HOW SLOT MACHINES HAVE CHANGED DUE TO THE INTERNET

It wasn’t actually that much longer than 100 years ago that a man called Charles D. Fey kicked off the modern slots industry with his Liberty Bell machine, the world’s first genuinely commercially viable slot machine. Before this there were a few rudimentary slot machines kicking about around the US, however, none of them could actually pay out any prizes, and gamblers had to claim their winnings from the bar - play here.

As you might imagine this wasn’t particularly exciting, and so it was no surprise that as soon as Mr Fey updated the old slot machines so they paid out physical coins people just couldn’t get enough. But here’s the thing: the slots industry didn’t really come into its own until the emergence of the Internet as a platform to host these games, something that well and truly changed everything. 

The early days of slot machines 

As we have already mentioned, if it wasn’t for a particularly innovative engineer called Charles D. Fey operating in late 1800s California we’re not sure slot machines would have ever hit the popularity that they do today, and this man was especially important in the early days of slot machines. 

Back then slot machines weren’t even legal, however as soon as gambling restrictions were relaxed in America slot machines got wildly popular amongst gamblers. This can be seen the most in Las Vegas, of course, however by the mid-20th-century slot machines could be found in many places across the world. 

RNGs and video slots 

Obviously, slot machines were wildly popular by the 1980s, however, they still weren’t hitting anywhere near the popularity levels that they do today. This is begun to change with the invention of the RNG, or Random Number Generator. These complex pieces of computer equipment allowed for developers to use video screens for their reels, resulting in a whole load more possibilities. 

You see, when the reels can be spun completely randomly on a video screen developers can immediately start adding in bonus features and other cool game mechanics – no wonder they got so popular! 

The first online slots 

The video slots pioneered in the 1980s paved the way for the eventual emergence of online slots, however, this could only happen after the Internet had reached a certain level of development. It was in the early 2000s that games such as Temple Of Isis by Eyecon came out, becoming the first online slots in a rich history of online slot games. 

The first online slots weren’t without their faults, however, and in the beginning, the graphics and general smoothness of gameplay wasn’t the best. 

The modern online slot industry 

Now, the modern online slot industry has really come into its own over the last decade or so, as things such as HTML5, mobile slots and a huge increase in the number of online casino sites have resulted in a huge number of new gamblers hitting the market. 

Seriously, with all the innovative and lucrative bonus features appearing nowadays it seems as though the industry is going to continue growing indefinitely!

KING OF THE AMERICAN MUSCLE CARS: THE PONTIAC GTO

Pontiac GTO 1964

The Pontiac GTO is the classic "muscle car" that was manufactured by American automaker Pontiac from the 1964 to 1974 model years, and by GM's subsidiary Holden in Australia from the 2004 to 2006 model years.

1965

In early 1963, General Motors' management banned divisions from involvement in auto racing. This followed the 1957 voluntary ban on automobile racing that was instituted by the Automobile Manufacturers Association. By the early 1960s, Pontiac's an advertising and marketing approach was heavily based on performance. With GM's ban on factory-sponsored racing, Pontiac's managers began to emphasize street performance.

In his autobiography Glory Days, Pontiac chief marketing manager Jim Wangers, who worked for the division's contract advertising and public relations agency, states that John DeLorean, Bill Collins, and Russ Gee were responsible for the GTO's creation. 

Authentic 1965 Pontiac GTO Upgraded with a 389 and a Muncie Four-Speed

It involved transforming the upcoming second-generation Pontiac Tempest (which reverted to a conventional front-engine with front transmission configuration) into a sporty car, with a larger 389 cu in (6.4 L) Pontiac V8 engine from the full-sized Pontiac Catalina and Bonneville in place of the standard 326 cu in (5.3 L) V8. 

By promoting the big-engine option as a special high-performance model, they could appeal to the speed-minded youth market (which had also been recognized by Ford Motor Company's Lee Iacocca, who was at that time preparing the sporty Ford Mustang variant of the second generation Ford Falcon compact). Pontiac won that race!

BINGO LINGO GUIDE: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

Bingo has had a wild ride since its inception in 16th century Italy, with a lottery game called “Il Gioco del Lotto d’Italia” widely being acknowledged to have set the foundations for this incredibly versatile gambling game. After this the game migrated to France under the name “Le Lotto”, as well as other Central European countries such as Germany that ended up using it for education more than anything else.

In fact, before Edwin S. Lowe, an American entrepreneur, devised the first universally applicable bingo scorecards and popularised the name “bingo”, this was a game that existed in various different shapes and sizes. Things have become more standardized since then of course, with online bingo ushering in a whole new era of popularity for this game, making it almost as popular as online slots in the 21st century. One thing that has changed dramatically after the emergence of online bingo is the bingo lingo that people use online. Read ahead for a bingo lingo guide covering all you need to know before you start at Barbados Bingo.

BRB

Those of us who are young enough to have lived through the SMS text message craze and subsequently shortened vocabulary will know exactly what BRB means, however it is definitely worth touching on for anybody who isn’t particularly well versed on the many abbreviations at play.

BRB stands for Be Right Back and is used regularly in online bingo chat rooms if you need to go to the loo or grab a refreshment. It’s not worth weeing yourself, just write BRB! WTG

Now, this is a piece of bingo lingo that is used a lot in the modern online bingo world, and also one that is fairly exclusive to online bingo chat rooms, having not really caught on in the wider world. WTF is often used in order to congratulate somebody who has just won a prize whilst playing bingo, and it is an abbreviation of the phrase “Way To Go”.

Friends will use this abbreviation to congratulate each other on bingo wins, it isn’t essential to use by any means, but it can be a nice way to show your support. 

