Category Archives: Roulette

Even though there is a well structured and used James Bond Roulette Strategy, James Bond himself doesnt actually play the game in any of his movies. We have to go back to the very first James Bond novel, Casino Royale where we read of him having a few spins on the roulette wheel in between the baccarat games roulette was in fact the preferred casino game of Ian Fleming.

Inspired by incidents that took place during Flemings wartime career on a trip to Portugal (en route to the US) Fleming and the NID Director, Admiral Godfrey visited the Estoril Casio and it was from there that Casino Royale was based.

Baccarat could be described as Bonds favourite casino game as he plays Baccarat Chemin de Fer in Thunderball, Dr.No, On Her Majestys Secret Service and GoldenEye.

As we mentioned above the James Bond roulette strategy is widely used and perhaps it is because of the iconic nature of Bond that his name is associated with this particular strategy.

In the book Casino Royale when Bond does take a shot at roulette he creates his own betting system which is designed to overcome the odds of the game and turn them into his favour (at one point he also uses the Labouchere system) Ever since the book was published the system gained in popularity, so much so that it is now referred as the James Bond system.

The James Bond is what is termed as a flat betting system which means that you will wager the same amount every round. Profits can mount up quite quickly, but just like the adversaries that Bond takes on, it can also leave you with a sour taste.

You will need a decent bankroll to play with and this is where the generous welcome bonus offered by a site like Casino-Bonus.me.uk comes into its own as you can surely enjoy some quality casino time with some of the best offers from only the best online casinos around, and using the welcome bonus is definitely one way of making the most out of the Bond system so its well worth checking out if you fancy adding a little excitement to your roulette games.

In this combination bet there are three different bets required each time.

The idea is that by using this particular combination you will cover more outcomes than you might have otherwise done.

Please note that in this method it is the European roulette table which only has a single zero compared to the American roulette table which has a double zero.

If you are playing on an American table then simply split the last 1 bet between the 0 and the 00 segments.

As you can see, landing the occasional 0 really does boost your profits and avoiding the number 1-12 is a pretty good idea.

Strategies are all about adding that extra excitement to your game of chance and using one that is named after such an iconic figure adds even more fun to the whole experience as long as you stay clear of any odd looking criminal masterminds who are pampering a white cat.

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Casinos and Bond Film Daily - Film Daily

Kennewick, Wash. Gabe Ludwig came off his sick bed to score in overtime and the Seattle Thunderbirds defeated the Tri-City Americans, 3-2, Saturday at the Toyota Center in Kennewick. The win was Seattles fifth in a row and fourth straight on the road. The Thunderbirds are off until next Friday, when they once again travel to Kennewick to face the Americans. It will be the first half of a home-and-home between the two teams. They will be at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent the following night.

T-birds Head Coach Matt ODette was pleased with the way his team responded to a week that included three games in four nights. I thought we played pretty well. Our habits were in a good place. I think fatigue started to set in. Its been a long week but we persevered. Despite the gas tank running down, ODette said they didnt sit back late in the game. We continued to try and score. Its unfortunate we gave up that tying goal, but we wanted that second point, there was a lot at stake.

Tri-City opened the scoring at 4:14 of the first period on a power play goal from former T-bird Sam Huo. Seattle tied it midway through the period. Conner Roulette held the puck behind the Tri-City goal and spotted Jordan Gustafson streaking to the front of the net. Roulette put the puck right on Gustafsons tape and he one-timed it in for his team leading sixth of the season. Gustafson now has goals in four straight games. Lucas Ciona had the second assist.

Seattle went to the penalty kill to grab the lead in the second. The T-birds killed off four Americans power plays in the period and scored while shorthanded. Henrik Rybinski stole a puck at the T-Birds blue line and broke up ice, 2-on-1 with Reid Schaefer. A quick give-and-go pass from Schaefer set up Rybinski for the shorthanded goal at 12:52. The goal was his second of the season.

ODette knows the penalty kill was key to winning. It was really good. They scored on the first one but they got several opportunities from there, a lengthy 5-on-3 that we killed off. There were timely kills, a late one we had to kill off. The Americans were awarded seven power plays. ODette said they have to be ready. You get penalties, you have to kill them off. Thats what we did tonight.

The T-birds had a third period power play goal disallowed upon video review. Late in the period Tri-City forced overtime when Ethan Ernst tied the game with under four minutes remaining. Two minutes into overtime Nico Myatovic pushed a puck out of the Seattle zone and got it to Ludwig at center ice. Ludwig did the rest.

