c4countdown

Ian Volante

The "general knowledgeness" of almost all mythology stuff (e.g. Greek, Norse) is purely sustained by quizzes and essentially has no existence outside them. Seems an actually good candidate for the thread - depending on what you mean by almost all. Certainly there's lots of obscure stuff o...

Ian Volante

If you google What nationality were The tweets?, you get a long list of conspiracy theories about Twitter/X I asked ChatGPT who assures me they were British Well all my sources say they were British, possibly just referring to Henry Hadaway, the producer who decided to put the tune out in the UK. A...

Ian Volante

I Swear biopic of John Davidson sufferer of Tourettes. One of the best films of the year very sad but also very funny. People of a certain age may remember John from the documentary John's Not Mad If it's that one we greatly enjoyed at school, then yes. Finest entertainment since Joey Deacon, at le...

Ian Volante

Philip A wrote: ↑Sun Oct 05, 2025 9:08 am Common mispronunciations that irk me:

- sudoku as “su du ko”
- turmeric as “chew muh rick”
- asterisk as “Asterix” (the Gaul)

Metathesis innit

Ian Volante

Tracey Anne Mills wrote: ↑Tue Sep 16, 2025 12:36 pm Robert Redford 1936-2025

The winning team in my quiz last night was Redford Deadford Redemptionford.

Ian Volante

Just came here to suggest that Eoin's not going to be happy. Glad I played the duel at midnight.

Ian Volante

For many years I had an old Mac computer that failed to load apterous through the Java console periodically after an update. Every time that happened (probably more than five times), I reported it to Charlie, and every time he invested effort to get it up and running again for me within a week or s...

Ian Volante

I've visited a couple of times, no reason to work there though.

Ian Volante

I didn't have to do it first time, so I haven't a clue.

Ian Volante

Aye it would be nice to see Charlie being more prominent. It feels like other things in his life are more important nowadays. I've no idea whether his prominence is related to how quickly problems get fixed, or whether they always get fixed as quickly as possible, so there's no point me making any f...

Ian Volante

My trajectory thus far has been Android --> Windows --> iPhone.

Ian Volante

Similar problems at the moment. Coincidentally, I just came across someone who's trying to solve this problem by loading unwanted crawlers with vast amounts of data to in theory break them.

https://ache.one/notes/html_zip_bomb

Ian Volante

Around that now (470) and it's struggling.

Ian Volante

It is said that we can only taste five basic tastes with our tongues - sweet, sour, bitter, salt, umami - but smell contributes most to flavour, with about one squillion flavours experienced through our sense of smell. So why not outsource it completely to our noses? One squillion flavours is fine,...

Ian Volante

For football: Bramall Lane Kirklees Stadium Old Trafford For rugby league: Anfield Old Trafford Elland Road Kirklees Stadium St James's Park Tynecastle Murrayfield (also one union match) Wembley (old and new) Gigg Lane Burnden Park (also Headingley, Barley Mow, Belle Vue, Mount Pleasant, Kingston P...

Ian Volante

Charlie Reams wrote: ↑Sun Jul 06, 2025 11:55 am Yes. (Power issue at our cloud provider, apparently.)

I hope that wasn't to do with someone hoovering again.

Ian Volante

Philip A wrote: ↑Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:53 pm The most boring sport imaginable is synchronised swimming. Golf, cricket, motor racing aren’t even close.

You may be correct that this is unpopular, but I can't say I've yet seen evidence of anyone arguing that artistic swimming isn't boring.

Ian Volante

This is interesting (YMMV) https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/15/ai_model_collapse_pollution TL;DR - so much ChatGPT generated content on t'intertubes that AI is learning from AI generated content and quality gets lower and lower. Don't throw away that set of encyclopaedia Brittanica just yet. Aye...

Ian Volante

As far as I'm aware, it's generally quite a smooth process these days, especially on the same operating system, as I suspect those phones are likely to be.

