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Tag Archives: Deepdale
As Bees beat Preston, brilliant Billy cuts to the chase about Birmingham.
Bring on Birmingham City. Brentford keep marching right on! Saturday's 3-2 defeat of Preston North End saw it 7(seven) games unbeaten in the Championship and 13 points out of the last 21. Our third win over this period saw the Bees move to within six points of the play off zone. Although with the bottom three the same distance behind us, things are still far too tight to be getting too excited. In either direction.
Preston away was always going to be a tough one. With Dean Smith changing his team once more, as he has done every game this season, Romaine Sawyers was dropped to the bench in favour of Kamohelo Mokotjo. But whilst the team was different, the outcome was the same. More goals and more points for Brentford.
As ever, the BBC, Beesotted, 'official' etc are your places for the full match report. Or you could catch the highlights on the internet c/o Sky – at least until the league allow the club to do their thing at mid-day. Yet what you get are another goal for Nico Yennaris (that's four now) and Romaine Sawyers hitting a beauty from the edge of the box to restore our lead in the second half.
The sun is now past the yard arm
There was no irony lost in it being a year to the day since Brentford had beaten QPR at Loftus Road and he'd scored an absolute wonder goal that night. Twelve months later and another netbuster. Whilst it wasn't quite in the same ball park, it was still a delicious strike. How nice to see Romaine continue to prove all the doubters wrong. He took an inordinate and unfair amount of flak last season. Some fans should now be eating humble pie.
Equally pleasing is being able to see our goals/shots ratio creeping up. A lot had been made in the opening phase of the season about how we'd had the most attempts of any Championship club despite failing to find the back of the net as frequently. 13 goals over the current unbeaten run certainly suggests this stat is changing for the better.
Yet the pick of the goals was, in my opinion, the third. "An absolute peach from a coaching point of view ." Not my words but those of BBC Billy Reeves as he probed head coach Dean Smith after the game. A beautiful exchange of passes at speed between Kamo and Flo Jo saw Preston carved open as easily as a Halloween pumpkin. The move culminated in the Dutch master delivering a ball across the face of the box which Ollie Watkins slid home.
Ollie, Flo Jo and Lasse celebrate a wonderful winner for the Bees
Three more points and Brentford continuing to impress. The only sour note being the foul on Nico Yennaris that saw the player poleaxed by Jordan Hugill before going off after a lengthy period of treatment. Dean Smith would tell Billy in the aforementioned interview that : "For me its a possible red card because he could easily have got out the way, He's dipped his shoulder into Nico's head."
More importantly, confirming that Nico is ok. Although with a similar injury being suffered by Henrik Dalsgaard recently he also added somewhat tongue-in-cheek that : "I spoke to the players earlier. A few of them have got be able to take one on the chin and not go down."
Yet it wouldn't be a Billy Reeves interview without him asking what the fans wanted to hear. There's no sycophancy when the BBC man has the mic in his hand. And its why we love him so much. Master of the gentle probe, he gets the answers to the questions we all want to know. And there's only been one subject on everyone's lips this week. "10 times better" Birmingham City. Not my words but those of Harlee Dean etc etc etc
Billy cut to the chase. As he does. "For the fans, and maybe yourself, Wednesday's a grudge match, isn't it?"
Deans' answer was as expected. "No, It's just another game" and was meet with an immediate retort. "No, it isn't", pushed back Billy . At the same time echoing exactly what every Brentford supporter is thinking at the moment.
The man is a national treasure. A cat playing with a mouse. And whilst Dean's answer was ever professional, we all know full well what is at stake this Wednesday. Not just three points but consummate bragging rights. The chance to really try and prove something. Not just following that deadline day triple transfer swoop but, probably of greater ire to supporters, Harlee Dean's nonsensical claim this week about the current Birmingham City squad compared to our own from 2014/15.
DO listen to Billy's interview. Not just for the probing but for Dean's responses. Our Head Coach really is in good form at present. Not surprising, given the results. And with games against Birmingham and then Leeds United to come, things could get even more exciting.
But so is Billy. We are undeniably fortunate to have a local journalist who is a true fan. Somebody who asks the same questions that suporters would if we were lucky enough to be in his position. There's no clickbait grabbing gumph lifted from twitter and padded out into a 'story' . Just a steel fist wrapped up in the most delicate of sik gloves, using the microphone like some form of journalistic broadsword to cut straight to the heart of the matter.
Here's to Wednesday night. Whilst the players will, no doubt, be as level headed as ever, expect our fans to have an extra level of bite to them. And, perhaps, more of Billy's oh so gentle probing.
It's going to be fun.
Billy – the Bard of Brentford did his thing quite superbly. Again
Tags: BBC, BBC Radio London, Billy Reeves, Birmingham, Birmingham City, blog, Brentford, Brentford blog, Brentford FC, Championship, Dean Smith, Deepdale, Flo Jo, Florian Jozefzoon, football, goals, Griffin Park, Harlee, Harlee Dean, Henrik Dalsgaard, highlights, Interview, Kamo, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Leeds, Leeds United, Loftus Road, news, newsnow, Nico Yennaris, now, Ollie Watkins, Preston, Preston North End, QPR, radio, Romaine Sawyers, Sky sports, Soundcloud, St. Andrews, TV
Categories Brentford, Championship, Preston
As Blades go top, will Brentford enjoy more success at Preston?
There's been a lot going on this week and that's before a ball has even been kicked : all fine at Loftus road whilst Harlee seems to have forgotten his history and manners in Birmingham. But relax. The latest round of Championship action can now take place, having kicked off last night with Sheffield United winning at Leeds to go to the top of the table. It was a largely one way performance and a deserved win for the Blades. Yet whilst we'll look a bit further at that shortly, our main focus has to be, as ever, on Brentford and our trip to Preston North End.
It would be fair to say that, after a somewhat rocky start Dean Smith's Bees are beginning to find their feet. The squad has settled down after a frenetic summer of activity which culminated in that last minute triple cash in to Harry Redknapp (a man currently residing in the 'where are they now?' files). Yet with the uncertainty done, spleens vented and players returning from injury things are starting to get back to normal.
Brentford are six unbeaten and have even started to have some of that 'luck' whose absence had been frustrating our Head Coach. We've 10 points out of the last 18 and will be looking to take the current run of form to 7(seven) games when we play Preston on Saturday afternoon.
There's more good news for Dean Smith. Specifically, no new injuries. Might he be able to name an unchanged starting XI (following last Saturday's 3-3 with Sunderland) for the first time this season? Or will Sergi Canos be pushed back into the first team after his substitute's appearance against the Black Cats?
A sight for sore eyes last weekend
Having played and scored in the B-team's 3-1 win over Inter Milan during the week (and count the things right in that sentence) might a first team start be a step too far at present? Moreso with games to come against Birmingham City on Wednesday and then Leeds United next Saturday. We're all desperate to see Sergi back in action but having already been spannered by injury the last time, up at Aston Villa, caution will surely be the order of the day as he rebuild s match fitness.
With Lewis Macleod also getting B-team minutes under his belt after that long, long recuperation there's more good news on the horizon for Dean. I'd imagine that Preston will be a trip too far for Lewis, at least now, but the midfield options available in a few weeks time could cause some real selection posers.
Still, all that is then. This is now. Let's focus on the present. With many Brentford fans already licking their lips at the prospect of our midweek trip to Birmingham following Harlee's comments on Thursday, keeping our focus today will be imperative. Preston are no slouches and know that a win will take them into the play off zone, potentially as high as fourth place following that defeat for Leeds United last night. This, after finishing just below our own top ten Bees in a more than impressive 11th place last season.
Whilst we've had plenty of joy against Preston in recent seasons (including that penalty – for Alan Judge, in League One) past performance is not indicative of current form. "It will be a tough ask for us" said Dean in Thursday's press conference and he's not wrong. But he has the options at his disposal to answer that ask. As long as he locks it up at the back.
Happier times at the denouement of out promotion campaign
Yoann Barbet and Chris Mepham can both count themselves very unlucky to have lost out in recent weeks. With three first half goals shipped against Sunderland last Saturday, could this be today's 'change'? Or has Dean nailed his selection colours to the mast and this is it? At 3pm, we find out.
We couldn't end today's column without a brief nod to the Sheffield United connection . Not so much Jack O'Connell and the magnificent Clayton Donaldson (who I STILL miss) or Keith Stroud (who I don't) but more their form. Like Brentford three seasons ago, The Blades have come up from League One and taken the division by storm. But whereas we missed our chance to go top in the Boxing Day game with Ipswich Town (move along, nothing to see there) there was no fluffing of the lines for United last night.
Their performance against Leeds was fully deserving of their position and whilst things may have shifted around come 5pm, nobody can deny who is currently top of the table. Yet for me (Clive) the telling stat is in that L column. United have lost four games. Brentford have lost 4 games. The difference being the ability to turn draws into victory. The Blades have proved to have the cutting edge in the box, winning their other 10. If we can get that bit right then who know how high we can go?
The draw at Middlesbrough last time we travelled showed just what this side can do. Here's to more of that spirit this afternoon. Moreso, given Deepdale has been a relatively happy hunting ground for us in recent seasons whilst, for personal reasons, Preston are always a club I've followed with particular interest.
Keith never did write back. Or did he…?
To date, my first and only foray into the world of professional football club management. It was an application that would eventually prove fruitless. I never heard back with an interview date and can only assume that, in those pre-internet days the follow up letter got lost somewhere in the Royal Mail. Had the postal service done their job properly, who knows how things might have turned out had a then struggling North End taken that gamble?
Not well, being my guess.
Tags: Alan Judge, Bees, Beesotted, Birmingham, Birmingham City, Blades, blog, Brentford, Brentford blog, Brentford FC, Bruzon, Championship, Clayton, Dean Smith, Deepdale, football, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Harry Redknapp, Jack O'Connell, League one, Leeds, Leeds United, news, newsnow, Nick Bruzon, now, penalty, Preston, Preston North End, promotion, Sergi Canos, Sheffield United, table, The Bees
In defence of the defence. And Dean. A special guest looks at the positives
There's been nothing on these pages for a few days. When you wake up with a head full of nightmares about Tom Field embroiled in a Twitter spat with Donald Trump regarding Matthew Benham's question – 'how do you kill the zombie?' – its probably time to step back from the football. Or The Walking Dead. So there was no preamble for the Reading game and no post match analysis of how Brentford had fought back from John Swift's opener to take the lead before two goals in the final 15 minutes handed our hosts a 3-2 win.
Whether yours truly writes any nonsense, nothing really changes. Arsenal have begun their annual last 16 capitulation in the Champions League (please note: does not contain Champions), Jordan Rhodes wrote a letter to a supporter which is fast going viral and up in Scotland, Aberdeen achieved brackets with a 7(seven) – 0 win over Motherwell. Although given it is a win which takes the second placed team in the Premiership to within a mere 24 points of leaders Celtic, one does have to question the level of competition which allowed them to achieve this magical score.
So I had planned on leaving things for another day. To see if Dean comes out with any pearls of wisdom ahead of our next game, away to Sheffield Wednesday, when Dave Washer (aka beesyellow22 on twitter) got in touch. He has penned his own thoughts about Brentford post Reading and you can find them next up.
Thanks Dave. Much appreciated.
Trying to focus on the positives – Dave Washer
After Tuesday night's stirring, yet ultimately disappointing, game at Reading, I was all set to write a piece today focusing on the negative. My subject: a Twitter poll I ran a couple of weeks ago, asking how many wins we would need out of the four games just gone (Villa, Brighton, Preston, Reading) for Dean Smith's position as head coach to remain tenable.
Admittedly, not many people took part in my survey (I only got 16 votes!) but of those that did, 63% said we needed to win two games. Looking back now that the dust has settled, we obviously know now what happened. One win, one draw and two defeats. But it's the manner of the performances that has convinced me to write a positive, rather than negative, blog.
Anyone who saw the Villa game will know how well we played. From back to front we were superb and played a pretty awful Villa team off the park. In fact, we could easily have had more than three goals.
And talking of three goals, we then move onto Brighton. A tough game against a side who have lost only four times this season, yet a performance that was uplifting and positive in equal measure. Yes, we should have killed it off with the penalty, and yes, we should have clung onto the lead with a minute of added time to go, but Brighton aren't where they are by accident. So yes, a bitter pill to swallow but still an excellent point against a team that will probably be playing the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City next season.
Preston we can probably gloss over – poor defending, wayward passing and a distinct lack of tackling in midfield making Saturday a day to forget at Deepdale. And then there's that game at the Madejski. 1-0 down. 2-1 up. 3-2 defeat. Yet 23 shots on target and, on another day, we could have scored six or 7 (seven).
And it's the Reading game that has given me pause for thought. Okay, so we only won one out of those four matches, which, statistically isn't great. But very often the final scoreline doesn't tell the whole story. We should have beaten Brighton and we should have beaten Reading. That we didn't is down to a combination of naivety, midfield frailty and inexperience. But that we're all disappointed we didn't beat two of this season's best (and most consistent) Championship teams says a lot about the undoubted quality we possess in our squad.
You just knew that if Reading won, he'd have a hand in proceedings
Don't get me wrong. I'm not about to join the Dean Smith fan club anytime soon. I still don't particularly think he's the right man for the job and I find him about as inspiring as a Russell Slade half-time team talk – but at least since the Chelsea game he has gone all out to actually win the match. Jota. Canos. Josefzoon. Great players with loads of attacking threat. And on another day against Reading we would have surely scored five or six.
The worrying thing is surely our frailty when it comes to keeping clean sheets. Or not conceding four. Or three. Here's where I find myself asking why Smith can't see what, apparently, Warburton and Carsley both could: that we need at least one, if not two, ball-winning midfielders protecting our back four. My solution next Tuesday against Wednesday: play McCormack (if fit) and Barbet. Or, if McCormack isn't fit, stick Clarke at right back and play Barbet and Colin in front of Dean and Egan. Essentially, they are tough tackling, cultured defenders (who both literally speak the same language) – so why couldn't they do a job that so desperately needs doing – i.e. protecting our porous-like back four?
