Search found 390 matches

by David Roe
Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:00 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: McCanns v Amaral injuction hearing
Replies: 22
Views: 1264

Re: McCanns v Amaral injuction hearing

My sister (living in Portugal at the time) and cleaner (Portuguese) have both read it and are absolutely convinced of their guilt. I'll have to ask her for a copy - she did give me quite a detailed synopsis but, if truth be told, I'd had rather a few on board and it was late... :oops: The situation...
by David Roe
Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:43 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

If we really want to nitpick, the question didn't say the final black just had to be potted. Just that all balls had to be potted, including the black. So, first shot, pot all 15 reds and the black, 7 points away. Then, opponent pots 5 colours to the pink and misses the black. The game's over. Total...
by David Roe
Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:16 am
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

I'm willing to share my share, Gavin. ;)
by David Roe
Fri Jan 01, 2010 10:15 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Defending you property
Replies: 125
Views: 12280

Re: Defending you property

The Daily Telegraph did a survey of Chief Police Officers a couple of years back, and about a third of them said that keeping a baseball bat by the side of the bed just in case of attack, would constitute premeditation if it was used and therefore be unreasonable force. I sincerely hope they are pla...
by David Roe
Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:09 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Defending you property
Replies: 125
Views: 12280

Re: Defending you property

There's been a proposed change of law for some years now, sadly not yet in force, where the householder will not be prosecuted unless he uses grossly unreasonable force. Which would mean Charlie torturing the boy who wanted his ball back would still be criminal; Rosemary whacking the burglar on the ...
by David Roe
Thu Dec 31, 2009 4:03 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

Without checking anyone else's answer, my first go is: Lose 2 sets by 0-6, scoring 0 points to 24. Win 2 sets on tie breaks, scoring 31 points and conceding 41 - 4 in each lost game, 2 in each won game, 5 in the tie break. Win the last set 6-4, scoring 24 points in the 6 wins, conceding 28 - 2 in ea...
by David Roe
Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:06 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

Bring them on! Sport and numbers, the perfect combination. One a day for the next year would seem about right. ;)
by David Roe
Wed Dec 30, 2009 1:09 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

The darts one: if you lose the match 10-1, you can score 360 in losing the 6 odd numbered games, 500 (well, you can't, but you get what I mean) in 9 darts in 4 of the losses, and 501 9 dart finish in your only win. This gives 4661 points in 81 darts, ave. 172.63. When your max in the four losses is ...
by David Roe
Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:13 am
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Series 62
Replies: 48
Views: 5971

Re: Series 62

Applied January, audition February, recording April, broadcast June. But as that was in 2001 it'll be of no relevance. Waste of a post really. Bye. :roll: Awesome, you applied after I did, got an audition before me and was on five months earlier. :) Then again, iirc Tom Hargreaves applied sometime ...
by David Roe
Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:59 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

I thought I'd just squeezed it up to 172.63, but that was relying on scoring 500 in a losing frame. But I think 500 counts as bust, doesn't it? So it won't work - the 4 points lost brings it down to 172.48.
by David Roe
Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:50 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Series 62
Replies: 48
Views: 5971

Re: Series 62

Applied January, audition February, recording April, broadcast June. But as that was in 2001 it'll be of no relevance. Waste of a post really. Bye. :roll:
by David Roe
Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:13 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...
Replies: 205
Views: 22173

Re: Sports / Maths Puzzle(s)...

Is it 10 x 9 dart finishes, 9 x 360 scores as your opponent does 9 x 9 dart finishes, overall total 8250 points, average 171.87?

[Test for colour, first time I've done this.] OK.
by David Roe
Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:07 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Christmas is here again
Replies: 28
Views: 4806

Re: Christmas is here again

So! all you lads who don't like women and think that they are inferier, as in the bible, send them to me, I love 'em. But Lot was Jewish, so nothing to do with Christmas. "Goodwill to all men" is from Luke, who was very definitely pro-women. So it's either a mistranslation or it means &qu...
by David Roe
Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:17 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Defending you property
Replies: 125
Views: 12280

Re: Defending you property

This bloke whose head looks like a cricket ball is clearly in favour of violence. You don't break into someone's house and hold a knife to his throat if you don't like violence. He likes violence, he got violence, what's the problem? There are a lot of things in life which people do under pressure. ...
by David Roe
Thu Dec 17, 2009 1:31 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Defending you property
Replies: 125
Views: 12280

Re: Defending you property

It's important, under the current justice system, to remember that (i) the man who wants to murder your family has exactly the same human rights as you; and (ii) you must not let the fact that he wants to murder your family cloud your judgement as to how to treat him.
by David Roe
Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:23 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The C4C Football Thread
Replies: 1265
Views: 195262

Re: The C4C Football Thread

Arsenal again played shockingly bad, and were extremely lucky to avoid defeat. They've been really lucky this season so far. I can easily see Liverpool overhauling them. Arsenal will probably finish outside the top 4. There's been a whole string of teams come to Turf Moor and lost/drawn, and every ...
by David Roe
Sun Dec 13, 2009 2:43 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Words You Would Have Thought...
Replies: 479
Views: 164156

Re: Words You Would Have Thought...

