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Reactions have been coming in from local councillors and politicians following this week’s Somerset County Council elections in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge.
As we reported here, the Conservatives won all four local County Council seats in Thursday’s election.
Peter Burridge-Clayton retained the Burnham-On-Sea North seat and John Woodman held the Highbridge and Burnham South seat. Bob Filmer won the Brent Knoll seat for the Tories while Mark Healey retained the Huntspill seat.
Former Liberal Democrat MP Tessa Munt won the Wells County Council seat from Conservative John Osman by 95 votes. Mr Osman was the council leader.
James Heappey, the Conservatives’ General Election candidate, told Burnham-On-Sea.com on Friday: “It is sad to have lost John Osman in a close race in the Wells Division. John has been an excellent servant of the City of Wells for many years and has led Somerset County Council with great passion and commitment over the last five years.”
“Making six gains across the county last night was an amazing achievement but it is a shame that John will not be there to lead the enlarged Conservative group forwards at County Hall.”
“Claims of a Liberal Democrat bounce-back have been dismissed after the party lost six seats across the county and failed to improve on their 2015 vote share in the Wells Constituency. The Conservatives topped the poll locally with 47.5% of the vote with the Liberal Democrats in second on 34%. In the 2015 General Election, James Heappey won with 46.1% ahead of the Lib Dem on 32.8%.”
Mr Heappey added: “These results are an excellent platform on which we can build our General Election campaign. I am delighted that we have maintained our advantage over the Lib Dems but we must now focus on the important question of who will lead our country for the next five years. I have a strong record of action here in the Wells Constituency and I’m standing with Theresa May because only she can provide the strong and stable leadership that our country needs in the coming years.”
Tessa Munt, who won the Wells county council seat, said: “I want to thank you very much for voting me in in Wells and for all your support. I am absolutely delighted and it’s a privelege and honour to represent my family’s home as a Somerset County Councillor. It’s clear that people out there want something very different and I’m glad to give my full attenton to the job. I learnt a huge amount during the five years I served as your MP and in the time since. The time spent listening to people, talking to them, meeting them and hearing their concerns over that time has left me absolutely clear that you will get a bargain. You will get ‘two for one’ if I’m the MP and County Councillor for Wells, so I’m looking forward to being your independent-minded MP!”
Bob Filmer said after winning the Brent Knoll seat: “I am very pleased and proud to have been elected to serve the residents of Brent division.”
John Woodman said: “I’m very proud to represent Highbridge and Burnham South – I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and promise to work hard to improve our towns.”
Brian Hobbs, UKIP’s Burnham North candidate, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Following last night’s Somerset County Council elections results where I stood as a candidate for Burnham North, I would like to congratulate Peter Burridge-Clayton on his success in winning that seat.”
“I would also like to say a massive thank you to all the Burnham South constituents who supported me and gave me their vote. There is no hiding the fact it was not a good day for myself and UKIP, polling just 9% of the vote from a poor turnout of just 38.72%, although that was higher than the local average which was a disappointing 35.16%.”
“Coming in third behind the Conservatives and the Lib-Dems with their massive campaign budgets we at least managed to push Labour back into fourth. So once again thank you for your support and remember it’s your Council, it’s your money they are spending and it’s you that is affected by the decisions they make. You still have the right for your voice to be heard and I urge you not to be affraid to question what they do.”
We invited Peter Burridge-Clayton to provide a comment about his win in Burnham North – his response will be added here.
The full make-up of the County Council is now: Conservatives 35, Liberal Democrats 12, Green Party 2, Independent 3, Labour 3, Liberal Party 0, UK Independence Party 0.
.LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTION RESULTS:
The local results are as follows:
FILMER, Bob The Conservative Party Candidate 1917
GORE, Tony Liberal Democrats 537
MARSDEN, Janty Labour Party Candidate 216
WILLIS, David Robert UK Independence Party (UKIP) 159
Percentage turnout 36.4%
BURNHAM ON SEA NORTH
BURRIDGE-CLAYTON, Peter The Conservative Party Candidate* 1485
HOBBS, Brian Royston UK Independence Party (UKIP) 278
MURPHY, Mike Liberal Democrats 1183
PRICE, Colin Michael Labour Party Candidate 178
Percentage turnout 38.72%
HIGHBRIDGE AND BURNHAM SOUTH
CORKE, Lorna Irene Bromley UK Independence Party (UKIP) 197
PARKES, John David Liberal Democrats 767
SCANLON, Lucy Labour Party Candidate 213
WOODMAN, John Charles The Conservative Party Candidate* 1065
Percentage turnout 29.79%
CHADWICK, Chelsea Joan Labour Party Candidate 337
HARVEY, Phil Liberal Democrats 513
HEALEY, Mark The Conservative Party Candidate* 1810
Percentage turnout 35.74%
Following the election, the successful candidates officially take up their office on the 8th May.
The Full Council’s Annual General meeting on 24th May will appoint the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council, the Leader of the Council and the membership of the various Council committees. As the current council leader has not been re-elected, the current deputy leader, Councillor David Hall, will assume the responsibilities of the leader until Full Council on 24th May. Immediately after the Full Council Meeting it is expected that the new Leader of the Council will confirm appointments to Cabinet roles.

domain: news


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Some of you may remember that about a year ago you gave me some advice
about repairing a leak in my Fordson Super Major tractor radiator. It's
a long story, but I only just got round to having a go.
The filler cap isn't on top of the radiator. It's on the end of a
horizontal pipe about six inches long which protrudes from the back of
the radiator. Where the horizontal pipe is joined to the radiator there
was a leak on the underside. It had been badly repaired by dumping lots
of soft solder on the joint in the past.
I drained the radiator, took it out and laid it flat on the workbench. I
put some wet rags around the top of the tubes to protect them from the
heat. I used a medium sized burner on my Sievert propane torch, and
began to gently heat the joint. I applied some Fry's "Powerflo" flux
with a brush. The solder started to melt, and I flicked it off with the
All very well and good, but there was a lot of solder there. I kept
flicking it off. The gap got larger. After a minute or so it looked like
I'd cleaned it all out, so I started wiggling the pipe. I wanted to
disassemble the joint, as it was filthy. It wouldn't come out. More
heat, more wiggling. At this point disaster struck. I hadn't realised
that the pipe was in fact made from two pieces of pressed brass sheet
soldered together. The melting point of this solder must have been the
same, as it popped open along the side seams.
I switched off the torch and starting thinking about what to do next. At
this point I noticed that the pool of excess solder on the bench had
turned into the shape of Pac-Man, who appeared to be laughing at me. You
can see the solder Pac-Man here:
Pac-Man, you cheeky blob, I am going get revenge for this!
I looked at the joint for the few minutes. I noticed something which I
had not seen earlier. There were two rivets under the grime on the top
surface of the radiator holding the joint together, which was why it
wouldn't come apart. I should have seen those earlier. I should probably
also have figured out, from having visited a car radiator factory in the
past, that these things are soldered in ovens when they are ultra clean,
not with a propane torch in a shed.
I gave the joint a good clean with a wire brush, held it all together
with some G-cramps, and had a go at soldering it back together. It
wouldn't work. The gap was too large (well over 1/16") and most of the
solder fell inside the radiator. That which didn't was only wetting the
metal in patches, despite an abundance of flux. Perhaps the gap was
bigger than it should have been. Maybe this explained the cracked solder
and the leak, or maybe it happened while I was wiggling the pipe.
At this point I gave up. I guess I could have drilled out the rivets and
taken the joint apart to clean it, but it was filthy and looked like an
impossible job to get it back together.
I wish I had seen the rivets beforehand. I guess the moral is that you
need to clean and inspect a job really throughly, and avoid making
assumptions. As one of my schoolteachers used to say, assume makes an
ASS out of U and ME. Even if you don't often screw up, it's still
annoying when you do. Perhaps even more annoying. We live and learn, I
On the plus side, I didn't ruin a good radiator. It was a fairly crappy
radiator anyway. And it was interesting to see that the wet rags kept
the tube and manifold joints cool enough to keep them from melting
(perhaps they are also made with a higher melting point solder). To be
honest, I'm not sure I would have been able to fix the joint even if I'd
seen the rivets first. There was such a heavy layer of grease and oxides
on the metal.
So it looks like I'm going to have to buy a new radiator. Damn. Or I
could look for a second hand one, but I'm not sure second hand radiators
are worth the effort. Any thoughts?
Radiators are clearly not easy to fix :-(.

domain: hobby


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Being interested how JPEG mini performs and works, I ran some super-scientific experiments with the Lena image. JPEG mini claim to reduce the size of compressed photos by up to 5x while maintaining the perceptual image quality.
I used IJG's cjpeg program for baseline compression (denoted JPEG) with a given JPEG quality. opt. JPEG refers to the optimized Huffman table option of the cjpeg program, smooth JPEG makes use of the smoothing (factor 30) and optimization of cjpeg.
On to the results: JPEG mini succeeds to reduce the JPEG file size, especially for very high quality factors. The perceptual quality is harder to judge, a significant drop in PSNR can be measured. The scientific aspect is the usage of the Lena image obviously. :-)
I am figuring out how to interact with these sensors via the Linux industrial I/O framework...
See a breadboard with 3.3V/5V power supply (from USB), a level shifter (1.8V to 3.3V), VCNL4000 proximity/ambient light sensor, battery-buffered RTC clock, ADXL345 accelerometer, ADJD-S311 color light sensor. Everything is hooked up to the beagleboard-xm via the expansion header (GND, I2C SCA & SCL, 1V8).
My full lineup of sensors is here.
Driver is based on patches by Laurent Pinchart and Linux 3.5-rc2. I have no clue how this media-controller, v4l2-subdev stuff really works... The host side is a beagleboard XM with an TI OMAP3 processor and a parallel synchronous data interface. The following captures a frame:
media-ctl -r -l '"mt9m112 2-0048":0->"OMAP3 ISP CCDC":0, "OMAP3 ISP CCDC":1->"OMAP3 ISP CCDC output":0' media-ctl -f '"mt9m112 2-0048":0[YUYV2X8 1280x1024], "OMAP3 ISP CCDC":1[YUYV2X8 1280x1024]' yavta -p -f YUYV -s 1280x1024 -n 4 --capture=50 --skip 49 -F `media-ctl -e "OMAP3 ISP CCDC output"`
Let's see if I manage to clean-up and upstream the code... Oh, a captures frame can be seen here. Looks good :-)
Here is my professional setup:
Note to myself:
convert -depth 8 -size 1280x1024 -sampling-factor 4:2:2 yuv:frame.bin -colorspace rgb frame.png