But we could discuss tactics, formations and personnel until the cows come home. So, back to my earlier point: I want to focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Positives like the fact that we had 23 attempts at Reading… we were one minute away from beating Brighton… we should have scored five or six at the Madejski… we have a talented group of young players who maybe need a break and rub of the green… and, after Wednesday (on Tuesday) we have five winnable games at home (Rotherham, Wolves, Bristol City, QPR and Blackburn) and four away from home (Ipswich, Forest, Burton and Cardiff).
It has been a season of consistent inconsistency, and unfortunately we happen to currently be in the middle of yet another slump. But we should have won three out of the last four games, and at least we are now scoring lots of goals (more than Hogan is scoring for Villa, that's for sure).
So, for now I will hold off on being too negative of Smith or critical of the team. (Although, if we only manage one win from the next four, I might change my mind…)
Half time at Reading. Things could be worse…
Tags: 3-2, 7-0, Aberdeen, Alan McCormack, Aston Villa, Bees, Beesotted, Beesplayer, BIAS, blog, Brentford, Brentford FC, Brighton, Brighton and Hove Albion, Bruzon, Championship, Dean Smith, Deepdale, Donald Trump, football, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, John Swift, Jota, Madjeski, Matthew Benham, Maxime Colin, Motherwell, news, News Now, newsnow, Nick, Nick Bruzon, poll, Preston, Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, Tom Field, TV, Twitter, vote, Walking Dead, win, Yoann Barbet, zombie
What happens in Preston, stays in Preston as Harlee makes a frank admission.
"F*ck off Brentford" said one supporter on Twitter after this one. Others were calling for Dean Smith's head. I've even seen comments reminding us that Mark Warburton is available after his resignation/non resignation from Rangers. Seriously? Seriously?? Sure, The Bees had been beaten 4-2 by Preston North End but let's leave that nonsense and put this one down to the proverbial bad day at the office.
After those two tonkings administered to Aston Villa and Brighton, had Dean Smith gone into this one with anything but the same approach then, perhaps, there could have been casue for frustration. But no, he stuck to his guns and rightly so.
This team and formation were the exact same decisions I would have taken and, whilst just the numpty on the terrace rather than any form of Championship Manager, it was great to see Dean continue with this attacking intent. Indeed, despite the availability of John Egan, amongst others, the only change was one of personnel as fit again Maxine Colin replaced Josh Clarke in the right back position.
The anti-performance at Chelsea had been followed by a new look team and a new set up. Despite the absence of Scott Hogan, six goals had followed from five different players.
Now make that 8 goals from 7(seven) players in three games as Lasse, Nico, Harlee, KK and Jota were joined by Maxime Colin and Tom Field on the list of recent scorers. For Tom in particular, his first league goal for Brentford – and one which gave us an early lead – was the perfect riposte to his critic after last Sunday's post match nonsense.
Post goal celebrations for Tom Field, c/o the Sky Sports highlight reel
After that, though, the wheels fell off. Aiden McGeady waltzed through the Brentford midfield and defence to equalise from distance for the hosts. Preston then took the lead early into the second half as Callum Robinson stole in totally unmarked between Harlee and Andreas to beat the offside trap and tap home.
And with the Bees pushing to get back into it, Mcgeady (again) and Daryl Horgan put the game beyond doubt as it became a case of "After you, Claude" from Brentford. Maxime Colin pulled one back late on via a generous deflection but that was how it ended.
As ever, proper match reports are available on the BBC, Besotted or 'official'. Likewise, you've got free video highlights on Sky – at least, until we get the full fat Burridge infused version on Beesplayer lunchtime.
It was interesting to read the post match comments of both Dean Smith and Harlee Dean after this one. Talking to 'official', Dean admitted that "We lost our organisation and our discipline, we opened up too easily and they could have scored more. We need to be disciplined and have emotional control. Football is about scoring goals and you can't get too emotionally involved when the opposition score one".
As for Harlee, his observations were on a similar line. Along with a captain's standard post defeat apology to those who travelled, there was an admission of tactical naivety from the players combined with their poor decisions and poor performances. Coming from the man in the midst of the action, these are probably more telling and comments I take heart from.
It is hard to remember that Harlee is only 25. One forgets just how young he was when he first turned out for Andy Scott's Bees way back in November 2011. Yet here is a man who has fought his way up from non league and loanee to now being club captain and one of the first names on the team sheet.
Harlee Dean – also appearing on Twitter at FT
Don't get me wrong, nobody wants to make that long journey home (longer for those who travelled on Virgin Rail if head of media relation's Chris Wickham's twitter account was anything to go by) on the back of a 4-2 scoreline. Yet if the players themselves are aware of where they went wrong and where they showed inconsistency (another phrase used by Harlee in that post match article and which has been visible to all but the most blinkered of supporters this season) then there is hope that this newly reinvigorated team can continue to do what they've been doing.
We've two very tricky fixtures coming up. Midweek trips to teams currently looking for play off points. Reading this Tuesday and then Sheffield Wednesday a week later.
Here's hoping Dean can hold his nerve in regards to team selection again.
Here's hoping the team can learn from those mistakes on Saturday.
Here's hoping that what happened in Preston, stays in Preston.
Tags: 4-2, Aiden McGeady, Andy Scott, BBC, Bees, Beesotted, Beesplayer, BIAS, blog, Brentford, Brentford blog, Brentford book, Brentford FC, Bruzon, Callum Robinson, Championship, Chelsea, Chris Wickham, commentary, Daryl Horgan, Dean Smith, Deepdale, feed, football, Glasgow, Glasgow Rangers, goals, Griffin Park, Harlee Dean, Head coach, highlights, John Egan, Josh Clarke, Jota, KK, Konstantin Kerschbaumer, Lasse Vibe, live, manager, Mark Burridge, Mark Warburton, Matthew Benham, Maxime Colin, media, news, News Now, newsnow, Nick, Nick Bruzon, Nico Yennaris, now, Player, Preston, Preston North End, radio, rail, Rangers, Scott Hogan, Sky, Sky TV, Tom Field, trains, TV, video, Virgin, Warbs
Looking good or bad dress sense? Kit Obsessive: Brentford v Preston North End
It only seems like five minutes since we were playing Aston Villa yet barely have the side got back to the pub (I'm sorry, but I'm still laughing about that ) we've got another game on top of us. This time Preston North End are the visitors to Griffin Park as Brentford go looking for a win that would, potentially, propel the Bees into the play off zone.
And, as ever, part of the build up to a home game includes a revisit to the Kit Obsessive feature. With Preston at Griffin Park tomorrow, it's another chance to wallow in kit heaven and kit hell.
If Brentford have had trouble, on the surface, in finding variations on red and white stripes then one has to feel for the back room staff at Preston North End. In a problem similar to that faced by the national side, how do you improve on perfection – kitwise, at least?
A familiar look
Save for a couple of tweaks in the five years prior to their becoming founder members of the football league back in 1888 (including rather familiar red and white stripes the previous season c/o the ever wonderful HFK website) their shirt remained plain white up until the mid-seventies. Sure, there were some cosmetic differs on the badge and a few collars along the way, but things remained pretty much 'as they were' for the best part of a century.
But then we entered the era of brand names, of sponsors and of colour. All of a sudden variants began to appear and Preston haven't looked back since. To be fair, they have done well to keep an eye on the origins that have also seen them based at the same field in Deepdale that has been their home since 1875 (and which first saw football in 1878).
However, the last forty years have provided plenty to supplement what has been one of THE classic football shirts. As we delve into the historical kitbag, our four categories, which are all based purely on my own personal opinion, remain: The best; The worst; The away; The unfortunate design/Retro Classic
The Best: Home 1949-58 Whilst Umbro were the first 'technical' sponsor to display their brand on the shirt, Adidas dominated a period from late seventies to mid eighties that saw some intriguing efforts. I've always had a soft spot for the German giants (indeed, for many Brentford fans our own 1980/81 home shirt is the stuff of folklore/fantasy – delete as applicable). That said my own take is that, if anything, these are a bit over cluttered. Free from the shackles of 'all white', the club allowed advertising and double badges to run riot.
Instead, we'll keep it simple and recognise one of Preston's greatest players in their greatest kit. The image of Sir Tom Finney in the plain white collared shirt is an absolutely iconic one in footballing terms. With the famous PP (Princeps Pacis) badge still retained, almost identically, today it is a fine shirt to boot and one that reeks of class and tradition.
The worst: Matchwinner 1992-93 Just as the likes of Reading discovered, sponsorship from a company in the painting & decorating industry does not guarantee a shirt as stylish as the product it is endorsing.
And just as Reading's Matchwinner efforts were more likely to induce a migraine than promote the likes of their 'Hat Painting', Preston face a similar scenario.
Matchwinner have bad form here
With both Matchwinner and wallpaper magnates 'Coloroll' in the bag, surely they couldn't make the same mistakes as the Royals. Alas not. The 1992-93 home shirt is wrong on just about every level. The only saving grace is the club badge remains intact. Otherwise, where do you start?
Well, the shirt IS white. Kind of. Unfortunately, the effect is ruined by two areas of dark blue and yellow wavy, diagonal lines. The predominate patch drifts across the shoulders down to the middle left, but is then also repeated below the sponsor. The whole effect is further marred by a subtle (relative to the rest of the kit) interlocking diamond motif woven through the entire shirt.
It's almost as though somebody has looked at the infamous Hull City 'tiger stripe' shirt (also Matchwinner), produced an 'away' version, but then just rolled it out to North End instead.
The away. Matchwinner 1993-94 Matchwinner's previous 'away' effort was a marginally more discreet version of their 92-93 'home', done out in yellow and black. So I'm going for the next one they produced for Preston, also sponsored by Coloroll.
Anybody with a copy of the programme from the Oxford United cup 'game' may recall my mention of the fuzzy fractals and soft focus geometric oddities that seemed the fashion at the time. And nowhere more so than at Matchwinner HQ where they produced what was described as the result of "being short sighted then losing your glasses whilst looking at a deck chair. On acid."
It was an audaciously brave attempt and one they also bequeathed to Preston North End. A shirt so glaring it's actually brilliant. A true classic.
The unfortunate design. Footy 1994/95. Let's be clear – I DO actually love the vast majority of Matchwinner efforts and their regular appearance in these pages should be seen as a complement. They have been innovative in terms of design and colour scheme – sometimes successfully yet at others, not so. However, as their star began to fade (for reasons unknown) their legacy lived on as they weren't alone in push the boundaries.
With with 'Footy' picking up the baton, that tradition continued. A blue stripe to the right of the club badge saw Coloroll's ongoing sponsorship laid out in a vertical format rather than the traditional horizontal. All well and good except the lettering was also flipped over, rendering it somewhat impossible to read without suffering some form of neck injury.
A brave effort but one that has been rarely repeated since at any English club as vertical sponsors died along with Coloroll's contract.
Loanee David Beckham the second most impressive thing in this picture
Tags: Aston Villa, badge, Becks, Bees, Beesotted, best, blog, book, Brentford, Brentford blog, Brentford FC, Championship, Coloroll, David Beckham, Deepdale, football, Griffin Park, HAT Painting, Hull, kit, Matchwinner, Matthew Benham, news, News Now, Nick Bruzon, now, Preston, Preston North End, Princeps Pacis, programme, Reading, Shirt, Sky bet Championship, Tiger, Tom Finney, top, umbro, worst
Who joins Brentford in the Championship next season?
I woke up on Sunday morning to realise I still didn't know the final result. Not Eurovision (although that had needed a double take to make sure Jonathan Douglas wasn't moonlighting) but who would join Brentford in the Championship after the Preston North End – Rotherham play-off semi. A quick search of the interweb revealed that, like the preceding Peterborough – Leyton Orient clash, the match finished all square at 1-1.
What it also revealed was a fact I had been unaware of, thinking previously that Sheffield United were the equals of Brentford in having the worst record at the play-offs. Infact, Preston have lost their last eight attempts, compared to our 'paltry' 7 (seven).
It is a statistic that I apologise for quoting. I am sure Lilywhites fans must be as fed up with hearing the media (let alone a mere blogger) use it as we are about the press banging on about the climax to last season and some sort of penalty incident.
To read the rest of this article, season 2013/14 is now available to download onto Kindle, in full. Containing previously unseen content, you can do so here for less than the cost of one matchday programme.
Thanks for reading over the course of the campaign. For now I need to make space on this page for any follow up. The 'close season' / World Cup columns continue in full, further on in this site.
Tags: 1-1, 7, 8, Brentford, Brentford FC, Championship, Crewe Alexandra, Darren Ferguson, Deepdale, Eurovision, FA Cup, failure, final, football, Huddersfield United, Jonathan Douglas, League one, Leyton Orient, London Road, losses, Marcello Trotta, Matthew Benham, Natalie Sawyer, penalty, Peterborough, Play off, play offs, Preston, Preston North End, promotion, record, Robert Taylor, Rotherham United, Russell Slade, Semi final, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Simon Grayson, Sky bet, Steve Evans, Stoke City, Swansea, Tranmere, Wembley, Wolves, worst, Yeovil
Categories Brentford
Pizzas, points, stats and clear air.
Another day and another 'job well done' by Brentford as the record stretches further.
True, Leyton Orient winning means they go back to the top of the League One table as Brentford made it a 'mere' 41 points from the last 45 with the draw at Walsall. Whilst the winning streak may have come to a temporary end, it's still 15 games unbeaten now. Orient are welcome to first place, for the moment. For me the most telling factor is that with the same number of games played, we are now four points clear of third placed Wolves.
Tags: 1-1, Adam Forshaw, Batgirl, Batman, BBC, Bescot, Brentford, Brentford FC, Bristol City, Coventry City, Dean Smith, Deepdale, football, Football league show, Franck Moussa, Gillingham, league, League one, leather, Leyton Orient, Luis Melville, Manish, Manish Bhasin, Marcello Trotta, Mark Burridge, Mark Warburton, Natalie Sawyer, penalty, Peterborough, Preston, record, Robin, Sam Saunders, Sky, Sky bet, Statman, Steve Claridge, table, top, TV, Walsall, Wolves
Sammy's Christmas Cracker (and Brentford cult hero news)
It was Liverpool manager Bill Shankly who famous declared, ""We beat them four nil — and they were lucky to get nil".
Perhaps Brentford aren't, quite, at the level of the Anfield supermen at their prime but they are getting closer each day. Yesterday's 'lucky' recipients of the nil were Preston North End, with the boys from Griffin Park putting them to the sword by three clear goals in a table topping clash that saw the gap to first place in League One shrink to a solitary point.
Tags: Adam Forshaw, Andy McCulloch, Anfield, BBC, Beesplayer, Bill Shankly, Brentford, Brentford FC, cult, david button, Deepdale, Farid El Alagui, Football league show, Gary Blissett, GPG, hero, John O'Mara, Kadeem Harris, League one, Liverpool, Luis Melville, Manish, Manish Bhasin, Marcello Trotta, Mark Burridge, Natalie Sawyer, North End, Peter Gelson, Preston, Sam Saunders, Swindon, table, Terry Evans, Terry Hurlock, Wolves