I was just flying through the zone trying to give him (Myatovic) an option. I think the pass was going to go to Imper (Eric Van Impe) but I grabbed the puck and everyone on the bench was yelling, shoot the puck. Imper was yelling shoot. And shoot he did, scoring his second of the season. I saw the left side open, so I shot there.

Ludwig had missed the previous game in Spokane due to an illness. He was glad to rejoin the team and contribute to a win. Yeah, it was fun to have an impact on the game. I was happy to help the team win and keep the momentum going. Its a great group of guys, I love playing with them and it keeps me motivated to play hard every night.

T-BIRDS EXTRAS

Through their first seven road games this season Seattle is 6-1-0-0. Last spring, in the pandemic shortened 23-game schedule, the T-birds were 4-7-0-1 in twelve road games. Seattles last season with a winning road record was their 2016-17 WHL Championship year when they went 19-12-4-1, though they did finish at .500 the following season.

Rybinskis goal extended his scoring streak to six games while Nico Myatovic has an assist in three straight games.

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T-Birds Trip Tri-City in Overtime Seattle Thunderbirds - seattlethunderbirds.com

This is a Partner Content post by Christian Facey, CEO at AudioMob.

Nas quickly became one of my favourite rappers when I was a teenager I remember mimicking Rhythm Roulette with friends when I was learning to produce music. So its been a surreal experience working with Mass Appeal and Nas team to promote one of my favourite artists!

Im really proud that a multi-platinum hip-hop icon like Nas has used AudioMob to promote his new album Kings Disease II.

In marketing the sequel to Kings Disease his 2020 Grammy Award-winning collaborative project with super-producer Hit-Boy (Beyonc, Rihanna, Nipsey Hussle) Nas and his label Mass Appeal utilised AudioMobs technology with massive success. The in-game audio ads saw a 1275% relative average click-through-rate uplift helping the album reach number one in Billboards Top R&B / Hip-Hop Albums chart as the campaign reached its conclusion.

Heres how it all happened.

AudioMob bridges the gap between audio and mobile gaming opportunities through in-game audio ads. In a recent study conducted by the ad tech company, 75% of consumers prefer to have audio ads within their gaming experiences as opposed to video and banner ads that block gameplay.

Interrupting mobile ads frustrate players by taking over the device screen and blocking their gameplay. The interruption causes negative associations with brands and games which ultimately reduces user retention within a mobile title, which is why audio ads work so well.

Using AudioMobs innovative tech, Nas himself addressed players directly in an audio ad as a sample of the record played in the background. WIth that connection built between himself and players, users were then pointed to a banner that led them directly to the full LP featuring guest appearances from Eminem to Ms. Lauryn Hill.

Nas enjoyed the experience, saying, It was interesting to witness the music react in a different landscape its a dope medium for artists to connect with the globe.

Gamers in countries including the UK, United States, Australia, Canada, Germany and Brazil all heard the ad on various free-to-play mobile games. The audio ads click-through-rate leapt 1275% relative to the typical rate offered by traditional in-game banners. Gaming offers a connection with more than 2.5 billion engaged users and there are few alternatives for reaching these unprecedented levels.

Before Nas Kings Disease II campaign concluded, the record released on August 6th hit number one on Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Mass Appeals Director of Marketing Celeste Li said: The AudioMob team seamlessly guided us into the mobile gaming ad landscape. The platform has an expansive reach and is an exciting opportunity to connect with even more fans. This is a helpful tool to add to your marketing toolkit.

Nas is the latest Hip Hop superstar to utilise AudioMob alongside pioneers Sugar Hill Gang, and First Day Out rapper Tee Grizzley who also reached high engagement levels of above 2000%.

Music Ally

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Nas uses AudioMob and speaks directly to gamers to promote 14th studio album King's Disease II - Music Ally

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Oct. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Interblock ("the Company"), worldwide leading developer and supplier of luxury electronic table games (ETGs) displayed its full product suite, designed to attract new and existing players through various distribution methods, at the 2021 Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in booth #1239.

Global CEO John Connelly said, This years G2E was in many ways one of the most important shows in recent history. The market was in need of innovation to help address an apparent shift within the casino industry, due to COVID. Increased challenges with labor force and operational efficiencies have driven an unprecedented acceleration within the ETG segment. Interblock continues to invest heavily in new forms of technology designed to meet this demand, achieving increased handle and house advantage while reducing operating expenses for our casino partners.

Interblocks Stadium Environments Showcase Modularity and Scalability

At G2E, the Company's Stadium product line demonstrated modularity and scalability. This could be seen through the new HALO video ring, a massive 44-foot video wall, and its traditional stadium offering. Stadiums can be configured with any number of table games in automated, dealer assist, and video formats, giving patrons the option of playing up to four games simultaneously in a number of forms.

