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The world never stands still too long. If it does, this may mean it's dying and has nowhere else to go. The eternal question for every business lucky enough to hit a winning formula is whether to change it and, if so, by how much and how quickly. In one shape or form, casinos have been around for centuries. They were gambling in Ancient China and Rome long before anyone thought of building in the Nevada desert. Yet, the basic idea has remained the same. If your luck is in, a small bet will win you a fortune. It's a remarkably seductive temptation. Just think. All you need is for the dice to fall just so, or the next card to be the 8. The games may change their appearance, but the principle of betting on the outcome of random events remains the same. To that extent, gambling never changes and probably never will change significantly. If there is change, it's superficial. Say, from the one-armed bandit invented by Charles Fey to the video slots version you start by the press of a button. This makes the arrival of online casinos the first real revolution for at least a century. People have always gathered together to gamble. It could be in a friend's home, a private club or a place with public access (often condemned as a "den"). The internet does away with the requirement for a "place". Now people can stay home and still enjoy the pure experience of gambling. It avoids the inconvenience and expense of travel, buying food and drinks in more impressive surroundings and, in many cases, finding somewhere to stay overnight. All you have to tolerate is the quality of the animation and the annoying soundtrack of "live" players and the games. Over the last decade, real world casinos have come under real competitive pressure. They are not doing too well. But, before you all celebrate, this means the states take less in revenue and, as their deficits rise, tax hikes may have to fill in the gap.

This article brings two "back-to-basics" gambits by the competing forms. Let's start in Atlantic City. There has been a significant drop in the number of players in all venues and for all games. The recession is biting hard. So, albeit only on a trial basis, the management has gone back to the $2 game at two blackjack tables. The thinking is easy to explain. High table minimums frighten away the learners and the more conservative gamblers. People want the maximum gambling experience for the least possible outlay. The casino assures us that, if the trial is a success, more tables will go back to the $2 minimum. Except there's a twist. If you only bet in the range $2 to $5, you pay a fee of 25 cents per hand as a "contribution toward the operating costs". It seems casino managements cannot resist biting gamblers in the ass.

Going to blackjack online, Microgaming is introducing a live dealer version. You will be able to interact with the no doubt sexy dealer through the wonder of streamed video. Better still, it makes the online experience more obviously "fair". Although we have all come to trust the RNG, it's always more reassuring to see someone deal real cards. Others can also Bet Behind on the seated players and you can book a seat with your favorite dealer. It will be interesting to see whether live dealers represent a new nail in the real world casinos' coffin.

Well, the inevitable has begun to happen. When the recession first hit and credit dried up, everyone predicted the casinos would lose out. If the banks squeeze credit, people cannot maintain their levels of discretionary spending and, sadly, gambling is always going to be one of the choices made less often. The prediction then ran on: if fewer people go into casinos and those that do go spend less, the casinos will find their profits under pressure. At this point, the forecasters would take a deep breath. This will not be a problem so long as the casinos hold their nerve. The economy will slowly pick up. Confidence will return as consumers save less and spend more. In three to five years time, casino revenues will be back to their normal levels. But, and this is where the forecasters would look grim, if the casinos try to suck extra dollars of profit out of fewer players, they risk killing the golden goose. So which way have casinos played their hands?

In most states, blackjack has always been the biggest table game. But in 2009, casinos across the US lost an average 20% of their annual revenue from the tables. When you lose such a big slice of your revenue from just one game, this puts pressure on the casino operators. Unfortunately, they have tended to move in the wrong direction. Most states regulate on the basis of a 3:2 payout on blackjack (i.e. if you bet $10 and win, the casino pays $15). In Colorado, operators have applied for an increase in table odds to 6:5 (i.e. a winning $10 bet pays out only $12). For those of you who like the math, this lifts the house edge from 1.5% to 2.9%. In Nevada, the table odds moved to 6:5 months ago, closely followed by a general raise in the table minimums. This drove away the casual players and, not surprisingly, the high rollers followed. The casinos shot themselves in the foot by both tightening the rules and reducing the payouts.

Where has the business gone? Well, the hard core gamblers have decided they don't like the deck being so obviously stacked against them. There's no reason why should they tolerate low payouts when online casinos have kept their table odds at a fair level and not changed their table minimums. Online, you can still play at $1 or $5 tables if that's all you want to risk. The higher table minimums are there if you want them but there's no pressure. In the real world, slightly stressed staff are trying to encourage you to spend more. Sitting in the peace of your own home, you can pull a beer out of the fridge and take life easy. There are so many good online casinos where you can play blackjack with many different styles of online blackjack to choose from. If the mood takes you, there are tournaments to play. If the money runs out, you can always play for free. This is one time when the greed of the real world operators has worked against them. In the good old days before the internet, it was a real world casino or nothing. Now that the internet has come of age and the quality of the casino software has improved, the real world casinos have a real fight on their hands if they want to remain relevant.

