text:
It's almost identical to the already open source and very widely used FLAC codec.
Apple shifts Lossless Audio Codec to open source
Cupertino has open sourced its Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), seven years after first introducing it. The ALAC can reduce the amount of storage needed for audio files by as much as 50 per cent, but without losing any of the fidelity of the original recording. This is unlike lossy formats like MP3 and AAC, which strip out …
Almost identical
… but FLAC has a lot more hardware support than ALAC.
- Apple iPod
- Apple iPhone
- Apple iPad
maybe a few others…
to http://flac.sourceforge.net/links.html#hardware
@Stuart Longland
The thing is, most people who listen to music (on the move, at least) have one of the first three devices you mention. Which don't support FLAC.
The huge numbers of FLAC supporting hardware are actually in the minority.
Not that I think ALAC being open source is a particularly big deal. The massive majority of people couldn't care less if their music was lossless of 128kbit MP3, and I doubt many of them could tell the difference.
Most people?
@RichyS: "most people who listen to music (on the move, at least) have one of the first three devices you mention"
Most people who listen to music have an Apple iSomething? I hear tell that there are a handful of folks in Africa, Asia, and some of our other fine continents who 1) don't have the disposable income for things like a regular supply of electricity, but 2) nonetheless listen to music.
I suppose for the typical Reg commentator, "most people" really means "most people who matter, or in other words most people who are very much like me".
For that matter, even some of us rich white dudes don't own any Apple crap. Why bother, when there are alternatives that don't come with an Apple-brand surcharge?
You just hit on a very pertinent point… most of those Apple music device users are content, with AAC or MP3… quite a number are blissfully unaware what their devices use.
So FLAC, ALAC? Same as MP3 right?
The technically minded would either have come to the decision they don't care — non-noise cancelling moderate quality earbuds and ambient noise would make it very difficult to pick the difference. Those that do care, would probably have voted with their wallet, or looked at alternative firmware such as Rockbox to give them cross-device lossless audio anyway.
Good Move
It's been reverse engineered for so long, it makes sense to open it up. ALAC does have advantages over FLAC - particularly that ALAC files are less processor-intensive to decode than FLAC files.
Now, the next step is to get the embedded system-on-chip guys to implement it. FLAC is already on most streamers, adding ALAC would open the market to iTunes-using audiophiles.
[citation needed]
You say that ALAC is less processor-intensive than FLAC. However, the hydrogenaudio.org wiki page[*] comparing lossless formats rates FLAC decoding as "very fast" whereas ALAC only gets a "fast" rating. If the best advantage you can come up with is actually not in ALAC's favour at all, then why would I want to use ALAC over FLAC? Or do you have some other evidence to support the claim that ALAC is less processor-intensive?
Something that wasn't mentioned in the article was whether Apple claims to have any patents covering ALAC. I'd be very interested in finding out whether they do. I find it quite hard to believe that there aren't some strings attached to this freeing up of the format. TBH, though, even if they'd released it under something like GPL3 with a "no patent" slant, I doubt there'd be any incentive for the majority of people to switch from FLAC to ALAC...
* http://wiki.hydrogenaudio.org/index.php?title=Lossless_comparison
The Apache license Apple used includes a patent grant clause, so yes it's pretty much no strings attached.
I remember seeing that page a few days ago and it matched with what I remembered seeing when I was in the market for a new lossless format a few years ago. But I thought I'd do a test with a few of the CDs I have in lossless format.
I picked 5 CDs, mostly randomly, with one from each of five types of music, just to see if some codecs performed better on different types of music. I compressed each of the five CDs by tracks with a bunch of tag info on each track. I used ALAC, FLAC: Level 0, FLAC: Level 5, FLAC: Level 8 and wave formats for each disc.
Genre ........ Artist/Album Name .................................................. Run Time ........ # of Tracks
Classical ... Brahms: Symphony #1 ............................................ 1:07:55 ............ 5
New Age .... Arkenstone: In the Wake of the Wind ....................... 1:00:58 ............ 16
Piano ........ Mozart: Piano Sonata in B-flat Major & C Minor ........ 57:44 ............... 7
Pop ........... Branch: The Spirit Room ........................................ 42:25 ............... 11
Rock ......... KoRn: Issues .......................................................... 53:17 ............... 16
The size was a simple check to see how large Win7 reported the files as. The simpler the type of music, the better it compresses apparently. Overall, the four compression algorithms are close together in size. Sensibly, FLAC level 8 had the best compression and FLAC level 0 had the worst. ALAC was about halfway between the FLAC algorithms. FLAC 5 performed comparably to FLAC 8 with only 1-2MB of difference between them.
Size ........ ALAC .... % ...... FLAC(0) .. % ...... FLAC(5) .. % ..... FLAC(8) .. % ..... WAVE
Classical . 294 MB . 43% ... 303 MB ... 44% ... 289 MB .. 42% .. 288 MB ... 42% .. 685 MB
New Age .. 331 MB . 54% ... 342 MB ... 56% ... 320 MB .. 52% .. 318 MB ... 52% .. 615 MB
Piano ...... 196 MB . 34% ... 198 MB ... 34% ... 182 MB .. 31% .. 180 MB ... 31% .. 582 MB
Pop ......... 311 MB . 72% ... 324 MB ... 76% ... 301 MB .. 70% .. 300 MB ... 70% .. 429 MB
Rock ....... 378 MB . 70% ... 391 MB ... 73% ... 361 MB .. 67% .. 359 MB ... 67% .. 537 MB
Total .......1510 MB . 53% . 1558 MB ... 55% . 1453 MB .. 51% . 1445 MB ... 51% . 2848 MB
The speed test checked to see how fast the entire disc could be decoded. I used dbPowerAmp's "Test Conversion" with no speed limit and highest quality decoding selected. Each set of files was decoded once (I'm lazy and didn't want to sit here 'till morning). Computer is a C2D 2.53GHz with 8GB RAM and a 160GB 5400 RPM 8MB disk drive. This time, ALAC consistantly came out well ahead, though the FLAC versions didn't take too much longer to decode. The FLAC versions seem to require about the same amount of time to decode. On none of the tests did any of the decompressions force the CPU above 90% or above 33% RAM usage. Generally, the decoders stayed around 15-25% CPU usage, though ALAC used 45% to decode the Piano disc. From the looks of it, the bottleneck for both algorithms is the hard drive. Still ALAC decoded faster, which is probably due to the simpler codec
Speed ........ ALAC ...... FLAC (0) ....... FLAC (5) ....... FLAC (8) ....... WAVE
Classical .... 24 s ......... 46 s .............. 33 s .............. 55 s .............. 47 s*
New Age ..... 29 s ......... 37 s .............. 37 s .............. 33 s .............. 48 s*
Piano ......... 17 s ......... 19 s .............. 18 s .............. 22 s .............. 47 s
Pop ............ 24 s ......... 33 s .............. 33 s .............. 33 s .............. 33 s
Rock .......... 32 s .......... 44 s ............. 41 s .............. 40 s .............. 38 s
Total ..........126 s ........ 179 s ........... 162 s ............. 183 s ............ 213 s
* The first two tests for wave decoding completed in a mere 2s and 4s, so they were repeated.
Really, I wouldn't suggest that someone choose between either of these codecs based on the compression size or speed. They're both reasonably close from a practical standpoint. The best reason to choose one over the other is probably which format your devices / OS already have good support for. As other people have pointed out, Apple's iOS devices don't play FLAC media, and ALAC support can be pretty scarse outside of Apple. The one other drawback I can think of, is that many of the existing non-Apple decoders for ALAC don't support high-resolution audio yet. So, if you have DVD-audio discs or HDCDs, you're probably better off with FLAC for now. If you really need to save drive space for your entire collection, you're better off looking at the ape or tak formats instead. Both of those produce smaller file sizes, though they're not as popular right now.
Good post on the benches of various settings of the two options (ALAC and FLAC) although 2 things do come to mind here.
1) Let us know if we are about to hit the wall.
2) Formatting, formatting, formatting. The post had me trying to read the lines properly and failing each time for a moment.
@El Reg - Can we get a Great Wall of Text icon please?
RE: [citation needed]
They released it under Apache 2, which includes a patent grant, so no issue there.
As to processor-intensiveness, yep, ALAC is generally seen as being worse than FLAC. ALAC's main advantage over FLAC (besides being supported on all 250million iOS devices; first-party support for FLAC is pretty rare, though I think Android 4.0 will include it), is that it's a bit more tolerant of data corruption.
good only for win7 benchmark?
Your benchmark essentially contradicts http://flac.sourceforge.net/comparison.html , where it provides these figures, in particular:
Codec Total CPU Total CPU Size Avg.ratio
Apple Lossless (iTunes 4.5) 19:53.27 19:53.27 10:01.86 10:01.86 414.45 MB 54.96%
So, compared to ALAC., when encoding to the codec, FLAC takes about 3 times shorter (7:30 min vs. 20 min) with roughly the same compression ratio.
I myself use shntools backend (Linux/FreeBSD) for all of my encodings and find FLAC to be great and better than ape. Nowadays all decent music players consume close to non CPU to play flac (reasonable default ratio).
Right now with clementine listening to flac encoded "Concerto pour violon n° 12 en mi majeur RV265 - I. Allegro". It occupies 2% cpu time + 5% of 1.5 GB RAM (with 219G mostly in flac music collection! ) on 64bit Ubuntu LTS, Pentium 4 CPU 3.00GHz.
Even cut and paste into notepad fails to align the collumns
Great benchmarking
Thanks for posting the numbers - I'd read similar tests back when ALAC was new, and the difference was greater then. ALAC's advantage is in lower decoding complexity, but you pay for it with a slightly larger file. On a portable music player, conserving battery life was (and is) more pressing than storage space, so this was a big deal at the time. FLAC's decode performance has improved a lot in the intervening years, and now there's not a whole lot of difference between the two.
Still, some people just don't like to see anything good said about Apple, and others don't like anything bad said against open source software...
Nero's free encoder..
Already does an excellent job generating either AAC lossy or ALAC lossless files.
Smart move by Apple though.
Although it doesn't have a great deal of impact personally, I applaud this unexpectedly altruistic move.
Who would have thunk.
Either they didn't patent ALAC, or their patent is nearing expiration.
re: wow!
It's hardly altruistic; they're trying to do battle with FLAC which is dominant outside of Apple. I'd be more impressed if Apple finally added support for FLAC in iTunes and iPods, which is long overdue.
ATRAC Advanced Lossless was nice, tho I dont think it was unspun when they ditched the format a few years back. Afterwhich I just decided on 320 mp3 for everything, if I want the full experience I'll put the CD in the CD Player. Handy thing, physical media :)
"if I want the full experience I'll put the CD in the CD Player"
You still have a CD player? How quaint :) All my CD collection is in FLAC on a RAID hard disk, protected against fire (many of the CDs are now out of print, irreplaceable).
ps: 'Medieval CUE Splitter' makes FLAC archiving really easy... I use CDex to RIP the whole CD side to a FLAC file. It takes about 3-4 minutes a CD..
What is this C-D you speak of? Can you torrent that?
Though I do have a vague and distant memory of a company called A-O-L burying me in free ones..
CDs? How modern!
I still use LPs!
Backed up on FLAC and Vorbis however. ;-)
Why do people rip FLAC into a big single file? What is wrong with separate files for all the songs like an mp3? Who wants one giant file with a cue sheet? Stupid if you ask me.
Haves vs Have Nots
I still have a CD player too. It's almost a requirement since I don't own any form of portable music player. Though I do have the collection ripped to mp3 for a computer attached to my home stereo. I can live with the loss at 320kbps. My mp3s also reside in a RAID hard disk configuration, though that offers zero protection against fire as I haven't found a fireproof computer case yet.
Yes, I'm still part of that ever decreasing group that likes to have physical media for things I purchase. Accidents can happen, no matter how rare (fire, lightning, and various forms of human stupidity, etc). For music that I purchase online, it gets burnt off as an audio CD as well. I stick with the mp3 format because I plan on replacing a couple of car stereos with newer ones that have USB ports and mp3 compatibility, and my home stereo is not impressive enough to notice the loss at 320kbps.
Cool, a couple of years ago I made the decision to rip all my CDs to FLAC as a "gold" reference, it being the only open lossless solution. This has meant running a FLAC capable, transcoding DAAP server (Firefly & now forked-daapd) behind iTunes.
ALAC might make life a little simpler but I like a challenge & I've a number of (legitimate) FLAC media sources now.
Choice is good. If I care to burn a few days CPU cycles & help heat the house I could transcode all from FLAC to ALAC.
Given Apples miserly record ...
one has to wonder if Saint Tim has lost his marbles?
Apple rarely gives much away, unless there is an ulterior motive.
"Miserly record"?
You won't hear much about it, but Apple are a pretty big supporter of open-source projects - GCC, LLVM clang, WebKit, CUPS, ZeroConf (Bonjour) are the ones that come to the top of my head. The OS X kernel is also open sourced, but as most people run Linux, it's hardly a mainstream project.
I'm not saying that they're the only contributor to these projects, but their contributions are significant. WebKit and CUPS in particular have benefitted greatly from Apple's efforts.
If you don't like commercial companies benefitting from open source software, you should re-read Stallman's justifications for the GNU project again. It's precisely the situation he envisaged - system vendors contribute to open source OS components, which other vendors can use as well - in the case of WebKit, both Nokia (who, in fairness have contributed as much to the project as Apple) and Google (who, well.. haven't) compete with Apple in the mobile market, using the same browser engine in their products.
It's not in Apple's interest to *tell* the public that it uses open-source software, but they do contribute because *doing* it is in their interest. Contrast that to Google, who never shut up about how much they support open-source software, but once you dig into it, the story gets less believable.
Are you sure?
Have you seen how many open standards Apple have contributed to? And how much open source software has Apple's dabs on it?
The exception
is the open source community. Lots of Apple code out there, this is just another on a big pile.
Apple is still primarily a hardware business.
If you've ever used Google's Chrome...
... or any other WebKit-based browser, you might be surprised to learn that Apple built WebKit and released it as Open Source some years ago.
Apple have being doing Open Source for years now: http://dss.macosforge.org/
(No, they don't tend to use the GPL series of EULAs, but that's not a requirement for Open Source, despite Stallman's protestations to the contrary.)
It's just good business
Same with any company, they don't give anything away unless they have something to gain.
Maybe ALAC and FLAC could be merged...
...to create: AFLAC
AFLAC - quack! quack! quack!
merge back...
ALAC is based on an early version of FLAC, I believe. It could be said that all they had to do was change the Free to Apple, store your email address within the file, and scramble it, and they had invented ALAC.
Lossless audio eh ?
£10 says there some aural homeopather out there that swears they can hear the difference.
To be fair, you probably can't tell the difference on an onboard AC97 chipset driving a £5 pair of speakers.
You can however certainly notice the difference on a decent setup.
Wow - really!
You have some sort of magical gift then.
Can you also tell the difference between a raw binary file and one that has be ZIPped and then unzipped? You should market that skill.
The clue is in the word 'lossless'.
I think you may be confusing digital quality vs analoge
If you zip a file and then unzip it then it's lossless, since zipping a file doesn't randomly remove parts of music any more than it deletes random words from text documents. I think you may be confusing compression with simply removing information to make the track smaller.
Lossy audio formats do actually remove parts of the sound, though to be fair as I have said, the sort of people using lossy formats on an onboard AC97 audio chip and a £5 set of speakers will not be able to tell a difference since that sort of system is not actually capable of reproducing the sounds that are being cut in the first place.
If you start with a high quality recording in FLAC and then re-encode in a lossy format like MP3 you can most certainly tell the difference between them on a decent sound setup.
Pretty much it makes not much difference which lossless you use at the end of the day, any decent processor can convert tracks from one to the other in not very much time.
I would suddenly become an Apple customer if they decided to actually sell ALAC albums though.
There's always a motive
Easy: Apple portable hardware supports ALAC, so greater sales.
What miserly record? Do you mean CUPS which all 'nix's now use for printing? Or Webkit which many of us browse with, on Mac and 'nix.
But seriously, do you think any company with shareholders gives stuff away for no reason?
Re: There's always a motive
"Or Webkit which many of us browse with, on Mac and 'nix"
And is originally a fork of the KDE khtml rendering engine...
Anything that helps boosting widespread lossless audio compression support is welcome - even if it comes from Apple.
how does alac handle track gaps? i am used to atrac on my walkman which is seamless but in my car the gaps in mp3 tracks is infuriating....
ALAC is. So is AAC. Also MP3s encoded with LAME support gapless playback.
Don't trust 'em
It's a trap! After everyone's changed to, and become reliant on the ALAC system, Apple will introduce licensing charges and rip us all off again.
You may want to change whatever you smoke. The release cannot be reversed, and besides, there is no way Apple would pull a stunt like that. They're not Google, the product is not called Android, the license is different and they never said they would do no evil. The fact that someone feels the need to state that ought to worry you more..
Can't see the need for this - just pressure them to support FLAC on ifad devices instead (to save me having to use VLC on my iPod touch).
Weird down-votes again!
What's with the weird down voting - even when 2 people are just trying to figure out some technical aspects ? fanbois (of both sides) turbo charged today ?
What's the use?
When we already have the superior FLAC?