Ian Volante

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:40 pm Carol Vorderman’s gone quiet recently.

Hah.

I was thinking I'd seen her appearing on stuff a bit recently for the first time in a while. Although I suspect you're referring to her talking about a particular issue? I'm not sure what.

Ian Volante

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 4:16 pm
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 11:42 am
Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 9:06 am Kim Woodburn 83 RIP.

"The Queen of Clean"
Two dead ladies.
The two fat ladies were already both dead. Kim's "other half" (Aggie) is still alive.

Clearly occupying the same space in my brain.

Ian Volante

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Tue Jun 17, 2025 9:06 am Kim Woodburn 83 RIP.

"The Queen of Clean"

Two dead ladies.

Ian Volante

Walking to school along a quiet, empty road apart from one parked car, another car came along and drove straight into the back of this solitary parked car, and knocked it across the footway and through the fence surrounding the adjacent cow field, all about ten metres in front of me.

Ian Volante

A set of metal football goalposts once fell on me. Hit me in the back, knocked me over and hit the ground just above my head.

Ian Volante

I believe there's evidence that older women are relatively better at endurance events than older blokes.

Ian Volante

I'm tempted, will have to see what my schedule is like nearer the time. Can vouch for the venue being excellent, and I et at Mamma Roma on Saturday with my korfball team, it's a nice place.

Ian Volante

White sauce and cheese really spoil lasagne.

Ian Volante

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Wed Apr 16, 2025 12:24 am When people post xoxoxoxox etc on messages as a form of affectation, the o is supposed to represent a hug.

Really?

Ian Volante

By the way is it just me that uses Spotify mainly to find songs to add to their list rather than actually listening to the songs? Also, you have a list of songs? Why? I mean, the idea is to listen to them. But in practice I don't go on Spotify very much except when I'm adding songs. Oh, a playlist?

Ian Volante

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:14 pm By the way is it just me that uses Spotify mainly to find songs to add to their list rather than actually listening to the songs?

Also, you have a list of songs? Why?

Ian Volante

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:14 pm By the way is it just me that uses Spotify mainly to find songs to add to their list rather than actually listening to the songs?

I quite often use my Deezer account for sharing a song with others rather than listening. I do get good use out of it, mostly when I'm driving.

Ian Volante

FEWER

Ian Volante

Citizen Kane. Then I had to go read about why it's good. In other words it isn't. I watched it a couple of years or so ago and wasn't massively impressed. I found it reasonably engaging, but also somewhat contrived in its central 'mystery'. In terms of making use of numerous techniques that hadn't ...

Ian Volante

The only channel island actually in the channel is Alderney I can't find a definition of the English Channel which excludes any parts of it that are between its defined eastern and western extremities? Was told it at the weekend and at least one source appears to concur, but yeah other sources desc...

Ian Volante

Citizen Kane. Then I had to go read about why it's good.

Ian Volante

Since a recent Windows update, the mouse cursor often appears enormous when I turn my laptop on. So I restart it and it goes back to normal size. Any reason for that? I'd say that's a big pointer. I turned off the fast start-up thing, so it's effectively like a restart every time I turn it off and ...

Ian Volante

I watched A Complete Unknown the the Bob Dylan biopic. I thought it was OK, but for its length there was very little in the way of actual story. You could sum it up in a few seconds. In fact I will. New musician Bob Dylan visits Woody Guthrie in hospital and plays him some music. Guthrie is impress...

Ian Volante

Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Mar 24, 2025 12:03 pm The only channel island actually in the channel is Alderney

I can't find a definition of the English Channel which excludes any parts of it that are between its defined eastern and western extremities?

Ian Volante

Doug Laughton, one of the most astute sporting minds of the latter part of the 20th century.

Ian Volante

During my telly run, I declared two words twice - adjoiner (no longer valid :( ) and watering. 3 part question - a) what's the most times someone has declared the same one word in their telly run b) what's the most number of different words that a player has declared more than once c) has anyone de...

