Search found 96 matches
- Mon Jun 17, 2019 11:56 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Countdown in Brinsworth 2019
- Replies: 1
- Views: 3202
- Thu Aug 17, 2017 2:09 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
- Replies: 29
- Views: 36157
Re: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
Thanks, Matt, for a thoughtfully worded and helpful post. I suppose I would only say that if one means anti-consumerism, perhaps say that, and leave Christmas out of it. In homes and churches in many parts of the world, it still is a meaningful religious festival.
- Wed Aug 16, 2017 11:54 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
- Replies: 29
- Views: 36157
Re: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
Hannukah isn't *quite* as ingrained into our culture as Christmas. You're right, Matty. It wasn't an exact parallel. It just makes me sad that Focal, which I worked hard to establish, has come to this. I feel sorry for anyone whose idea of fun is to knock what is essentially a festival of love, lig...
- Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:18 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
- Replies: 29
- Views: 36157
Re: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
(Also, ad hominem attacks are usually a sign of a lost argument.)
- Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:10 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
- Replies: 29
- Views: 36157
Re: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
If you'd made it an anti-Hannukah theme, would you be imagining that was in any way cool?
- Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:55 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
- Replies: 29
- Views: 36157
Re: CoBirmingham/The FOCAL Finals 2017
An "anti-Christmas" theme is a terrible idea, even by you guys' standards. It's no better than anti any other religious festival.
- Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:25 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: EU Referendum
- Replies: 182
- Views: 56212
Re: EU Referendum
That's an encouraging statistic. I hope that our sorry excuse for a government takes note.
- Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:40 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: EU Referendum
- Replies: 182
- Views: 56212
Re: EU Referendum
So, Leave voters, a year on - how's Brexit working out for you? Are you pleased with the start of the negotiations with the EU? Did the NHS ever get that £350 million a week? How are things looking in Northern Ireland and Scotland? Happy 'independence' day.
- Thu Apr 13, 2017 7:23 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
- Replies: 26
- Views: 63642
Re: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
Sorry, Tony, I can't make it after all, I'm just not up to it.
- Sat Apr 01, 2017 7:07 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO-MSO 2017
- Replies: 34
- Views: 33896
Re: CO-MSO
I will no longer be co-hosting this event. I have already explained why to Tony. I know that this won't bother most people either way, but equally I hope that it might encourage some more people to attend. I won't respond to any questions or comments in public or private about this.
- Fri Mar 24, 2017 9:29 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
- Replies: 26
- Views: 63642
Re: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
A whole Travelodge for £36 for one night - bargain. It looks like you're winning the #travelodgepricewar so far (I paid £83.50 for two nights, including breakfast)...Chris Marshall wrote: ↑Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:42 pm Winnersh Triangle Travelodge is £36 for the Saturday night if anyone was thinking of staying over.
- Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:13 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1646
- Views: 1816319
Re: Politics in General
It seems a decent idea, which makes it almost guaranteed not to happen under this government.
- Mon Feb 20, 2017 5:23 pm
- Forum: apterous.org
- Topic: Warning 2
- Replies: 1
- Views: 5006
- Mon Feb 20, 2017 2:35 pm
- Forum: apterous.org
- Topic: Warning
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6167
Re: Warning
No, sadly this is not fake news.
- Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:45 pm
- Forum: apterous.org
- Topic: Warning
- Replies: 5
- Views: 6167
Warning
I would like to tell fellow apterous members about something that happened to me. [ REDACTED ] conned me out of hundreds of pounds by offering apterous lessons and not delivering them all. If he approaches you offering lessons, be more sensible than I was. Which I'm sure you would be, but just to wa...
- Mon Feb 20, 2017 11:06 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Your preferred format for CO-events
- Replies: 74
- Views: 36406
Re: Your preferred format for CO-events
I agree. This is another advantage of Bristol style.Ryan Taylor wrote: ↑Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:05 pm I prefer playing Bristol-style rather than Lincoln style because then I can be assured that the letter distribution is the same for everyone and that the letters are being shuffled properly.
- Wed Jan 25, 2017 11:36 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
- Replies: 26
- Views: 63642
Re: COREA17 - Saturday 15th April 2017
In, please.Callum Todd wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2017 7:00 pmsomebody make a brexit joke
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN! RESPECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!
- Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:35 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
I've never said anything about anyone being punished, and I never asked for full disclosure, Jono. And Ben, yes, you can make rules, and other people can object to those rules. I've said all I'm prepared to say publicly on this now.
- Mon Jan 23, 2017 11:52 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
No, I don't think cheating does have to benefit the person doing the cheating. I refer my right honourable friend to Oxford Online Dictionary definition 1.1 of cheat (verb): "Gain an advantage over or deprive of something by using unfair or deceitful methods." Selecting out 4th consecutive...
- Mon Jan 23, 2017 10:03 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
I wouldn't want anyone banned over a single admission of cheating. I just want people to see this for what it is.Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:34 am I would like to see Ben make a stand and force Jono to do a full-audience apology at the start of the day. If he refuses, banned.
- Mon Jan 23, 2017 10:01 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
I'm disappointed at your lack of backbone on this, Ben. It makes me feel like a mug that I've played by what are self-evidently the rules at previous events. What 'lack of backbone'? This is the first I've ever heard of something like this happening at an event- it's not like I can police sixteen s...
- Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:01 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
I'm disappointed at your lack of backbone on this, Ben. It makes me feel like a mug that I've played by what are self-evidently the rules at previous events.
- Sun Jan 22, 2017 10:12 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
I play for fun, but I play for fairness, too. The reason sorting is not okay ]is that it distorts the scores and affects finishing positions.
- Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:30 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
- Replies: 87
- Views: 69193
Re: COLIN XIII- Countdown in Lincoln, 28-29 January 2017
What do you mean, "if there are tables not sorting"? Sorting is blatantly cheating. Well done for owning up and calling for a ban, Jono.
- Fri Jan 20, 2017 8:04 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1646
- Views: 1816319
Re: Politics in General
I don't know that journalists are going out of their way to find a Brexit angle on every story. Something so widely and profoundly consequential is always going to be newsworthy, in my view. So I don't think we should stop talking about it, but we should look for new terms of debate.
- Fri Jan 20, 2017 7:40 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1646
- Views: 1816319
Re: Politics in General
I deliberately left the question open because I was interested to hear any response before I gave my tuppence-worth. Like you, I cannot think of any politicians who are really stupid. I was thinking specifically when asked the question of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. I think they are both anythin...
- Thu Jan 19, 2017 12:27 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Politics in General
- Replies: 1646
- Views: 1816319
Re: Politics in General
Are all politicians who seem stupid as stupid as they seem?
- Mon Jan 16, 2017 8:43 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...
- Replies: 20
- Views: 8181
Re: Exactly how official is a "CO-event" permitted to be...
[/quote] You can always team up with Tony Atkins in the rival group if he's OK with the idea of being part of a group that does online events along with real life ones! [/quote] For the avoidance of doubt (and I think this is pretty widely understood), there is no such rival group. Most "Co-eve...
- Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:24 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO-MSO 2017
- Replies: 34
- Views: 33896
Re: CO-MSO
No. This isn't a FOCAL affiliated event.aidan linge wrote:Not sure if I'll be able to attend will have to decide closer to the time, will there be FOCAL points up for grabs as well as medals?
- Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:23 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO-MSO 2017
- Replies: 34
- Views: 33896
Re: CO-MSO
Is that a round 1 or round 2 question? Round 1. It's things the Fox and Hounds usually run out of on the last Saturday in January, along with space and beer. 3 points to the Verbivores. This puts you at precisely the number of points required to be able to cock up the wall and then win by one after...
- Sat Jan 14, 2017 1:29 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
I agree. Where would you put the quote marks - around leader, free, or both?Gavin Chipper wrote:People who refer to the president of America as "the leader of the free world" without any quote marks or "so called" etc. That's not what they are. It's not a real thing.
- Fri Jan 13, 2017 8:16 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Thread Of Random (for Marc)
- Replies: 168
- Views: 58930
Re: Thread Of Random (for Marc)
If cheese isn't a proper 'after' (it is, though), I'd happily have it as a 'before' or a 'between'. I'm not fussy.
- Thu Jan 12, 2017 4:21 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Thread Of Random (for Marc)
- Replies: 168
- Views: 58930
Re: Thread Of Random (for Marc)
Favourite 'afters': cheese. All the cheese. Any cheese.
- Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:37 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2017
- Replies: 37
- Views: 32794
Re: FOCAL 2017
Focal personnel, please stop contacting me indirectly. If you have something to ask, then ask me, as any reasonable adult would.
- Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:59 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Questions you've always wanted answered
- Replies: 1617
- Views: 743177
Re: Questions you've always wanted answered
Could it be because you lied when you were seventeen? That's only a guess, by the way, not an accusation.
- Sat Jan 07, 2017 2:10 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
I plead technical incompetence. I love paragraph breaks, but didn't realise they were possible using this smartphone. Oh look, it's that button there. Phew. I didn't make up the term 'Brexit' and I agree, it's naff, partly because 'Britain' is a nebulous term and there is no consensus about whether ...
- Sat Jan 07, 2017 5:16 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO:LON:17 - Countdown in London 2017 (Saturday 6th May)
- Replies: 29
- Views: 26286
Re: CO:LON:17 - Countdown in London 2017 (Saturday 6th May)
I'm probably not coming to the event, but I might be around afterwards. Either way, the Old China Hand (the after pub for Comultilon) is very near the venue and has ping pong, darts and board games. Just a thought.
- Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:59 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
The lack of a plan for Brexit is certainly a big problem, but I don't view it as the fundamental problem. The fundamental problem, as I see it, is the lack of a legal framework for Brexit. Any political plan for Brexit will fail if it cannot legally be implemented. This is why many people, including...
- Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:46 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
My journalistic training taught me to value concise expression, but not at the expense of clarity. The challenge of any good newspaper journalist is that of finding the shortest way of saying something without potentially misleading the reader. This involves excising tautologous phrases. If a piece ...
- Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:45 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
Of course not all Brexiters are knuckle-draggers, racists or xenophobes. I have met many intelligent Brexiters, but the ones I've been trying to debate with this week have mainly been several sandwiches short of a picnic. Yes, I'm one of the whinging poor loser remainers. I'll get over it as soon as...
- Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:29 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
Marc, no offence, but... if you had taken the trouble to read rather than just quote my words, you would have seen that it is the fake pretence of humility that I dislike about IMHO, not that it is text speak. IMO is unnecessary unless you think your reader may lack the critical faculties to disting...
- Fri Jan 06, 2017 12:28 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
Okay, Ian, you've proved me wrong on two counts: that sprouts can be nice, and that they can be talked about after Christmas. I cannot abide IMHO. It is a sure indicator of anything other than humility on part of the owner of the opinion. It's almost as annoying as people who start sentences with, &...
Re: Crisps
I cannot think of any crisps that I don't like; ideally, I would live exclusively off the things. My attitude to crisps is similar to my attitude to food in general in that I am just as likely to enjoy a cheap and cheerful crisp as a pricy, pretentious one (not that one crisp is ever enough, of cour...
- Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:07 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2016
- Replies: 114
- Views: 36009
Re: FOCAL 2016
Elite at the game, I meant, but if you want to take it to mean having a high opinion of yourselves as well, I won't contradict you.
- Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2016
- Replies: 114
- Views: 36009
Re: FOCAL 2016
I know you can't please all of the people all the time, and it's quite an achievement even to please most of the people most of the time, so respect for that. Until/unless the whole thing is properly democratised and the elitist set-up altered, you'll always have an awkward squad, and it'll probably...
- Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:23 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2016
- Replies: 114
- Views: 36009
Re: FOCAL 2016
If others are happy to pay a £1 per person per event levy as well as more in order to subsidise an event they don't go to and on publicity, they are possibly more stupid, and definitely more generous, than I am.
- Wed Jan 04, 2017 2:54 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2016
- Replies: 114
- Views: 36009
Re: FOCAL 2016
I think that the Focal end-of-year event should be self-supporting, ideally, and I would prefer not to subsidise it, but that's between me and individual organisers. I would like someone from Focal to explain why they think any extra fundraising is necessary or justified.
- Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:03 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: FOCAL 2016
- Replies: 114
- Views: 36009
Re: FOCAL 2016
Thanks Chris. From what I already knew, I thought the surplus would be about that amount, so thank you for confirming it. It would be nice to think that this surplus would be enough to negate the need for further fundraising in 2017 (other than via the £1 per person per event levy). If attendance fi...