text:
This section explains further about fibre to the home and about the FTTH Council MENA. You are free to browse and download.
If you wish to interview our Board members or our Director General or if you have any suggestions on this section, please contact firstname.lastname@example.com
- Council Statements
- FCGA Info Library
- Media Coverage
- Media Interviews
- Media Publications
- MENA Fibre E-Newsletter
- Pictures
- Press Releases
- Studies & White Papers
- Technology
- Video Conference Clips
- Video Documentary Clips
- Webinars
The Light Age Issue 1 - February 2013
|FTTH Council MENA
|Media Publications

subset: commoncrawl


text:
AZUR 651p
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
Excellent phono preamp for the money. I just bought a new turntable and receiver so I needed the preamp.( not true a few years ago) This preamp has added no feedback which was not true with my last receiver when I hooked by old turntable to it . This preamp has solved that problem. It is a shame you no longer offer it.
Pros: All pros
Cons: None


text:
Fake Penn Student Fools Real Penn Students Out of Thousands of Dollars
Call it "Skullfucked: The Straight-to-DVD Sequal," if you will.
A group of Penn students found out the hard way last Spring that sometimes when your roommate doesn't seem to be going to class, ever, it isn't just because he doesn't do morning sections. It may actually be that he's not a student at all, and he's just waiting until you leave the house in order to pilfer your bank account.
Penn junior Zach King — along with another (heretofore unnamed) student — brought charges against a guy named Eugene Tinsley (no relation) last June, after it became clear that Mr. Tinsley was not, as claimed, a student of Penn, but rather an artist of the long-con variety.
Tinsley apparently met King sometime last year, and quickly insinuated himself into the Penn student's life. The two began rooming together — though Mr. Eugene, of course, didn't pay any rent — and it wasn't too long stuff got real.
Per the Daily Pennsylvanian:
After not receiving rent from Tinsley for several months, King and his roommates "nicely kicked him out," King said. Tinsley left for a period of time before moving back in with them around winter break last year. Later in the school year, when King went to buy gas for a trip, his card was denied, even though he knew he had enough money.
When Penn Police investigated the matter, King discovered Tinsley stole about $1,300 in checks from him. Tinsley also "involved another student who had been duped the same way," King said.
Yikes! But how did the con man do it? Read the rest of this entry »


text:
Quite often when watching a video (I use VLC Media Player), things will start pausing or getting jittery and I'll check Task Manager and vsmon.exe is jumping all over the place in terms of CPU usage, often spiking up to 70%+ usage.
If I kill ZoneAlarm (never like to do that) then my video plays just fine.
Feature request: I'd like a way I can set ZoneAlarm into "calm" mode.
I like "Game Mode". How about a "Movie Mode"? This would put ZoneAlarm into a low CPU usage mode for a period of time, telling it to delay things like full system virus scans or downloads of new virus/spyware definitions until I was done watching my movie/s.
Is there anyone else that would like something along these lines?
Here is the version info this has occurred for me on (yes, two versions of ZA):
Zone Alarm Security Suite Versions: 9.1.507.000 and 9.3.014.000
Driver Versions: 9.1.503.000 and 9.1.522.000
Anti-virus/spyware engine: 188.8.131.52
DAT file versions 1025458368 and 1022766432
AntiSpam version 18.104.22.1683
Browser Security: 188.8.131.52 and 184.108.40.206
Windows XP Professional SP3 32-bit, 4GB RAM.
Video Formats: doesn't matter - they ALL do the same thing (mpeg, mp4, avi, wmv, etc and all their associated codecs) All played on VLC Media Player and also tried on Windows Media Player with the same results.
The moderator closed my other thread ("vsmon.exe is ruining my video watching experience" http://forums.zonealarm.com/showthread.php?t=74147) because I gave "zero" information... I'm very happy to provide it when requested.
Also said it was a "repeat" of another thread without offering a link to that thread.


