A group for contestants and lovers of the Channel 4 game show 'Countdown'.
http://www.c4countdown.co.uk/
I think it will be cars that require a driver actually.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:35 am In the 2030s we will be putting driverless cars in here
/Goal-Line Technology System
They could just have semi-automatic gears like in F1 cars where you basically just press a button to change gear.Callum Todd wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:20 amThere are definitely situations in which having a manual helps. If you need a quick burst of acceleration it can help to downshift, for example. But yeah, it would probably be easier if cars were automatic by default, with the option of manually selecting a gear on the odd occasion you really needed to.Matt Rutherford wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:16 am Manual gearboxes (for your average car-lorries and other vehicles are a different story, I know). Automatic is far easier to deal with, not having to fuck about with the clutch and it makes roundabouts much simpler to navigate. About the only thing the US has got right is the demise of 'stickshift.'
(N.B-This was written by a learner driver who has the general co-ordination of an orangutan on a step-ladder)
You can have this if you pay enough.Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:23 pmThey could just have semi-automatic gears like in F1 cars where you basically just press a button to change gear.Callum Todd wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:20 amThere are definitely situations in which having a manual helps. If you need a quick burst of acceleration it can help to downshift, for example. But yeah, it would probably be easier if cars were automatic by default, with the option of manually selecting a gear on the odd occasion you really needed to.Matt Rutherford wrote: ↑Tue Jun 16, 2020 12:16 am Manual gearboxes (for your average car-lorries and other vehicles are a different story, I know). Automatic is far easier to deal with, not having to fuck about with the clutch and it makes roundabouts much simpler to navigate. About the only thing the US has got right is the demise of 'stickshift.'
(N.B-This was written by a learner driver who has the general co-ordination of an orangutan on a step-ladder)
"Students get first hand job experience".
Our IT helpdesk at work also decided that the hyphen was a joke item, and introduced a new rule meaning that it wasn't allowed in anyone's name. Boy was that fun for me. The number of internal processes that just don't work for me any more is ridiculous. The best one was when we rolled a new system for ordering lunches and it was decided that we should the old system without first testing the new one, which didn't work for those unlucky souls with names deemed unacceptable by our IT overlords. At least I'm still getting paid.
They're right - a hyphen in your name is a joke item.Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:02 pmOur IT helpdesk at work also decided that the hyphen was a joke item, and introduced a new rule meaning that it wasn't allowed in anyone's name. Boy was that fun for me. The number of internal processes that just don't work for me any more is ridiculous. The best one was when we rolled a new system for ordering lunches and it was decided that we should the old system without first testing the new one, which didn't work for those unlucky souls with names deemed unacceptable by our IT overlords. At least I'm still getting paid.
Not hyphen but name related.Jon O'Neill wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:17 pmThey're right - a hyphen in your name is a joke item.Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:02 pmOur IT helpdesk at work also decided that the hyphen was a joke item, and introduced a new rule meaning that it wasn't allowed in anyone's name. Boy was that fun for me. The number of internal processes that just don't work for me any more is ridiculous. The best one was when we rolled a new system for ordering lunches and it was decided that we should the old system without first testing the new one, which didn't work for those unlucky souls with names deemed unacceptable by our IT overlords. At least I'm still getting paid.
Double-barrelled surnames are joke items anyway. Lots of parents think they're being all cool and liberal by using both parents' surnames, when in reality they're giving their child an annoying and unwieldy name, and perhaps more importantly, they're being incredibly short-sighted. Taken to its logical conclusions, the lengths of surnames will double every generation.Jon O'Neill wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:17 pmThey're right - a hyphen in your name is a joke item.Sam Cappleman-Lynes wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 12:02 pmOur IT helpdesk at work also decided that the hyphen was a joke item, and introduced a new rule meaning that it wasn't allowed in anyone's name. Boy was that fun for me. The number of internal processes that just don't work for me any more is ridiculous. The best one was when we rolled a new system for ordering lunches and it was decided that we should the old system without first testing the new one, which didn't work for those unlucky souls with names deemed unacceptable by our IT overlords. At least I'm still getting paid.