The game is one of the simplest ever invented. The rules are few and there's no physical effort involved in playing it. You just sit, look at a few cards and make your bets. That's probably why it's become one of the most popular casino games of all time. Of course everyone knows the House has an edge. That's how it pays all the expenses for running the casino. Remember it makes no difference whether this is a casino in the real world or online. You still need people and a base. So common sense tells you that no-one beats the House unless they invest some effort. Put another way: if everyone could beat the House without breaking sweat, the casino would go out of business in a day. This produces the headline: no pain, no gain. You have to put in some study time to master the basic strategy.

So what is this strategy? Over the years, some serious math types did all the work for you. They calculated the best way to play all the card combinations and wrote them down in simple charts. If you were going to play in a real casino, you would have to learn all these rules. That saves you having to pause before every decision to check the charts. Not only would the other players around the table be less than impressed, the casino would probably suggest you leave. But playing online changes all that. You can consult the charts as often as you like before deciding which card to play. It may be slow but, if you get the strategy right for every hand, you just shifted the odds in your favor.

So what are these charts? The first gives you the rules on when to split a pair. The strategy changes depending on the value of the cards dealt to you and the value of the card you can see the Dealer holding. So it starts with the rule that you split a pair of aces no matter what the Dealer holds, and goes down to the choices when you hold a pair of 2s. The other two charts deal with hard hands and soft hands. A hard hand is when neither card is an ace and the strategy changes significantly depending on the card held by the Dealer and the table rules on when the Dealer must stand or draw. A soft hand contains an ace and is easier to play because you can always draw one more card without busting - this takes some of the pressure off the play. I started off by saying blackjack is an easy game but, like all games, you can play for fun or you can take it seriously and play to win. In this case, you are more likely to win if you learn the charts and can play the strategy without thinking. To really take on the House edge, you also have to become a card counter but that's a whole new story because it does not work in a virtual casino. For now, focus on the basic strategy and start your winning blackjack career.

There's a sad fact about playing in a casino, whether real or virtual. The operators have worked out how to play the games on offer and set the odds to favor themselves. After all, if the majority did not lose, there would be no money to pay out all the money you win. Needless to say, the casinos have invested time and money into working out every possible variation on the rules and the ways to play under them. So, if you are going to take on the House edge, you have to become as big an expert on the rules as the operators. So let's start with one of the more interesting rules which decides when you are allowed to double down. This applies when you have received your two cards. If you decide you are going to draw only one more card, the casino rules can allow you to double your initial bet. The different possibilities are to double:

• on any card combination;
• only when the two cards total 9, 10 or 11; or
• after splitting.

Why should you double your bet? The answer is deceptively simple. You double the bet when you think you are going to beat the Dealer. That really does make sense. But because you are suddenly investing more money in playing the game and have more to lose, you need to get on board with the math. You need to know the frequency with which the Dealer is likely to go bust based on the card you can see. If the Dealer's card suggests a bust is probable, i.e. the Dealer's hand is weak, you double the bet when you have a strong hand. You are maximizing the chance of making a good profit on the hand. If you build the doubling rule into your basic strategy, you reduce the House edge. If you refuse to play the doubling rule, the House edge actually increases. This is not to claim you will win every hand when you double down. If you are on a losing streak, you could lose every doubled bet for the session. But, in the long term, you will win more than you lose if you double. If you hesitate to double the bet, it suggests you are outside your comfort zone and already playing for higher stakes than you can afford.

At the blackjack table, the Dealer is weakest when showing a card in the range 2 through 6. With a 2, the bust percentage is 35%. It rises to a 42% chance of busting with a 5 or 6. Your hand is strongest if the two card total is less than 11. Do not be thrown off the basic strategy by the casinos that allow you to add less than the original bet. Blackjack is a game for winners. Never give up the chance to double and take the maximum win against the Dealer. Adding a few dollars to the original bet but not doubling is half-hearted and cowardly.

In modern world depression is something as common as having a headache or a hangover after a rough night out, but only few people realize how serious this problem really is. Try to find a person who has never shown signs of depression and you will realize that it's almost impossible. Almost, but not definitely. Recent studies have shown that there is a group of people in the modern world who don't even know what depression is all about. And surprisingly, these people are generally very poor and far from what most people would consider as good wellbeing.

While this statement will seem ridiculous to most of us, this is true and can be proven even using simple logics. You won't see a poor man or woman worrying about their lost success, or craving for a new car they want to get so bad. The only thing they worry about is getting food and having a place to spend a cold night. These people are free from aspirations and stresses most middle and upper class individuals have to deal with. If put simple, poor people are in a dream-like state of full mental harmony with their physiological needs. They aren't troubled by their spiritual or emotional desires, they aren't troubled by things others might think or say about them. Of course, living below the line of poverty has its stresses and burdens but they are always stripped down to simple bodily needs. No psychological worries, no stress, no depression.