text:
The Best Window Shades & Curtains for Saving Energy
The first thing I tend to do when I move into a new home is hang up some window treatments. I like my privacy, thank you very much, and I also like to filter and control light levels for maximum comfort. In my office, that means a nice rollerblind so I can cut the glare when the sun is peeping in as I try to work, while in the living room, I go for sheers to let lots of light in and keep prying eyes out.
But there's another reason I'm so into window treatments: they're an easy way to make my home more energy efficient, helping me save money on heating and cooling costs right out of the gate. (This is good, since I tend to overspend on home decor and I have to get that money from somewhere!)
Big, sweeping windows are great, but sometimes, the light that flows through them is a big problem. In the summer, solar heat gain can cause temperatures to rise rapidly, and if you don't want to suffocate, you have to turn up the A/C, which isn't so great for the environment. Winter solar heat gain, on the other hand, can allow you to take advantage of the natural light of the sun to heat your home, but an exposed window can result in almost 50% of heat loss right through the glass. How do you strike the right balance?
Blinds, shades, and curtains offer a lot of light control, and insulation, if you choose the right products. Honeycomb shades are basically custom-designed for this (literally, they were invented during the energy crisis), and they've come a long way since the early days. Now, they come in tons of colors and styles to match a wide range of interior decor, so you don't have to compromise looks for energy savings.
Here's why honeycomb shades are so great: they can admit varying levels of light in, depending on the materials they're made from and how much of the window they're covering at any given time. Furthermore, the cellular-style construction creates a formidable layer of insulation that keeps heat in during the winter time, and keeps your home cool in summer because you get the great feel of natural light, without the solar gain. Paper and fabric finishes are available in all sorts of colors and thicknesses so you can go to town with your interior decor and save big time on your heating and cooling.
Other shade and blind styles can offer similar benefits. One advantage to their design is that they create an air cell between the blind and the window, which acts as a layer of insulation. The ability to adjust them in several different ways also creates needed flexibility when it comes to setting things up just right to protect interior temperatures and get the right light level.
Drapes are always classic, with thicker drapes acting like blankets during the cold winter months. If you're worried about drapes blocking needed light, go with a light color like white or cream, and a heavy canvas fabric for insulation. You'll get the best of both worlds with tons of natural light but no cold! (And, if you're ambitious, you can plan ahead and replace your heavier winter drapes with lighter summer sheers when the days start warming up.)
Another option is shutters, which are popular in very hot regions of the country like Miami and Los Angeles. Shutters allow people to close out most of the light, keeping their homes cool and comfortable while they minimize solar gain. They're also perfect for people who like taking long siestas in the heat of the day and don't want to be woken up by the merciless sun!
There are some pretty cool modern technologies that increase efficiency with style. HEX Curtains, for example, cast an amazing shadow on the inside of your house while responding in real time to changing light levels, offering a very high level of insulation and natural light depending on what you need. Cordless, top down bottom up, remote-controlled, and other options are available for blinds and shades, alllowing you to really customize your environment's looks while also saving money. Window films can control heat loss and light levels but still leave windows wide open for gorgeous views.
A handyman can help you install the window treatments of your dreams, and you can also consult with a window treatment expert. Some things to consider when you're planning an installation include the direction your windows face and how the room is used. New parents might want soft, diffused light for a nursery, for example, while a library might benefit from heavier shading to protect the books from harmful UV light.
Katie Marks writes for Networx.com. This article originally appeared here.


text:
INTERPOL and FIFA unveil e-learning tools to protect football from match-fixing
LYON, France – INTERPOL and FIFA have launched a series of e-learning programmes aimed at educating players, coaches and referees on the dangers of match-fixing to help them avoid becoming victims of this threat to football integrity.
The online programmes, each focusing on a different group often targeted by match-fixers, offer an interactive guide on how to recognize, resist and report attempts at match-fixing and related issues. The programmes are available in five languages (Arabic, English, French, Spanish and German) on both the INTERPOL and FIFA websites.
"With the launch of our comprehensive e-learning modules, the football community now has a tool to help protect the sport against threats posed by organized criminal networks which seek to make an illegal profit through match manipulation," said Michaela Ragg, Assistant Director of INTERPOL's Integrity in Sport unit.
"By educating the players, coaches and referees who are at high risk of being coerced into fixing a match, we hope the e-learning programmes will equip them with the knowledge and ability to resist these approaches and protect the integrity of the sport," she concluded.
The e-learning modules are highly interactive, using quizzes, games and audio-visual elements to emphasize the key messages. Real-life scenarios are also incorporated to help users more easily identify the tactics match-fixers might use to pressure them into manipulating a match.
"One of the keys to success is raising awareness within the football community and providing educational tools for the people most at risk of being influenced by match-fixers. For the first time, football has a widely accessible resource that presents match manipulation-related issues in a practical, targeted and visually stimulating way," said FIFA Security Director Ralf Mutschke.
The programmes are designed to be used by FIFA's member associations as part of their existing integrity training, or as standalone training programmes. They form part of a wider effort to preserve football from the growing threat of match-fixing.
INTERPOL and FIFA agreed a 10-year joint initiative in May 2011 to enhance global efforts to tackle match-fixing and corruption in the sport. The INTERPOL-FIFA Training, Education and Prevention initiative aims to educate the football community about the dangers of match-fixing, how to recognize attempts at manipulation and how to respond if approached.
As part of the initiative, INTERPOL has organized more than 11 Integrity in Sport workshops in all regions of the world, with support from FIFA. Information sessions are held in advance of all FIFA tournaments, and an anonymous hotline was created for people to report tips or suspicious activity.
In addition, INTERPOL has also coordinated major conferences bringing together football associations, betting companies, gambling regulatory authorities and law enforcement to tackle the issues related to corruption in football and its links to organized crime.
Other links


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Looks wonderful, Craig! So was that sauce added post bake?
Amazing pizza!How much flour did you use please ?And what size was your pan ?ThanksGilles
Have you seasoned your pan? Even if you have you might need to wipe it down with oil and let it sit in a hot oven a few more times.
Have you tried Crisco or another solid shortening? Don't overdo it, but leave enough that you can see a white film.
Does anyone know why I'm having trouble with my dough sticking to the baking sheet? I tried it a few times (more oil, less oil, no oil on the sheet) and each time it sticks really badly - so badly that I have to scrape the bread off with a metal spatula. So, I've ditched the pan and have been cooking it straight on the oven hearth. However, this thread is filled with gorgeous photos of beautiful pies baked in pans and it just makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm using between 80 and 90% hydration dough with a few little variations here and there but nothing major. Thanks to you all for making this thread happen. It's truly epic!
You already got very good suggestions. I would add that maybe you should use more flour when you are shaping the dough before putting it into the pan (Bonci use a lot), it shouldn't be sticky.