Ian Volante

Turnabout.

Ian Volante

Nowt like a bit of spicy otter.

Ian Volante

To add onto this, has anyone been able to play a game / have the site run smoothly? I don't know if it's just my computer or if it's everyone. I had a game with Ian Linton and it took about a minute to move from choosing how many large numbers to the board itself. And we even had a letters round wh...

Ian Volante

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 6:19 pm Since a recent Windows update, the mouse cursor often appears enormous when I turn my laptop on. So I restart it and it goes back to normal size. Any reason for that?

I'd say that's a big pointer.

Ian Volante

He's already known as The Don.

Ian Volante

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2025 8:13 am
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Thu Jan 30, 2025 10:01 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 30, 2025 7:03 pm Marianne Faithful
Reading her obituary on the BBC, I realised I had no idea what she was famous for. I assumed she was a fashion designer or something.
She was famous for the 'Mars Bar' story when I was growing up

Which wasn't even true.

Ian Volante

Andres Sanchez wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:39 pm I don't think you can add a superlative to BOUND.

Aye, I'd guess that BOUNDER is a noun only.

Ian Volante

Paul Worsley wrote: ↑Sat Jan 18, 2025 11:18 am Phil "The Power" Taylor is a play on "Feel the power".

Not convinced!

Ian Volante

If an opponent can't recognise a good set of letters, this sort of comment isn't going to save them.

Ian Volante

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Jan 09, 2025 8:04 pm The drink-drive limit should be nil.

I think slightly above zero makes more sense I think, especially to account for these people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto-brewery_syndrome

Ian Volante

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 11, 2025 4:58 pm It wouldn't be fool proof but if you had a breathalyser test as part of the ignition process of starting a car it might be a useful deterrrent

This definitely exists.

Ian Volante

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgj6pqd2v16o This isn't necessarily good news in fact it reinforces my argument that pop or rock bands are a dying breed Well aye, no bands (Beatles excepted) have had a UK #1 since Magic! in 2014, Maroon 5 in 2012 before that. Quite apart from strong changes in ...

Ian Volante

I'm most likely to have watched in 1982 after school. Don't remember specifics until the likes of Gino Corr. I certainly outscored both grand finalists at some point in the late 80s or early 90s.

Ian Volante

And another thing (it must be the wrong time of the year) When you go to concert venue they are very specific about doors opening time by very vague on the time the main act comes on. At the O2 Paul McCartney Concert the doors open at 6.30. There is no support as he does nearly a 3 hour set (I've d...

Ian Volante

What was the answer then? 512. Actually it was incubate. The answer is ‘incubate’. “In-cube eight”. Basically a dingbat. I wonder if they would have taken ‘captivate’? “Captive eight” That would really have pissed me off, especially given that I don't pronouce "eight" the same as I do &qu...

Ian Volante

What was the answer then?

Ian Volante

https://dartsnews.com/pdc/just-gets-worse-when-referees-address-the-crowd-kirk-bevins-fires-back-after-criticism-from-de-decker-over-whistle-controversy-at-grand-slam-of-darts Kirk Bevins involved in a minor spat at the darts. Not sure he will be entirely happy with that photo! What, with someone e...

Ian Volante

The new version of the Champions League , Europa League etc 32 teams in some sort of league format and 24 teams go through. No home and away matches against the same opponents like previously Wake me up at the quarter final stage. If I didn't know better it's UEFAs version of a European League The ...

Ian Volante

The new version of the Champions League , Europa League etc 32 teams in some sort of league format and 24 teams go through. No home and away matches against the same opponents like previously Wake me up at the quarter final stage. If I didn't know better it's UEFAs version of a European League The ...

Ian Volante

Why the fuck does that article have the winner's time in words and everyone else's in digits? I thought the same. At first I wondered why they didn't mention the time and then I noticed it. Good to have you back for the pressing issues. Good to set out the units at first mention, then abbreviate fo...

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