I've never quite understood the oft-quoted rule that single syllable adjectives can have -ier and -iest but two or more can't. From my experience, not from any allegedly definitive rule book, two-syllable adjectives that end in -y (like happy, jolly, busy, gloomy) could all be -ier and -iest as well...
by David Roe
Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:53 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Greatest Ever Sportsman?
Replies: 126
Views: 31474

Re: Greatest Ever Sportsman?

I disagree. Assuming you accept darts as a sport (which it is) then you can compare the best sportsman in their respective field to the rest of the field. In darts Phil Taylor is so far ahead of everyone else it's ridiculous. He recently beat Scott Waites in the Grand Slam final 16-2. Ridiculous. H...
by David Roe
Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:35 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Sports Personality
Replies: 20
Views: 3208

Re: Sports Personality

Award not made due to lack of a deserving recipient. Alternatively, Mark Cavendish, though he is actually Manx, not British. If that matters.
by David Roe
Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:49 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: New sports for the Olympic games
Replies: 15
Views: 2566

Re: New sports for the Olympic games

rugby 7's (which I believe is a form of union) Rugby 7's is like Union, except that when someone's tackled they have to get up and carry on instead of lying in a heap for several minutes, and that they run with the ball instead of kicking it to each other all the time, and that the winner tends to ...
by David Roe
Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:34 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Friday December 11th 2009
Replies: 39
Views: 5887

Re: Spoilers For Friday December 11th 2009

So decades and millennia and suchlike ought officially to start on xxx1 years, not on the xxx0 years when we celebrate them. Decades can begin whenever you want them to. If you want to talk about the "swinging 197th decade", then obviously you mean the years 1961 to 1970; but if you want ...
by David Roe
Fri Dec 11, 2009 10:39 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Greatest Ever Sportsman?
Replies: 126
Views: 31474

Re: Greatest Ever Sportsman?

One more criterion for me would be that your sport is widely played throughout the world. I've seen it suggested that if 1% of Africans had access to a boat, Steven Redgrave would never have made an Olympic final. So out with Grace, Ruth and Bradman. Laver didn't have to worry too much about anyone...
by David Roe
Fri Dec 11, 2009 1:01 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Greatest Ever Sportsman?
Replies: 126
Views: 31474

Re: Greatest Ever Sportsman?

I used two main criteria - that the person should have been the undisputed best at his game for at least 10 years, and that it needs to be a game where running around is part of it. (Otherwise I'd be putting a case for John Solomon, croquet, which is my game.) So that means Grace, Laver, Ruth. Bradm...
by David Roe
Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:53 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The World Cup
Replies: 24
Views: 3413

Re: The World Cup

Clearly, it's going to be the team with most Burnley players in it. Which is Cameroon.
by David Roe
Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:27 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: My hero
Replies: 18
Views: 3005

Re: My hero

I gave it 10 seconds, it was boring. Who was it? Not a virus is it?

[That edit didn't quite work.]
by David Roe
Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:26 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: My hero
Replies: 18
Views: 3005

Re: My hero

I gave it 10 seconds, it was boring. Who was it?
by David Roe
Fri Nov 20, 2009 7:37 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: UK Citizenship Test
Replies: 83
Views: 8116

Re: UK Citizenship Test

Michael Wallace wrote: I enabled re-voting just for you :)
Job done. You can switch it off now. Unless anyone else wants to vote before they've done the quiz? :roll:
by David Roe
Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:31 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: UK Citizenship Test
Replies: 83
Views: 8116

Re: UK Citizenship Test

(I ticked 18+ on the strength of my previous effort, before re-taking the test. So I'm the second "pass".) Right...so you recorded your score based on a test you said was now (at least in part) different? YES THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT :evil: :evil: :evil: I'd change it if I knew how. :(
by David Roe
Fri Nov 20, 2009 9:30 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: UK Citizenship Test
Replies: 83
Views: 8116

Re: UK Citizenship Test

When you go to hospital for a non-emergency, you've been refered by your doctor (or optician). Normally you'll be required to attend a clinic run by the out-patients department - for which you're given a date and time to attend an appointment. Or you might need to stay overnight. But it'll still be...
by David Roe
Fri Nov 20, 2009 12:07 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: UK Citizenship Test
Replies: 83
Views: 8116