text:
While immediate opinions have been decidedly mixed regarding this year's Coachella line-up (which is to be expected, given the tsunami of rumors that had both the Rolling Stones and Daft Punk as virtual locks this year with neither making the cut), upon closer examination, the 2013 edition of the popular desert festival is chock full of amazing music, both old and new.
As thirty-somethings rave about the return of '90s Brit-pop favorites like Blur and the Stone Roses, for the current generation of music lovers, the bill is rife with new and emerging acts poised for long, illustrious careers.
Paul Tollett, the head of event promoter Goldenvoice and the mastermind behind Coachella, has always made of point of bringing music's most cutting-edge and on-the-verge acts out to the desert show. In 2010, he famously presented South African psycho rave-rap duo Die Antwoord for their first American concert with a surprise performance that rocked the Sahara Tent. Only two years ago, Skrillex was just another random name buried near the bottom of the 2011 event poster.
Before writing off this year's line-up, music fans will want to take the time to investigate the fine print for the many worthy acts all over the festival roster. There's a pretty good chance that music's next big breakout band could very well be slated to play the Gobi Tent in the middle of Sunday afternoon.
Dog Blood – This act is actually something of a genuine EDM super-group, featuring Skrillex and Germany's Boys Noize collaborating as one. They already released one EP, Next Order/Middle Finger, with the A-side track hitting Number 1 on the prestigious Beatport techno charts.
Reignwolf – This wildly talented Canadian guitarist/one-man band has the skills to be crowned the world's next Jack White. Combining blistering blues leads and his passionate, yearning vocals (he crushed the 2012 Sasquatch fest playing multiple rapturously received sets), the man born Jordan Cook has already recorded with members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and is high on the list of acts to break out big from this year's Coachella outing.
The Shouting Matches – Surprise! For those who know Justin Vernon of Bon Iver as a boring acoustic crooner who got clowned by Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live, prepare to get rocked – hard. In the Shouting Matches, Vernon channels his inner bluesman in this raucous, drunken band that features Brian Moen on drums and Phil Cook of Magafun.
Birdy Nam Nam & C2C – French DJs are taking it to the next level. Both of these multi-mixer bands feature DJs playing together like a band, with each member performing a different "instrument" on their respective turntables. Birdy Nam Nam has signed to Skrillex's OWSLA label, and both bands will blow minds with their DJ dexterity (watch C2C rock the party here).
James McCartney – There's rock royalty, and then there's James McCartney, the only son of former Beatle Paul McCartney and his late wife, Linda. Having already worked on albums with his famous father, McCartney's first two releases have been compiled on The Complete EP Collection. He cites Kurt Cobain, the Smiths and Radiohead among his main influences, telling American Songwriter that his long-term goals are "making a lot of music, and striving for more depth artistically. And always improving and evolving as a songwriter."
Modestep – Coming from London, this act brings dubstep to life with a full band and lead singer, incorporating the best of both worlds into one high-energy blast of dynamic dance-floor electro-rock. These guys have the potential to take the dubstep sound to the next level in America (not to mention attract lots more mainstream fans). Check their awesome video for "Sunlight," which features senior citizens partying harder than most ravers.
Little Green Cars – This melodic, folk-tinged group out of Dublin, Ireland, aren't too far from the campfire sounds of similar acts like Of Monsters and Men, the Lumineers and Mumford and Sons (who share the same American record label, Glassnote). Boasting shimmering vocal harmonies and well-crafted songs, Little Green Cars' lush, gorgeous sound is primed for breakout popularity in the States and beyond.
Beardyman – This British beat-boxer combines the mouth gymnastics of the legendary Rahzel with a sparkling wit and interactive, often comedic live shows. He can get one hell of a dance party started, too. Performing with a battery of electronic gear, Beardyman has already generated a legion of fans (a live set posted to Youtube in 2009 has generated more than 4.5 million views), expect his high-energy Coachella set to earn him even more followers.
Mona – Blasting straight out of the American Midwest, this hard-rocking band conjure big, anthemic lighters-in-the-air tunes (like "Shooting The Moon") ready to explode out of cars stereos and pack concert arenas. From their slicked-back, 1950's style to the group's catchy, sing-a-long choruses, Mona makes music designed to be as big, sexy and loud as possible.
Jake Bugg – After blazing to the top of the UK charts with his eponymous debut album, this 18-year-old British singer-songwriter has set his sights on American success. Nominated for British Breakthrough Act at this year's BRIT Awards in England, Bugg's reedy vocals and sparse, emotional tunes that incorporate classic country have already found him compared to none less than Bob Dylan, and will surely have some young hearts swooning in the desert heat.
Given Coachella's expansive line-up this year, this list just scratches the surface of the sonic wonders to be discovered at this year's desert fest. From hilarious white rapper Action Bronson to the "trap-rave" of Baauer to the feel-good dance vibes of Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, there is a plethora of great music to be found all over Coachella 2013. All you have to do is look for it.
-Scott T. Sterling, CBS Local


text:
I'm looking to buy a new PC - currently have a Pentium I, 200 MHz (Don't laugh) !!
I am wondering about ->
Why are Athlon AMD processors cheaper than Pentium IV ??
The AMD 2 Gig is quoted as being substantially faster than a 2.2 Gig Pentium IV, according to benchmark test. If so, then why is it cheaper ????? is it really true ? is Pentium more expensive becos its got a brand name ie like BMW ? or is it a better chip ??
And the Celeron chip is cheaper still ?????? are they inferior chips ????
Anyone any opinion on the Benchmark test? supposed to be a test using "typical office applications" ????? they don't seem to be using the graphics cards ??? i mean my 200Mhz is ok to use for "office applications" !!


text:
Hedgehogs For Your Kids' Nursery
Bring a Hedgehog Home! 11 Cute Finds For Your Nursery
Bring a Hedgehog Home! 11 Cute Finds For Your Nursery
Our obsession with hipster animals (animals can be hip, right?!) continues. We fell for foxes, went wild for the wise owl, and rallied around those cute raccoons, and this week, we're all about the hedgehog! While not indigenous to America, the prickly little mammal has recently hit the States through adorable pieces of nursery decor. From cute little wall hooks and night lights to duvet covers, pillows, and even an animal- and plant-filled terrarium, hedgehogs are at their cutest among these 11 finds. Which one is your favorite?
0previous images
-20more images


text:
Michael Rambert Illinois Background Check Search Results
Results for MICHAEL RAMBERT
CheckIllinois has found 3 Illinois public records for MICHAEL RAMBERT. Click on the MICHAEL RAMBERT links below to see Illinois public records such as Divorces, Mortgages, DUIs, Felonies, or other available records for MICHAEL RAMBERT.
Do you know MICHAEL RAMBERT?
We can help you find MICHAEL RAMBERT in Illinois public records with a quick background check! See if (MICHAEL RAMBERT) has purchased a home in Illinois this past year, find out if they have filed Illinois Chapter 13 Bankruptcy, or see if MICHAEL RAMBERT has a Federal Tax Lien against them. Privately view Illinois public records for MICHAEL RAMBERT instantly on your computer screen. Searches for MICHAEL RAMBERT take less than 3 seconds, and public record results may provide you with the MICHAEL RAMBERT's address, phone number, or other details found in the Illinois public records of MICHAEL RAMBERT.
Click on the links below for MICHAEL RAMBERT to see public records now, Or try searching again!
|Record Count
|Michael P Rambert
|Chicago, Illinois
|1 Record(s)
|Michael P Rambert EMail Address
|Michael Paul Rambert
|Chicago, Illinois
|1 Record(s)
|Michael Paul Rambert EMail Address
|Christopher Michael Rambert
|Grayslake, Illinois
|3 Record(s)
|Christopher Michael Rambert EMail Address


text:
EQ-Stitch from EQ CO is on sale for $150 (reg $250) for a limited time. I might get it.
northern colorado
Hi Everyone
I am slowly improving. Today another jewelry customer is coming to buy earrings. I am so happy that they want to come back. Hopefully I will be back working again soon.
My female bearded dragon is ready to lay her eggs. She started scratching last night so I put a box with sand in there and she spent most of the night scratching---but no eggs yet. I'll keep you posted.
This virus has even affected my vision! Whatever the flu shot had---it didn't have this nuro virus in it.. Sorry to go on but it's my life right now.
On Sunday my home teacher came and left some chicken bisque soup that his wife made. It was to die for!! What a treat!
Yesterday the missionaries came over and showed me a dvd about counting your blessings. They prayed for me again took the recycling out. Last week I made some good stew and put some in the freezer for them to take home. I love the missionaries. They are so wonderfully pure in their thinking. Young kids away from home for the 1st time. My church attendence has always been so poor with my various illnesses so I think they are trying to help me with that. They are in for an eyeful with my medical problems!
There is a theory that we bring so much of these illness on ourselvers and that meditation and relaxation helps. I may start meditating again. It coudn't hurt.
Hi girlfriends!
Seems like forever since I've been on. I've caught up with the posts and ya'll have a lot going on as always. I'm not going to go back and try to reply to all at this point, but I've missed you and have kept you in my prayers.
We had a great family visit over the weekend. Went to a spring training baseball game, and made the rounds with visiting with Paul, and my younger brother and his family. All in all it was great fun.
Back to work yesterday and threw my back out some, so I've been down most of the day but it's a lot better now and I'm hoping I'll be back in the "saddle" for tomorrow. I have to get this job finished. It's like you get down to where you see it can happen and push yourself harder to make it so. It's been a big job, and I'll be glad to have it behind us.
How sweet that the missionaries came yesterday. Being around the young ones with all of hope and bright thoughts is so uplifting. I run into that in my work now. They're finding their way and wonderful in their spirits.
Mike said he read that the flu shot really fell short this year. I'm so sorry you have had to suffer through this. I agree with the theory that our minds can make us ill. When I was younger, and worried all the time I was constantly sick. Of course there are the environmental factors too. Right now we've had Red Tide that have made a lot of people sick from the dead, rotting fish along the shorelines. Burning eyes, scratchy throat, etc. These are things you can't help.
The mind is an incredible vessel to have to help promote good health and spirit. In "my" world I have to find positive things in every day. Whether it be from prayer,meditation, nature, eye candy, petting the fur babies or just sitting like a bump on a log. Whatever it takes to put my mind in a state of wellness. These are not just easy words for me to say, as I have suffered with depression and panic attacks for far too many years. It's a constant battle to stay on an even keel when there are so many negative forces around. I have to shift thoughts as they come in and tell myself, "I'm not going to think about that now, I'm going to focus on this instead." It's a conscious effort like telling someone NO, I really don't want to do that. It took practice to recognize when I was allowing myself to be sucked down, and practice to fight my way back up. I realized the world hadn't stopped, no one had died, the sun still rose and set regardless of how I was thinking and feeling.
I hope this hasn't come across like a lecture, it certainly hasn't been meant for that. I'm just sharing some insight in how I manage to get through each day. We are all just people trying to make our way through the hand we've been dealt. God Bless you.
EQ-Stitch from EQ CO is on sale for $150 (reg $250) for a limited time. I might get it.
I've never heard of this one. I went to the site and checked it out. Too cool! I didin't know you had an embroidery machine. They're loads of fun, aren't they. I have to say at this price and the user friendly interface, I think it's a great buy. One thing that puts EQ ahead of some of the other programs is their training videos and support. Let us know how you like it.
Stephanie---thank you so much for the kind support. My thing is anxiety also and I have to work on that all the time. Recently, I discovered this quote from the Dalai Lama.
"I am open to the guidance of synchronicity and do not let expectations hinder my path". This quote really stuck with me and I found it very helpful.
Diane, I've gotten the flu, too. I felt it coming on this weekend, but this morning I was just sick. I went to work anyways, but they sent me home. You know I'm sick if they send me home from work. They are the type that expect you to work if you're dying. Anyways, just laid around all day sleeping a little, coughing a lot. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I hear you about the flu shots not covering this flu. I'm not surprised I got it because lots at work have already had it. Miserable. I just hope it doesn't last for weeks.
I believe that some things are brought on by ourselves, but I also believe that we catch things we don't want. I have set my mind that I won't get sick and haven't, but it didn't work this time. Oh, well. Can't win them all.
So it won't be long before the eggs are laid. Yahoo! That's when it will get exciting.
Glad to hear you have a repeat customer for your jewelry. That's encouraging. Also, so nice that your church cares so much about you to come to your house and care for you. Those missionaries sound so sweet. That's got to lift your spirits meeting with them. I just love to see young people in service to God. It's a beautiful thing.
Don't worry about wearing us out hearing about your feeling sick. That's what friends are for, you know. Take care and pretty soon you'll be your old spunky self. Won't it be nice when spring comes? It won't be long. Makes you want to get out and enjoy that fresh air.
Linny T
"I am open to the guidance of synchronicity and do not let expectations hinder my path". This quote really stuck with me and I found it very helpful.
I love this quote. Thank you for sharing it.
Sorry to hear you are so sick. I hope it passes quickly for you.
Linny t:Don't worry about wearing us out hearing about your feeling sick. That's what friends are for, you know.
Amen. : )
Good Morning one and all,
I'm so sorry to hear that you guys are sick. I wish there was some way to make you feel better. Rest and plenty of fluids. And I know this sounds crazy but I swear by hot Epsom salt baths. I was reading the other day about all the curing values of Epsom salts. Just make sure that you put on plenty of clothes when your done to keep the warmth in and the cold out. And drink plenty of fluid while you soak so you can stand to stay in as long as possible.
Today is
And it's the final preparation day at MCHS for the state FCCLA Meeting. The kids have to be done with their projects, speeches, and boards today. I leave tomorrow with the lot in tow the kids and Donn join me on Saturday. Then the fun begins.
Stephanie, I hope your back is better and that you have gotten your job done.
Linny, Take care.
Diane Good luck hunting dragon eggs.
Lillie, I hope you got your snow.
And I am off to work, I go.
Linny--I am so sorry that you got the flu. It may only last a couple of days. My friend got it and it was 4 days where for her mother--it was several weeks like me. I have 2 auto immune diseases. Diabetes and Fibromyalgia. When I get something it will last a long time. It was funny that they had to tell you to go home. You must have looked really sick. That happened to me once. A patient told me "you look really bad". I knew it was time to go home. lol
I started working on one of the RR's yesterday. I am slowly feeling better.
I stayed home again today. Felt better for awhile, but when I got up to take the dogs out I felt weak in the legs. Back in bed for me, I suppose.
Robin, international Polar Bear Day is for you and national No Brainer is for me. I feel like I don't have a brain today. Kahlua is alcohol, right? It goes in White Russians, right? It's been so long since I drank alcohol, I forget.
Thanks for the well wishes, guys. I'm going back to bed.
I had to share this photo with you. It came from Crazy Quilting International. It's from an I Love Paris RR they are doing. I love everything about it. And the basket of flowers on the bike is so sweet. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazyquiltinginternationalgalleryone/
Robin: And I know this sounds crazy but I swear by hot Epsom salt baths. I was reading the other day about all the curing values of Epsom salts.
I treated myself to one of these this morning. After being laid out most of the day yesterday, I woke up at 1:30. I stayed up for a while, watched a couple episodes of Flashpoint on tv, had a nice hot soak and went back to sleep for an hour. It was heaven. It wasn't really cold but I wore my sweatshirt on the way in. I think I would have rather done any other job today than mine. Somedays are like that for all of us I'm sure.
I hope your day went well in making sure everyone had their stuff together, and especially hope that all the kids do well and make you proud! Of course their well wishes for some fun too when Don joins you on Saturday.
Today choice of days I think I would be tempted by Kahlua! Haven't had that in ages, and could go for a cup of hot coffee topped off with that and whipped cream. Yum. I think I'll have to settle for the luscious piece of carrot cake Mike got for me instead for tonight.
Linny t:I stayed home again today. Felt better for awhile, but when I got up to take the dogs out I felt weak in the legs. Back in bed for me, I suppose.
Good for you staying home. I'm so sorry to hear that you have been feeling so bad that you're weak in the legs, and hope you have spent the day in bed.
I had to share this photo with you. It came from Crazy Quilting International. It's from an I Love Paris RR they are doing. I love everything about it. And the basket of flowers on the bike is so sweet. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazyquiltinginternationalgalleryone/
This is beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us.