- Wed Jan 04, 2017 3:12 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: CO-MSO 2017
- Replies: 34
- Views: 33896
Re: Possible CO-MSO
Okay Tony, I'll wait to hear from you for definite.
- Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:06 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Organised Religion
- Replies: 49
- Views: 7859
Re: Organised Religion
Yes, I agree, paradise seems pretty dubious as an idea. I can understand why people would want to believe it, though, especially those who don't have much going for them in life.
- Mon Jan 02, 2017 2:51 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Organised Religion
- Replies: 49
- Views: 7859
Re: Organised Religion
I wanted to come on here to defend my religious beliefs but I've realised that I don't have any. Life is just a heap of randomness and no-one's guess is any better than anyone else's.
- Sat Dec 31, 2016 3:00 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
Yeah, that's what I was trying to say. Thank you for translating my word soup. Other people not to trust: Theresa May (please no-one respond with "But she's a safe pair of hands" without offering evidence); sprouts (admittedly, sprouts aren't literally, literally people, but I thought I'd ...
- Thu Dec 29, 2016 10:53 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
Oh yes, I had a feeling the trustworthiness of the 1 to 10 scale had been discussed before here. I can't say I much mind it, but I agree that it does lead to an erroneous tendency to think of 5 as the mid point. I actually had to check using my fingers to confirm that 5 is not the mid point. Another...
- Thu Dec 29, 2016 3:24 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
People who, when asked to rate something on a scale of 1 to 10, say any number smaller than 1 or bigger than 10. The scale is 1 to 10. It's not difficult. You can even use your fingers. Relatedly, people who promise to put in 110% effort.
- Wed Dec 28, 2016 11:04 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: People you shouldn't trust
- Replies: 921
- Views: 490892
Re: People you shouldn't trust
I agree about the global village phenomenon, but it does not account for why many people have blamed this year because an unusually high number of above averagely well-known people have died during it. But is the "F*** 2016" phenomenon just superstitious nonsense, or is it saying something...
- Tue Dec 27, 2016 11:19 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Who would be the biggest deaths?
- Replies: 236
- Views: 54862
Re: Who would be the biggest deaths?
I don't necessarily see how it is intellectually elite to argue for a greater range of representation, but I will admit to being a bit of an intellectual snob. I hadn't even heard of Carrie Fisher until the other day, for example. And it wasn't until earlier this year that I found out that Justins B...
- Tue Dec 27, 2016 7:36 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Who would be the biggest deaths?
- Replies: 236
- Views: 54862
Re: Who would be the biggest deaths?
Is everyone who is sad that a musician or actor has died shallow? No. Is popular culture inherently shallow? Again, no. But do we as a society disproportionately value the achievements of entertainers above those of, for example, astrophysicists? Arguably, yes. I hadn't heard of Vera Rubin until tod...
- Tue Dec 27, 2016 10:25 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Who would be the biggest deaths?
- Replies: 236
- Views: 54862
Re: Who would be the biggest deaths?
Vera Rubin, an astrophysicist who discovered dark matter, died aged 88 yesterday. But that probably won't be deemed particularly significant, nor as further evidence of the evil machinations of 2016. This may because Vera Rubin didn't, to my knowledge, either sing or act and neither did she hasten h...
- Fri Dec 23, 2016 5:25 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: How would you rank the celebratory days of the year?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 8570
Re: How would you rank the celebratory days of the year?
Christmas, Easter, Miscellaneous and Sometimes Frankly Weird But Nonetheless Enjoyable Family Celebrations, My Birthday, COLIN (other Co events are also available), New Year, Pancake Day, Bonfire Night, Halloween.
- Fri Dec 23, 2016 1:52 am
- Forum: Countdown - Events
- Topic: Your preferred format for CO-events
- Replies: 74
- Views: 36406
Re: Your preferred format for CO-events
None of the details of game play bothers me very much, certainly not enough to stop me enjoying an otherwise enjoyable event. I respect all organisers' choices and innovations (even, begrudgingly, 1-0 scoring). To the 15-round doubters I would say it is possible to fit in five 15-round games without...