The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vegetarianism and Veganism provides a forum for discussing issues around vegetarianism and veganism. NCVO is delighted to provide the secretariat for this group. The group is funded by the Vegan Society and Vegetarian for Life.
We very much welcome attendees with an interest in vegetarianism, veganism, or special diets; public health; the environment; and animal welfare. Meetings will usually take the form of presentations by speakers and then a Q&A with the floor. However, parliamentarians do have priority in asking questions.
We hope that meetings will be attended by a range of parliamentarians and stakeholders. Potential topics for discussion include food and medicine labelling, vegetarianism and veganism as protected beliefs, impact of diet on climate change, and institutional catering provisions. This is not an official website of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. It has not been approved by either House or its committees. All-Party Parliamentary Groups are informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed in these webpages are those of the group.
Public procurement: do public authorities have a duty to supply vegan food?
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What does Brexit mean for vegetarians and vegans?
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Op-Ed: Edicts in China, Europe, and US are leading more automakers to make long-term commitments to electric vehicles.
A few years ago, US consumer acceptance was considered the key to the success of the electric car.
No more, though. A collection of other forces have stepped up, relegating US consumer acceptance to a lower rung on the market ladder. So now, even if sales of the Chevy Bolt and the Tesla Model 3 fall flat, even if American consumers let out a collective yawn with the debut of each new battery-powered vehicle, automakers will continue to make real plans to sell new electric cars.
That became more evident this month. General Motors announced it would produce 20 new electric models, designed from the ground up, by 2023. Ford Motor Co. said it has formed an internal unit, called Team Edison, to accelerate EV development. And Toyota, a longtime battery-electric vehicle (BEV) skeptic, said it is partnering with Mazda Motor Corp. and Denso Corp. to create a "common architecture" for EVs.
To be sure, nothing much has really changed in terms of sales. In 2016, battery-electrics accounted for a paltry 0.4% of US EV sales. And this year, GM has sold only 14,000 Bolts through September. Meanwhile, Tesla Inc. continues to post losses while struggling through what Elon Musk calls "production hell" on its Model 3.
So, no, despite what media evangelists may say about the potential profitability of electric cars, that's not the reason for the growing number of corporate commitments to electrification.
The truth is, the soul of the American consumer is still very much an unknown on this matter, and even if it were better understood, it's hardly the only factor. Automakers now know they have to move forward, largely based on a collection of factors.
Among those is China. Last year, China reportedly accounted for nearly half of the worldwide sales of BEVs. In large population centers, Chinese consumers have little chance of obtaining license plates for gas-burning new cars, creating a mandate of sorts for EVs, according to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. Chinese officials are aiming to put five million EVs on the road by 2020, and the Warren-Buffett-backed Chinese EV-maker BYD Auto Co. Ltd. is hoping to transfer that success to the US market. That, of course, makes US automakers forge nervously ahead, for fear of being left behind.
Europe, too, is finding ways to mandate electrification. France wants to ban sales of gas- and diesel-powered cars by 2040, while Norway and the Netherlands want to phase out all new fossil-fuel-powered vehicles by 2025.
Finally, there's Wall Street. To get the halo effect and boost its stock value, each manufacturer needs to join the high-tech parade.
For automakers, the bottom line is the need to sell EVs – in Europe and China, as well as California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont. And if consumers don't favor EVs, then the automakers have to find ways to subsidize those vehicles with the sale of other products.
That's not to say that the performance of the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3 are unimportant. They're very important. They'll give us a way to measure the popularity of electric cars, especially in the US. But they won't make or break the entire EV movement.
Automakers are now in this for the long haul. That trend is irreversible.
What we don't know is if it will be profitable.
The Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) is back in Silicon Valley and it's bigger than ever. Over three days, Dec. 5-7, 2017, receive in-depth education from speakers at companies like Toyota, NXP, and Intel, geared to drive a year's worth of work. Uncover software design innovation, hardware breakthroughs, fresh IoT trends, automotive insights, and more that will change how you spend time and money on your next project. Click here to register today!