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100g Plain Flour
1 Egg, Beaten
200ml Full Cream Milk
½ tbsp oil, plus some extra for frying
80g Biltong Powder
150g Cream Cheese
Chives to taste
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. In a second bowl mix the egg with the milk and oil. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while whisking into a smooth batter.
- Put a large pan on a gently heat. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan before adding a thin layer of the pancake batter. Once sides have crisped, flip pancake over to cook the other side. Repeat until you’ve used up all your mixture.
- In a sperate bowl combine your cream cheese, mozzarella and biltong powder. Divide the filling into your pancakes. Top with chopped chives to taste. Roll up your pancake and enjoy.

domain: food


SMALLPOX IMMUNITY LASTS DECADES, STUDY SHOWS
21 May 2003
Source: Reuters, May 21, 2003
Smallpox Immunity Lasts Decades, Study Shows
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Immunity to smallpox lasts virtually a lifetime, researchers said on Tuesday in a report that suggests anyone vaccinated in the past still has some protection if the virus is used in a bioterrorism attack.
Tests of people who were vaccinated as long as 75 years ago showed everyone had at least some immunity to the deadly virus, a team at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) found.
The finding may offer comfort to those older than 30, who assumed their immunity was long gone.
The United States stopped routine vaccination against smallpox in 1972, and the World Health Organization announced the disease was eradicated in 1980.
Ninety percent of Americans older than 30 have been vaccinated against smallpox at least once, which means as many as 150 million people have at least some immunity to the virus, said OHSU microbiologist and immunologist Mark Slifka.
But U.S. officials and bioterrorism experts say several groups and governments may possess smallpox weapons and could be more likely than ever before to use them.
To defend against such an attack and to help discourage it, the United States has begun a vaccination campaign. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 36,000 health care and emergency workers have been vaccinated, so they will be ready to vaccinate others in case of attack.
The military is vaccinating 500,000 personnel.
In designing a smallpox plan, officials have assumed that no one has much immunity after about five years.
Slifka, Erika Hammarlund and others at OHSU are among the teams testing this premise, by looking at the blood of 306 people vaccinated in the past.
EVERYONE HAD IMMUNITY
Everyone who had ever been vaccinated against smallpox had some degree of immunity, Slifka told a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
The people came from 40 different states and 34 countries. "There isn't any difference, whether you are vaccinated in Oregon or Florida or France," Hammarlund told a news conference.
The smallpox vaccine uses a related virus called vaccinia. Various forms have been used in the past, but all gave good immunity, Slifka said.
"We specifically recruited people who were vaccinated ... several times," Slifka said. "It had very little effect." While there is a "burst" of immunity right after getting a vaccination, a person's overall immunity seems to return to a set point even after multiple immunizations.
But Slifka said it still makes sense to vaccinate health care workers, who, along with family members of victims, are the most likely to become infected in an outbreak. "There is a range of immunity out there," he said.
People with some immunity can still become ill, even if they are less likely to die of smallpox, and can pass the disease to others.
Hammarlund said at least half of those tested had high levels of antibodies that, in past studies done when smallpox was still around, protected them from serious infection.
"The CDC design right now is very rational," Slifka said.
But he said his team's findings suggest that, were there to be a smallpox attack, it would not be necessary to mass-vaccinate the population -- although the U.S. Health and Human Services Department is stockpiling enough vaccine to do just that.


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YouTube End Screen Templates
Several years ago, the free video sharing site YouTube launched its mobile-friendly “End Screens” feature. This feature has the aim of attracting video viewers to keep watching other videos even though the video they are watching has been completed. The End Screens feature is very useful for content creators. To do this, they can insert a special thumbnail at the end of the video, which can be used to ask viewers to view other videos after they finish watching the video. Alternatively, content creators can also insert a thumbnail which will redirect them to the subscribe channel button, visit collaborator channels, and so on. Previously, YouTube has released the Annotations feature, a feature that can only be accessed from the desktop and can also be used to manually create End Screens by adding clickable links to the video in question.
YouTube End Screens Terms
- In order to add End Screens, the duration of your video must be at least 25 seconds long.
- You have the option to add YouTube End Screens in the last 5-20 seconds of your videos.
- The elements in End Screens can be used to promote other videos, invite viewers to subscribe to your channel, invite viewers to visit other channels, and so on.
- During End Screens, viewers cannot access other interactive elements that you may have added to your videos, such as branding watermarks and card teasers.
- The End Screens feature is not available for videos intended for children.
Here’s how to add End Screens to videos
- Open the Videos page in YouTube Studio
- Select the video you want to add End Screen to
- Select Editor from the menu on the right
- Select “Add an End Screen”
- Add or modify End Screen to your liking
You can also add an End Screen element or modify it when you upload a new video.
How to customize YouTube End Screen
1. Apply the YouTube End Screen Template
The YouTube End Screen Template contains elements grouped in such a way that they can be used immediately as the End Screen. Besides being able to choose the YouTube End Screen Template that is already available, you can apply new templates that you download from other sources. To do this, select More then Apply Template.
2. Easily add new End Screen elements
Apart from applying the new template, you can add an End Screen element by selecting the “+ Element” option which is located at the end of the Editor menu. Easily add new elements by clicking on an empty End Screen section in the YouTube Editor.
3. Change the End Screen element type
You can change the End Screen element type to your liking. To do this, click the element you want to replace in the Editor. After that, choose the element types you want in the element type dropdown. The choices include videos, playlists, merchandise, subscribe, channels, and links (YouTube partner program). Specifically for Video types, you can choose to show YouTube’s best recommendations, specific videos, or your channel’s last uploaded video. Meanwhile, if you select the channel type, you can add your own special (custom) message.
4. Change the element timing
To be able to change when the End Screen appears, click the element in the Editor. After that, you can update your End Screen’s video start time and/or end time of the element by editing the same element at the End Screen time. The location of this option is to the left of your video while on the Editor page. You can also use the mouse to drag the video to the right timing to bring up the End Screen.
5. Change element position
To change the position of an element, select the element in the Editor. You can drag the element to the desired location after that. You can also use the grid to select the “Snap to Grid” and “Snap to Element” options.
6. Check your End Screen before finalizing it
Select the play button in the video player to show a preview of how your End Screen will look on the viewer’s screen.
YouTube End Screen Design Ideas
YouTube End Screen Example
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domain: design


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By Josh Howald
It was a moment these youngsters will never forget, and easily the highlight of the 27th annual Kincardine Regional Silver Stick tournament.
Quinton Page is all smiles after scoring in double overtime of the novice B final at the Kincardine Regional Silver Stick tournament. A disappointed BCH team got something to smile about a short time later, however, when they were also invited to the International Silver Stick later this month. (Josh Howald photo)
By Barb McKay
The natural gas committee may soon determine the best option to carry out the project to bring the service to the region.
In December, Kincardine council agreed to form a municipal services corporation with
Kincardine and the surrounding area were walloped by heavy snowfalls and blowing snow Monday, which closed roads and extended school holidays for children.
A look at an already snowy downtown Kincardine Monday morning, prior to the storm's arrival. (Barb McKay photo)
Police wasted no time busting those responsible for a theft from a Paisley pop machine last week.
Five people, all from Hamilton and all known to police, were arrested shortly after the theft occurred.
South-Bruce OPP officers stopped a vehicle at 2:27 a.m. on Dec. 28 on Bruce County Road 3 in the Municipality of Brockton. Officers observed various break and enter instruments inside the suspect vehicle, a Dodge Caravan carrying five occupants. Further investigation revealed a back pack containing a large quantity of coins in the vehicle, as well as black ski masks, gloves, black jackets and sweat shirts, flash lights, screw drivers, pry bars and hammers.
A cold winter evening was well spent at the outdoor ice surface at Harbour Church in Kincardine, which can be seen in the background. Out playing shiny during the holidays were Matt Baker, Carter Strachan, Andreas Derksen, Morgan Baker, Maddie Duncan and Marcel Fohkens. (Josh Howald photo)
The 30th annual Kincardine Christmas Bird Count found 52 species in the area and a total count of 8,732 birds.
Snowy owls have shown up in the
A good place to look for Snowy Owls is on thee hydro poles and fence posts on the 10th of Huron.
There was a foot of snow on the ground the 19th, making it hard for birds to find food. Water birds were huddled in the few spots where there was unfrozen water. Pack ice was solid on the lake shore which made it difficult to identify birds on the distant open water, even with high powered scopes.
By Barb McKay
Plans are well underway for this year’s Grand Prix de Kincardine snowmobile races and organizers are cautiously optimistic that weather conditions will be optimal.
Registration is open for the sixth annual event, which draws snowmobile enthusiasts from throughout the province. The two-day event will be held Jan. 25 and 26 at the Williamson property at
With below zero temperatures and more than two feet of snow on the ground, organizer Rob Noakes is hopeful that nothing changes in the days leading up to the races.
This week's Kincardine Independent is in stores now!
A little taste of winter can't prevent our staff from giving you the best local news and sports each and every week, regardless of the weather.
That said, the weather has certainly had an impact locally. All schools remained closed today, and numerous events have been cancelled or postponed. As of Tuesday at 3 p.m., every highway and major road in Bruce County remained closed. The South-Bruce OPP advised people unless absolutely necessary, as visibility is poor, even in downtown Kincardine.
Stay warm and stay safe!
The Kincardine Home Hardware novice Kinucks celebrate a double-overtime winner from the stick of Quinton Page Monday morning at the Davidson Centre. The goal gave the Kinucks a 1-0 win over BCH and a berth at the International Silver Stick Finals next month. For the full story, don't miss the next print edition of The Kincardine Independent. The Independent will re-open following a holiday break today (Thursday) at 9 a.m., with regular hours now back in effect. (Josh Howald photo)
The Kincardine and District Secondary School Christmas Knights campaign ran Saturday, and the annual food and toy drive for the Kincardine and Community Services Association Hamper Program was again a success. More than 100 students collected food and toy items and delivered them to St. Anthony's Church, where they were sorted by volunteers. This year's hamper program will benefit more than 50 families. From left are students Delange Mowle, Meaghan Carter, Declan Mowle and Aibhilin Mowle. (Barb McKay photo)