text:
Your Thanks
Editor of the Reformer:
On October 7, Putney Family Services participated in the annual Harvest Festival at the Putney School. Our food concession was very successful thanks to the many generous donations from the community. The chilly and gray October morning began with volunteers setting up the tent, delivering baked goods, and just general prep work. Others set up the huge grill and warmed it up to begin grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for the hungry festival-goers. The day started slow, but the aroma of the burgers and dogs soon drew many our way.
Many thanks to the following businesses and individuals who made this so successful and fun: C&S Wholesale Grocers, Price Chopper, Cota & Cota, Leader Distribution Systems, Green Mountain Orchard, Wal-Mart, Amber & Jason Hubner, Crystal Kennett, Julie Forsythe, Meghan Benzel, Landmark College Students, Annette & Greg Wilson, Kerri Harlow, Dylan Devlin, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Paul Gustafson, Tom Ehrenberg, Steve Ingram, Kate Cleghorn, and Henny Walsh. Thanks to all of you, we had a great day!
Patricia Field, executive director
Putney Family Services, Oct. 23 ***
Editor of the Reformer:
Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH) held an annual Volunteer Appreciation Party, a waffle breakfast, on October 24th at their Experienced Goods Thrift Shop. All BAH volunteers were invited so that BAH staff could thank them for their wonderful service to the terminally ill and bereaved in our community and for their work at Experienced Goods. The waffle party was delicious and a lot of fun, and BAH is grateful to The Brattleboro Food Coop, Taylor for Flowers, Dottie?s, John Case, George Lagro, and Lynn Filanowski for their generous donations which helped to make this appreciation breakfast such a success. Thank you donors, and thank you hospice volunteers for all that you do, every day of the year, for families coping with serious illness and loss.
Bettina Berg, Eric Cutler, Connie Baxter
Brattleboro Area Hospice
volunteer coordinators
Brattleboro, Oct. 25
Editor of the Reformer:
October 6 was a great day for climbing Mount Wantastiquet. The rain held off and more than 100 people turned out for Morningside Shelter's second annual Hike for the Homeless. The event was a great success, raising in excess of our projected $17,000 goal. Windham County benefits from a large number of human service agencies, many needing the support of our community to raise funds. On behalf of the Shelter's Board of Directors, staff and residents, I'd like to thank our generous sponsors: TD Bank, Green Mountain Power, Trust Company of Vermont, Abatem Exterminating, West Hill Energy & Computing, Hotel Pharmacy, The Law Offices of Costello Valente & Gentry, Entergy, Peter Havens, The Law Offices of Cady & Dugan, Consult Techs, Bast Investment, The Richards Group, Atamaniuk Funeral Home, Richmond Auto Repair, Brattleboro Tire, Brown & Roberts, Friends of the Sun, Ker-Westerlund Funeral Home, and Members 1st Credit Union.
We were fortunate to receive a number of in-kind donations from Lotus Graphics, Brattleboro Reformer, Brattleboro Retreat, Green Mountain Orchards, Grafton Cheese, Sodexo, C&S, Leader Distribution, Price Chopper, Curves, Outer Limits and Brattleboro Food Co-op. We would also like to thank WKVT and WTSA for their support and publicity.
Although the foliage was still not at its peak, the views from the summit were stunning and were enjoyed by skilled climbers and novices alike. We hope that folks who missed this wonderful event will join us next year. To entice prospective participants, we've posted several views from the top of the mountain on the Shelter's web site www.MorningsideShelter.com.
Biz Dana, president,
Morningside Shelter Board of Directors, Oct. 23
Editor of the Reformer:
I wish to thank the Bellows Falls Terrier football team for the honor of walking with the captains during the annual senior night at Lawrence Hadley Field.
You have represented the Bellows Falls distinguished football tradition with honor, not just with your victories but in your conduct on and off the field. I know as you continue in the playoffs you will represent your families, school, coaches and the Bellows Falls Union High community in manner that reflex's the proud terriers tradition and quality people that you are.
I very special thank you to Fall Mountain Regional High School. You filled the void when Springfield forfeited the 97 annual renewal of game, by canceling its varsity season. The Fall Mountain Administration, Coach Frank Brown and staff and of course the Wild Cats players who stepped up to made this a fun night should be commended. You have improved greatly since your first scrimmage in August. I know you will be ready for the 2013 varsity season.
Douglas C. MacPhee
Bellows Falls, Oct. 28
Editor of the Reformer:
Lisa's Love Charitable Association would like to thank everyone who helped make our 12th year of Mommy Marketplace a huge success. This is a bi-annual event held every May and September in memory of our daughter, sister and aunt, Lisa Young Noble. Lisa died in January 2000 after a courageous battle with a brain tumor. The proceeds from our events go to an annual scholarship for a graduating senior at L.G.U.H.S. planning on furthering their education and an annual gift to Grace Cottage Hospital.
A huge thank you to the Town of Townshend for letting us use the Town Hall. To the teachers and staff at Townshend Elementary who bake for me every year. Heidi, Madison, and Jeff Russ for helping set up, take down and sell, and to all of our vendors and shoppers who make it possible for us to continue giving back to the community in Lisa's memory.
Judith Holden
Lori Staib
Linda Hescock
Townshend, Oct. 29
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
" Type: Noodles "
* Prices may differ from that shown
I always enjoy eating a cooked meal for lunch but hate preparing food that takes ages. I like something quick and simple to make. When I feel like a cooked lunch I a most always decide to have super noodles. Super noodles are available in many different flavours including chicken, beef and curry! I have only ever tried the chicken one though. I just love the taste of the chicken super noodles so much I have never felt the need to try another flavour. These noodles take less than 5 minutes to completely cook. You are able to cook these noodles in the microwave (which is quicker) or on the hob. I find cooking them on top of the cooker is the best way. It makes the noodles cook better and taste amazing.
I eat these fairly often and change how I eat them all the time. For lunch, I love eating chicken super noodles with a roll or some type of bread. The chicken flavour especially goes so well with bread and is filling too. For dinner I like having chicken super noodles with breaded chicken and vegetables, this is my favourite way to have noodles. I don't like pot noodles much so always depend on Super Noodles when I want a hot, quick and easy snack through out the day.
These cost less than a pound a packet and are usually on offer or some type of deal where you get some cheaper or even free! These are great to stock up on as they last a while as they just need to be kept in a cupboard. I rate them a 5/5 for taste and cost!!
God I just loveeee the beef super noodles so easy to prepare and cook well the easiest I know. These super noodles come in various different flavours chicken, beef, curry and many others. I can normally grab these for about 70p per packet from home bargains but you can buy them pretty much anywhere however at a higher cost so have a look about as some places have the on offers. Ok I normally microwave mine so I scrunch the packet before I open it.. I pour them into a bowl and then sprinkle the flavouring all over the top then I put boiling water from the kettle to cover them I don't normally measure it I just guess. I put them in the microwave for 7 and a half minutes and once they are done I leave them to stand for a while as they are super hot. Then eat mmm delicious - not exactly the heaviest meal but it's just so quick and easy and full of flavour!
I may no be a student but I do love super noodles!! A very cheap product, very tasty, may not be the healthiest but are very yummy!
Supernoodles come in a variety of flavours my favourite being the normal chicken, but you can curry ranging in mild to spicy, BBQ, Chinese Chicken and Bacon.
How to cook
Easiest item to cook in the world, you simply open the packet add hot water and either microwave or do in a pan once noodles soften add the flavour packet!
The tricky part is trying to gauge how much water you want, some people like noodles with lots of yummy juice, however i prefer mine with a lot less.
Unique Twist?
I don't tend to eat my noodles just on their own, i usually either add some chedder cheese and ensure its melted in which makes them super gooey noodles which is gorgeous. Sometimes I make some toast and have Cheesy super noodles on toasts which makes a lovely snack.
Where to buy?
You can buy them from any leading super market as well as cheap shops like B&M for around 50p
They are ideal if you are camping, fancy a quick easy snack or just feel like being unhealthy!
There comes a time in every week where I simply don't feel like cooking, slaving over a stove for around half an hour. That's where the lovely Batchrlors super noodles come in for me. There very cheap to buy and very easy to cook, and that's right, tastes delicious well, most flavours might I add.
The packaging comes in a foil dark blue packet with the super noodles and Batchrlors logo on the front. It also states what flavour the noodles are. It has a picture of them on the front which is enough to make me buy them because they look yummy! It also has some easy to read cooking instructions on the back and a bit about the product.
The super noodles come in a variety of flavours which include:
Mild Curry - my favourite
BBQ Beef
Chinese Chow Mein to name but a few.
They are really easy to cook, doing them either in the microwave or on the hob. Just put some water to the boil and add the noodles. Inside the packet is a sachet of powder which brings the flavour to the noodles. Which ever way you cook them it only takes around 5-10 minutes to cook.
Of course there not the healthiest of options, what is when it's pretty much instantly cooked? They hold quite a bit of fat and are high in calories.
The noodles themselves taste lovely once cooked and are very soft when cooked right. If over cooked they tend to get quite sticky. It says on the packet that they can be served as part of a meal for two. But personally I eat the whole packet as a quick meal with some bread on my breaks at work.
This product is really good if you have a tight budget or a student as its only around 60p in most super markets. In some you see them on offer at 4 for £2. So there always a bargain.
I do enjoy super noodles, they give you a break on proper cooking and is nice to your money. I honestly can't see why I would stop buying them. Always recommended.
Batchelors Super Noodles are available in a variety of flavours including, Chicken, BBQ Beef and Curry to name just a few. My personal favourite, and the one this review will concentrate on today is Chicken.
The noodles come in 100g blue packets' featuring a picture of the noodles on the front with a gold star in the background. The flavour is clearly displayed underneath and the Super Noodles logo surrounds the picture of the noodles. At the bottom of the packet is the bar containing nutritional information, which I will cover later in the review. Inside the packet you will find a block of freeze dried noodles and a packet of powdered flavouring.
How to Cook
Super Noodles can be cooked in two ways, the first is by using the microwave, as we don't have a microwave I will tell you the packet states that you should place the noodles in a microwave dish and empty the flavour packet onto them. Then add 300ml of boiling water, microwave them for 5 to 6 minutes and then stir and serve.
The second way to cook these noodles is on the hob in a saucepan, this is the way I cook these noodles. The packet tells me a slightly different method to the one I use so I will tell you both.
Firstly, the packet way, add the noodles to 300ml of water and bring to the boil, then add the flavour packet and reduce heat leaving the noodles to simmer for about 4 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. I found that when I cooked my noodles this way they didn't taste as good and they didn't seem to absorb the water very well even though I had left them to simmer for a good 8 to 10 minutes. I also found that because the flavouring is added after the water is boiled the noodles didn't seem to have such a nice rich flavour.
Ok, so my variation of the above is to boil the water in the kettle, place the noodles into the saucepan with the flavouring sprinkled over the top, I then add the pre-boiled water but only 250ml instead of 300ml. I then put the hob on a low heat, we have an electric hob so I find number 3 is the ideal heat setting. After about a minute I turn the noodles over and give them a stir to be sure they are all submerged in the water and the flavouring is well mixed in, I then leave the noodles simmering on this heat for around 5 to 8 minutes giving them a bit of a stir halfway through. Once all of the water is absorbed and the noodles are looking nice and juicy I pour them into a bowl and wait a couple of minutes for them to cool before enjoying.