The next step in the Stadium suite of products is Pulse Arena. At G2E, Pulse Arena showcased an immersive gaming destination designed to attract new players to the casino floor while driving new revenue from those players. Pulse Arena delivers a hybrid experience of entertainment with a DJ booth, a light package that can be changed with a touch of a button, and social interaction that is highly customizable to meet any operators needs.

Connelly said, We have seen stadium technology connect patrons to casino floors in ways never before seen; offering a unique resort experience where players can interact within a social environment. The Interblock Stadium allows guests to play, socialize and migrate their entertainment experience onto the casino floor, in a unique fashion.

New Feature-Rich Software Delivers Higher Handle and Hold Percentage for Operators

The full-featured Global Version (GV) software is Interblocks new, easy-to-navigate graphical user interface (GUI) offering a variety of features and functionalities benefiting casino operators and their players, including tournaments, promotions, an education mode for beginnings, simultaneous wagering with up to four games within a Stadium, dealer tipping features, a host of new Blackjack side bets, Live Craps, the Interblock exclusive DAI BACC game, and much more. This proven technology is increasing the handle and hold percentage of ETGs across the country.

Live Craps Table Creates New Gaming Experiences for Players

Interblocks Live Craps table was also on display within Stadiums and in a standalone format. This first-of-its-kind, dealer-assisted table provides an exciting opportunity to shoot real dice on a Craps table. When it is the players turn to shoot the dice to initiate the game, the dealer will call on the selected player to step up to the table to be the shooter. After the dealer verifies the shooters result and enters it into the dealer console, the shooter may roll the dice again or the dealer may choose another shooter among the available players.

The innovative Live Craps table delivers even more ways for patrons to play this exciting community game by replicating a Craps table environment without the pressure or intimidation of a traditional Craps table, and provides operators a new way to offer Craps within a Stadium, or create a Live Craps ETG table in a standalone format.

New Universal Cabinet Form-Factors Make Their Debut

The Universal Cabinet (UC) suite was demonstrated in seven different form-factors at G2E, including new forms of virtual Blackjack, a live video feed multi-game, Big Six, and Craps. UC is one of Interblocks breakthrough ETGs that offer an entirely new way for players to interact with table games. It supports six different table games, including Roulette, Blackjack, Craps, Baccarat, Big Six, and Sic Bo, and provides a one-on-one gameplay experience by allowing players to set the pace of their own game.

Modern Spin on Roulette ETGs Showcase New Paytables: Golden Ball Roulette and Lucky Ball Roulette

Finally, Interblocks Golden Ball Roulette and Lucky Ball Roulette were demonstrated on both MiniStar and Universal Cabinet products. These innovative Roulette games are themed around its unique side bets, adding more fun and excitement to the base game. Beautiful sign packages and new lights, animations, and sounds complete this standalone product offering.

In closing, Connelly said, With the support of our partners and customers over the last six years, we have had the fortunate opportunity to innovate and diversify our product offering, which has been designed to attract various demographics through alternative distribution channels. The depth of our offerings has attracted both new and existing players to a more profitable and entertaining form of gaming. In many ways, this is one of the few areas capable of competing with online gaming, currently accelerating within North America.

Join Interblock on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

About Interblock

Interblock is a worldwide leading developer and supplier of luxury electronic table gaming products. Its multi-player gaming devices set industry standards and provide the ultimate in luxury interactive entertainment experiences. The Interblock brand is globally recognized for diamond-quality gaming solutions and technical support in more than 234 jurisdictions. Interblocks exclusive collection of fully and semi-automated electronic gaming tables and video gaming solutions provide casinos, arcades, and gambling halls with superior product performance and their guests with an unforgettable gaming experience. For more information, visit http://www.interblockgaming.com.

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Interblock Showcases Technology Combined with Innovation at - GlobeNewswire

Prepare thine guts and a big glass of plain milk because Dominos is bringing back that utterly cursed Halloween Pizza Roulette for another year. And after last years tummy-searing and ring-stinging situation, the pizzy lords have gone and turned up the heat, havent they?

Last year the roulette pizza featured one rogue (1) slice slathered in tongue-tingling Yellow Bhut Jolokia chilli sauce, which clocked in at just over the 1 million mark on the Scoville spice scale. With nowhere to go but up (or perhaps down, to the depths of culinary hell), this years Full Chaos Pizza will feature a random slice thats spiked with Reaper Chilli Sauce. Yep, its exactly what you think it is hot sauce made with Carolina Reaper chillis.

And yes, that is your large intestine quivering under the knowledge that a Carolina Reaper comes in at a truly scorching 2.2 million on the Scoville scale.