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- Former Maury County teacher Tad Cummins was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday.
The U.S. Attorney asked the judge to give him 30 years, but Cummins' attorney is asking for 10 years.
The teacher, who ran away with his student Elizabeth Thomas, was the subject of a nationwide Amber Alert in 2017.
Cummins later pleaded guilty to taking a minor across state lines with the intent to have sex.
The two were on the run for 38 days before they were discovered in a cabin in rural northern California.
- Former teacher who ran away with student gets 20 years in prison
- Ex-teacher gets prison for repeated sexual abuse of student
- Former Boy Scout leader gets more than 20 years in prison
- Police: Driver ran off after crash on Beltline
- Ex-Tigard teacher accused of sexually abusing 2 students
- Teachers use Dorris Creek Fire to educate students about wildfires
- Student claims teacher used n-word, hit him with clipboard
- Cottage Grove teacher arrested for alleged sex abuse of student
- Former teacher sentenced for sex abuse involving student
- Marathon Monday: P.E. teacher prepares students for race weekend


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Book Review: Blissful Tragedy by Amy L. Gale
Hasn't every girl dreamed of falling in love with a "bad boy?" I know, I have! A rocker would do just the trick! Now, close your eyes and picture Jared Leto (circa January 2010)! HOT, HOT, HOT, right??
Now, Blissful Tragedy by Amy L. Gale is a love story between a rock star and the girl who is ready to take the world by storm! Lexie Waters has just graduated from college and dreams of nothing but working for an advertising firm. She has accepted the most amazing job and starts at the end of the summer. To celebrate her graduation, her sister takes her to see Devil's Garden her favorite band... back stage passes and all! Van Sinclair is the uber hot, sexy lead singer of Devil's Garden. But when Lexie insults Van, everything changes. Can Lexie have the man of her dreams and the job she has worked so hard for?
Enjoy your time with Van, Lexie and all the other guys in the band! This book is full of sexy, sassy, dreamers and innocence all rolled into one! ~ Share & Enjoy ~

domain: artistic


Top 10 Best L'Arc~en~Ciel AlbumsSince their formation in 1991, this quartet from Osaka, Japan, has left an indomitable footprint on not only the Japanese music scene but also the global rock community. They've become a household name, thanks to their unique blend of rock, pop, and punk, coupled with flamboyant fashion and eccentric performances.
Are you wondering which L'Arc~en~Ciel albums have left the most significant impact? Well, everyone has their favorites, and the 'best' can often be subjective. Their discography is an adventure through various soundscapes, each album capturing a different facet of the band's creative journey. From their energetic debut "Dune" that kick-started their career, through the dark and experimental phase during "Ray" and "Ark," to their more recent works that showcase a more polished and evolved sound, each album offers a unique listening experience.
Their genre-defying approach has resulted in a versatile and expansive repertoire, with each album having its own distinct sound and personality. So, whether you're a fan of the more upbeat, pop-infused tracks or the introspective, soulful ballads, there's a L'Arc~en~Ciel album for you.
I really like this album!
Best album. Every song is a masterpiece. There's not a single song I don't like!
I totally love this album!
Every song is amazing. Yukihiro gave the band new life and it sports two perfectly crafted singles in Niji and Winter Fall. Anata is their best ballad too.
It has so many gems, just a beautiful album. I especially like Promised land, Fate and Loreley.
Totally underrated! My favorite!
Quality wise, its more like Ark and Ray combined. Well, technically tighter plus the rockier mood, and with more prominent showcase of Yukihiro's talent in electronica. The sound isn't like their other albums (Each of their album has different "colors", that's why L'Arc~en~Ciel never boring. This album released on 2000, so the songs and their arrangement are set to reflect the new millennium). Confidence and solidity after their last success, and advancement toward new era of L'Arc before their hiatus is all in this one
This is in my opinion the album that truly defined L'arc en ciel's talent. This was when L'arc was at the very top of their game.
Freakingly beautiful album this is. The best.. I feel the anger hate love every emotion in this album.
This is the best. what can I say, it opens with a kick ass NEW WORLD, and it contained some of the finest Hyde's songs in it (My Dear, Killing Me, Ophelia, Hoshizora).
L'arc en Ciel is the kind of musician which has equally distributed good songs in their album. But in my opinion, this is their best.
My first album by them, will always remain a masterpiece in my opinion
I love this album, It's happy but nostalgic, strong, every song is connected to the following one. It's a completed album.
Raw and inspiring. Listen to this album and Dune to understand the core of L'arc sounds. Overall, every L'arc album show us their capability to blend commercial with artsy taste, their versatility as musician, and how solid they are as a band. Here, we can hear how L'arc music as a new band of four young mind, fresh from indie scene, display their poetic approach to brings the mood of dreamy emotion. The later L'arc album, while more advanced technically, seems to get drown by their own fame.
Highlight in this album: In the Air, Blame, Inner Core, Nemuri Ni Yosete, white Feathers
It's the more pop one, but personally it's my favorites. I think it's pretty interesting to listen this one to see the transition of the band before and after Sakura left. Also in my humble opinion, between this one and Heart, Hyde's voice was at it best. Every song is good (well, the engrish in Good Morning Hide maybe isn't) but I recommend the Fourth Avenue Cafe (probably, the most known one), flower, Kaze ni Kienaide and Lies and Truth. Hidden jems are I Wish (a X-mas song, sort of), Round and Round and Caress of Venus. Finally, I like the less Farewell and Dearest Love but if you like slow songs maybe you like those better than me.
As for the "after Sakura" albums, I recommend Real (they were at the top of their career back then) and the recently released Butterfly (it's a bit of return to the roots + experimenting with new stuff).


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17 Memes About "A Quiet Place" That'll Make You Scream Then Regret It
10 April 2018, 15:49 | Updated: 10 April 2018, 15:50
"Trying to eat popcorn during A Quiet Place was exhausting."
Everyone is losing it over John Krasinski's brand new horror movie A Quiet Place and you know what? You should be too - because it's terrifyingly good.
A Quiet Place has been out in cinemas for just over a week and it's already snagged an incredible 96% on Rotten Tomatoes but if you're not a fan of silence, monsters, acting masterclasses from Emily Blunt and John Krasinski's exceptional beard, then here's an extensive list of memes that basically tells you everything you need to know about the film without ever seeing it.
A Quiet Place is literally just this one episode of The Office.
A Quiet Place (2018) pic.twitter.com/HWZZLXUM09— Michael Gary Scott (@michaelgclump) April 8, 2018
A Quiet Place (2018) pic.twitter.com/2mhDGL7Jl1— The Office (@tbhOffice) April 8, 2018
Remember when Dwight said Jim could grow the best beard in the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin? hE WASN'T WRONG.
dwight was right pic.twitter.com/M81TbAxdlg— jerry (@stylestruIy) April 8, 2018
WELL WELL WELL...
Oh how the turn tables @johnkrasinski #AQuietPlace pic.twitter.com/tFsIkKkIdt— Emma Peters (@StEmmasFire) April 8, 2018
Oh, you need to sneeze? YOU BETTER NOT.
A Quiet Place, but every time someone makes any noise, John Krasinski hits the camera with one of these pic.twitter.com/s6xQmdHxPx— Landon 🌺 (@igotdefeverman) April 8, 2018
How can we be sure that Pam is not the monster in disguise?
A Quiet Place (2018) dir. John Krasinski pic.twitter.com/meKLVeqHjl— Dan (@scottIang) April 6, 2018
Can you imagine how different the world would be right now if the good sis Pam had never come through in clutch with that Coke?
“A Quiet Place” is a dystopian film about what happened if Pam never bought Jim that Coke so he could get unjinxed.— Angie Treasure (@snark_tank) April 8, 2018
Since WHEN was eating popcorn the loudest noise known to man?
Me in the theater watching 'A Quiet Place' pic.twitter.com/uRDgrZ1oPL— NoahJ456 (@NoahJ456) April 9, 2018
There's a reason the bags of chips were the only thing left in that damn supermarket...
Trying to eat popcorn during A Quiet Place was exhausting pic.twitter.com/A5L537NBOa— dane cardiel (@danecardiel) April 8, 2018
I've never felt so stressed.
a quiet place: *starts*— wes (@fashioniconluke) April 8, 2018
the entire theater in unison: so have i told you about my chronic coughing problem
Honestly, I felt I too had given birth after watching that scene.
emily blunt trying to give birth while remaining completely silent in a quiet place pic.twitter.com/zpGzTuKpso— ghoulia👻 (@c00lia) April 9, 2018
I never wanna see another nail again. Ever.
villains in a quiet place (2018) pic.twitter.com/Wkx8WuOKKS— chuck 🐦✨ (@charlubby) April 9, 2018
Every Friday through Sunday is basically A Quiet Place (2018) for me.
Introverts are watching A Quiet Place like, “All I gotta do to survive is not make noise?? That sounds like a dream.”— Jamie Tworkowski (@jamietworkowski) April 8, 2018
I low-key never wanna be around silence ever again.
me in the theater watching “a quiet place”: pic.twitter.com/ZGN0wH2jSm— veronica yacks (@vyacks) April 10, 2018
RIP to everyone in this theatre, I guess.
anytime I tried biting into my reese’s pieces while watching A Quiet Place I felt like I was risking the safety of the theater— nathan zed//kali uchis stan (@NathanZed) April 8, 2018
me after seeing @johnkrasinski in a quiet place pic.twitter.com/WtPPDE6Lhc— Tiffany Ray (@xxxorcist_) April 10, 2018
For real... shush away, John.
Only God can judge me only John Krasinski can shush me— Natalie Walker (friend of Paddington) (@nwalks) April 6, 2018
2.5 seconds in the interior illusions lounge and we'd all be toast.
A Quiet Place (2018) pic.twitter.com/J9kJJ8kz9N— Ira Madison III (@ira) April 9, 2018

