c4countdown

Callum Todd

Why is the sex analogy called "the birds and the bees"? Shouldn't it be the bees and the flowers? What have the birds got to do with it? Isn't it from kids seeing animals mating in the wild and asking an adult (typically a parent) what they're doing? This does happen. I specifically remem...

Callum Todd

But I presume that will be by far the preferred option than trying to find an alternative presenter to cover for a short period - whilst it's easy enough to find a decent substitute main show host (Colin is testament to that) it will be far more difficult to find a short-term replacement for Rachel...

Callum Todd

Pretty much. Yeah the female makes the eggs; the male makes the sperm. That's what defines sex in biology: gamete production. They do a sort of medieval mating ritual where they entwine themselves together for a bit then the female pumps her eggs into the male's 'brood pouch'. The eggs mature in the...

Callum Todd

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 3:06 am Surely, if the male seahorse gives birth, it's not the male?

They don't "give birth" as such. They just hold on to the eggs until the hatchlings are ready to swim free, then release them. Like male penguins do.

Callum Todd

I originally typed the following earlier before my response (the first comment responding to Gavin's relative 'OP' in this thread) but deleted it as I thought none of it needed to be said as it was obvious to everyone. But just in case it isn't, here's a few things that I thought everybody knew: Men...

Callum Todd

Do you really believe that women have no more reason to feel unsafe when out alone (particularly at night) than men do? I'm not coming at this from a Jess Phillips angle at all. I'm slightly confused by your 'culture wars' framing of what seems to me to be a perfectly straightforward issue. If it's ...

Callum Todd

The right way to eat a banana is obviously from the middle outwards.

Callum Todd

"...water, 95%, did you know that? 95% water, all of us, and yet they say there’s a shortage!"

Callum Todd

The word 'disease' is dis - ease. Because you're not at ease when you have a disease.

Callum Todd

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 2:48 pm Yeah, I went back and watched the whole statement in full, so I could cut through the media narrative on it and just get to the point.

This is how all information should be consumed.

Callum Todd

Cancel culture https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/new-countdown-host-anne-robinson-23527324?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar Where? I'm guessing here: "She does not want Anne, 76, to be sacked as the host of Countdown." Seems a bit out of the bl...

Callum Todd

Good luck to Anne. #Deeks2022.

Callum Todd

Davey Attz' Perfect Planet

Callum Todd

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Feb 12, 2021 10:41 am Does anyone else find it slightly dodgy that Shaun is the Dark Destroyer and Jenny is always described as hot?

Yes.

Callum Todd

I suppose the bit I don't get is really the specific time/number based but of it. Obviously it makes sense to plan to do good stuff, do lots of it, and do it as soon as possible. But why isn't that enough? Why "100,000 tests a week by this time" or "everyone vaccinated by May" r...

Callum Todd

I suppose the bit I don't get is really the specific time/number based but of it. Obviously it makes sense to plan to do good stuff, do lots of it, and do it as soon as possible. But why isn't that enough? Why "100,000 tests a week by this time" or "everyone vaccinated by May" ra...

Callum Todd

Before anyone tries to move any goalposts, it's quite clear that " by May " means before the beginning of May. Does anyone get the apparent obsession with setting targets (specifically in the context of covid response, I'm aware it's a wider trend in politics but let's keep it on topic fo...

Callum Todd

I don't think it's clear that Marc was using the word "woke" as a pejorative. In my experience people tend to use that word as a self-identifier as often as it is used as a pejorative. I read Marc's comment as him referring to people he knows who describe themselves that way. But Callum, a...

Callum Todd

Thanks Marc and Rhys for the links explaining. The Scrabble ting sounds newsworthy (at least by the very low standard that appears to be accepted by most news outlets) so surprised my google search didn't return anything. I have no idea what to make of the Thomas the Tank Engine thing. Seems like a ...

Callum Todd

I've just googled news for Scrabble, Mattel and Thomas the Tank Engine, and don't see anything. What's happening exactly?

Callum Todd

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Mon Feb 01, 2021 12:46 pm [...] judging by my team-mates (and people in adverts), I'm extremely stingy with shower gel. I'll get through an average bottle of the stuff in a year or so.