When cooked the way I have described above I find Chicken Super Noodles taste simply delicious! The noodles themselves are thick and juicy and full of flavour as they seem to absorb the flavouring more if it is added at the start of cooking. The noodles are chicken flavoured and I would say the flavouring is quite strong which makes them very tasty and in the past I have easily eaten 2 packets of these one after the other, not because they're not filling, but simply because I was Super Noodle mad! The noodles are quite filling and while they are not necessarily a proper meal I think they are great for lunch times at work or a quick meal if you are going out in the evening.
Nutritional Info
A single serving of chicken Super Noodles, which incidentally is half of one packet, will provide you with:
263 Calories
1.7g Sugar
11.8g Fat
6.0g Saturates
1.00g Salt
Batchelors state these noodles are not suitable for vegetarians and the allergy advice is that they contain wheat, barley, gluten, celery and milk.
Batchelors Chicken Super Noodles are available in most supermarkets for around the 60p to 80p mark, depending on where you shop, they are often on offer in ASDA with 3 packets for £1.50, but on my recent trip back to the UK I managed to get 3 packets for £1 in Poundland, so I would say to keep your eyes open.
Other Flavours
As I said at the start of the review, Chicken is my favourite flavour in the Super Noodles range, however in the past I have tried the BBQ Beef flavour and while I do like it, I find that I have to be in the right mood for it as for me the taste is a little too strong and the smell of them is over powering and can make me feel a little ill.
I have also tried the Southern Fried Chicken flavour, I like this flavour as an alternative to chicken if it is sold out or if I fancy a change, but personally I don't think they taste very much like Southern Fried Chicken, or even chicken, but they do have a nice moreish and very mild spiciness to the flavour and the aftertaste is kind of like chicken.
I have never tried the curry flavour so I cannot comment on the taste. I haven't tried them because I don't like curry and I haven't tried the Sweet and Sour flavour either simply because I haven't got round to it yet!
A big yes from me! I love Batchelors Chicken Super Noodles more than any other noodles, I was rather excited when I stocked up on them on my recent visit home, but then I ate them all rather quickly! So, needless to say I will be stocking up on them on my next visit! They taste delicious and for me, they are perfect for a quick lunchtime meal or a quick fix in the evening if we are going out and don't have a lot of time.
Thanks for reading :)
Hi I have a similar review penned under the same username on ciao
The original and spicy curry flavours are my favourite although sweet Tai flavour is also good and is a nice way to vary up your options from the normal. It tastes more "full" and satisfying than the own brand makes I have tried and after you have finished one packet the taste makes you want to come back for more. I eat these most days and they are just very enjoyable to eat in general.
This can vary a lot usually its around 1 pound for a packet however tesco online are offerinng 3 for 1.80 just now which is a pretty good deal relative to how the product normally performs. There are cheaper alternatives out their on the market that retail for as little as 20 pence per packet but as far as exactly equivalent noodle based products go all the cheaper options are ""much"" inferior from a taste perspective. However if one branches of into pasta based competitors then you can find products which taste better and cost less, particularly when compared to this flavour of brand.
Nutritional Value:
Typically they contain approx 7g fat, 22g carbohydrates and an impressive 3 g of protein per 100g and they weigh about 300g and checking the different packets in my cupboard confirms that each flavour is very similar in nutritional value to each of its cousins. So what do these figures mean? Well depending on what site you go to an average man (From range 5'3-6'4) should consume around 50-75g of fat depending on their height so 7g is not a big amount at all.
The average man of 5'9 ish height and unremarkable stature should eat at least 200g of carbs a day with some sites going as high as 350 g of Carbs so again 22g as part of a lunch seems about right considering breakfast and dinner often supply a person with more carbs than their lunch. Three grams of protein is an added bonus in a product that would not typically strike the user as screaming of "this product is good for protein".
Obviously the product has its downsides from a nutritional point of view, in particular it has 30% saturated fat which is the kind of fat that can in excess,and as part of a sedentary life style lead to high cholesterol and clog up the arteries. How does it compare to a pot noodle? Well pot noodles actually have less fat at a mere 5.7 grams for a 20g heavier product, 22g of carbs and 4g of protein so surprisingly, to my mind at least, pot noodles are actually healthier for you than super noodles. Therefore pot noodles are a better choice of instant food if your trying to go on a diet, although this whole area of the food market may not be for you if your trying to become more healthy!
Intended Audience:
These are a product which scream "student" as they are quick to prepare and cheaper than buying in fresh food and students often have to live on a tight budget if not living at home. However due to the problems in the economy and wages not keeping up with the increase of fuel costs even this market may be deserting the product for cheaper own brand alternatives. Bachelors does not help itsefl by pricing its self so much dearer than the own brand products, if it could find a way to lower its price to bring it a fair bit closer to the own brand alternatives it would see the student market return.
There are another category of people these products are aimed at and that is those who wan't to just make quick meals or lunches and as the cooking time is only around 6 minutes including boiling the water before adding the noodles it is perfect for those of us who are constrained for time or who would just spend any free time they have watching tv or going for a walk than having to spend it all in the kitchen.
Closing Remarks
Overall I would say this that this brand is the best noodle brand out their and has the best tasting products on the market in the area of instant noodles with my favourites being Spicy Curry and Original flavour and Tai green curry flavour being another alternative as well. This product has a wide variety of flavours so you should be able to find something that you like if you try out each of the flavours bachelors have to offer.
As mentioned the price could and should be a little less however its often worth it for the extra taste packed into super noodles that makes them outshine the competition.
So yesterday in my review about Marmite I mentioned that:
A) I rarely eat instant noodles because they're kind of vile, and
B) On the rare occasions that I do eat them I flavour them with Marmite instead of the sachet of flavouring that comes with them.
Therefore I have no idea why I've just consumed a packet of Super Noodles, flavoured powder and all. Anyway I may as well review them now and spread the word of my now definitely confirmed hatred of instant noodles.
--Super Noodles--
Super Noodles are a very well known brand of instant noodles made by Batchelors and sold in the UK and Ireland in range of flavours. These flavours include chicken, spicy curry, barbeque beef, thai green curry, and the bacon flavour which I ate on this occasion. They come in a 100g rectangular 'block' as they are hard when uncooked and are packaged in a bright blue packet which displays the flavour of the noodles and a picture of some of them on a fork. The noodles themselves are unflavoured as you get a sachet of flavoured powder in the packet also.
I prepared my noodles by cooking them in a saucepan of boiling water and stiring in the sachet of flavouring as I cooked them. As I mentioned before I normally use Marmite as the flavouring but I smelt the sachet of bacon flavoured powder and it smelt just like smoky bacon crisps. I love smoky bacon crisps so I couldn't resist trying the provided flavouring on this occasion.
I only cooked them for the minimum time I could as I didn't want them to go mushy so I only cooked them for about a minute. Unfortunately they were still quite mushy despite this. Once they were cooked I simply put them in a bowl, ready to eat.
So the title of this review conveys my feelings about how the noodles looked once they were ready. I was looking even less forward to eating them by this point, but did anyway. They were very much lacking in taste, and just too mushy in texture. I could smell the bacon flavour but I couldn't really taste it. I just felt like it was a waste of time eating them as it was unenjoyable and I just kind of ate them for the sake of it because I didn't want to throw them away.
Most annoyingly, I'm still hungry. Really hungry. Like I feel like I didn't even eat anything and for the amount of calories in them I could have had a full meal, or I could have least have had something tastier, like chips.
--(Lack of) Nutrition--
Nutritional values vary by flavour but the amount of calories in a block of these noodles is about 530, fat content is about 24g and sugar about 4g. The suggested serving it gives on the pack is actually half the block but I'm still really hungry after eating a full one. I suppose some people might have half a block as part of a meal with other things.
For 530 calories I really wish I'd eaten something yummier.
--Prices & Availability--
Super Noodles are currently 3 for £1.80 at Tesco, but the price of them varies. They're normally about 80p each and can be bought from all supermarkets and most smaller grocery stores.
If you are an eater of instant noodles you'll know that most of the large supermarkets sell their own brand variations for about 10p per block. They are normally a bit smaller than a block of Super Noodles and don't come in as big a range of flavours but other than that I can't tell the different between 10p noodles or 80p Super Noodles. If I ever was to purchase instant noodles again (which is definitely not going to happen) I would just go for the cheap 10p ones.
--Overall Opinion--
As I suspected/already knew, instant noodles are a flavour-lacking, mushy, unappetising, nutrition-less excuse for food. Super Noodles are a brand of these noodles that taste the same as all the others but cost more. I vow never to eat them again!
Having said all this, I'm guessing that people must like this product as it has 4 stars on Dooyoo so maybe it's just me. One thing I will say is they are very quick to prepare.
I have been getting Batchelors Super Noodles for years now. Every now and again, I cook some of these noodles and have them for lunch. They taste very nice and are rich it whatever flavour you choose to buy. It comes with a sachet of flavouring that you stir in with the noodles during cooking, and you'll be surprised how so much taste comes from a relatively small sachet.
I usually cook Super Noodles on the hob because I find that it tastes better this way. They are very quick and easy to cook. Simply add the noodles to a pan filled with 300ml of water and bring to the boil (I usually break up the noodles first to make them cook quicker). Then, add the flavouring from the sachet and stir. Leave the noodles to simmer for around 3 to 4 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Then, serve and enjoy! The whole cooking process on the hob takes around 7 to 8 minutes which makes it quick and easy to make lunch.
As well as being able to cook the noodles on the hob, you can cook them in the microwave. I have done this before but I do it very rarely due to the fact that it tastes better when done on the hob. Anyway, put the noodles and 300ml of boiling water in a relatively large bowl. Add the flavouring from the sachet and put the bowl into the microwave. For an 850 watt microwave, heat on full power for 5 minutes but leave uncovered. Then, stir and serve.
Super Noodles can be used for all kinds of things. Each packet serves one person if eaten for lunch, but can serve two if it is part of a main meal. There is plenty of noodles in the packet, and I struggle to eat them all for lunch, so I have no doubt that one packet could easily serve 2 people if it is part of a main meal, possible even three.
~Nutritional Information~
The great thing about Super Noodles is that if they are eaten for lunch, they give you all the nutritional things that the average lunch meal would give you. For half a packet, the Super Noodles have:
264 Calories
1.6g of Sugar
11.8g of Fat
6.0g of Saturates (Which is quite a lot)
1.25g of Salt
So, they do provide you with lots of nutrients, although it is quite high in saturates which is not such a good thing. Especially if you have a whole packet for lunch as this takes up 60% of the daily guideline amount.