Re: UK Citizenship Test

There's at least 2 questions where the answer given is plain wrong. You can't attend a hospital for a non-emergency? Do they have scouts on all the approach roads cutting off the freeloaders? If you sneak past them, does the doctor say "I can't see you, you're a non-emergency, so you aren't her...
by David Roe
Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:46 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Books
Replies: 10
Views: 2587

Re: Books

Dan Brown's a bit like Jeffrey Archer then?
by David Roe
Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:00 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Countdown in Lincoln 2010- Saturday 30th January
Replies: 204
Views: 29823

Re: Countdown in Lincoln 2010- Saturday 30th January

Kirk Bevins wrote:
David Roe wrote:Is there a nearby pub with Sky Sports? And what time does CoLin finish? It's competing with Burnley v. Chelsea for my attentions at present, and the match is on live at 5.30.
Sky +?
Video's a possibility, but live is better.
by David Roe
Thu Nov 12, 2009 1:30 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Countdown in Lincoln 2010- Saturday 30th January
Replies: 204
Views: 29823

Re: Countdown in Lincoln 2010- Saturday 30th January

Is there a nearby pub with Sky Sports? And what time does CoLin finish? It's competing with Burnley v. Chelsea for my attentions at present, and the match is on live at 5.30.
by David Roe
Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:44 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Friday November 6th 2009
Replies: 50
Views: 5472

Re: Spoilers For Friday November 6th 2009

I'd have thought if you've seen the word before you're asked, it's OK. Even if you only saw it because you're opponent's declaration suggested it was there. If declare 7 when you haven't got a 7, hoping to spot one, that's a different matter.
by David Roe
Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:35 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The C4C Football Thread
Replies: 1265
Views: 195262

Re: The C4C Football Thread

I once saw possibly an all-time fast scoring record at the McAlpine. Huddersfield reserves v. Burnley reserves, and 51 seconds into the game, Burnley equalised.
by David Roe
Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:01 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Global Warming - your view
Replies: 82
Views: 5888

Re: Global Warming - your view

I have a theory about paper recycling which I can never get anyone to agree with, but I can't get anyone to explain what's logically wrong. Theory - paper recycling is not just a waste of effort, it's counter productive. 2 reasons: 1. If someone in Sweden has a huge forest and is making money by sel...
by David Roe
Mon Nov 02, 2009 1:37 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Global Warming - your view
Replies: 82
Views: 5888

Re: Global Warming - your view

Second one - your article doesn't debunk anything. It just says that the evidence about Vinland is not convincing, not that Vinland didn't exist. So you accept that it's not convincing? If you think there's any significance to the name then I suggest you visit Greenland. I said the article says the...
by David Roe
Mon Nov 02, 2009 2:03 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Global Warming - your view
Replies: 82
Views: 5888

Re: Global Warming - your view

According to NASA, the temperature on Mars has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last 30 years. That's twice as much as Earth's rise. I don't know how much fossil fuels they're burning over there, but it must be a lot. Mars' atmosphere is already 95% CO2 so there's no useful comparison to be ma...
by David Roe
Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:46 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series
Replies: 276
Views: 31640

Re: Dictionary Corner Guests for the new series

Rumour has it that one of the Premier League's finest centre halves (Clark Carlisle, Burnley) is due to be on in January. Can anyone confirm?
by David Roe
Sun Nov 01, 2009 2:39 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Global Warming - your view
Replies: 82
Views: 5888

Re: Global Warming - your view

You think we've got problems? What about the Martians? According to NASA, the temperature on Mars has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit over the last 30 years. That's twice as much as Earth's rise. I don't know how much fossil fuels they're burning over there, but it must be a lot. In the 6th century app...
by David Roe
Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:18 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers For Wednesday October 21st 2009
Replies: 78
Views: 6453

Re: Spoilers For Wednesday October 21st 2009

Query - IONIZE has an alternate spelling of IONISE, but IONIZER has no alternate spelling. Would IONISER have been allowed?
by David Roe
Sun Oct 11, 2009 11:27 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: CoRigRig
Replies: 12
Views: 2661

Re: CoRigRig

You missed the qualifying rounds then? Shame.
by David Roe
Tue Oct 06, 2009 11:55 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 5th October
Replies: 52
Views: 5923

Re: Spoilers for Monday 5th October

Maybe the reshoot was because one of the contestants' mothers had a hearing aid in her pocket which was whistling just loudly enough for the cameras to pick up but not loudly enough to be heard anywhere around. It does happen, I can speak from experience. :oops:
by David Roe
Thu Oct 01, 2009 9:30 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Unintended gaffes
Replies: 66
Views: 9258

Re: Unintended gaffes

Jack de Manio once got suspended for mispronouncing the word "Niger" when introducing a radio show called "Land of the Niger". It's not a double G, Jack. It really didn't help that the show was going out live to a special gala function at the Nigerian embassy with all possible BB...
by David Roe
Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:11 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: How autistic are you?
Replies: 125
Views: 18607

Re: How autistic are you?