I know they say the biggest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing us he doesnt exist, but surely licking a slice of pizza and putting in the box alongside normal, not-tarnished-with-liquid-death slices has got to be up there.

If I was the unlucky bastard to cop the bulk-chilli slice I feel like Id immediately be like Homer Simpson with the Guatemala insanity peppers, and my mouth would turn into molten liquid. Im sure as hell not the pope of chilli town, so please dont let me ruin my guts with this roulette pizza.

Similar to last years roulette pizza which now seems like childs play, a tepid pizza for babies, and nothing that old mate from Hot Ones would bat an eyelid at you can add the possessed piece to any kind of pizza you want from the menu. That means all your vego and vegan mates are not immune to the gut-punch of accidentally chomping down on the devils dough slice just because theyre not partial to a meatlovers pizz.

If youre keen to absolutely fuck up your life for a (quite literal) hot minute, possibly induce a thunderclap headache, and then ruin your life again about eight hours later when youre trou-down and quietly dying on the dunny, then youve got a couple of days to jump on the pizza roulette. These genuinely cursed slices are only available at your local Dominos from October 25 (thats today) to the 31st, and its totally free to add the gnarly chilli sauce onto to your chosen pizza.

Godspeed and fingers crossed you dont prank yourself.

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Dominos Turned Up The Heat For This Years Cursed Roulette Pizza & Consider My Anoos Spooked - Pedestrian TV

Callum Newman was born a happy, healthy baby but within weeks he started to develop eczema.

Doctors initially put it down to being baby eczema but in no time his body was weeping, sore and bleeding. His face became so swollen his eyes just turned to slits.

After months of going to and from the hospital in a series of terrifying emergencies, Callum was diagnosed as suffering from 28 severe allergies, including nuts, wheat, gluten, diary, eggs, strawberries, apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes and tomatoes.

READ MORE: How former Aldi worker came up with cream to help with eczema

Determined that Callums life should be joyful and not full of restrictions, his mum Nathalie kept an online diary where she began sharing safe recipes and tips.

We talk to Nathalie on the Brummie Mummies podcast about their 'free-from' journey and what you can do if your child, or a child you are entertaining, has allergies. Listen here

Its like living with a ticking time bomb, almost like Russian roulette on a daily basis," said Nathalie, whose older daughter Chloe doesn't have any allergies.

You send him off to school and you hope hes going to be OK. You teach him all the things that he needs to try to keep himself safe but theres no guarantee hell come back through the front door in the afternoon.

And you just have to learn to live with that and understand that if you dont hear anything, its not a bad thing, its all OK until you get a phone call telling you otherwise. Otherwise you just cant get on with life at all.

Allergies are life-changing but they shouldnt be life-defining. If anything happened to him, God forbid, I dont want to be there saying I wish Id let him do this or try that, I want to be able to say we gave him every opportunity to do what he wanted to do and let him fly in the process."

Callums worst reaction happened just after his first birthday. It resulted in a life-threatening Staph infection, caused by bacteria on his skin spreading deeper into his body.

He was non-responsive for the first 48 hours, said Nathalie. He had numerous drips coming out of him, trying to make him better.

"We didnt think he was going to come home from that one, he was very, very ill but unbelievably he managed to fight it and lived to tell the tale.

At 16 months old, Callum finally had allergy testing done, which was when his parents discovered the alarming number of foods he was allergic to.

My husbands response was the best one, he said what on earth are we going to feed him? Just water and air?" she said.

I was one of those classic allergy parents youd see in the supermarket, reading labels and swearing, putting items back and becoming very defeated, not knowing where on earth I was going to turn to because there was nothing safe for him at the time.

Weaning was tricky, especially as Callum became understandably anxious about eating.

He had food aversion when he was young because he didnt trust it said Nathalie, who used to work in the NHS.

"It meant he wasnt putting weight on when he should have been, The only way to get round it was for him to start cooking with me. We started with a carrot or an apple that he could peel with a baby peeler.

Over time he understood that if he was helping to make meals like soup, there was nothing hidden in there. Then hed start to taste it.

"Now he works with me, making recipes he can show to other children. The biggest part with allergies is that element of trust that comes with it."

Nathalie, from Oxfordshire, shares her free-from recipes and tips on her website, the Intolerant Gourmand and writes booklets for parents of newly-diagnosed children.

She is appearing at the Allergy & Free-From Show at Birmingham NEC on November 6 and 7, where she will be demonstrating and talking to families. You can get a free ticket here

Whilst all of her messages are upbeat and positive, she says it's also about helping people understand the severity of certain allergies too: "Ive had it before when people have said surely a little bit wont hurt him will it?