text:
Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>A-4>HA1420
Douglas A-4E Skyhawk BuNo. 150092, VMA-121, MCAS, Chu Lai, Vietnam, 1960s
The A-4 Skyhawk is one of the most successful attack aircrafts ever built. This smallest jet aircraft ever deployed on a carrier was the product of Douglas's Chief Engineer Ed Heinnemann in the 1952. This was the time when a more lightweight aircraft was in demand to fit into those post-war vintage carriers.
The Skyhawk was extensively used during the Cold War period and the Vietnam War by the Navy and the Marines. Because of its small size and powerful performance, the A-4 was also known as the "Heinnemann's Hot Rod". A total of 2, 960 of Skyhawk were built and many of them were exported to other countries.
The Aircraft
VMA-121 "Green Knights" and their A-4s were ferried to Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam and began operations on December 1, 1966. On June 4, 1967 the unit redeployed to Iwakuni, Japan until September 5, 1967 when they returned to Chu Lai AB for another tour. On January 31, 1969 VMA-121s Vietnam tour ended when they left for MCAS Cherry Point, NC where they were re-equipped with Grumman A-6 Intruders and designated VMA(AW)-121. On October 4, 1968 A-4E became the property of VMA-223 "Bulldogs" also at Chu Lai AB.
Engine: 1 x Pratt & Whitney J52-P-6A turbojet, 8500 lb. of thrust
Max speed 673 mph at sea level with a clean aircraft: 636 mph at sea level with a Mk. 28
Stall speed: 139 mph
Combat ceiling (clean aircraft): 40,500 feet
Runway to 20,000 ft: 4 minutes
Flight distances: 230 miles with a Mk. 28 weapon
680 miles with 2 X 300-gallon drop tanks
Ferry range: 2130 miles
Wingspan: 27 ft 6 in
Length: 41ft 4 in
Height: 15 ft
Wing area: 260 sq ft
Empty: 9,624 lb.
Gross: 18,300 lbs.
Maximum: 22,950 lbs
Armament: 2 x 20 mm cannon with 200 rounds/gun
Maximum weapons load: 8,200 lbs. carried on 5 pylons - 2 pylons under each wing and 1
center-line pylon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A composite film of nickel sulfide/platinum/titanium foil (NiS/Pt/Ti) with low cost and high electrocatalytic activity was synthesized by the use of an in situ electropolymerization route and proposed as a counter electrode (CE) catalyst for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs). The FDSSC with the NiS/Pt/Ti CE exhibited a comparable power conversion efficiency of 7.20% to the FDSSC with the platinum/titanium (Pt/Ti) CE showing 6.07%. The surface morphology of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE with one-dimensional (1D) structure is characterized by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The NiS/Pt/Ti CE also displayed multiple electrochemical functions of excellent conductivity, great electrocatalytic ability for iodine/triiodine, and low charge transfer resistance of 2.61 ± 0.02 Ω cm2, which were characterized by using the cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Tafel polarization plots. The photocurrent-photovoltage (J-V) character curves were further used to calculate the theoretical optical light performance parameters of the FDSSCs. It may be said that the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode is a promising catalytic material to replace the expensive platinum in FDSSCs.
For the purpose of finding sustainable and renewable power, a lot of clean energy resources are developed recently; for instance, solar energy [1, 2], hydrogen energy [3, 4], and geothermal energy [5, 6] have been largely researched in order to substitute for the fossil fuel. Among them, the solar cell, an optical-to-electricity power conversion device, is one of the most important clean energy substitutions. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been considered as the much potential next-generation photovoltaic devices for they are herein developed and exhibited advantages of feasibility, low cost, high efficiency, and so on [7–9]. Additionally, the flexible DSSC (FDSSC) has been drawn considerable attention and has been widely investigated recently, because its shape or surface can be devised and constructed, the technique of large-scale roll-to-roll processing, and rapid coating .
A FDSSC generally consists of a TiO2 film with a dye adsorbed as the working electrode, an electrolyte with the redox couple of iodide/triiodide (I-/I3-), and a catalyst counter electrode (CE). The CE, as the most important component in FDSSC, collects the electrons from the external circuit and catalyzes the reduction of I3- to I- between the CE and electrolyte interface. Thus, the materials with high conductivity for the electrons transporting, large specific surface area for the CE/electrolyte contact, and high catalytic activity for the reaction of I3- to I- are supposed to be preferred characteristics for the ideal CEs in FDSSCs. However, platinum (Pt) as an expensive noble metal provides an excellent performance, but the commercialization of DSSCs is impeded owing to high cost of Pt. Thus, fabrication of CEs with other cheaper materials is expected to bring down the production cost of the solar cells, especially in large-scale production. In this respect, the nickel sulfide with one-dimensional (1D) nanostructure and good electrocatalytic ability for the I-/I3- redox couples was served as CEs in FDSSCs [11, 12]. Sun et al.  reported that NiS CE electrodeposited using a potential reversal technique showed high catalytic activity for the reduction of I3- to I-. Ku et al.  prepared a highly transparent NiS CE by using an electrodeposition technique and presented a good photovoltaic performance for thiolate/disulfide mediated DSSCs. Therefore, NiS is a good candidate of an efficient CE for electronics, optoelectronics, and memory devices. Furthermore, it is well known that titanium foil (Ti) has been utilized to manufacture FDSSCs as anode and counter electrode materials for its flexibility, low sheet resistance, and superior corrosion resistances for I-/I3- electrolyte [15, 16].
Herein, it is envisaged that a NiS/Ti counter electrode decorated with Pt nanoparticles by using a two-step cyclic voltammetry approach was used in FDSSCs for the first time. The NiS/Pt/Ti CE showed excellent electrocatalytic activity, stability, and low charge transfer resistance. The FDSSC fabricated with the NiS/Pt/Ti CE exhibited greatly improved performance of 7.20% under irradiation of 100 mW cm-2 (AM 1.5). The strategy of fabricating the NiS/Pt/Ti CE is rather simple, which can benefit the roll-to-roll production of FDSSCs on Ti foils.
The nickel (II) chloride hexahydrate (NiCl2 · 6H2O, 98%), thiourea (TU; ≥99.0%), acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, polyethylene glycol with average molecular weight of 20,000 (PEG 20,000), 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP), chloroplatinic acid, lithium perchlorate, Ti foils (0.25-mm thickness), and titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) are purchased from Shanghai Chemical Agent Ltd., Shanghai, China. All reagents are of analytical reagent grade.
Conductive flexible plate (ITO/PEN flexible, sheet resistance 6 Ω cm-2, thickness 0.175 ± 0.05 mm, purchased from Shenzhen Huanan Xiangcheng Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China) was used as a substrate for precipitating TiO2 porous film and cut into 1 × 2 cm2 sheets carefully and ultrasonically cleaned sequentially in detergent, acetone, distilled water, and ethanol for 30 min, respectively, and then stored in isopropyl alcohol; the organometallic compound sensitized dye Z-907 cis-bis(isothiocyanato) (2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylato) (2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-di-nonyl) ruthenium (II) is obtained from Solaronix SA (Aubonne, Switzerland). Ti foils are used as the substrate due to their excellent conductivity, plasticity, and resistance to the corrosive electrolyte. Ti foils are cut into 1 × 2 cm2 carefully and ultrasonically cleaned sequentially in detergent, acetone, and distilled water for 30 min, respectively, then immersed in 0.2 mM hydrofluoric acid solution for 2 min and rinsed in distilled water again, and then stored in ethanol.
The preparation of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE using a two-step cyclic voltammetry approach is outlined below. Firstly, the electrodeposition of NiS onto the Ti substrate was carried out with an electrochemical analyzer system (CHI660B, Shanghai Chenhua Device Company, Shanghai, China). All experiments were implemented in a three-electrode cell at room temperature (about 25°C), including one Pt foil as the counter electrode, one Ag/AgCl electrode as the reference electrode, and Ti substrate with an exposed area of 0.8 × 0.8 cm2 as the working electrode. The base polymerization solution consisted of 0.05 M NiCl2 and 1.0 M TU solution. A constant potential of -1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl was employed for the electrodeposition of NiS on the Ti substrate. Similarly, the obtained NiS/Ti CE as the working electrode was soaked in 0.01 M H2PtCl6 and LiClO4 ethanol solution to carry out the electrodeposition procedure. The Ti foil substrate coated with NiS/Pt was put into anhydrous ethanol for 2 h and vacuum oven at 100°C for 12 h, respectively. For comparison, the Pt and NiS CEs were also prepared using a similar three-electrode system.
A TiO2 anode was prepared as described previously [17–19]. Briefly, a certain amount of treated P25, distilled water, and absolute ethanol were mixed with a mole ratio of 1:1:5, sonicated for 30 min before transferring to a 150-ml Teflon-lined autoclave (packing volume <80%), and then heated in an oven at 200°C for 24 h with no intentional control of ramping or cooling rate; thus, a homogeneous and stable TiO2 colloid was obtained. The TiO2 colloid with a particle size of 10 to 20 nm was coated on a ITO/PEN substrate by using doctor scraping technique. The resultant TiO2/ITO/PEN film was heated at 60°C in vacuum oven for 1 h. The process was repeated for two times to form a TiO2 film with the thickness of about 8 to 10 μm. Finally, the TiO2/ITO/PEN film was immersed in 0.3 mM of dye Z907 tert-butanol/acetonitrile solution for 24 h to absorb the dye adequately. Thus, a flexible dye-sensitized photoanode was obtained. The FDSSC was fabricated by injecting the liquid electrolyte (0.05 M of I2, 0.1 M of LiI, 0.6 M of tetrabutylammonium iodide, and 0.5 M of TBP in acetonitrile) in the aperture between the dye-sensitized TiO2/ITO/PEN electrode and the NiS/Pt/Ti CE (shown in Figure 1). The two electrodes were clipped together and wrapped with thermoplastic hot-melt Surlyn (Solaronix SA).
Schematic of the Ti substrate flexible dye-sensitized solar cell.
The surface morphology of the sample was observed by using JSM-7600 F field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM; JEOL Ltd., Akishima, Tokyo, Japan) with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) to obtain the information of the microstructures and the chemical compositions. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were conducted by using a computer-controlled electrochemical analyzer (CHI 660B, CH Instrument, Austin, TX, USA). The electrolyte used in the photovoltaic test of FDSSC was also injected into the symmetric dummy cells for EIS measurements. EIS was carried out under the simulating open-circuit conditions at ambient atmosphere, sealing with thermoplastic hot-melt Surlyn and leaving an exposed area of 0.64 cm2. The frequency of the applied sinusoidal AC voltage signal was varied from 0.1 to 105 Hz, and the corresponding amplitude was kept at 5 mV in all cases.
where Jsc is the short-circuit current density (mA cm-2), Voc is the open-circuit voltage (V), Pin is the incident light power (mW cm-2), and Jmax (mA cm-2) and Vmax (V) are the current density and voltage at the point of maximum power output in the J-V curves, respectively.
where Ipc is the cathodic current density, K is the constant of 2.69 × 105, n means the number of electrodes contributing the charge transfer (here, n = 2), A is the area of the CE, and C and v represent the concentration of I3- species and the scan rate, respectively.
where R is the gas constant, n (n = 2) is the number of electrons involved in the reduction of triiodide at the electrode, D is the diffusion coefficient of the triiodide, l is the spacer thickness, T is the temperature, F is Faraday's constant, Rct is the charge transfer resistance, and C is the triiodide concentration.
Figure 2 represents the morphologies of the Ti foil, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs and the EDS spectra of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE. Ti foil treated with HF solution exhibits a pleated sheet structure surface morphology as shown in Figure 2a, which provides a large surface area for the active materials to coat on. Figure 2b shows the SEM image of NiS/Ti CE, where the NiS nanoparticles uniformly arrange on the Ti substrate with perfect smooth surface. Figure 2c shows the top-view SEM image of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE. It is observed that the Pt nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed with each other and deposited uniformly on the NiS/Ti surface. The NiS/Pt/Ti CE with a bump-like surface provides a highly effective contact area between the CE and the I - /I3 - electrolyte, thus possibly improving the penetration of I-/I3- liquid electrolyte into the inside of the NiS/Pt/Ti film and ultimately creating highly electrocatalytic activity, and logically produces an enhanced performance for FDSSC.
SEM images of Ti foil (a), NiS/Ti (b), and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs (c) and EDS spectra of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE (d).
The EDS analyses are carried out to further identify the compositions of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE. Figure 2d displays the presence of C, O, Ni, S, and Pt elements in the NiS/Pt/Ti film, in which the atomic percentages of Ni/S ratio is nearly 1:1. This illustrates that NiS was successfully deposited on Ti foil. Among Ti, O, Pt, and C elements, the large amount of Ti and Pt is responsible for the Ti foil substrate and electrodeposition of chloroplatinic acid, respectively; a little O may come from the passive oxide of TiO2 on the Ti foil substrate, and C is due to the holey conductive carbon glue. The results demonstrate that the NiS/Pt/Ti composite CE was successfully prepared by means of the facile electrodepositing route.
To investigate the electrocatalytic ability of the various CEs, CV was carried out using a three-electrode electrochemical system. Figure 3 presents the CVs of the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs under I-/I3- electrolyte system in the potential interval of -0.4 to 0.4 V vs. Pt taken at a scan rate of 50 mV s-1 . In the CV curves, the right set of anodic peaks correspond to 3I2 + 2e- → 2I3-, and the left set of cathodic peaks correspond to I3- + 2e- → 3I- , the cathodic peak current density (Ipc) corresponds to the reaction rate of the catalyst for the reduction of I3- ions to I- ions. In general, a higher Ipc absolute value implies better electrocatalytic ability for the catalytic material; the peak-to-peak separation (Epp) is inversely correlated with the electrochemical rate constant of a redox reaction . As shown in Figure 3 and Table 1, it is notable that the NiS/Pt/Ti CE displays much higher Ipc absolute value and more positive cathodic peak potential than the Pt/Ti and NiS/Ti CEs. These indicate that the electrocatalytic activity and conductivity of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE can be further enhanced for their excellent intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, electrical conductivity, and the synergistic catalytic effect of NiS and Pt . These results are consistent with the performances of its corresponding cell.
Cyclic voltammograms for the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrodes with a scan rate of 50 mV s -1 .
Figure 4a,b presents 30-cycle continuous CVs of the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode and the relationship between the cycles and the maximum redox peak current densities for the NiS/Pt/Ti electrode at the rate of 50 mV s-1. In Figure 4a, the CVs of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE do not change but exhibit stable anodic and cathodic peak current densities with the consecutive 30-cycle test, and a good linear relationship between the cycle times and the maximum redox peak current densities is also presented in Figure 4b. This suggests that the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode there has an excellent electrochemical stability . Figure 4c shows the effect of the scan rates on the CV property of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE in I-/I3- electrolyte. With the increase of scan rate, the cathodic peak current densities and potentials gradually and regularly shift negatively, and the corresponding anodic peak current densities and potentials shift positively with increasing scan rates. A good linear relationship between cathodic and anodic peak current densities and the square root of the scan rates for the NiS/Pt/Ti CE is illustrated in Figure 4d. The result indicates that the adsorption of iodide species has little influence on the NiS/Pt/Ti CEs' surface, thus demonstrating no species interaction between the I-/I3- redox couple and the NiS/Pt/Ti CE as well as the Pt CE [25, 26]. Furthermore, according to Equation 3 , the reduction reaction of I-/I3- that occurred at the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs belongs to the diffusion-controlled transport process, and D n can be estimated. Thus, the diffusion coefficients of I3- for the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs are estimated to be 3.16 × 10-6, 3.01 × 10-6 and 5.53 × 10-6 cm-2 s-1, respectively. The diffusivity for the NiS/Pt/Ti CE is much larger than that of the Pt/Ti and NiS/Ti CEs, probably originating from its internal properties and the improvement of the surface roughness of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE.
Cyclic voltammograms. Cyclic voltammograms of the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode with different scan rates (a) and the redox peak current versus square root of scan rates (b), 30-cycle CVs of the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode with the scan rate of 50 mV s-1(c), and the relationship between the cycles and the maximum redox peak currents for the NiS/Pt/Ti electrode at the scan rate of 50 mV s-1(d).
EIS measurements were carried out, using a symmetric dummy cell to further get the deep insights into the electrocatalytic activities of the CEs for I-/I3- electrolyte. Figure 5 shows the Nyquist plots of the various symmetrical Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs. The high-frequency intercept on the real axis represents the series resistance (Rs) including the sheet resistance of two identical CEs and the electrolytic resistance; the first semicircle at high frequency refers to the charge transfer resistance (Rct) for the I3- reduction at the CE|electrolyte interface, and the second semicircle at low frequency represents the Nernst diffusion impedance (Z w ) corresponding to the diffusion resistance of the I-/I3- redox species, respectively [28, 29]. The EIS parameters obtained from the Nyquist plots are listed in Table 1. The Rs value is a positive correlation with the adhesion of the electrocatalytic materials and the Ti foil (discussed at the anterior CV section). The Rs of Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs are found to be 5.02 ± 0.02, 5.17 ± 0.02, and 4.87 ± 0.02 Ω cm2, respectively, indicating a firm adhesion on the Ti substrate for the abovementioned catalysts. The Rct of NiS/Pt/Ti CE is 2.61 ± 0.02 Ω cm2 much lower than that of Pt/Ti (3.01 ± 0.02 Ω cm2) and NiS/Ti (3.10 ± 0.02 Ω cm2) counter electrodes for a synergistic effect of the Pt and NiS nanoparticles . The Z w of NiS/Pt/Ti CE (0.33 ± 0.02 Ω cm2) is smaller than that of Pt/Ti (0.62 ± 0.02 Ω cm2) and NiS/Ti (1.08 ± 0.02 Ω cm2) CEs. The Z w is remarkably reduced in the I-/I3- redox electrolyte when the Pt nanoparticles are combined with NiS, indicating the improvement of electrolyte penetration in CEs . Briefly, the Pt nanoparticles with excellent catalytic activity and high electrical conductivity not only provide the activity surface area for I-/I3- redox couple but also improve the electron transport. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity can make electrons transmit across the CE|FTO interface easily, which hopefully provides a considerable enhancement on the photovoltaic performance.
EIS of the symmetrical Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs for I - /I 3 - redox couple.
Figure 6 shows the Tafel curves of the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs in I-/I3- electrolyte to further aid the investigation of the interfacial charge-transfer properties of the I-/I3- redox couple on the CEs. They show the logarithmic current density (logJ) as a function of the potential for the reduction of I-/I3-. In theory, the curve at low potential curve (|U| < 0.120 V) corresponds to the polarization zone, the region at middle potentials (with steep slopes) represents the Tafel zone, and the region at high potentials (horizontal portion) represents the diffusion zone . The exchange current density (J0) is obtained as the intercept of the extrapolated linear region of the curve when the over-potential is zero; J0 is tantamount to the catalytic activity of the electrode. The limiting diffusion current density (Jlim) can be obtained in the curve at high potential (horizontal part). Thus, according to the slopes for the anodic or cathodic branches, J0 follows the order of NiS/Pt/Ti > Pt/Ti > NiS/Ti, implying an excellent electrocatalytic activity for the NiS/Pt/Ti CE in I-/I3- redox couple. The relationship between J0 and Rct of an electrode for the reduction of I3- ions to I- ions can also be calculated by Equation 4. Moreover, the NiS/Pt/Ti CE also provides an excellent Jlim and a large diffusion coefficient in the diffusion zone, which is determined by the diffusion of the I-/I3- redox couple in electrolyte . Based on Equation 5, a smaller diffusion coefficient (D) value for NiS/Pt/Ti CE is calculated among the abovementioned CEs, and this proves that the NiS/Pt/Ti CE holds a fast diffusion velocity of the redox couple in the electrolyte. Thus, the results for the electrocatalytic activity derived from the Tafel polarization and EIS data are well consistent and can be logically expected to considerably improve the photovoltaic performance for FDSSC .
Tafel curves of the symmetrical Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrodes.
Figure 7 shows the photocurrent density-voltage (J-V) curves for FDSSCs based on the Pt/Ti and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs under the irradiation of 100 mW cm-2, and the corresponding photovoltaic parameters are presented in Table 2. The FDSSC with the Pt/Ti CE obtained Jsc of 13.86 mA cm-2, Voc of 0.73 V, FF of 0.60, and corresponding to the η of 6.07%. The photovoltaic performance parameters of the FDSSC based on the NiS/Pt/Ti CE are Jsc of 15.55 mA cm-2, Voc of 0.75 V, FF of 0.66, and η of 7.20%, respectively. The improved performance of the FDSSC with NiS/Pt/Ti CE is essentially attributed to the large contact area at the interface of the CE and electrolyte, the highly electrocatalytic ability and superior conductivity provided by the synergistic catalytic effect of the Pt and NiS nanoparticles, and the enhanced diffusion velocity for I-/I3- redox couple as indicated in the aforementioned SEM, CV, EIS, and Tafel polarization plots.
J-V characteristics of the FDSSCs fabricated with different CEs under the standard illumination.
A NiS/Ti counter electrode decorated with Pt nanoparticles was successfully synthesized by using a facilitated electrodeposition approach onto the Ti substrate and served as the counter electrode catalyst for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells. Ti foil treated with HF solution exhibits a pleated sheet structure surface morphology which provides a large interface contact between the electrolyte and the NiS/Pt/Ti catalyst. Thus, the NiS/Pt/Ti CE with 1D nanostructure displays multiple functions, i.e., low cost, large surface area, efficiency, excellent conductivity, and great electrocatalytic ability for iodine/triiodine and lower charge transfer resistance of 2.61 ± 0.02 Ω cm2 compared to the Pt/Ti electrode (3.01 ± 0.02 Ω cm2). The CV curves of the Pt/Ti, NiS/Ti, and NiS/Pt/Ti CEs show that their electrocatalytic ability are in the sequence of NiS/Pt/Ti > Pt/Ti > NiS/Ti. Compared to the Pt/Ti and NiS/Ti CEs, the NiS/Pt/Ti CE obviously shows an improved electrocatalytic activity for the synergistic effects of the NiS with the fast electron transfer and Pt nanoparticles with highly electrocatalytic activity. Moreover, the Pt nanoparticles highly dispersed on NiS/Ti surface provides more active sites for I3- reduction and facilitates the redox electrolyte diffusion within the CE. Therefore, the FDSSC based on the NiS/Pt/Ti CE exhibits much higher power conversion efficiency of 7.20% than that of the FDSSC with the Pt/Ti CE (6.07%) under the illumination of 100 mW cm-2. Consequently, the NiS/Pt/Ti CE prepared by using a simple electropolymerization technique indicates a great promising catalytic material as low-cost and high-performance alternative in large-scale FDSSCs.
finite layer Nemst diffusion impedance.
The authors are very grateful to the joint support by the Scientific Research Found of Henan Provincial Department of Science and Technology (No. 132300413210), the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Educational Committee (No. 14A430022, No. 14A430023), and the Natural Science Foundation of Henan University (No. 2013YBZRO47).
GY carried out the experiments, participated in the sequence alignment, and drafted the manuscript. CC participated in the device preparation. XM, FL, and GL were involved in the SEM, EIS, and CV analysis of the devices. JW and WZ helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