Now, 15. Reverting to age 15, 25. Reverting to age 8, still 25.
by David Roe
Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:27 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Who butters your bread? [Updated poll]
Replies: 56
Views: 5282

Re: Who butters your bread? [Updated poll]

Full-time for me, 36.25 hours per week. Though when my Grandma was 12, she went part-time in the mill, which was 36 hours. The year later, she went full-time, 60 hours. 1909-10, that was. (PS - they had very strict rules on the use of the Internet in works time, as well.)
by David Roe
Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:20 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: United States of America
Replies: 61
Views: 6073

Re: United States of America

Just got back, yesterday. Very nice too. I've been 5 times, mostly sport related - most often Chicago (I don't normally like any city, but I like Chicago) Milwaukee, for the Brewers (baseball), and most important of all, Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Home of the Packers (American football). I...
by David Roe
Wed Sep 09, 2009 12:18 am
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Date Dice
Replies: 20
Views: 2160

Re: Date Dice

Do I get bonus points if I tell you what the days and months are in Danish? Because that's where my date dice calender came from. And no, I'm not going to pm the answer. ;)
by David Roe
Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:19 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thurday 3rd September
Replies: 39
Views: 3329

Re: Spoilers for Thurday 3rd September

Charlie Reams wrote:
David Roe wrote: But Kirk - you've never actually been in the position of having lost or drawn every round and coming up to your absolutely last ever chance of winning a round of Countdown.
Are you sure about that?
And he picked 6 small. :)
by David Roe
Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:41 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thurday 3rd September
Replies: 39
Views: 3329

Re: Spoilers for Thurday 3rd September

He did have a right to go for whatever he wanted and probably wanted his last numbers round to impress people, which is fine. The problem people have is that when you know you can't beat your opponent as you are more than 20 behind and you see he's on for a massive score then I, for one, would want...
by David Roe
Mon Sep 07, 2009 10:30 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: What Music was around Pre Beetles
Replies: 9
Views: 1677

Re: What Music was around Pre Beetles

Beetles first appeared around 140 million years ago, so it's unlikely there was much music before them, ignoring the music of the spheres and so on. And yes, I believe some people do have a favourite musical artist, although the question appears something of a non sequitur. Not the insects, Charlie...
by David Roe
Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:00 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Celebrity Countdown
Replies: 24
Views: 1926

Re: Celebrity Countdown

No. they GAPED.
by David Roe
Wed Sep 02, 2009 11:18 am
Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
Topic: Monday 31st August 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 31)
Replies: 7
Views: 1161

Re: Monday 31st August 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 31)

Fair comment about the records being broken, if that's what you like. For me, the best games IMO are where two good players are both capable of beating the other in any given round, resulting in a ding-dong game, the lead changing hands several times, and of course low scores because they each fail ...
by David Roe
Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:47 pm
Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
Topic: Monday 31st August 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 31)
Replies: 7
Views: 1161

Re: Monday 31st August 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 31)

The numbers weren't horrible. They were very nice numbers. If someone got the word "exquisite" would it be a horrible set of letters, because of the q and the x? :) (Anyway, numbers are my only chance of beating people who know and play words like "oestrone" and "dehisce&quo...
by David Roe
Fri Aug 28, 2009 4:34 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Dilemmas
Replies: 29
Views: 2984

Re: Dilemmas

Sue Sanders wrote:I was reminded today of one of my big dilemmas - and as I drive between the Midlands and Kent a lot, it is always raising its ugly head......
Have you considered going via Southampton? You'd at least miss the M25. :?
by David Roe
Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:16 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The C4C Football Thread
Replies: 1265
Views: 195262

Re: The C4C Football Thread

I apologise for misunderstanding. It was the whole tone of the post - admiration of passionate supporters, reference to football "firms" which gave (me, at least) the impression that you thought they were legitimate organisations, blaming the police for the fighting without blaming anyone ...
by David Roe
Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:04 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: My Premier League Predictions
Replies: 46
Views: 5710

Re: My Premier League Predictions

I don't suppose Burnley are a popular team in the Countdown studios just now. First Man United, now Hartlepool.

:D
by David Roe
Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:02 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Exam results
Replies: 151
Views: 17851

Re: Exam results

Wouldn't worry, Kai. You can always take it again next year. And the year after. And the year after that. ;)
by David Roe
Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:01 am
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: The C4C Football Thread
Replies: 1265
Views: 195262

Re: The C4C Football Thread

By "most passionate" presumably you mean "most obnoxious, unpleasant, antisocial, violent"? It's a throwback to the 70's, which by the tone of your comment, presumably you're in favour of?