Ha!Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:53 pm Most of you can ignore, but the software folks amongst you might appreciate this - I think we all have a duty to name our kids in a way to give us as much work as possible!
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/445 ... onscript-3
And this of course:Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Jun 22, 2020 2:53 pm Most of you can ignore, but the software folks amongst you might appreciate this - I think we all have a duty to name our kids in a way to give us as much work as possible!
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/445 ... onscript-3
Golfing shoes can be added to that list.
Sure, but you're not made to wear golfing shoes are you? With bowling shoes, you go into a bowling place and they make you give them your shoes (which you have to trust them with), and in return you get these rubbish shoes you have to wear to "protect their floor" or something.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:23 amGolfing shoes can be added to that list.
Most golfing clothes too.
Only a seventies pimp would where some of the getup that's acceptable on the golf course
Would they allow that? They'd have to do some bowling shoe test on them.
Good point, why can't I use my hands in football too? Or maybe a tennis racket in rounders?Mark James wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:08 pm Snooker cues. Why do I have to use the equipment provided that has been specifically designed to play the sport properly? Why can't I just use a stick I found or roll the balls with my hand?
BecauseMark James wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:08 pm Snooker cues. Why do I have to use the equipment provided that has been specifically designed to play the sport properly? Why can't I just use a stick I found or roll the balls with my hand?
My dad used to beat me at American pool using his walking stick .Callum Todd wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 4:36 amBecauseMark James wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:08 pm Snooker cues. Why do I have to use the equipment provided that has been specifically designed to play the sport properly? Why can't I just use a stick I found or roll the balls with my hand?
A) that would be shit
B) It would fuck up the table and the balls
By all means if you have your own snooker table and set of snooker balls feel free to play it however you like. The table and balls will be unplayable quite quickly but that shouldn't be a problem as you'll soon get bored anyway once you realise it doesn't work.
It's be like renting a football pitch for an hour then moving the football about with a golf club. You'd have a shit game of football and fuck the pitch and ball up.
Awesome in what way?Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Mon Jun 29, 2020 7:35 pm Bowling alleys haven't made you use their shoes for, I dunno, a long time. You just wear your own, as you're in flats.
That said, I still get bowling shoes because they are absolutely awesome.
We need a sarcasm emoji , not sure what form it would take thoughMark James wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:14 am Bowling shoes are awesome in that they are designed to help you play the game properly and reduce injury. They weren't just designed to personally annoy Gevin. (That's just a happy coincidence). They allow for a degree of sliding that regular footwear doesn't and you don't want to scuff up the throwing surface as that can also prevent proper sliding and can cause injury. A simple Google would have provided the actual reason rather than guessing and asking rhetorical questions but Gavin is obviously incurious and belongs in the people you shouldn't trust thread.
Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:14 am Bowling shoes are awesome in that they are designed to help you play the game properly and reduce injury. They weren't just designed to personally annoy Gevin. (That's just a happy coincidence). They allow for a degree of sliding that regular footwear doesn't and you don't want to scuff up the throwing surface as that can also prevent proper sliding and can cause injury. A simple Google would have provided the actual reason rather than guessing and asking rhetorical questions but Gavin is obviously incurious and belongs in the people you shouldn't trust thread.
I trust his judgement on pea based snacksGavin Chipper wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 10:40 amMark James wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:14 am Bowling shoes are awesome in that they are designed to help you play the game properly and reduce injury. They weren't just designed to personally annoy Gevin. (That's just a happy coincidence). They allow for a degree of sliding that regular footwear doesn't and you don't want to scuff up the throwing surface as that can also prevent proper sliding and can cause injury. A simple Google would have provided the actual reason rather than guessing and asking rhetorical questions but Gavin is obviously incurious and belongs in the people you shouldn't trust thread.