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*A properly pullied alternator should spin at three times the speed of the crankshaft; i.e., at 800 engine RPM, the alternator will be spinning at 2,400 RPM.
So, when you're looking at that advertisement for a 150 Amp alternator, you're looking only at its Cruise Output rating. Here in the real world, we enthusiasts spend an awful lot of time at stop signs, stop lights, and just idling. Idle Output is the REAL measure of an alternator's performance and is a reflection of how well the alternator will perform under the toughest of conditions; it's what separates the players from the posers! Alternators with excellent Idle Output are more expensive to manufacture and therefore more costly.
Choosing an alternator for your vehicle with an Idle Output rating that exceeds the total current requirements of all of your accessories (electric fans, fuel pumps, water pumps, ignition system, EFI, etc.) is the key to building a reliable charging system that won't ever let you down! This process is described in great detail in Automotive Wiring and Electrical System Volume 2: Projects and EFI Conversions.
We've sold and installed hundreds of alternators from all of the best companies over the years. We're proud to announce that we've chosen Mechman as our alternator partner!
**Devout readers of Tony Candela's books will note that he is not a fan of traditional 1-wire designs. That being said, Mechman has recently migrated to a 400 RPM Self-Exciting regulator that will not un-excite during extended periods of idling – the main draw back to traditional 1-wire designs. 3-wire regulator units are available at the same price via special order.
The 170A and 240A units share the same housing. Download a complete Hot Rod Alternator Drawing including all dimensions.
Click the below to view options, specifics to each alternator, and to purchase.