domain: entertainment


MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
At the Pravdinsky training ground in the Kaliningrad region, over 200 artillerymen of a motorized rifle regiment of the army corps of the Baltic Fleet conducted live firing using Msta-S self-propelled howitzers.
Servicemen of the self-propelled howitzer battalion performed over 20 fire missions against single and group targets. Unmanned aerial vehicles were used to correct fire on full-size targets imitating enemy manpower and military equipment, as well as to assess the situation, with the help of which artillery spotters transmitted the exact coordinates of targets to the command posts of artillery divisions.
The exercise involved about 40 units of weapons, military and special equipment of the army corps of the Baltic Fleet.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and / or sentence structure not be perfect.


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Health Benefits of Juicing and Smoothies For Weight Loss
A healthy diet of smoothies or fruit juices is a great way lose weight. Juicing is the process of extracting juice from fruits and separating pulp. This is rich in fiber. For smoothies, the fruit is blended with liquid, usually water, ice, or oat or almond milk. These beverages are also often used as meal replacements or as a pre-workout snack.
Adding fruit to juicing
Juicing and smoothies, which are great ways to get your daily serving of fruits and vegetables, can be healthy alternatives to liquid. Be sure to read labels before you incorporate them into your diet. Juice is normally made from fruit, but other sources of sugar can be present, such as honey and corn syrup. To lose weight quickly and maintain a healthy diet, you should focus on juicing and smoothies that are high in fruit and vegetables.
Juicing and smoothies have many benefits. Juices are rich in fiber and other nutrients that are good for the body. Juices can help boost your immune system, improve your energy levels, and keep your gut microbiome healthy. Juice also contains fiber, which keeps blood sugar steady and you feel fuller longer. This will help you lose weight naturally.
Adding soluble fiber to smoothies
Adding soluble fiber to smoothies can boost your overall health, as well as increase your fiber intake. Fiber helps with digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer. Smoothies are the perfect vehicle for fiber, since they are usually made with a variety of flavors and filling ingredients. However, if you are sensitive to fiber, you should gradually increase your intake and seek the advice of a healthcare provider before you take any supplements.
Soluble fiber slows down the emptying of the stomach and increases absorption and digestion times. It can also reduce appetite by increasing the feeling of fullness. These gels are particularly effective in targeting belly fat which is associated metabolic diseases. However, isolated fibers may not have an effect on any of these factors. Some studies have shown fibers have health benefits. However, it is not clear whether they can help with weight loss.
Increasing blood sugar levels
Many people are curious if juicing or smoothies for weight loss have any health benefits. They can have adverse effects on blood sugar levels. When fruits and veggies are mashed into smoothies, a large portion of their fiber and other nutrients is lost. Fiber helps stabilize blood sugar levels and slows the absorption. This is why fiber promotes weight loss naturally.
Juices and smoothies can contain a lot of sugar when made into drinks. Juices are light and easy to drink. Juices are light and easy to drink, so it’s easy for people to drink more than they intend. Your blood sugar levels will rise the more you drink. Mixing fruits and veggies can help with digestion. Juicing and smoothies can be a great pre-workout snack or meal replacement.
Unlike a standard diet, juicing and smoothies for weight loss help you to lose weight by ensuring that you are getting enough nutrients from your foods. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber which slows down the digestion process, giving your body a steady release of nutrients. This is particularly beneficial for those who are suffering from low fiber levels. Smoothies can help you feel fuller longer and aid in digestion.
Both juices as well as smoothies are rich in fiber which aids digestion. Your body absorbs the nutrients easily by removing the pulp and fiber of fruits and vegetables. The fiber in smoothies and juices also plays an important role in modulating your blood sugar response to natural sugars. Juicing and smoothies are great ways to lose weight.


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Info about Turbo, Departamento de Antioquia (Colombia)
Turbo region is Departamento de Antioquia, in country Colombia (CO).
Turbo is also called TRB, Turbo, latitude is 8.0926300, and longitude is -76.7282200.
In Turbo there are 181.000 people, its timezone is America/Bogota (America/Bogota_cet).
Some of the activities you can do in Turbo are diving, scuba diving, wakeboard, bodyboard, sailboats, mountains, forest, water skiing, secret, slopes, lakes in all Colombia.
More details about Turbo in Colombia (CO)
Population of Turbo is 181.000 residents, according to 2020 latest census.
Turbo square area is 3055 km2, so Turbo is ideal for people who like large cities, crowdy full of attractions and entertainment. In Turbo you can find high budget accommodations because of its high hotel rates, and for this reason you can find it like a base if you want to relax after walking the big city.
Its elevation above mean sea level, also called meters above mean sea level (MAMSL), should be about 2 mt. Because of this this city is an ideal place if you and your beloved ones want to contemplate the sea.
For information for Turbo please check its website http://turbo-antioquia.gov.co/sitio.shtml.
Turbo things to do and activities: best trip destination for:
Interactive Turbo (Colombia) Map and attractions
Interactive map of Turbo, Departamento de Antioquia Colombia (CO).

domain: travel


Asked if he's ''getting there'' in terms of developing timing with three different QBs, Meachem smiled.
''You've got to feel like you're already there,'' he said. ''Whoever throws the ball you've got to catch it anyway.''
The fact Clausen rose from obscure third-teamer to Cotton Bowl MVP near the end of last season surprised a lot of people. Not Meachem.
'''He came from LSU, so he's been around the game for a while,'' the talented wideout said. ''He's a vet, so you knew he was going to come in and do what he was supposed to do. It takes some time to get adjusted to the game. Once he got adjusted, we knew he was going to do what he had to do.''
Lefthanded quarterbacks are rare, yet two of UT's (Clausen and Schaeffer) are southpaws. Asked if this requires any adjustment on the part of Vol receivers, Meachem grinned again.
''Catching passes is like catching from a jugs machine,'' he said. ''You've got to catch it anyway.''
Actually, catching Ainge's passes may be the most difficult because of the tremendous velocity he can put on the ball.
''He's matured a lot,'' Meachem said. ''His arm's getting stronger. His ball comes out like a missile.''
In addition to throwing with more velocity this spring, Ainge also is throwing with more confidence.
''He's crisper now,'' Meachem said, ''because he knows where it's supposed to go.''


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America’s older population continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. There are a record 50 million seniors (65 years and older) living in the United States, and this number is expected to reach 70 million by the year 2030. With the increase in the number of older Americans comes the increase in the need for geriatric care. As our population lives longer, it is expected that we will see increasing numbers of those diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions such as diabetes or Alzheimer’s.
According to a report from the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation (AHHQI), a patient’s home is likely to become the center of care delivery over the next few decades. The study detailed the organization’s vision for the future of home health, proposing that over the next few decades, the home is likely to become the center of home health care delivery. The AHHQI outlined what they believe will be the “four pillars” of the future of home health. By focusing on these four pillars, home health agencies (HHAs) will have the opportunity to meet the challenges of a constantly changing healthcare landscape, and effectively fulfill their obligation to patients and their families.
The four pillars for the future of home health care, established by the AHHQI, are as follows:
- Deliver Care That is Patient-Centered and Responsive to Individual Patient Needs:
The need to individualize care has increased over the years due to changing reimbursements and consumer preferences. While meeting the goals of medical care remains a priority, meeting the specific needs and preferences of patients should be highly considered. HHAs are being held accountable for working with patients and their loved ones to ensure that the care being provided is done concerning the patient’s preferences.
- Provide Seamlessly Connected and Coordinated Care:
Care coordination is a top priority across the continuum. The industry’s shift toward value-based payments and care encourages the entire team, from community resources to physicians, to communicate and work together. Because seniors generally see various physicians, often at different locations, it is especially vital their care is connected and coordinated. Since home health providers often work with patients after discharge from the acute setting, there is a clear opportunity to take the lead in care coordination. By taking this lead, agencies can serve as a liaison between patients and providers, sharing valuable information that can help reduce unnecessary re-hospitalizations and improve quality of care.
- Prioritize High-Quality Care:
With the transition to value-based care and the recent revisions to the Conditions of Participation for Home Health (CoPs), CMS has made quality care a priority across the entire continuum. Although most individuals who receive home health services are elders and may have various chronic diseases, HHAs are still tasked with the expectation to provide high-quality care. By improving services for the growing senior population, especially for patients with chronic conditions, agencies can tailor resources to address individual patients’ needs and challenges sooner, leading to greater cost efficiencies and improved outcomes.
- Implement Effective Technology:
Technology is changing the world, and health care is no exception. Across the care continuum, providers understand the importance of implementing technology to deliver customized, consistent, and top-quality services to patients. However, while technology is essential, it can also create difficulties. The biggest challenge being cost. As wages rise, Medicare reimbursements get cut, and competition rises, HHAs are already having to learn to operate on tight margins. Being that Medicare does not generally reimburse for technology, it is imperative to find a return on investment in technology investments.
It’s clear that to sustain quality, affordable health care for the aging U.S. population, the home health industry will need to continue to evolve to meet changing regulations and consumer preferences. With increasingly more seniors preferring to “age in place”, their care will have to be delivered there as well. Not only does this mean that more home health services will be required, but with reimbursement cuts, and as low wages making it difficult to recruit a new generation of caregivers, the pressure will become intense.
In the coming years, home health providers may feel the pressure from their acute referral partners to fulfill a wider variety of functions. By focusing on these four pillars, an agency will be able to provide quality patient care and take action to meet obligations as necessary.
Interested in reading the full report? Click Here.