"And I say well a little bit of arsenic in your coffee wont hurt you will it?

"They say 'but that's poison' and I say it's the same thing for someone with allergies."

Starting school is a daunting prospect for any young child and parent, but more so when any minor accident could result in a major incident for Callum.

But Nathalie came up with a brilliant way to help the transition into school go smoothly for everyone. She wrote a letter to the children and parents to try to help them understand and allay any fears about Callum's allergies.

It read: "Hi Im Callum, Ive got these allergies, sometimes I get poorly from them. I would love it if you could just keep a look out for me. If you start to see me look a little bit poorly, can you let the teachers know?

"I really want to play with you, I cant wait to meet you all. I just need to make sure I dont touch your food, and you dont mine so that it keeps me safe and hopefully were going to have a wonderful time at school. Cant wait to see you!

She explained: "Its scary letting your child go to school when youve been their protector all those years so its good to share those tips and advice.

"It made such a difference because it took that element of fear away. They didnt have that, oh no, we cant talk to them. And now, his classmates are wonderful with him.

Callum is now a thriving ten-year-old, who loves cooking and helping his mum at food and allergy events.

"He is the cheekiest chappy youll ever find, a ray of sunshine and it's a blessing to be around him all the time," she smiled. "He's car-mad, loves cooking with me and is an awesome little brother to his big sister, who thinks the world of him.

"You wouldnt think hes got allergies because he faces life with such gusto.

"There needs to be a lot more understanding from a consumer and healthcare perspective as so many more people are affected now by allergies.

"At The Allergy Show, you get to see hundreds of brands that are really passionate about what they do. You get to see new products, demos and live Q&As with people living with allergies who are all there to give something to you that you potentially havent seen before.

"Its a good day out, it's free and is definitely something people should do."

Do you have an amazing story to tell? Would you like to get involved with our podcast? We'd love to hear from you. Get in touch via our Brummie Mummies Facebook page or email zoe.chamberlain@reachplc.com

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Its like Russian roulette - mum shares how her son copes with having 28 severe allergies - Birmingham Live

Plenty of gambling enthusiasts will argue that online casino games can never be as authentic and exciting as the games you can play in a real casino. However, the newest online casinos manage to prove them wrong. Today, casinos are working with some of the best gaming companies to create casino games that will provide customers with the authenticity they get when playing at real casinos. Truth be told, not all games can make you feel like youre sitting in a fancy casino, but there are a lot of them that can. Today, we are going to talk about those games.

Here are the 3 most exciting online casino games you simply have to try.

Its pretty hard for an online casino game to provide you with the real feel when you are sitting behind your computer instead of being dressed in a fancy outfit and enjoying a cold drink at the roulette table. However, most new online roulette games are managing to create an authentic ambient. This is mostly because the game developers are doing a fantastic job. They are able to provide the player with all the necessary features, but also a wonderful design that makes them feel like they are in Las Vegas.

But what makes online roulette exciting? Well, first of all, despite what people may think, this is not a game that is based only on luck. The best roulette players are excellent strategists and if you want to win money, you have to have your own strategy. If you are a beginner, you can learn to play roulette at RouletteStrategy.

Lets face it, there arent many things more exciting than a game of poker. It doesnt matter if you were a fan of Western movies since you were a kid or you simply love card games, poker is one of those special casino games that make every player feel like a gritty cowboy looking for outlaws. But, can you feel the same way when you play Texas Hold em online? Yes, you can. Just like roulette, poker also requires a strategic mind. Sure, you cant know which cards will be revealed on the table, but you can use your body language to fool your opponents and make them fold even when you have a weak hand. A lot of poker professionals agree that poker is more about reading the faces of your opponents than the cards you have in your hand.

The third game on our list is also a table game. Coincidence? Not a chance. Table games are famous for being most exciting in regular casinos and the ones you can find online. Blackjack is no exception to this rule. What makes Blackjack fun? Well, first of all, you are sitting at a fancy table, across a skilled croupier, and you are trying to beat the house and take the money home. Also, Blackjack is one of the simplest table games and this is exactly why its so popular among casino beginners. You and the croupier draw cards and the goal is to be closer to the number 21 and you will beat the house. This, of course, is as plain as we can put it, but this wonderful game is nuanced and has its hidden wonders. If you want to become a Blackjack master, you can learn a few things here.

Online casino games can be rather exciting. In fact, they can feel like the real thing. This, of course, is good news, especially if you are a casino enthusiast. However, casino games can cause gambling addiction and you have to be cautious. Play responsibly.