Good to know. Glad a proper Yorkshireman has addressed my concern about shower gel not being economical.

Callum Todd

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:14 pm ... from the bollocks of my elder brothers

This sounds like a phenomenal title for a folk album.

Callum Todd

A couple of points here. 1. Flannels, sponges, loofahs and body puffs are basically bacteria-growing machines and it's disgusting that you put them all over your body, even with detergent. 2. Re: bars of soap. I am a shower gel guy - always have been. I once played golf and was showering in the cha...

Callum Todd

As much as I like Colin, if all this pseudo-controversy within this influenceless and invisibly small niche group leads to him not getting the job, I'm all for it if it advances the cause of #Deeks2021.

Callum Todd

I'm always confused by people who don't use body sponges (or similar) and apply shower gel by hand. So strange. Either you have to use four times as much shower gel to get anything close to the same lather or coverage, or if you use a similar amount then you end up having a shower which falls consi...

Callum Todd

Yeah Fazenda is good for variety-loving meat eaters.

Callum Todd

Callum Todd

Peak c4c. The one thing I miss is bacon sandwiches. The smell of bacon cooking on a morning is cruel to me.

Callum Todd

I would guess it means someone who eats chicken (pollo) and fish (pesc) but not other meats. I struggled more with the meaning of "this guy" as at first I thought Gavin was referring to Immortal Technique but I guess he actually meant Jono. Easy to mix those two up.

Callum Todd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Dxmw2Pg_4 If you subscribe to that YouTube channel Jonathan, the video links are normally put up a day or two in advance so you'll see them ahead of time. Or if you use twitter, there is a twitter account @LiveZoomDown. Failing that, Mondays and Thursdays at 8pm UK ...

Callum Todd

Jon O'Neill wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 4:04 pm
Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:47 pm
Jon O'Neill wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:13 pm Saddest thread on the forum this.
Sad, how?

Callum Todd wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:41 pm a roast brocoli head can be a good base for a meal
I now realise that I didn't really need to get involved though... apologies. I'll take my leave.

fair play. I've been roasted like a broccoli head there. See also: this

Callum Todd

I've never been to one myself, and I suppose I'm now unlikely ever to, but I've heard that Miller & Carter are good.

Callum Todd

Some of the meat substitutes that are imitations of popular meat products taste nice but I mostly avoid them, or just treat them as occasional 'treats' like chocolate/sweets as they're processed and expensive. Some things are more meat alternatives than substitutes though and these can be exciting t...

Callum Todd

Totally agree with Fiona, hope you're okay Rhys. Please reach out if you need some support.

Callum Todd

Eructation.

Callum Todd

I'd say it's more like if Man Utd signed a new player, he welcomed them on twitter, and then he passed the ball to them on their debut and then they scored an own goal. Or something.

Callum Todd

It’s the outsourced company which ought to have its contract revoked. What a waste of public money. Further proof, if any be needed, that taxpayer-funded programs offer little value for money. I think the reason people are blaming the Conservative party for this rather than the company/companies is...

Callum Todd

I'd like to nominate this thread for c4c dispute of the year.

Callum Todd

What did you make of Freedom Evolved? I think we have it in our house but I haven't read it. It's very long, and to be honest I think free will is too lightweight a philosophical subject to deserve that many pages devoted to it in a book written in the 21st century. I have read some of Dennett's st...

Callum Todd

Since the beginning of October I've read: Stuff and Consciousness by Toby Pereira How did you find this book? I'd be interested in discussing it with you. Shite mate. Nah, it was very good! I had to very alert to take it in. As a layman it was instructive and not beyond me but I had to be switched ...

Callum Todd

Clap for Heroes (previously known as Clap for Carers) is coming back this evening at 8. Was there a big debate on c4c around March/April time about this? I seem to remember one but can't find it - although admittedly I haven't looked very hard. I'm guessing you mean this thread ? Look harder next t...

Callum Todd

Clap for Heroes (previously known as Clap for Carers) is coming back this evening at 8. Was there a big debate on c4c around March/April time about this? I seem to remember one but can't find it - although admittedly I haven't looked very hard.