domain: medical


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Little Princess Sofia Washing Clothes - Free Online Games
Girls,it's so nice at the weekends to have a chance to lie in and do something you like .But don't forget to help your parents do some housework. If you don't have time ,please clean your room by yourself.Do you know ,Sofia is very helpful at home .She will clean her room every weekend and sometimes she help her little sister wash clothes.This weekend Sofia is preparing to wash her sister's clothes.Girls,Let's help her together.Oh!we need clean the room first. Take the clothes and toys to the washroom.Then wash them and put them in the sunshine.If you can't wash clothes,Sofia will help you. At last,don't forget put them away.If you have more time,you can help Sofia choose some beautiful clothes and accessories and help her dress up.She will take part in a big spring party. Come on,Sofia is waiting us.Have fun! Do not forget to tell your friends to come play our FREE Games. Our game can provide you with an opportunity to create your own world. The theme of this game is not to obtain the final victory but to realize your dream. So you should take advantage of this opportunity and fully show yourself and your dream in this virtual world. At last, you can enjoy this game with your friends. So come and construct a world for yourself! publishes some of the highest quality games available online, all completely free to play. Our massive selection of games include some of the most played genres online, the most popular being racing games, puzzle games, action games, MMO games and many more, all guaranteed to keep you entertained for hours to come. We pride ourselves on providing our users with original and rewarding content to keep them entertained. So if you are looking for games for kids or to simply blow off a little steam and use up some time, feel free to enjoy all that we offer and return to play more great games.


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Grilled asparagus, broccoli, carrots, red onion, yellow peppers, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, and herbs in a white wine garlic butter sauce over linguine.
Add grilled chicken or shrimp for 6
Chicken Breast stuffed with spinach, mushroom, sun-dried tomato, onion, and a three cheese blend topped with a Marsala cream sauce. Served with wild rice pilaf and vegetable medley.
Jumbo lump crabcake pan seared served with risotto and seasonal vegetable.
Atlantic Cod is lightly battered and deep fried. Served with french fries and coleslaw. Tartar sauce and malt vinegar on the side.
Tender baby shrimp dipped in batter and deep fried; served with french fries and cole slaw.
Consumer Advisory: Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of food borne illness especially if you have certain medical conditions.
Wilmington Website Design & Hosting by BlueTone Media


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BBQ Blowout Sale – 15% off!
It’s time to fill up your propane tanks, dust of your grill, sharpen your knives, put on your apron and start barbecuing!
To help start your grilling season off right Sweat ‘N Spice is offering 15% off BBQ sauces!
Check out some of these featured BBQ sauces you will find on sale:
– Bourbon Q Gold Reserve – Roasted Garlic & Chipotle BBQ Sauce
– Wild Turkey Gourmet Sauce
– Jack Daniel’s Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce – 100 Proof
If you would like your newsletter or press release posted on the HSB please use the contact form and we’ll get in touch


text: This body of work plays with notions of painting and drawing with light and colour, using the technique of Intentional Camera Movement, to explore what it means to create photographic digital art and where the boundaries lie between photography and painting. This approach to photography allows me to represent reality in a fluid manner with time and light being the drawing materials. I am creating abstract representations of reality, a momentary experience captured in evocative light and colour. I am striving to capture the luminous tones of light, ones that glow and transport. I hope to touch the viewer with simply beauty but also to connect to the history of art making as I reference and am inspired by other practitioners.


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Little Jimmy Dickens, Take a Cold Tater (and Wait).
Poor Little Jimmy. Whenever the preachers come to his house for Sunday dinner (which is all too often, it seems), his mother kicks him out of the dining room and gives him a cold potato to eat, while the preachers tear through all the chicken on the table, leaving just gristle and bones on the family's best china. "That's why I look so bad and have these puny ways," he says years later, to get a big laugh from the Grand Ole Opry crowd--Dickens was only 4' 10".
Dickens, the 13th son of a West Virginia farmer, and songwriter Eugene Bartlett, who mainly wrote gospel tunes and knew the appetite of preachers all too well, both had a well of experience to draw from for this song. Dickens was best known for novelty tunes, like "I'm a Plain Old Country Boy" and "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," but he was also a pretty fine singer of ballads and even dabbled in rockabilly during the '50s.
Recorded in Nashville on January 16, 1949, with Pete Kirby on steel guitar, Lonnie Wilson and Billy Byrd on guitars, and Jimmie Riddle on harmonica. You can find it on this collection.

domain: library


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The North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police Updated Mobile App is ready for download. Use the QR Code or search your phone's App Store for "North Carolina Police Chiefs".
1) Scan the QR code to download the NCACP App for up to the minute news, updates, and announcements.
2) Remember to turn on your notifications to receive our alerts in real time.
3) Please let us know if you have any news or needs that we can broadcast out on the App.
Interactions between police and children are crucial in fostering trust and positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. First Responder Kits4Kids helps children see police officers as protectors rather than just enforcers of the law. Moreover, the first responder Kit4Kids helps to reduce emotions associated with trauma or the fear, anxiety, and range of emotions kids may have around police officers. First Responder Kits4Kids promotes a positive impact on both the children and the community as a whole.
On behalf of the NCACP Board of Directors and Staff, we would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you that were able to attend this year's Conference. We had 130 Vendors at the Conference and 365 attendees, which was a record number.
We will be back in January for the 2025 49th NCACP Conference. It will once again be held at the Harrah's Convention Center in Cherokee, NC. Dates will be January 13 - 16, 2025.
Chief's Legislative Day is scheduled for May 1, 2024. Additional information will be forthcoming.
We are in the process of planning our Regional Training Meetings which will be held throughout the state. We invite you to attend these meetings when they take place.
I have attached a list of the Vendors and Corporate Captains that attended the show. If you have communication or contact with any of these vendors, please let them know that we truly appreciate their support of our Chiefs, our agencies, and of the NCACP. As they support us, we urge you to support them.
The Staff and Board of Directors of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police want to thank you for your dedication and service to your Officers and staff, your agencies, and to your communities.
Stay Safe and Thank You for all you do.
The Sheriffs’ Education and Training Standards Commission and the Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission are excited to announce that the North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation Program is launching our pilot program beginning with SEVEN agencies!
The North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police never raises funds through telephone solicitation, PERIOD. If you are called by someone claiming to represent the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police seeking a donation, please inform the NCACP immediately at [email protected].

domain: law


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AT&T U-verse adding classic TV channel
AT&T U-verse is adding a new nostalgia-based channel featuring classic TV and music of the 60s, 70s and 80s, the company announced.
The Time Life Channel will mix entertainment with direct response advertising allowing people to purchase the music and programming they see on the channel. Along with Rock, Pop, Country, Oldies and Urban music, the programming will include nostalgic shows such as The Dean Martin Variety Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Six Million Dollar Man and Get Smart.
AT&T announced last year that subscriptions to its high-speed Internet service has topped 10 million customers.
Dallas-based AT&T (NYSE: T) is a communications holding company with operating subsidiaries in wireless, Wi-Fi, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services.
Mike W. Thomas covers technology/telecom, military, finance, regulatory issues as well as nonprofits/education.
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Comtest Engineering has just completed a fully anechoic chamber at Continental Timisoara in Romania. The APM test room will be used to perform antenna pattern measurements. The frequency range covered by the anechoic chamber is 250MHz - 6GHz. The main application of the chamber will be to perform antenna radiation pattern characterization for automotive antennas and wireless devices, according to CTIA OTA Rev 2.2.1. The chamber is equipped with polystyrene microwave absorbers model MT65 (65 cm long) & a turntable with turn-device for CTIA testing. The chamber has been verified by Seibersdorf according to the CTIA ripple method and the Quiet Zone Free Space Reflectivity Method. Upon request a PDF version of the official test report is available.