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The 3 Most Exciting Online Casino Games - GLYFE Nation

Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on October 21, 2021.

A pair of realities: This week, Colin Powell, the former secretary of state whose service under President George W. Bush is most prominently associated with the American invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, died at 84 due to complications from COVID-19, despite having been fully vaccinated. And: There are conditions under which any generally healthy person would most likely have a seizure.

These facts, as strange as they seem in juxtaposition, are relatedneither describes events at all out of the ordinary, and yet both arrive as a kind of shock, with the sense that something must be amiss. They share this: Theyre matters of probability, and probability is a fact of life in medicine, and a chaos agent in discourse.

Powells passing sparked a fresh round of social-media venom from vaccine critics, with the generals death serving as ammunition for their claims. The onslaught of told-you-sos sent news networks scrambling to invite experts to explain why the death of a single vaccinated person did not prove the overall worthlessness of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Kori Schake: What working for Colin Powell taught me

In Powells case, there is plenty of evidence to point to: The man was 84 years old, having lived, in other words, a very long life and having arrived at the highest risk category for death from COVID-19. Over time, bodies simply break downour defenses become frail, our organs fragileand no amount of medical intervention, no matter how heroic or generally efficacious, can forestall the end we all eventually meet. Nor was Powell in sterling health by the time he became infected with COVID-19. According to Powells family, he was in treatment for multiple myeloma, a cancer that affects white blood cells. These cells play a crucial role in protecting the body from infection; without them, even the most effective vaccines cannot perform their role. (A vaccine, after all, is more or less a highly skilled agent training your immune system to fight invaders; it doesnt matter if the vaccine expertly whips immune cells into shape if, when the time comes, they simply dont fight.)

To which the vaccine skeptic will likely say: Blah, blah, blah. Thats all just a long-winded way of saying vaccines dont work. If you get your shots and you still die of COVID-19, that means the vaccine didnt work. Case closed.

That this implicitly misstates the promise of vaccines is perfectly understandable. This is where a healthy persons hypothetical seizureand my real onescomes in.

If you are fortunate, you will live the majority of your life without ever having to think too much about medical decision making. (In fact, this is my hope for you, whoever you are: that you enjoy good health, and that if and when you do fall ill, your medical problems are straightforward, well researched, and easily treatable.) If you, like me, are a little less lucky, then you will become familiar with the way medical decision making actually works: probabilistically.

When I was 14, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. What this broad blanket term for dozens of syndromes means is that a person has unprovoked seizures, in my case both grand mal seizuresthat is, the convulsive ones most commonly associated with the wordand myoclonic jerks, which are short, repeated, electric-shock-like contractions of specific muscle groups, typically in my hands, arms, and shoulders. This array of symptoms is categorized as Janz syndrome. For me, the disorder will be lifelong. It has no known cure.

When you are diagnosed with epilepsy, one of the things you learn is that a seizure is a burst of sudden, uncoordinated electrical activity in the brain that can be prompted by all kinds of disruptionseven in perfectly healthy, non-epileptic people. An ordinary person without any neurological abnormalities whatsoever may have a seizure if, for instance, they sustain a serious head injury, develop a significantly high fever, go into shock, suffer blood loss, or use particular prescription or illicit drugs. All of those factors lower what neurologists refer to as a persons seizure threshold, the barrier between the average brain and a full-on electrical meltdown. For most people, the threshold is relatively high, and lowering it such that their likelihood of having a seizure comes to match, say, mine takes quite a disruption. Thats not the case for me. My seizure threshold is naturally quite low: It simply doesnt take much to scramble the grid in my part of town. That doesnt mean Im constantly having seizures, or that anytime I run into a factor that could trigger a seizure, I will have a seizure; it just means my odds of having a seizure are higher than the average gamblers.

Thinking in terms of odds helps patients with illnesses like mine consider treatments. Through one lens, no epilepsy medication worksat the end of the day, youre still epileptic, and your life is still circumscribed by limitations that do not apply to the lives of others. But that implicitly misstates the purpose of treatment: Epilepsy medications arent intended to cure epilepsy, or to guarantee that an epileptic never again has another seizure. Theyre meant to lower the odds that, on any given day, in any given situation, an epileptic person will have a seizure. Or to put it another way: They raise your seizure threshold to something closer to a non-epileptic persons.

Read: Why some doctors purposely misdiagnose patients

A windy day in an apple orchard with my kids is a roulette wheel, red and black. By natures accounting, my wheel is two-thirds black, and I can bet only on red. With anticonvulsant medication, I can reshuffle the pockets to 5050; with a good adjunctive therapy, I can cut the black down to a quarter of the game or less, and mostly forget that Im even placing a bet, though I always am.