How Do You Get Into Stanford University?
As of 2014, Stanford University requires applicants to submit SAT or ACT Plus Writing test scores, an official high school transcript, the Common Application School Report Form with a letter of evaluation by a counselor, two teacher evaluations, the First Year Common Application for Stanford and a nonrefundable application fee. Additionally, applicants may submit the optional Art Supplement and an extra letter of recommendation by a non-teacher.
Send the scores for SAT or ACT Plus Writing tests directly to the Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admission from the College Board or ACT before application deadlines. All test scores must be reported. Stanford recommends but does not require SAT Subject Tests as well as the Test of English as a Foreign Language for international students.
Send school reports and transcripts directly from the school, preferably online. A 12th grade midyear report should be submitted as soon as it is available. The First Year Common Application is a generic application used by many U.S. universities. To ensure it is sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admission, applicants should select Stanford in the "My Colleges" list and answer the unique "Stanford Questions" by clicking on Stanford University in the list. These questions include personal essays.
Although Stanford's primary criterion for admission is academic excellence, there is no minimum required GPA or test scores. Visiting the campus or enrolling in Stanford summer programs does not affect admission decisions. Stanford looks not only at the high school transcript but also at the recommendations of others, the applicant's personal essays and the applicant's unique personal circumstances when evaluating who would thrive most in the Stanford academic atmosphere.
Buy Stanford Cardinal Gear! The Stanford Cardinal Fan Shop.