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Leading site for home based maple sugaring, sap collection and making maple syrup. The goal of Tap My Trees is to promote tapping maple trees by families at home. Collecting maple sap is a green, environmentally sustainable process that can be enjoyed by anyone with a healthy, mature maple tree. This site provides you with step-by-step instructions on how to tap your maple trees and turn sap into maple syrup.
Build a homemade maple syrup evaporator using these step-by-step instructions to harvest your maple syrup on your homestead.
Make Your Own Maple Syrup (part 2
Homemade maple syrup | DIY maple syrup | how to tap trees for maple syrup | tapping trees | syrup supplies | what you need to know before you tap your trees | making syrup | making maple sugar | making maple cream | video tapping trees | running tubing for maple sap

domain: agronomy


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2X PCR SuperMix
2X PCR SuperMix is a cocktail of calculated amounts of Mg++, dNTPs, and recombinant Taq DNA Polymerase for highly efficient amplification of nucleic acid templates by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). 2X PCR SuperMix is supplied at a 2X concentration that allows the easy calculation of its final concentration for adding the primer and template to the mixture. The supplied reagent is sufficient for 100 amplification reactions of 50 μL each. The 2X PCR SuperMix is very stable, and no detectable reduction of PCR performance or enzyme activity is observed after storage for 12 months at 4°C. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles do not reduce performance or activity.
● Storage and Heat Endurance: 21 days in 37°C stable.
● Super high speed : Complete 2 kb in 60 seconds (30b ~ 50b/sec in extension).
● High sensitivity: Low copy number of template amplification.
● Amplification of long targets up to 5kb from Lambda DNA.
● Best balance between performance and value.
● Storage and Heat Endurance
Prolonged 37°C storage: enzyme activity maintains the same level after 21 days at 37°C.
● Super high speed - One-minute extension
DNA Primer: FW #1469; RV1kb #1472, 2kb #1473, 3kb #1474
● High sensitivity
Template: human gDNA: 3000 to 3 copies
Primer (methyltransferase): FW #1458, RV #1459
● Amplification of long targets up to 5kb from Lambda DNA
Template : Lambda DNA
Primer: • FW #1469
RV1kb #1472, 2kb #1473, 3kb #1474, 4kb #1499, 5kb #1498
Note: GeneDireX / 2X Concentrated Master Mix / 2X Taq PCR Premix / DNA Amplification / Polymerases & Amplification Technologies

domain: biology


PNL member Orban suggests Premier should go on holiday without pay and President should retire on a pension
„I have one single thing to say: I am asking Mr Boc to go on a holiday without pay for the next three and a half years as this is the only solution for Romania to get out of the crisis.
Obviously he should be accompanied on this holiday without pay by all the minsters and, last but not least, Mr Traian Basescu should retire on a pension,” Ludovic Orban told the news conference given in Brasov (north-west of Bucharest) on the occasion of the League of the PNL Local Authorities.
Orban assured that, after coming to power, the Liberals would find resources for paying the pensions, the one of the Head of State included, and the salaries without resorting to the money borrowed from the International Monetary Fund.
Minister of Public Finance Gheorghe Pogea said on Tuesday that all the budget employees would have their working time cut by the equivalent of ten days over September-November, a fact that will lead to a diminution of expenses by 0.3 percent of the GDP, that is 1.5 billion lei.
For this the budget employees will either have ten days of holiday without pay or their office hours will be reduced from eight to six hours.
But President Traian Basescu said the Government’s approach to sending the budget employees on holiday without pay seemed wrong to him and pleaded for a „correct selection of the staff,” without considering the political affiliation and the political clientele.


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Use of crude ligninase of bacterial origin is one of the most promising ways to improve the practical biodegradation of lignocellulosic biomass. However, lignin is composed of diverse monolignols with different abundance levels in different plant biomass and requires different proportions of ligninase to realize efficient degradation. To improve activity and reduce cost, the simultaneous submerged fermentation of laccase and lignin peroxidase (LiP) from a new bacterial strain, Streptomyces cinnamomensis, was studied by adopting formulation design, principal component analysis, regression analysis and unconstrained mathematical programming.
The activities of laccase and LiP from S. cinnamomensis cultured with the optimal medium formulations were improved to be five to eight folders of their initial activities, and the measured laccase:LiP activity ratios reached 0.1, 0.4 and 1.7 when cultured on medium with formulations designed to produce laccase:LiP complexes with theoretical laccase:LiP activity ratios of 0.05 to 0.1, 0.5 to 1 and 1.1 to 2.
Both the laccase and LiP activities and also the activity ratio of laccase to LiP could be controlled by the medium formulation as designed. Using a crude laccase-LiP complex with a specially designed laccase:LiP activity ratio has the potential to improve the degradation of various plant lignins composed of diverse monolignols with different abundance levels.
Lignocellulose degradation is the central process for carbon recycling in land ecosystems . As the key step in lignocellulose decay, lignin degradation, removal or modification is the rate-limiting step of carbon recycling [1,2], and also the central issue for industrial utilization of plant biomass (for example, biofuel production from abundant and renewable lignocellulosic material) [3,4]. Compared with the lignocellulosic biomass degradation by fungi, in vitro treatment of such biomass by lignin-degrading enzymes has a number of advantages, such as shorter incubation period without bacterial growth, reduced possibility of infection during large-scale microbe culture, lack of inhibitory effect of toxic byproducts (such as furfural) on bacterial or fungal mycelial growth, and improved reaction efficiency of bacterial enzymes at higher temperatures [1,5]. However, lack of commercially available, robust, and inexpensive enzymes is a major barrier for the widespread application of ligninolytic enzymes in various industrial sectors [5,6]. To avoid the high costs associated with enzyme purification procedures, one of the most promising ways to promote lignin biodegradation is to use crude enzymes [5-8].
Lignin is composed of chemically distinct subunits or monolignols (such as p-hydroxyphenyl, guaiacyl, and syringyl) whose abundance or proportions vary among plant species, and lignins of different plant origins require different proportions of laccase (E.C. 188.8.131.52), lignin peroxidase (LiP; E.C. 184.108.40.206) or manganese peroxidase, (MnP; E.C. 220.127.116.11) to promote the efficiency of degradation [2,3,9,10]. Laccase is the most preferred ligninase enzyme , but can directly oxidize only phenolic lignin units [12-14], which usually comprise less than 10% of the total polymer content of natural lignin [1,12]. By contrast, LiP is the most effective oxidizer ligninase known to date, and is capable of catalyzing the oxidation of phenolic or non-phenolic compounds, aromatic amines, aromatic ethers, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [13,14]. Thus, a laccase-LiP complex can be expected to be more efficient at lignin degradation than either of the two ligninases alone, owing to their potential synergism [5,6]. Further, laccases of fungal origin have low activity and stability at alkaline pH range or at high temperature, whereas laccases of bacterial origin have higher activity and stability under the same conditions [10,15]. One of the most studied aerobic cellulolytic bacteria species, Streptomyces, can produce ligninase with promising application potential under extreme conditions of high temperatures or high pH ranges [5,10,15].
Generally, strain selection or improvement by genetic modification, optimization of medium formulation, and fermentation conditions are the main options to improve enzyme activity and reduce production cost [5,6,10,15]. Compared with the high cost and uncertain results of genetic engineering, optimization of the medium formulation (including medium ingredients or composition, nutrient limitation, removal of potential toxic inducers) and culture conditions is a more dependable method in regulating the production of ligninolytic enzyme [5,16]. Carbon and nitrogen are the two most important components of the nutritional medium for any fermentation process [17,18], thus modifying or altering either or both in the medium should provide a marked improvement in the production of extracellular ligninolytic enzymes [10,18].
Currently, the most efficient method for large-scale fermentation is submerged fermentation (SmF; that is, an agitated liquid culture) . Traditionally, production of ligninolytic enzyme by SmF usually has a higher production cost because the liquid media usually contains some relatively expensive constituents such as glucose, ammonium tartrate, nitriloacetic acid, MgSO4, NaCl, FeSO4, CoCl2, and ZnSO4 . To decrease production cost, a potential solution is to adopt less expensive natural substrates as opposed to a chemically defined medium . Coffee pulp, wheat bran, and yeast extract have been shown to be excellent substrates (nitrogen sources) for Streptomyces psammoticus to produce laccase by either SmF  or solid-state fermentation (SSF) . Urea and sawdust have been used as nitrogen and carbon sources for laccase production from Pycnoporus sanguineus by SSF  and Lentinula edodes by SmF , respectively.
In this study, we aimed to produce a high activity laccase-LiP complex from a new strain of Streptomyces cinnamomensis by SmF using low cost liquid medium composed of yeast extract, coffee pulp, wheat bran, sawdust and urea.
Laccase and LiP were simultaneously produced from S. cinnamomensis by SmF (Table (Table11).
Following principal component analysis (PCA), four principal components of F1, F2, F3, F4 were calculated as shown in equations 1 to 4 below:
The explained variances in F1, F2, F3, F4 were 28.649%, 25.610%, 24.721% and 20.661% respectively, and their cumulative percentage of variance reached 99.641%.
Using linear regression, two second-degree polynomial regression models of laccase and LiP activities were constructed with four principal components (F1 to F4) as variables, as shown in equations 5 and 6 below:
Using unconstrained mathematical programming, the maximal enzyme activities and their corresponding solutions to principal components were calculated (Table (Table2).Based2).Based on the relationship between the principal component and the initial variables (yeast extract, coffee pulp, wheat bran and sawdust) presented in equations 2 to 4, the optimal dosages to the five medium ingredients corresponding to the maximum laccase or LiP activity could also be calculated (Table (Table22).
For ligninolytic enzyme production, the types and concentrations of the carbon and nitrogen sources and the carbon:nitrogen ratio were shown to be key factors influencing extracellular laccase or peroxidase production from Penicillium chrysogenum , Streptomyces sp. F2621 and F6616 , Streptomyces viridosporus , Streptomyces albus , Botryosphaeria rhodina , Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajorcaju , and Streptomyces lavendulae .
To verify the effect of the medium formulation on laccase and LiP activities and their activity ratio (laccase:LiP), three new medium formulations with different theoretical laccase:LiP activity ratios were designed (equations 7 to 9). For greater accuracy, the difference in variations (adjusted R2) and significance levels of the regression models of Equations. 5 and 6 were taken into account and quoted as parameters when designing the new medium formulations with different laccase:LiP activity ratios.
After unconstrained programming, the theoretical solutions to these three equations were calculated (Table (Table33).
For the verification experiment using SmF culture at 25°C with shaking at 150 rpm (Table (Table4),4), on the 14th day of SmF with the optimal medium (w/v) of yeast extract 1.24%, coffee pulp 2.3%, wheat bran 1.46%, sawdust 1.78% and urea 3.22% (from Eqn 5) (Table (Table2;2; Table Table4),4), laccase from S. cinnamomensis reached a peak of 0.0175 U/mL, which was approximately 5.1 times activity of the initial average value of 0.0034 U/mL (Table (Table1)1) and a little higher than the expected peak of 0.0174 U/mL (Table (Table2).2). This validated that laccase activity could be controlled by medium nutrition, and the optimized medium formulation was reliable for laccase production.
After 7 days of SmF culture using the optimal liquid medium (w/v) of yeast extract 1.48%, coffee pulp 1.94%, wheat bran 0.38%, sawdust 1.22% and urea 4.98% (Eqn 6; Table Table2;2; Table Table4),4), LiP from S. cinnamomensis reached a peak of 0.1450 U/mL, which was approximately 8.2 times activity of the initial average value of 0.0176 U/mL (Table (Table1)1) and higher than the expected peak of 0.1339 U/mL (Table (Table2).2). This confirmed that the LiP activity could also be controlled by medium nutrition, and the optimized medium formulation was reliable for LiP production.
After 11 days of SmF culture using the three new medium formulations designed to produce laccase-LiP complexes with theoretical activity ratios of 0.0537 to 0.1 (Eqn 7), 0.537 to 1 (Eqn 8) and 1.074 to 2 (Eqn 9) (Table (Table3;3; Table Table4),4), the measured activity ratios of laccase:LiP from S. cinnamomensis reached 0.1, 0.41 and 1.7 respectively (Table (Table5).5). The three activity ratios of laccase:LiP had nearly reached the designed levels of 0.05 to 0.1, 0.54 to 1 and 1.07 to 2 by day 11 of SmF fermentation, suggesting that the activity ratio between different enzymes produced simultaneously from one strain had the potential to be directly controlled by medium formulation. In addition, when the activity ratio of laccase:LiP reached the expected levels on day 11 of fermentation, the laccase or LiP activity also reached peaks (Table (Table5)5) on days 10,11 or 12, implying that the accordance of measured and theoretical laccase:LiP activity ratio was a true result as designed.
Compared with strain improvement by genetic engineering , optimization of medium formulation is a low-cost way to control enzyme activities and their ratio. By adjusting medium formulation, we produced a crude laccase-LiP complex with designed laccase:LiP activity ratio specially for the degradation of species-specific plant lignins with fixed proportion of phenolic units to non-phenolic compounds. Using such specially designed laccase-LiP complexes, the degradation of lignin and lignocellulose biomass should be improved. By improving the biodegradation of abundant and renewable lignocellulosic biomass, laccase-LiP complex with specially designed laccase:LiP activity ratio will be beneficial to industrial processes.
The S. cinnamomensis strain used was obtained from BOKU University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (Vienna, Austria). Wheat bran and sawdust were purchased, and coffee pulp was obtained from a common coffee machine in the Division of Food Biotechnolgy, Department of Food Sciences and Technology, BOKU - University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences , Austria.
To prepare the inoculum, a growth medium composed of 15 g/L malt extract, 15 g/L yeast extract, 0.5 g/L (NH4)2SO4, 0.1 g/L CaCO3, 0.5 g/L MgSO4, and 0.5% (v/v) trace element solution (1% FeSO4, 0.09% ZnSO4, 0.02% MnSO4 (w/v) and distilled water) in 250 mL baffled flasks was autoclaved at 120°C for 20 minutes, then inoculated with S. cinnamomensis slant. The flasks were cultured at 25°C with shaking at 130 rpm for 3 days until spore concentration reached 1.5 × 107 colony-forming units (CFU)/cm3.
The medium for laccase and LiP production from S. cinnamomensis by SmF (Table (Table1)1) was prepared in Erlenmeyer flasks with veratryl alcohol as inducer [5,29]. After inoculation with 10% (7.5 mL v/v) of bacterial cell suspension containing 1.5 × 107 CFU/mL, 75 mL medium from each run was cultured at were cultured at 25°C with shaking at 120 to 130 rpm.
The laccase activity was determined by oxidation of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylthiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS, Sigma Chemical Co., St Louis, MO, USA) , with 1 U defined as the amount of laccase oxidizing 1 μmol of ABTS per minute .
Spore concentration was determined by measuring the absorbance at 650 nm . The control had the same medium, but without inoculation.
To fully analyze the possible interaction among the medium ingredients, a formulation design based on uniform design U9(39) was adopted to optimize the medium formulation with five ingredients (Table (Table1).1). Corresponding to this formulation design, a second-degree polynomial regression model (Eqn 10) was constructed, with enzyme activity as the dependent variable . After PCA, four principal components (F1, F2, F3, F4) corresponding to four ingredients (yeast extract, coffee pulp, wheat bran, sawdust) were constructed. Using unconstrained mathematical programming, the optimal solutions to F1, F2, F3, F4 were calculated when the dependents of enzyme activities reached maximum, then the optimal dosages of the four ingredients (yeast extract, coffee pulp, wheat bran, sawdust) could be calculated, and finally the optimal medium formulation could be fully calculated because the sum of five ingredients in each run was 5, hence:
The enzyme activity model could be constructed as shown by Eqn 10:
where y represents laccase or LiP activity; F1, F2, F3 and F4 were the principal components corresponding to the four ingredients of yeast extract, coffee pulp, wheat bran and sawdust in culture medium; βi was the partial regression coefficient with β0, β1, β2, β3 being the linear terms and β11, β22, β33, β44 being the quadratic terms. R2 indicated to what extent of variability in the response could be explained by statistical model, and significance indicated the aptness of statistical model.
CFU: colony-forming unit; LiP: lignin peroxidase; PCA: principal component analysis; SmF: submerged(/liquid) state fermentation; SSF: solid-state(/substrate) fermentation.
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
DJ performed the literature retrieval, experimental design, experimental operation and data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation, and drafted the manuscript and submission. JW provided technical suggestions, and participated in the manuscript preparation and submission. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.
We are grateful to all the colleagues in Division of Food Biotechnology, Department of Food Sciences and Technology, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences for their general support or technical suggestions. This research was supported by the Eusia-Pacific Uninet Scholarship Award, National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 30700102), Branch of the Water Pollution Control and Management Project (2008ZX07209-010), Beijing Nova Program (grant number 2008A074) and Training Fund for Talents of Beijing (grant number 2010A005016000001).


