, cutting edge 3-D games worth checking out at the link here:

http://www.blackjackclub.com/en/upcoming-games/

These games include table card games like "War", "Penguin's Playground" (a virtual slot machine based in a frozen Penguin world) and "Lucky Shot", a golfing game. All of the games look fun, so again it's a shame this isn't available in the US!

If you're outside of the US or Canada and enjoy gambling, stop by and check out BlackJack Club's free blackjack option where you can play for free on a Flash/instant play page. The site also offers support via phone, email or live chat for those needing assistance. With its fun gambling and game environment, BlackJack Club is sure to be a great site for gamblers around the world!

Ximmy & Minimum Payouts

A newer website the Monetizer has been promoting is called Ximmy.com. With this site you earn $10 per every 1000 points you earn as a member there. Points are earned by commenting (1pt) on submitted URL news or if a URL item you submit earns front page status (15 pts), making it very similar to Digg. Digg doesn't offer up any money to its users though which is why I'd prefer spending time giving Ximmy comments. Some people may say "who cares about $10?" but money for website participation is always nice.

Another aspect of Ximmy is if you become an affiliate of their site, you earn 50 cents per member you refer to join. Ximmy states that you'll receive payout once you've earned $25, and they start you with $5 for being an affiliate. Be forewarned with this, you will need to earn $25 in referrals "in addition" to the $5 you start with. So basically, refer 50 members, you'll be payed $30 the 1st of the following month.

Keep this in mind with most of the online earning programs. They may give an initial reward, like Widgetbucks or Shopping Ads both do, but then you will need to earn the minimum threshold amount "in addition" to what you start with. Either way, free money is free money!

If interested, check out the Ximmy site here.

Experience Rome with Romaclick

Of all the vacations I've taken so far, one of my favorites was definitely Roma, the historic city of Rome. Surveying the various historic statues, ruins, landmarks and ancient remains makes you feel like you're walking back in time, as a part of ancient history. It's quite impressive, from walking through the large open Colosseum where gladiators competed, seeing the gorgeous Spanish Steps, throwing a coin into Trevi fountain and viewing the beautiful Vatican along with its brilliantly painted ceilings. There was also the Boca de la Verdad or "Mouth of Truth". Most tourists stop by the statue of a face with an open mouth, and get a picture with their hand in the mouth. Legend says if you have one less hand after that it's because you aren't an honest individual.

I'd recommend everyone see Rome and all it has to offer at least once in their lifetime. If you need to plan this sort of trip, I also recommend doing your homework ahead of time. A website which can be quite helpful is Romaclick.com, which offers information on Rome hotels and Rome apartments should you decide to make an extended trip.

Romaclick.com is run by two individuals who know Rome quite well, Mauro and Paolo. As residents of Rome, they are familiar with all it has to offer, and able to give valuable advice regarding travel within Italy. Their website recommends plenty of hotel choices located central to all the major attractions of Rome. The best aspect of the site is that Mauro and Paolo have seen or been at all of the hotels their site recommends, allowing them to personally let you know of the benefits of any Rome accomodation. They give recommendations for areas travelers should consider staying at based on their age or financial ability. Overall, the Romaclick site has a great clean and stylish look to it, displaying an easily navigated menu, searches and advice along with pictures showcasing all Rome has to offer. One additional feature which stood out was how easy they make it to contact them for info. Whether using email, a live chat feature or Skype communication, they are ready to answer any questions or concerns a traveler may have.

I found the Romaclick site to be very comprehensive in what it has to offer travelers; everything from recommended places to stay, help with finding cars/transportation, bed and breakfast spots, tours and more. If I had known of this resource prior to my trip, it definitely would have been consulted for planning purposes. Visit Romaclick.com at http://www.romaclick.com/ for more info, and definitely see Rome if you get the opportunity. Ciao Bella!

Freegans & the Secret Science of Getting Rich

In today's lesson, the Monetizer will tie 3 concepts together: a “Freegan” episode of Oprah, "The Secret" and "The Science of Getting Rich", because they all relate, yet Freegans are in opposition to money making concepts.

First off, if you aren't familiar with a "Freegan" they are individuals trying to make a statement by living below financial means. They are trying to tell corporate America they won't be induced into constant buying to "keep up with the Jones's" or the latest trends. So what they do is go to great lengths to essentially "trash pick" for items that will be free. These items include furniture, office supplies, clothing and yes even food.

The food part is probably the toughest to "swallow", so to speak, because not many of us would go dumpster hunting for food, or consider it sanitary. The Freegans go to dumpsters outside of grocery stores. On Oprah's show, they went on a large group tour of one dumpster site at nighttime and were able to retrieve items like eggs, cupcakes, breads, vegetables and other thrown out foods. They amassed a pile of usable food, and even the host was ready to take some baked goods. They said that grocery stores throw out usable items which basically could go to the homeless, but supermarkets generally fear lawsuits. Oprah's message was to think about how much stuff we waste in our daily lives, and what it’s costing us. The Freegan truly wants to send the message that they don't need so many things at top dollar, and they don't need to live extravagantly. The Monetizer also believes that all consumers make choices of what they buy and what they have to have. The "freegan ideology" is really a personal choice and commitment to a certain lifestyle, just as making money is.

That brings me to an interesting book called The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles. Wattles' book opens with the chapter titled "Your Right to Be Rich". His main point is that we all should strive for success in our lives and not be limited by beliefs such as "there aren't enough resources for us all". Those beliefs cause people to "just get by" or sacrifice rather than trying to advance and live the best life they can. So Wattles says we should strive to accumulate the riches we want by forming a clear picture and not letting it go. He offers many other steps in his scientific analysis for how to acquire riches, such as showing gratitude, choosing the right profession, acting in a certain way and not focusing on money problems. It's also Wattles' overall belief that the more wealth you have, the more completely you can live and experience things. This is a complete opposite focus from the Freegans shown on Oprah who say wealth makes us greedy and prone to buy more, giving corporations control of our happiness.

Wattles' book is also what inspired Rhonda Byrne to write her bestselling book The Secret . If you've read that book or heard of it, you may know its basic premise; You can attract to you the things you want by focusing properly. It's been described as a self help book by some, but can be better summed up as personal development. It's not all about wealth either, as it covers the secrets of relationships, health, life and You. I enjoyed this book and it's what made me pick up Wattle's book next. Both books are generally encouraging, and while some may view Wattles' book as a greedier read it still offers plenty of positive advice beyond money.

So I'd recommend two of the 3 things above. Check out The Secret and The Science of Getting Rich, as each book will put you on a better path towards acquiring wealth and success. I'd recommend becoming a Freegan to anyone who has a strong stomach and isn't so interested in acquiring wealth.