And so it goes for medicine in general. In order to live, we need to forget that were placing bets, though we always are. So many of our treatments are so efficacious and well established that their benefits are never really called into question, and we take for granted that they simply work, when the reality is that they mostly work, most of the time, for most people.

The COVID-19 vaccines are no different. Elderly people living in states with higher vaccination rates during the Delta surge were more likely to survive than elderly people living in states with lower vaccination rates; unvaccinated Americans are 11 times more likely to die from infection with the Delta variant than vaccinated Americans; fully vaccinated Americans 65 and older are 94 percent less likely to be hospitalized than their unvaccinated counterparts, per a CDC assessment published in the spring. In any of those categories, there are undoubtedly outliers; there always are. But medicine isnt about playing the outliers. Its about playing the odds.

This story has been updated to clarify the mechanism by which vaccines produce immunity.

Link:

My Daily Life Is a Game of Roulette - The Atlantic

Iceland has a new spicy treat shoppers are keen to try with some saying it would make the perfect Christmas day game.

The frozen food supermarket has launched its Scarily Spicy 12 Jalapeno Roulette Wheel, with its packaging asking customers dare to spin?

The Iceland wheel is filled with nine breaded jalapeno and cheese bites and three extra hot breaded jalapeno, red chilli and cheese bites. Each item looks the same, so you only know which one you've got when you take a bite. The packet comes with a Very Hot warning and is priced at 3.

READ MORE: Martin Lewis' 'last chance' warning to anyone with a Tesco Clubcard

A picture of the Iceland Jalapeno Roulette Wheel was shared on Facebook page Snack News & Reviews earlier this month. The post racked up 530 comments with many people excited to try it.

Lily Chapman said: This just makes my mouth water for some reason. I would probably cry.

Kelli Linton tagged a friend and said: please play it with your dad! But only when Im there to watch xxx.

David Lucas told a pal: bit of you this.

Jason Elliott said: I will eat it all get me one please.

Many others tagged friends and suggested they try it.

Joe Deakin said: get these be a right laugh.

Jack Johnson asked friends: Christmas day game?

Craig Snailham said: lets give these a go!

And Shannon Chisholm added: we'll have these for next movie night!!

You can buy Iceland's Scarily Spicy 12 Jalapeno Roulette Wheel.

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Iceland's new 'roulette wheel' so spicy shoppers say they will 'probably cry' - Liverpool Echo

Like many destructive conflicts, Warsaws war with Brussels was never supposed to happen.

A former Polish diplomat who followed rule of law issues said that when the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party was presenting its first judicial reforms after winning power in 2015: The aim wasnt to get into a fight with the European Commission.

Rather, the partys battle to almost immediately exert control over the judicial system was a domestic political initiative with its roots in PiSs previous and brief 2005-2007 stint in government. Party leader Jarosaw Kaczyski blamed the courts for undermining his radical political program with pettifogging separation of powers ideas that undermined what he saw as his partys democratic right to rule thanks to winning elections a concept he called legal impossibilism.

In its 2015 election program, PiS claimed that courts were politicized, corrupt, ineffective and dominated by communist-era judges and called for deep reforms to the justice system.

Without a deep reform of the courts, fixing the country is very difficult, as this is the last barricade, the last level of decision-making in many different cases, Kaczyski said in a 2018 interview.

Subordinating the courts is the key to having the state apparatus that wouldnt undermine PiS politics, said Anna Wjcik, co-founder of the Wiktor Osiatski Archive, which monitors the rule of law in Poland.

But the target was domestic control, not unleashing a continental war.

The problem for PiS was that, as a member of the European Union, Polands courts are part of a pan-European justice system, and the changes it was making quickly came to the attention of Brussels.

One of the first was the political capture of the Constitutional Tribunal, a top court thats meant to decide on the compliance of the law with the constitution. Rather than waiting for sequential retirements of existing judges, PiS and President Andrzej Duda illegally refused to seat three judges elected to the tribunal and replaced them with three seen as closer to the ruling party. That sparked a conflict with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, a non-EU body.

Its that court, now led by Julia Przybska, a close ally and personal friend of Kaczyski, that issued a bombshell ruling that the Polish constitution has primacy over some parts of the EU Treaties, setting off the current clash with the EU. Thats something that was fiercely debated when the European Parliament grilled Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki earlier this week, and which will be up for discussion by EU leaders during their summit on Thursday and Friday.

Critics say that over the last six years, PiS and its political allies have also taken over the public prosecutors office, exerted growing authority over ordinary courts, taken control of the body thats supposed to nominate judges, and set up a new disciplinary body in the Supreme Courtthat the Court of Justice of the EU ruled is not compatible with EU law.