text:
We're not interested in Ronaldo – Bayern
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo Photo: AFP
Bayern Munich on Monday rubbished reports they are set to swoop for world superstar Cristiano Ronaldo — with the German giants' chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisting it's pure fantasy.
The 32-year-old Real Madrid star has threatened to leave Spain after running into problems with tax authorities.
Italy's 'Gazzetta dello Sport' had speculated that Bayern is set to swoop for Ronaldo so he can link up with the German club's former Real coach Carlo Ancelotti.
The report by the Italian daily was then carried by several German media outlets.
But Bayern took the unusual step of posting an article on their website to deny the rumours — alongside the picture of a duck — titled 'Duck of the day'.
"We are accustomed to intensive speculation on possible arrivals and departures during the transfer period," wrote Rummenigge in the statement.
"As a rule, we do not comment on these rumours.
"But now in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo, we want to clarify once and for all that this rumour has no basis and must be referred to in the realm of fables."
German daily Bild speculate Ronaldo would cost Bayern an astronomical 200 million euros ($223.6m) transfer, plus an annual salary of 35 million euros per year.
The speculated transfer figure would be more than twice the record 94 million euros Real paid Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009.
Bayern Ronaldo


text:
Q: Understanding fst I tried to do 2-gram language model and fst for sentence "dogs chase" suing openfst.  I have attached the image for the same . Can someone enlight me on why there is a transition between final states?
I had assumed that double circle denotes final states and there should not be any transition from final states. Also how "chase dogs" probability will be computed ?

A: Not sure how you prepared your fst but it looks like your fst is already somehow optimized, so it is not very straightforward. If you turn off optimization it might be easier to understand what is going on.

I had assumed that double circle denotes final states and there should not be any transition from final states.

Transition between final states is perfectly possible.

Also how "chase dogs" probability will be computed ?