The packaging for Super Noodles is mainly dark blue, with a picture of some noodles on a fork as the focal point. At the top, there is the red bachelors sign and at the bottom, it tells you what flavour the noodles are and all of the nutritional information. On the back, it gives you all of the cooking instructions and ingredients and other things such as an expiration date and contact information. In Tesco, they cost 68p per packet. I think that this is quite cheap for what you get, and especially as it is made by a well known brand.
I store the Super Noodles in a cupboard. They do not have to be refridgerated, but it is recommended that they are kept in a cool, dry place.
Like I said before, the taste of the Super Noodles are very nice, and the flavour is quite strong and recognisable. My favourite is barbecue beef, but they come in a variety of different flavours such as bacon and chicken, and more advanced flavours such as Chow mein with Chinese sauce.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this product as it is quick, easy and simple to make, and can be eaten as part of a main meal or for lunch on its own. They taste very nice and the small sachet difinetely gives you a strong flavour.
When I was 20 I went on a girls holiday to Greece with my friend, as I was a student and she was only working part time we needed to keep to a tight budget. We booked a self-catering apartment and decided to take a few food items with us that would allow us to make some cheap easy meals in the apartment so that we did not spend a fortune on food and therefore would have more to spend on Ouzo! One of the items we took with us was super noodles, not only were they fairly light weight they were also easy to cook and cheap! Now I have really only recently started eating these again as my new work place has quite limited cooking facilities but with it being winter I prefer to have something hot for lunch so have started purchasing the super noodles as they can be cooked easily and quickly in the microwave.
Currently in Iceland you can purchase a packet of the Bachelor super noodles for just £0.60, they also have an offer on at the moment, 5 packets for £2.00. To be honest this is the cheapest I have seen super noodles priced for some time as from when I used to purchase them they seemed to have inflated in price.
The super noodles come in a large variety of flavours including:
- Chinese chow mein
- Chicken
- Bacon
- BBQ Beef
- Mild Curry
The super noodles come in a foil packet which is dark blue in colour and has a picture of the noodles wrapped around a fork on the front. Also on the front of the packet there is some basic nutritional information and a yellow triangle which states that the noodles contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. On the back of the packet you will find the full nutritional information, ingredients listing and cooking instructions. When you open the packet you will find a smaller foil pack inside which contains the powder flavouring which you need to add to the noodles when cooking, this packet also has a cooking tip printed on the front which I think is a nice touch.
The super noodles are very easy to make and you can cook them either on the hob or in the microwave. Either method is very quick and will only take your around 5 minutes to go from dried in the packet to fully cooked.
As you will probably imagine something that is instant to cook is not going to be the healthiest option as they are quite high in calories and fat.
The noodles themselves are quite fine and cook easily to become very soft. You do need to be careful not to overcook them as they can become a little dry and sticky. I generally eat super noodles on their own as a lunch time meal mostly at work as they are really quick and easy to cook. It does state on the packet that half a pack serves two as of part of a main meal but to be honest I cannot really imagine serving these as part of a meal but that is obviously just my own personal opinion.
Overall I will continue to purchase the bachelor super noodles, especially the chicken and the bacon as they are my favourite flavours. They make a cheap and cheerful snack meal and come in packets which are easy to transport.
Being a student I find that sometimes (particularly just before my student loan comes in) I need to eat on the cheap. Supernoodles is a great way to do this! The price varies depending on the supermarket, however I find that Home Bargains usually does Super Noodles for a very low price. With a variety of flavours to choose from it is great for when you are feeling a bit peckish. I would not recommend eating Super Noodles on a regular basis as they aren't very healthy and can get a bit boring, however it makes a nice additional to a plain meal or is a nice lunch throughout the day. My favourite flavour is the chicken flavour, it is classic and simple, and I also enjoy adding a bit of chilli to my super noodles to spice them up a bit. As no other ingredients are needed other than water it makes this product so quick and easy to make. Overall Supernoodles is a great student meal!
I really am a lover of fresh and healthy food. However, as with pot noodle, there is place in my cooking repetoir for super noodles!
These are basically dried noodles which get boiled in water and powdered flavour added. They have very little vitamins but for an accompaniment or a quick snack, what can I say. They are pretty good.
Flavours all tend to be the same to me really. Just kind of noodley flavours. These are grat to take hiking and mix withboiling water over the camp stove and there you are a nice warm noodle dinner. Add a bit of tabasco and they taste better!
Super noodles are pretty super at the right time. Not for an everyday meal but great if hiking or needing a quick hot meal.
Also great to have when you get back in from the pub and so much cheaoper than a kebab!
There are lots of flavours but they are all very samey so dont get over excited! They are about £1 for a pack so not breaking the bank. There are supermarket own brand for this too as there seems to be for everything at the moment. To be honest you cant really get any worse or any better so they are more or less the same too. If the supermarket brand is cheaper, get that!!
Like most people who review Batchelor's Super Noodles, I am of a very specific age and socio-economic group (i.e. poor student living away from home for the first time and faced with the very scary reality that there is no-one going to provide home cooked meals) and thus have ample experience in the preparation of this particular product.
The product comes in a variety of different flavours, but the best are the Beef and the Chicken. They are on offer in essentially every major supermarket or even corner shop, Iceland currently offer five packets for £1 giving you some sort of estimate as to how cheap and useful these noodles actually are to the student population. The packaging is iconic and instantly screams fast, cheap and tasty.
The noodles themselves are, on the whole, very edible. They have a strong flavour and excellent texture. There are very few more pleasant experiences than coming in after being caught out in the rain, sticking on the hob and seeing the hot noodle vapours rise from the bowl.
People who call them tastless, dull and unimaginative are probably suffering from a lack of imagination themselves. The combination of noodles and various other easy to source ingredients turns a tasty snack into a delicious meal. For example, the beef noodles go excellently with chopped microwaveable frankfurter sausages (the chili ones add extra spice), the chicken noodles are really nice if you add some sweet chili sauce to them, and, of course, if you fill a pitta pocket with noodles, tuna and mayonaise, you have a Batchelor's own recipe for delicious noodle experiences.
They come in a packet, with the sachet flavoring. Boiling water is added to the noodles, and they are then microwaved, or boiled in the pan on a cooking hob.
In terms of price, they cost less than £1, usually about 49p, or multibuy offers, depending on where you shop (Home Bargains tends to have them at a good price, as well as poundland). The noodles are relatively quick to prepare, as well a being simple to make. Its a filling snack, great if you have to be out of the house sharpish, and the hunger noises are calling! Or on the flip side, if youve just gotten home, and need a quick snack, the wait is not long.
Although its not one of the most healthy snacks ( compared to, an apple.) its certainly not one of the worst.
Per 100g packet, there are 7.9g of fat, and 4g of that are Saturated fats, and 1g of salt. 22.8g of Carboydrate, of which sugars are 0.7g
As a snacky quick treat goes, it is a better substitute than a snack from a certain fast food restaurant, and fills the gap just as well, leaving a smaller money hole in your pocket too.
The taste is what you would expect from a chicken flavour food. It isnt going to win any michelin stars, but i do think it is a lovely comfort food. Its hot, and is mainly made of carbohydrates, but is tasty.
A good use for them is for taking away on selft catrering holidays and camping due to jow simple they are to prepare. The noodles dont have to be the main dish, it can be put with cheese, or toast, or be used as part of a larger meal, it is quite an adaptable meal.
I would reccommend these to anyone, try them and buy a few packets and keep them in the cupboard waiting for that time when an ultra healthy snack just wont do!
Batchelors Super Noodles.
I brought three for £1.00 in a bargain basket of a poundland Store, but they are readily available from all if not most of the Supermarkets.
They come in a quite appealing packet foiled lined and have the words Super Noodles written on the front of the packet. They come in all different flavours, the ones I brought are Bacon Flavour. They contain no artificial colours or preservatives.
Cooking Instructions:
Add the Noodles to the i/2 pint of boiling water and bring to the boil.
Simmer for four minutes or until the noodles have absorbed the water, stirring occasionally. Ovens vary to how they cook so always check what the manufacturer says about the particular oven you are using.
I just stick mine in the mircrowave in a bowl with water and then I add the sachet to them, which contains the flavouring. They only take a few minutes to cook and then once they have cooled considerably they are simply ready to eat.
I find these are good to have in your store cupboard, as a stand by, they are good to have as a snack or you can add these to a plate of sasages etc.
Each packet contains 100grams, they have a use by date of November 2011.
The packet is recyclable.
Ingredients: Noodles, Water, Wheat Flour, Palm Oil and contains antioxidants, Citric Acid, Salt, Tomato, Onion Flavourings and also contains lactose, Yeast Extract, contains Barley, Dried Glucose Syrup, Flavouring enhancers, Sugar, Vegtable oil, smoke flavouring and celery, milk powder and wheat flour.
My grandchildren love these and as they are quick and easy to make I often keep a ready supply of these in my cupboard.
They are just simply noodles with a spicy flavouring on them, and I like to leave a bit of the juice in mine as thats simply how I like them.
They have a telephone number on the bottom right hand side of the package, that you can contact in case you have any comments or queries.
Thanks for reading and rating my reviews.
It's been a busy weekend and not had time to go shopping so for lunch I was searching through the cupboards for a quick lunch...I came across a packet of Southern Fried Super Noodles. Which I must of brought for a camping trip or for my husband a little while ago as I never eaten them. Still in date I thought why not.
The packet is quite eye catching blue with Super Noodles in bold white writing. This pack is especially eye catching as on the front is loads of cash on the front. There is an offer on this pack with a chance to win cash on opening. On opening the packet I hadn't won 
But I still had the enjoyment of my lunch to look forward to 
**Directions for cooking
Making up this meal couldn't be easier (I made it in the microwave). I put the Super Noodles into a plastic bowl and added the flavouring sachet. Added half a pint of boiling water and put in the microwave for 5 mins.
**My Opinion
On cooking the Noodles didn't smell good at all, nothing like Southern Fried chicken!!
Once cooking was complete I let them cool a little and started to tuck in. The taste was not particularly nice, sort of processed tomato flavour.
The colour was also rather off putting the sauce looked like baked bean juice just sticky.
The texture of the noodles was rubbery and slimy.
I tried adding salt and Worcestershire Sauce to improve it but it did little to make it edible.
I didn't eat the whole pack as they really weren't to my liking.
This meal is 97% noodles so a good source of carbs (and if I'm right they are a free food on green days on Slimming World, I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong)
**Nutritional Information per half pack
Calories - 265kcal
Protein - 4.8g
Carbs - 34..5g
Of which is sugar - 1.1g
Fat - 11.9g
Of which is saturated - 6.0g
Fibre - 0.7g
Sodium - 0.60g
Salt - 1.50g
Normally on offer in Tesco 4 for £2.00 or 69p individually.
**Would I Recommend
Well I really didn't enjoy these at all so would find it very hard to recommend these to anyone. But I would try another flavour as others seem to rave about Super Noodles being "Super"