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Sportradar have launched a new service to support the welfare of athletes and protect them from abuse on social media.
The new service will be rolled out to governing bodies, leagues and federations, while the service intends to help protect the mental wellbeing of athletes. Sportradar Integrity Services, which uses technology to help prevent match-fixing and doping in sport, will investigate all cases of online trolling as well as disrupting the ability to send abusive messages online.
Additionally, the service will pinpoint ‘burner’ accounts, used to send abusive messages, and will attempt to identify those individuals involved, equipping Sportradar with the ability to clamp down on trolls. Through technology and their intelligence and investigation services, a profile of online trolls will be able to be built analysing their online behaviour and abuse.
The results are then shared along with additional support to help prevent online abuse from happening again from that particular account. This will lead to the removal of the account as well as working with law enforcement to launch any necessary legal proceedings.
Managing Director of Integreity Services, Andreas Krannich, has said, “Maintaining the integrity of sport and ensuring that it’s safe, fair and enjoyable for all, has long been our priority. Now, with this new service, we’ve strengthened our position in this space by safeguarding the athletes who compete in it and protecting them from online harm and social media abuse.
“We are providing a tangible output that our partners can share with their athletes and we’re providing support to those partners in pursuing an appropriate course of action. The service we now have in place can act as a deterrent to future online abuse and create real change, particularly when people see the impact it has.
“We believe this safeguarding solution can have a similar positive impact on sport as our Fraud Detection System has had on match fixing, where we’ve reported more than 5000 suspicious matches across global sport in 11 years.”
During the Exo-Tennis Series, the service was trialled involving ATP and WTA players such as, Taylor Townsend, Dustin Brown, and Sachia Vickery, who regularly post the abusive messages they receive online, shared a number of messages as part of the trial.
Those messages were investigated and Sportradar presented the evidence to tournament organisers who were advised with solutions to prevent the abuse from happening again in the future.
Online abuse is becoming a regular occurrence, as footballer Wilfried Zaha revealed by being racially abused before the Crystal Palace game against Aston Villa. Zaha revealed that online abuse can come from anyone as the messages he received was sent from a 12-year-old boy.
Speaking after the incident Zaha said, "People need to understand that whatever your age, your behaviour and your words come with consequences and you cannot hide behind social media.
"It is important that social media companies do as they did yesterday [Sunday] and seek out these individuals and remove them."
Sportradars’ new service is definitely a step in the right direction as the abuse can inevitably take its toll on the wellbeing of professional athletes.
Author: James Parker

domain: sociology


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Betta fish and goldfish are probably the most popular species for novice aquarium owners, but different types of fish require very different living environment and nutrition. Goldfish need a 10-gallon or larger aquarium and prefer a tank filled with cooler water. Betta fish thrive in smaller, warmer fish tanks. Feeding betta fish food once or twice to goldfish will not kill the goldfish, but the digestive system and long-term nutritional requirements of goldfish are very different from betta fish. But what will happen if you feed Betta food to a goldfish?
What is the difference between the diet of goldfish and betta?
While exploring whether goldfish can eat Betta foods, let’s look at the dietary structure of these fish in the wild and in aquariums.
Betta fish are carnivores. In the wild, they eat almost everything, from worms to insects to small fish. In fact, proteins make up 70% of their intake in the wild. To replicate this, most commercial betta fish foods contain about 50% protein.
Goldfish, on the other hand, are omnivores and require protein and vegetables. Their digestive system is different from that of bettas. Excessive protein intake can cause various problems, including gas, swim bladder disease, and even kidney failure if they eat too much.
Can goldfish eat what betta eats?
Goldfish can occasionally eat the betta food as a way to get protein, but you should let goldfish eat less and feed them once a week as a special treat.
Goldfish prefer to eat food that has sunk in the middle or bottom of the fish tank, so if you give betta food to the goldfish, the goldfish will not eat it until it sinks.
Watch this very carefully, as any food placed on the bottom of the tank can break down, causing the ammonia content in the aquarium to rise.
Get the Right Food for your fish
In general, feeding goldfish with beta food is not a good idea. The two species have little in common and their dietary needs are different. Betta fish need much more protein than goldfish, which can cause many problems over time.
If you want to give your goldfish a special treat every so often, several times a month, but not more than once a week, give them a bit of beta food. Exceeding this amount can cause digestion problems of goldfish or something even worse.
When you are feeding your fish, it is always important to do some research. Some people may think that “fish is fish”, but the fact is that betta fish and goldfish are two completely different creatures. Giving them the right food can help them stay happy and healthy with Senzeal.