1TG

Due to the fact that online bingo is completely played on the computer, and that there is currently no online bingo chat rooms that let people communicate via video or audio link people have to do all their communicating via the keyboard, the main reason why so many instances of online bingo lingo slang exist today.

1TG is definitely one of the most exciting things to post in the chat room if you have the opportunity, because it means “One To Go”. It is used when you only have one number left before being able to scoop the jackpot, and is far from a brag. In fact, be careful with “1TG” because many experienced online bingo gamblers will be expecting to see it written in the chat before anybody hits bingo.

THE MAGICIAN : DREAMS-AMBITION-SELF ESTEEM

The Magician »

Focus on your dreams and ambitions; what do you desire to have in your life? How is your self-confidence and self-esteem at this time? To connect with your own inner magic which helps encourage a greater sense of self-worth and confidence, take a moment to think about HAVING what you desire RIGHT NOW. Take a moment to imagine how you would feel having all you desire in your life. Read More on Lotus

CHUCK YEAGER BREAKS THE SOUND BARRIER: OCT 14 1947

U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Yeager, born in Myra, West Virginia, in 1923, was a combat fighter during World War II and flew 64 missions over Europe. He shot down 13 German planes and was himself shot down over France, but he escaped capture with the assistance of the French Underground. After the war, he was among several volunteers chosen to test-fly the experimental X-1 rocket plane, built by the Bell Aircraft Company to explore the possibility of supersonic flight.

For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. All that changed on October 14, 1947, when Yeager flew the X-1 over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. 

The X-1 was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude). The rocket plane, nicknamed “Glamorous Glennis” (after Yeager's wife), was designed with thin, unswept wings and a streamlined fuselage modeled after a .50-caliber bullet.

Because of the secrecy of the project, Bell and Yeager’s achievement was not announced until June 1948. Yeager continued to serve as a test pilot, and in 1953 he flew 1,650 miles per hour in an X-1A rocket plane. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1975 with the rank of brigadier general.

THE HISTORY OF THE PUMPKIN

 GUEST POST: GERARD PAUL ManyEats.com

The Pumpkin And Its Components

There is no wild counterpart to the field pumpkin that exists today. Today's pumpkins are byproducts of domestication and evolutionary pressure from humans – some are grown for consumption, while some are for show or even everyday use.
Family and Species

Pumpkins belong to the Cucurbitaceae family and are specifically part of the C. pepo species, full of summer and winter squashes. Gourds, spaghetti marrow, zucchini, cocozelle, squash, and Ozark melons are all just variations in this group. Some cultivars of related species – C. argyrosperma and C. moschata, for example – are known as 'pumpkins' as well. And those giant pumpkins in all the record books? They're almost always from the species C. maxima.
Colors and Sizes

Pumpkins – no matter in which species – are extremely diverse, and come in captivating colors, sizes, and shapes. Some are pale and white, like the Lumina and Casper varieties. Others are large and showy with green and orange splashes, like the Speckled Hound or the Hooligan.

The Porcelain Doll F1, a relative newcomer, is a surprising pink pumpkin while the Rouge Vif comes in vibrant red hues. In terms of size and texture, pumpkins range from small to large and can have smooth, flat, or bumpy skin. Some are enormous, thousand-pound lumpy giants (like the C. maximas mentioned!) while others can fit in my toddler's palm.

The larger ones often don't taste very sweet, while others, like the Sugar Treat pumpkin, are perfect for desserts and pumpkin pies.
Cultivation

Most pumpkins need plenty of water, sun, and nutrients in the soil to thrive and grow. But they're certainly hardy and adaptable – pumpkins grow on every continent except Antarctica.

They are relatively easy to grow and require a soil pH level between 6.0 to 6.5 for the best yield.

Pumpkins cannot grow in frosty conditions and need warmth. It takes field pumpkins between 75 - 100 days before they are ready for harvest, so it's best to plant them in the early summer.
Nutritional Value

The field pumpkin is a highly nutrient-dense food that is low in calories but rich in vitamins and minerals. Today's pumpkins' macronutrients and health benefits are pretty compelling, and it's even suitable for your pets.

Field pumpkins are nutritious, high in fiber, potassium, and riboflavin, and low in fat. They contain vitamins K, B6, C, and E, and are plentiful in beta-carotene.

On the flip side, all squashes produce biochemical compounds known as cucurbitacins. These biochemicals lend squashes a bitter flavor, and specific cultivars have more cucurbitacins than others. Overdosing on them can cause adverse GI effects and even hair loss(!), so it's best to pick a cultivar raised for eating just in case. Read Full Story Here

TODD RUNDGREN & RIVERS CUOMO TEAM UP FOR NEW SINGLE

Todd Rundgren photo credit: © Lynn Goldsmith

Los Angeles, CA - Music hipsters of the world UNITE and celebrate what is sure to be one of this year’s most talked-about musical collaborations. Multi-hyphenate Todd Rundgren, famously heralded by Rolling Stone as Rock’s Renaissance Man meets up with the equally iconoclastic Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo on “Down With The Ship,” a new song that is being released today on all digital platforms. 

The duo share writing duties as well as trading vocal roles on the track, which draws inspiration from reggae and African rhythms not unlike Rundgren’s evergreen 1983 hit “Bang The Drum All Day.” Lyrically, however, the song cuts with a much sharper edge, as Rundgren puts it, “It’s just a little parable about what happens when you align yourself with a treacherous leader.”

Listen to the initial installment from Rundgren, featuring Muslim hip hop artist Narcy, here: https://orcd.co/todd_rundgren_narcy_espionage