Callum Todd

Since the beginning of October I've read: Stuff and Consciousness by Toby Pereira Why Can't We All Just Get Along? by Iain Dale How Not to Die by Dr Michael Greger Animal Farm by George Orwell 1984 by George Orwell Now on Time Lord Victorious: The Knight, The Fool and the Dead by Steve Cole. Up next...

Callum Todd

Typically all of my exercise is social stuff like tennis/rounders etc as I can never motivate myself consistently to run/cycle etc alone, so lockdown and distancing culling uni combined with comfort eating has somewhat ruined me... up a strong 5 stone over 2020! Not optimistic for lockdown 3.0... D...

Callum Todd

This banter.

Ben Wilson wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:51 pm
Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Jan 04, 2021 6:31 pm Actually Google Maps was one of the reasons that made me get a smartphone.
I was going to ask if regular fold-out maps were too big and unwieldy for you, but then I remembered how big your phone was.

Callum Todd

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Fri Dec 25, 2020 8:59 pm Sausage rolls made Christmas Number 1 for the third year in a row. Why didn't Cliff Richard think of this? But just missing out - well, number 5 anyway - is this. Enjoy.

Politics aside (or not, if you prefer), this is a genuinely good song. Fair play

Callum Todd

Ah soz Maus for some reason I thought you knew. Good to know the summons worked though.

Callum Todd

As for who to turn to for info on the latest distribution, obviously Countdown Team will know, Charlie surely knows for apterous, Rob and Jack and Conor probably know for their various computery things they've done.

Pretty sure

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 amsummon me like this

knows too.

Callum Todd

This is the letters distribution circa 2009ish. I think it's changed slightly since.

Callum Todd

Colin had an information card with just a couple of bullet points on for each game. I think the 'theme' given for this game was a GOAT match (Maus vs George was billed as a Bingley derby, and me vs Jack was billed as series champ vs series champ). However, Colin also mentioned to Tom that he had don...

Callum Todd

Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Tue Dec 22, 2020 7:27 pm I'm concerned by the fact that presumably Callum was able to point to a physical manifestation of a bear in that round. How did it get into the studio?

(https://www.apterous.org/ticket_view.php?ticket=5840 for those who are lost)

Unfortunately I was not, and that is why my word scored 0 points.

Callum Todd

Not seen this back but I'm glad if the silly mimed handshake was visible after the edit. Jack would do this sort of handshake to us on videocall when we played over webcam over the past few months, and I liked the idea of keeping a sporting gesture in despite all the Covid guidelines. Filming was gr...

Callum Todd

They cut my favourite part! In the PLANETOID round, Colin observed that George seemed to spot it straight away while Tom appeared to be scribbling away right until the end and asked Tom if it was a late spot. Tom said he saw it very quickly and spent the rest of the time drawing planets, which Colin...

Callum Todd

Yeah Catsdown isn't really about dictionaries. It's just a comedy show that is meant to look 'Countdowny', and a physical paper dictionary does that better than an online one. I don't really watch the show but don't hate it. I probably preferred the old 8 out of 10 cats without the countdown in it, ...

Callum Todd

This German (I think) Christmas TV advert is nice.

Callum Todd

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:24 am I used to think Supertramp was American for years

Their breakfast was.

Callum Todd

Ian Volante wrote: ↑Wed Dec 16, 2020 5:34 pm What's this p****** E***** [asterisks mine] thing? Sounds like a way to discriminate against a bunch of people to me.

I find the PE-word to be an offensive slur and think it should be automatically filtered out.

Callum Todd

Amazing stuff. When the big dictionary update happened I thought max games might be a thing of the past, or at least become an extreme rarity. It took apterous about 2 years to get back to seeing them fairly frequently, but the first max game in 6 years on screen is a huge achievement by Luke. Hopef...

Callum Todd

After all this diversity chat, I got an e-mail today off the back of being on Countdown in 2020 with a diversity form to fill out for Diamond, a 'diversity network' set up to obtain diversity data for the big broadcasters.

Callum Todd

It's 100% a community-power feelgood story. I feel like we are a small town and Paul is our non-league football team qualifying for the FA Cup. Sure he'll probably get smashed by one of the Premier League big teams like Colin Murray United or whoever, but he's in the running for sure and if he can g...

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