Despite the growing clamor of protests from EU institutions, the Polish government pressed forward. It had the example of Hungary, its close ally, where the EU had failed to stop the countrys slide into an authoritarian semi-democracy under the rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbn.

For all these years, PiS has seen that it can get away with anything. There might be problems, but eventually it is able to push through the majority of things, said Piotr Buras, the head of the European Council of Foreign Relations in Poland, a think tank.

Orbn had what he called his peacock dance, where he would beguile his European partners and then offer mainly symbolic retreats on rule of law and democracy issues.

EU institutions were largely toothless, as for a long time Brussels wasnt able to do much about Polands rule-of-law problems; it had the worlds steepest decline in democratic standards over the last decade, according to a report by V-Dem of the University of Gothenburg.

The Commission did open an Article 7 procedure in 2017, something that theoretically allows for an EU country to lose its voting rights for a serious breach of the blocs principles. But a mutual defense pact between Warsaw and Budapest means it will never get the unanimity it needs to be approved.

The Article 7 procedure didnt impress the PiS government because its only a procedure of political dialogue and this one can last forever, said Wjcik, adding that the Warsaw government was similarly unmoved by the Commission opening four infringement procedures against Poland.

The government in Warsaw also talked a good game, explaining over and over again at different fora that its judiciary reforms were essential, copied solutions in other countries and that it wasnt breaking EU rules.

Analysts point out that one of the main reasons Kaczyski appointed Morawiecki, an English-speaking former international banker, as prime minister was to navigate the shoals of rule of law issues with Brussels.

Together with his top aide, Europe Minister Konrad Szymaski, they attended Council meetings aiming to defang the increasing alarm from other EU countries.

But now the Polish government faces trouble.

The EU Court of Justice is ramping up its rulings against Poland, which could carry the sting of steep fines. Other European justice systems are starting to question things like Polish arrest warrants out of concern that people wont have access to a fair trial.

The final catalyst was the Constitutional Tribunals ruling on the precedence of Polish over EU law.

Now the EU has woken up, and Brussels finally has a weapon the 36 billion in pandemic grants and loans that Poland needs to recover from the pandemic, and that PiS needs to help it win the next election set for 2023.

Patryk Jaki, an MEP who helped formulate the judicial system reforms, said he didnt expect that the rule-of-law conflict would escalate to such a degree.

At first Kaczyski didnt fear Brussels reaction because he had no reason to, said Wjcik. Now big money is at stake.

But for Kaczyski the calculation is as much about power as it is about cash. If he retreats in the face of EU pressure, he undermines the narrative that hes the unrelenting defender of Polands national interest, opening himself to an attack on the political right from his coalition partner Zbigniew Ziobro, the powerful justice minister who helped push through the reforms and who has staked out a strongly Euroskeptic position.

On the left, Donald Tusk, the former Polish prime minister and European Council president, and now leader of the main opposition party, is waiting to pounce.

Thats why both Kaczyski and Morawiecki are insisting that judicial system reforms will continue even if Warsaw is saying that it will give some ground by eliminating the Supreme Courts disciplinary chamber, albeit at an unspecified time.

In a tough speech to the European Parliament this week, Morawiecki fiercely defended the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, saying Poland would not allow EU courts to interfere in national judiciary systems.

No sovereign state can agree to such an interpretation. To accept it would mean that the Union ceased to be a union of free, equal and sovereign countries, he said.

That means a fight that began thanks to Kaczyskis domestic political concerns is unlikely to end anytime soon despite it now engulfing the EU.

I think this discussion wont be over tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, a senior Polish diplomat said.

For now, both sides are digging in.

The only good ending for this in line with the rule-of-law is for the EU institutions to back off from its illegal usurpation, said Polish Deputy Justice Minister Sebastian Kaleta, a member of Ziobros United Poland party

The space for dialogue is narrowing, Commission Vice President Vra Jourov, who is responsible for the rule-of-law portfolio, said earlier this week, adding: There must always be space for dialogue, but dialogue where we respect each others voices and where the willingness to have dialogue is not taken as a weakness by some.

That leaves very little room for compromise.

This conflict can still be calmed down, said a senior Polish official. Were still talking about [mutual concessions], on both sides there are people who want an agreement but there are fewer and fewer of them, they added.

Asked about how the crisis could end, another senior Polish official said: Endgame looks like theyve stopped playing poker and started to play Russian roulette.

Lili Bayer and Maria Wilczek contributed reporting.

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Polands Russian roulette with the EU - POLITICO Europe