In contrast, you will find the majority of extremely rich and upper class individual taking Xanax, Prozac or Valium to calm down and get them through. Having much money or being in the spotlight has its price tag, which usually comes in the form of certain limits, responsibilities and things to worry about. People from middle and upper classes pay too much attention to they way others see them and this alone is a rich source of mental stress. And what happens when something goes slightly wrong? A homeless individual won't bother if his or her new Bentley gets stolen, because they don't have it. A rich mogul will hire dozens of professionals to protect his private house and spend hours (and tons of valium)on worrying about the latest news from stock exchange. And isn't it ironic that in such a situation the poor are actually richer than the rich, if you know from what point of view to look?

For so many people, leaving their computer back home after buying airline tickets, is the same thing as if they would cut off their right arm. It seems impossible to go on without it. Good thing that the developments in technology allow easy transportation of laptops with minimum stress.

We offer a list of computer travel tips to simplify technical problems that could happen during your travels. Most of them were learned the hard way: computer crashes, nasty viruses, forgotten passwords and so on.

Things you must have:

• Antivirus and firewall. Many people forget to install antivirus on their laptops. Well, don't, 'cause a virus is always a virus, even if you get it on a plane.
• International adapter plugs set. It's important to purchase a set of frequently used electric adapter plugs, if you travel quite often.
• Software. Don't use the software different from what you have at your office or at home. You don't want to get frustrated because of routine changes of different versions or even different brands. And don't forget to test any new software before your travel. You don't want to deal with software or OS conflicts on the road.
• Necessary passwords list. If you have long and complicated passwords that are really hard to figure out in case of forgetting them, save them on your computer. Don't carry printed or written lists - you can lose them.
• Technical support contact numbers. Save phone numbers of companies you may be needed to be supported by, bookmark websites for any surfing during your journey.
• Backup depot. Take CD's, DVD's or flash drives to back up files on the road. You'll still have your data if your laptop crashes.
• Document maintenance. Don't forget to copy any important files to your home computer, when you return.

Security and safety:

• Airport. X-ray can't damage your laptop, but the checkpoint belt is a foremost target for thieves. Hold your laptop until you pass the metal detector, that way your laptop won't be out of sight for long.
• Plane. Don't place the computer in the overhead bin - it can be stolen, or it can move around during the flight.
• Hotel. Hide your laptop somewhere in your hotel room, if the idea of leaving it there doesn't warm you up.
• Transit. Disguise your laptop. Just to prevent theft.
• Insurance. Make sure your computer is insured against damage or theft during the travel. You can buy insurance right when ordering airline tickets.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Chickens and turkeys need vitamin C for the metabolism, and this vitamin is required to add to the diet. Under normal conditions of poultry of all ages in the body can synthesize enough vitamin C to meet their needs. There were indications that in periods of very hot weather in rations for laying hens need to add vitamin C, but on this issue needs further study. Vitamin E found in corn, wheat and milling wastes in fresh and dried green fodder of good quality. The richest natural sources of oil, wheat germ. However, it is recommended to complement all the specialized feed for poultry vitamin E. Vitamin E zhirorastvorim and relatively resistant, but splits in the presence of rancid fish oil. It actually is an antioxidant and destroys itself, thus preventing the oxidation of fat. If the diet contains another antioxidant, this vitamin is saved. Vitamin E is important for maintaining the productivity of poultry and eggs, high derivability. The addition of vitamin E in foods is particularly useful for preventing and reducing fertilization derivability eggs at the end of reproductive season, which often happens in the turkey. Sufficient levels of vitamin E in the diet play a role in preventing some forms of swelling metatarsal joints and the "madness chickens", which differs loss of motor coordination.
There is evidence that vitamin E in vegetable sources less available to birds than vitamin E in fats of animal origin. It is known that some of the symptoms of avitaminosis E can be treated with selenium, the mechanism of action which is not yet completely understood. Vitamin E has also shown effects similar to the reaction of the body feeding on the sulfur-containing amino acids. Vitamin K. All the specialized feed mixtures for poultry should contain vitamin C. Typically, the diet supplement 2,5% dried grass or alfalfa quality provides a number of intake of vitamin K as needed. This vitamin is transmitted to chickens through the egg, and its function is linked with normal blood clotting. Avitaminosis K can lead to an outbreak of hemorrhagic disease of young birds. Vitamin K zhirorastvorim, resistant to heat and generally very stable. There are synthetic water-soluble form, of which the most frequently used menadione. Symptoms of avitaminosis A, evidently found only in growing birds and are not an adult. Perhaps this is because the bird in older age groups is able to synthesize enough vitamin K in the intestines. There are reports that the inclusion in the feed of some antibiotics such as sulfonamides may increase the need for vitamin C. Perhaps this is due to the effects of therapeutic drugs themselves, and perhaps from coccidiosis, against which they apply.