Transition from state 1 to state 0 then to state 2 then back to state 0 then to state 1 then back to state 0.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Dodge Master! 17+
Mafia Shooter & Bullet Dodging
Rollic Games
4.7 • 63.9K Ratings
Forget all other action games and get ready to dive into a super fun dodging and shooting mafia battle! Killing bad guys was never that fun before!
Show your ninja skills and dodge your way out of this mafia fight. If you can escape from the all bullets, then you are the real Dodge Master! Your enemies will be surprised that they missed so it's your time to hit! Take your sniper gun, shot down, and kill your enemies to get the money... and the girl!
Shots fired! You may not bend or stop bullets like in matrix but you can definitely bend your body and dodge the bullets. Imagine you are like an assassin going after the mafia, shooting with a sniper and dodging all the bullets. Fun right?
Just remember you have limited time, so quickly solve this physics puzzle, pull the trigger and... ACTION! Take all the bad guys down on one shot!
You'll love the action in this game, and not just that... There are special events for dodging, shooting and killing:
Dodge Mania
Bullet Festival
Headshot Master
Dodge Master is a 3D action game with free and easy to play mechanics. Join the Dodge team now!
63.9K Ratings
draw in hater , 06/27/2021
PLS FOX THIS ISSUE
So I love this game it's fun and all but I had very high and good progress done so far and then just the day I write this review I was going to play it just to get more progress done and I load up the game and everything was fine but when I started the level I couldn't start it and it crashed my game so I try loading up the game again but it just kept crashing over and over again but after 2-3 tries I finally got it to start but the issue is when I started playing the level I was automatically in the level so I played and realized I had the starter pistol even though I had lots of guns and the ar equipped and not the pistol so I played and I realized my game restarted completely and I lost EVERYTHING and I MEAM EVERYTHING including the levels were back to 1 so PLEASE ix this issue and I would be VERY happy!
ohnohwgn , 04/28/2021
Mediocre and Lazy
The idea is fun at first, but gets very boring and repetitive. The game is absolutely saturated with ads just for you to replay the same levels over and over again. This game is easy, very easy. I haven't died once in the 100+ levels and the challenge modes I've played. The dodging mechanic is alright. It's a bit fun at first, but they never take the idea anywhere further than more bullets and enemies. It's a shame, because the dodging mechanics have very good potential, and it would be cool to see bullets you can't dodge all of, but there is enough time between some that you can avoid others, or bullets which appear mid dodge, maybe even avoiding bullet spots while falling, you get the point. The shooting mechanics are very uninspired, most or the time enemies die nearly instantly, and if they don't, then most others are likely dead and the dodging becomes incredibly easy. The worst part about this game is the insane amount of ads. You have to watch an ad after every single level, even after you deny an ad reward, which are constantly shoved into your face. This is especially bad in the challenge mode, which is not only easy, but the special gun you get from it is not placed in your inventory and is instead immediately discarded once you complete a few levels because of the forced unlocks, which eventually give you absolutely nothing.
Dandy Chad , 11/24/2021
You should fix.
So I was playing this game and really enjoyed it I had just got it yesterday and was playing a lot I loved the idea of dodging than shooting but… I went to play the next level and my game crashed. I went to delete the tab and redo it I did and nothing worked. I'm now fully locked out of the game and can't play I was really enjoying the game and how you can get better guns and weapons but I cant anymore I can't figure out how to fully delete the game without losing all of my progress and all my cash. I don't know why it crashed but I enjoyed the game so for all other people stay out there and keep shooting you Dandy dodger. (;
Ps: It was around lvl 60 I believe I crashed.
The developer, Rollic Games, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.
Rollic Games Oyun Yazilim ve Pazarlama Anonim Sirketi
English, Afrikaans, Arabic, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
17+ Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence Frequent/Intense Mature/Suggestive Themes Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence
© TwoDE Studios
Towing Race
Text or Die
Queen Bee!
Joust Run
Bricky Fall
Portals Experiment
Ropeman 3D
Frozen Sam


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The Duchess of Cambridge just revealed her bizarre childhood nickname
By Abigail Malbon| 2 years ago
Long before she was a Duchess, Kate Middleton was given another nickname - and it's unusual, to say the least.
During a visit to her old school St Andrews, in Pangbourne, Berkshire, the Duchess - who tends to keep quiet about her private life wherever possible - told pupils about her past at the school, and an anecdote about her nickname happened to slip out. Turns out that Kate was called 'Squeak' by those closest to her when she was a child, and in a bizarre twist of fate, that was also the name of the school guinea pig.
"There was one called Pip and one called Squeak, so my sister was called Pip and I was Squeak," she said to pupils at her old school.
Kate and Pippa as children. Getty
While we doubt she still goes by that moniker, Kate has had her fair share of nicknames over the years. Current titles include Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Strathearn, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Carrickfergus, and even Princess William of Wales.
However, she'll never be a princess (no matter what we think of her). The titles princess or prince are only given if you were born into the royal family. So while her children George and Charlotte are blessed with the name, Kate will have to wait to become Her Majesty Queen Consort Catherine VI when her husband eventually becomes king.


Installing TipDash is a breeze! It is so easy a child can do it in less then 5 seconds! Tipdash comes with a flexible, one-size-fits-all strap designed to securely attach to your center console or back seat headrest. Simply open your center console and slide your tipdash in.


At The Meadows Gift Shop you can shop the latest fashions, purchase tickets for Event Center concerts, grab a snack or something to drink or pick up something you forgot to bring. Rest assured, the Gift Shop has it covered. Located in the Main/Valet Entrance, on the north side of the lobby, it is accessible to all ages.
Shop The One, The Only, The Meadows Retail Gift Shop for all your gift needs!


Micro Finance Ltd is dealing in Personal Loan, Loan against Property, Project Loan & Marks-sheet loan? We Believe in Fair Dealing and prompt approval of funds on priority Basis. We are dealing all India business and Serve to our client at a very Reasonable Cost. Our Company is an ISO 9001:2008 certified and process with all necessary Certificates.
Micro Finance is dealing in Personal Loan, Loan against Property, Project Loan & Marks-sheet loan? We Believe in Fair Dealing and prompt approval of funds on priority Basis. We are dealing all India business and Serve to our client at a very Reasonable Cost. Our Company is an ISO 9001:2008 certified and process with all necessary Certificates.
If you are looking for a loan for your home / or you are in search of financing for your new business, you will find this website quite useful. In India when it comes to a loan, there a number of providers for Personal Loans, Home loan or any other types of finances. So deciding your lender is an important step before taking a loan.
Lenders vary in the nature of their business. So it is advisable to do a thorough research about different loan options and different lenders, repayment period, rate of interest etc.
Generally interest rates can be fixed or floating in type. A fixed interest rate by the name it suggests does not change during the loan tenure. A floating interest rate on the other hand is the rate updated by the lender due to market trends. A floating interest rate can go up or down depending on the financial trend. Some lenders are also providing the option to take the loan which is split between fixed and floating interest rates.


Have you ever wished there was an Owner's Manual for Conscious Living?
situation? Feel frustrated and stuck?
has got to be more?
different way of being and living.
even the most challenging situations into springboards for your growth and Awakening.
The Loyalty to Your Soul® Weekend Workshop is designed to provide participants with a foundational experience of the Principles and Practices of Spiritual Psychology, as developed and taught by Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick of the University of Santa Monica (USM), the Worldwide Center for the Study and Practice of Spiritual Psychology® to more than 6,000 graduates across the world.
Discover the Spiritual Context and learn practical skills that can change your life.
Spiritual Psychology, as learned and practiced through USM's Soul-Centered educational approach is heartfelt, relevant, practical, highly experiential and transformational—in plain English, it is life changing. The empowering tools you will learn will support you in accelerating your personal transformation and Spiritual Awakening, enhancing your effectiveness with others, and co-creating a vibrant and fulfilling life. And for USM grads, it's the best way to share USM with family and friends!
Turn self-doubt and self-judgment into loving Self-Compassion.
Learn to access the Wisdom and guidance of your Authentic Self.
What does this life-changing transformation look like?
What does it mean to be Loyal to Your Soul?
The #1 Misunderstanding that keeps 99% of people stuck in their issues—and how you can avoid it.
The Map of Consciousness and how to use it to effectively identify and clear what's blocking your joy, loving, and fulfillment.
The "Secret Sauce" that thousands of people have used to make profound and often miraculous changes in their lives.
If you are ready for a game-changing shift in how you view yourself and how you show up in your life—join us at the Loyalty to Your Soul® Workshop. The context, insights, and wisdom shared—and the revelatory experiential processes you will engage in—offer a portal into an entirely new way of being and living!
They are renowned educators, authors, and the Founding Faculty and Co-Directors of the University of Santa Monica (USM), where they have designed, developed, and facilitated Educational Programs in Spiritual Psychology for nearly 40 years. Both are licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Mary is also a licensed Clinical Psychologist.
They are the authors of Loyalty to Your Soul: The Heart of Spiritual Psychology, published by Hay House and available in 12 countries and 8 languages. Their latest book, Remembering the Light Within: A Course in Soul-Centered Living, was published by Hay House in 2017 and is available at www.ronandmaryhulnick.com.
Friday Night | July 19 — 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday | July 20 — 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Sunday | July 21 — 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
*Early Bird Valid through May 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.
From fear of homelessness to meaningful service.
Now I would say that I feel Love.
I uncovered a Limiting Belief of Unworthiness… and launched a new business.
Working with these tools enabled a new reality for me.
My relationship with my mother is now a blessing.