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Hey there lovelies! I hope your day just got better when you pulled up this cute post!
I say typical because there are always interruptions or hiccups but for the most part I stick to the same routine. For this show day, I’m using a show ground in Lexington as an example as I frequently show there and I have a pretty consistent routine that I follow. Again, this routine is never set in stone depending on the weather, the horses’ attitudes, and many other possible complications. By possible complications I mean a minor unforeseen injury, a show delay, different warm up times, and so on. Without further a due, My Show Day.
For my first creation as seen above, I’m very impressed with myself. For my fellow bloggers, e-mail me and I’ll give you some hints! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! What do y’all think? I’d love to hear about your show days!
GO WIN YOUR NEXT COMPETITION AND COME CELEBRATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT THE PAMPERED PONY!


Widow helps to highlight dangers of swimming in disused quarries
A new safety campaign has been launched to prevent people from swimming in disused quarry lakes.
It follows the deaths of Colin Polland (39) and 15-year-old Kevin O'Hare almost two years ago.
Mr Polland, originally from Co Down but who lived in Ilford, Essex, died trying to save the Dromara teenager at a remote quarry near Annalong in June 2013.
An inquest heard how the water in which both victims drowned was extremely deep and bitterly cold.
Mr Polland's widow Adele and two police officers, who also attempted a rescue bid, described the debilitating effects of the icy water. Mrs Polland said: "I felt a lot of pressure around my lungs, felt myself starting to have difficulty breathing.
"(It happened) very quickly when I got to the deep, coldest part of the water."
An audit of abandoned quarries was carried out by the 11 district councils in a bid to identify the main dangers.
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan, whose department oversees the local authorities, said there were many risks associated with disused quarries.
"Quarry water is a stone cold killer. A sudden plunge into cold water initiates a gasp response, which can cause drowning within seconds. It also prevents one holding their breath if their head is submerged," he said.
Justice Minister David Ford, whose department has supported the safety campaign, said: "It is crucial that people understand how dangerous abandoned quarries are and the risks they are taking when they trespass into one."


Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith will today warn that the party will become “unelectable” if Jeremy Corbyn is returned as its leader this month.
Mr Smith, who is trailing his left-wing opponent according to polls, is to use a speech in central London to predict that Britain faces a bleak future under the policies of successive Conservative governments unless Labour regains credibility.
“Decade out of power”
The Welsh MP will raise the possibility of the Labour spending at least a further decade out of power – by losing general elections in both 2020 and 2025 – with Mr Corbyn as leader, saying he had failed to make the party credible to voters.
Mr Smith is expected to say: “As we move into the final weeks of this campaign, I wanted to spell out exactly the risks facing our country if Labour continues with Jeremy Corbyn as leader, failing in its duty to offer a powerful opposition to the Tories and not looking like a credible government in waiting.
“This would offer the Tories and a certain victory in 2020, with Labour becoming an unelectable political party. It will make the prospect of a Labour government in 2025 even more unlikely and unleash a further wave of brutal right wing policies.”
Mr Smith will say he expects the Conservative Party to bring in policies including a large-scale expansion of grammar schools if it is allowed to go unchallenged by Labour.
The speech will be seen as an attempt by Mr Smith and his campaign to ramp up its rhetoric against Mr Corbyn as time runs out for him to close the gap on the current Labour leader.
Some polls have predicted that Mr Corbyn is heading for a larger margin of victory in the leadership contest than his original triumph a year ago, when he secured nearly 60 per cent of first-choice votes.


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Live dealer games offer a unique online casino experience that combines the convenience of playing from home with the excitement of being in a real casino.
With live dealer games, you can enjoy popular casino games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat with a live dealer who deals the cards and interacts with you in real-time. This creates a more immersive and authentic gaming experience that many players prefer over traditional online casino games.
Live dealer games are a great option for players who want a more authentic and immersive online casino experience. Whether you prefer blackjack, roulette, or baccarat, there are plenty of live dealer games available at top online casino Malaysia platforms.
So, if you’re looking for a more exciting way to play your favorite casino games, be sure to check out live dealer games today.
Understanding Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games are a popular option for players who want to experience the thrill of a casino from the comfort of their own home. In live dealer games, a real dealer is streamed to your device, allowing you to interact with them and other players in real-time.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when playing live dealer games:
Live dealer games are available for a variety of popular casino games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and more.
When choosing a live dealer game, it’s important to consider the game’s rules, as they may differ from traditional online versions. Make sure to read the rules carefully before playing to avoid any confusion.
Live dealer games often have higher minimum bets than traditional online games, so it’s important to check the betting limits before playing.
Some games may also have maximum betting limits, so keep this in mind if you’re a high roller.
One of the biggest draws of live dealer games is the ability to interact with the dealer and other players. You can use the chat function to talk to the dealer and other players, adding an extra layer of socialization to your gaming experience.
To play live dealer games, you’ll need a stable internet connection and a device that can handle the streaming. Make sure to check the technical requirements before playing to ensure that your device is compatible.
The Evolution of Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games have come a long way since their inception. Initially, they were limited to a few games such as blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Today, live dealer games offer a wide variety of games, including game shows, poker, and even bingo.
One of the most significant developments in live dealer games has been the introduction of mobile gaming. Players can now enjoy live dealer games on their mobile devices, which has made them more accessible and convenient. This has resulted in a surge in popularity, and many online casinos now offer live dealer games.
Another significant development in live dealer games is the improvement in streaming technology.
Live dealer games are now streamed in high definition, which enhances the gaming experience. Players can now see the dealer and the game in crystal clear detail, which makes the experience more immersive.
Live dealer games have also become more interactive. Players can now chat with the dealer and other players at the table, which adds a social element to the game.
Some live dealer games even allow players to customize the game to their liking, such as changing the color of the table or the background music.
Popular Live Dealer Games
When it comes to live dealer games, there are a few that stand out as the most popular among players. These games offer the excitement and thrill of playing in a real casino, with the added convenience of being able to play from home.
Here are the top three live dealer games you should try:
Blackjack is one of the most popular live dealer games, and for good reason. The game is easy to learn, but difficult to master, making it a favorite among both novice and experienced players. The objective of the game is to beat the dealer’s hand by getting a hand value of 21 or as close to 21 as possible without going over.
One of the advantages of playing live dealer blackjack is that you can see the dealer shuffle and deal the cards in real-time, which adds to the authenticity of the experience.
Some popular live dealer blackjack variations include Classic Blackjack, European Blackjack, and Vegas Strip Blackjack.
Roulette is another popular live dealer game that is enjoyed by players around the world. In this game, a ball is spun around a wheel with numbered pockets, and players bet on where the ball will land.
There are many different betting options in roulette, including betting on a specific number, color, or range of numbers.
Live dealer roulette offers a more immersive experience than playing the game online. You can watch as the dealer spins the wheel and drops the ball, and you can even chat with the dealer and other players at the table.
Some popular live dealer roulette variations include American Roulette, European Roulette, and French Roulette.
Poker is a classic casino game that has been popular for centuries, and it is now available in a live dealer format. In live dealer poker, you play against the dealer rather than other players, and the objective is to have a better hand than the dealer.
There are many different variations of live dealer poker, including Casino Hold’em, Three Card Poker, and Caribbean Stud Poker. Each game has its own set of rules and strategies, so it’s important to read up on the specific game you want to play before you start.
The Technology Behind Live Dealer Games
Live dealer games have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they provide players with the opportunity to enjoy a more authentic and immersive gambling experience from the comfort of their own homes.
But have you ever wondered how live dealer games actually work? In this section, we will delve into the technology behind live dealer games and explore the various components that make them possible.
One of the most important components of live dealer games is streaming technology. This technology is responsible for capturing the dealer’s video feed and transmitting it to players in real-time.
To accomplish this, live dealer casinos use high-quality cameras and microphones to capture the action at the table. The video feed is then compressed and sent to players over the internet using a streaming protocol such as RTMP or HLS.
Another key component of live dealer games is the game software. This software is responsible for managing the game itself, including the betting interface, game rules, and payouts. It also provides a platform for players to interact with the dealer and other players at the table.
The game software is typically developed by third-party providers who specialize in creating casino games.
Random Number Generators
Finally, live dealer games use random number generators (RNGs) to ensure that the games are fair and unbiased. RNGs are computer algorithms that generate random numbers, which are used to determine the outcome of each game.
In live dealer games, RNGs are typically used to determine the outcome of card games such as blackjack and baccarat. The RNGs are audited regularly by independent testing agencies to ensure that they are truly random and fair.
Live dealer games have revolutionized the online casino industry by offering players an immersive and authentic gaming experience. These games are hosted by real dealers in real-time, and players can interact with them and other players through a live chat function.
Live dealer games offer a level of excitement and engagement that traditional online casino games cannot match. They provide a more social and interactive gaming experience, which is particularly appealing to players who miss the atmosphere of land-based casinos.
Live dealer games are available in a wide variety of formats, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and more. They are also available on mobile devices, allowing players to enjoy the thrill of live dealer games on the go.
The popularity of live dealer games is only expected to grow in the coming years, as more and more players seek out the authentic casino experience from the comfort of their own homes.
Overall, live dealer games offer a unique and exciting way to play casino games online and are a must-try for any serious online casino player.