text:
Handful of Species Key to Ecosystem Health, Study Finds
While conducting field research in the humid salt marshes of Sapelo Island, scientists Marc Hensel and Brian Silliman made an astonishing discovery: species type, not just quantity, is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems. For decades, scientists believed that preserving the largest number of species was critical for ecosystem function, regardless of their genetic makeup. However, Hensel, a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and Silliman, Rachel Carson Associate Professor at Duke University, counter the old dogma in an article recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"It's quality, not just quantity," stated Hensel. "We need to preserve a wide variety of species."
By examining the relationships among three dominant consumer species (i.e., grazers and predators), Hensel and Silliamn found that it isn't just the number of total species, but the number of specific species that is crucial to upholding ecosystem performance. Working in the cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) dominated salt marshes of Sapelo Island in the Southeastern U.S. state of Georgia, the researchers measured the effect of species loss on ecosystem performance. Salt marshes are seemingly simple ecosystems composed of a few extremely abundant and influential species.
The research team created eight different experimental plots that simulated the loss of three dominant groups: purple marsh crab (Sesarma reticulatum), marsh periwinkle snail (Litoraria irrorata), and fungi (Mycosphaerella species and Phaeospheria spartinicola). Each of the three evolutionarily distinct species plays a critical role in regulating marsh functions and maintaining habitat structure. Over a period of eight months, the researchers assessed the impact of the loss of these species on ecosystem functions by measuring the rates of grass growth, decomposition and filtration of tidal or storm water.
Hensel and Silliman found that although each species influenced just one or two specific ecosystem functions, the overall performance of marsh functions dropped considerably when one or more of the consumers were removed. Furthermore, the presence of very different groups was essential for providing a realistic assessment of marsh functions, particularly the inclusion of fungal species.
Fungus is not only a dominant group in the Sapelo Island salt marsh, but microbes such as fungal spores are key components of the food web and considered fundamental underpinnings of ecosystem functions. Therefore, by including fungus, Hensel and Silliman gained a deeper, more complete understanding of the marsh ecosystem functions and services.
Salt marshes provide coastal communities with essential services such as buffering waves, filtering urban water runoff, and providing nursery habitat for commercially valuable juvenile aquatic species. But when key species were removed from the salt marshes, the ecosystem was not able to function properly, thus limiting the performance of these services.
Continue Reading at Mongabay.com
Ecosystem via Shutterstock


text:
This acrylic page had a label adhered to it that was extremely difficult to remove. Even though i removed it carefully, i can still see where it was.
You must be logged in to comment. Please click here to log in.
The product itself was fine and I liked it; but on everything I purchased that was from Kaisercraft they put there sticker on the front; it could not be removed without leaving a residue and when I tried goo gone; and others it took the shine away and I could not use any of the sheets I purchased. Very disappointing; they are selling a scrapbook product so why put a label smack dab on the front of it....waste of money!!!!!
You must be logged in to comment. Please click here to log in.