One of my favourite posts ever.Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:14 am Bowling shoes are awesome in that they are designed to help you play the game properly and reduce injury. They weren't just designed to personally annoy Gevin. (That's just a happy coincidence). They allow for a degree of sliding that regular footwear doesn't and you don't want to scuff up the throwing surface as that can also prevent proper sliding and can cause injury. A simple Google would have provided the actual reason rather than guessing and asking rhetorical questions but Gavin is obviously incurious and belongs in the people you shouldn't trust thread.
Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 7:02 pmOne of my favourite posts ever.Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Jun 30, 2020 8:14 am Bowling shoes are awesome in that they are designed to help you play the game properly and reduce injury. They weren't just designed to personally annoy Gevin. (That's just a happy coincidence). They allow for a degree of sliding that regular footwear doesn't and you don't want to scuff up the throwing surface as that can also prevent proper sliding and can cause injury. A simple Google would have provided the actual reason rather than guessing and asking rhetorical questions but Gavin is obviously incurious and belongs in the people you shouldn't trust thread.
Well I was intending to leave this, but since you two have chipped in, I seem to have regained the urge to carry on. Let's look at this:
Yeah, it all sounds very good. But how realistic is it? Why don't javelin throwers need to keep sliding after throwing a javelin? Or bowlers in cricket? In fact, why does no-one in the world who throws stuff need to slide afterwards to avoid injury or indeed allow them to have proper control except for people playing bowling? It sounds like bullshit invented by the inventor of bowling shoes.Bowling shoes are typically made out of leather and rubber. The soles of the shoes act much like the bowling lanes themselves: they are both made to be super slick.
Wearing slick shoes helps you slide while you’re bowling. This is important because it enables you to achieve a smoother motion. If you’re sticking to the floor while you go to throw your bowling ball, you might not have as much control as you normally would. Bowling shoes can also help prevent injuries in bowlers because they allow for the proper bodily movement after a ball is rolled down a lane. If you were to stick instead of slide, you could injure your knee, ankle or foot.
While the soles of bowling shoes are super slick, the heels of the shoes are typically made of rubber, which helps you stop sliding after you throw your ball. Without these stopping mechanisms, bowlers might just keep sliding until they fall!
having difficulty breathingBut if you see it from the point of view of a random person who goes bowling once every 3.7 years, the whole thing does seem a bit weird. You're made to change shoes (well, Matt says you apparently don't have to any more) with no explanation, and most people just assume it's something to do with protecting the floor (see earlier post). But apparently it has something to do with making it better for you and your technique. But then why should they give a toss whether you change your shoes or not? And would it really make much difference for the average person? It seems a bit like turning up to a parkrun and being made to change into a pair of Nike Alphaflys for the event.Mark James wrote: ↑Wed Jul 01, 2020 12:12 am That's it folks. The great bowling shoe conspiracy has been rumbled. Should have realised it wasn't realistic to expect that different techniques for throwing different objects while standing on different surfaces might require different equipment. It was a good ride while it lasted. I'm off to sell my shares in Bowling Shoe Inc. before the news hits the wider population.
I don't get what's weird about it though. You use the proper equipment for the sport. For me it's no different to wearing ice skates to go ice skating or using cues to play snooker. Is it just because you have to wear a shoe someone else has already worn? Is it not weirder to have to stick your fingers in the holes of the bowling ball that someone else has?But if you see it from the point of view of a random person who goes bowling once every 3.7 years, the whole thing does seem a bit weird.
These are not mutually exclusive. It is about protecting the floor. The floor needs to be protected to allow you to perform the optimal technique. And optimal technique is not just about improving your score (which it rarely does for that random person every 3.7 years) it's about safety and injury prevention. Also your earlier post seemed to be confusing the floor of the throwing area with actual lane where the ball goes.and most people just assume it's something to do with protecting the floor (see earlier post). But apparently it has something to do with making it better for you and your technique.
In terms of improving the average person's scoring performance probably not but again you seem to be ignoring the safety aspect of it. Maybe making you wear the shoes reduces the bowling alley's liability for injury.But then why should they give a toss whether you change your shoes or not? And would it really make much difference for the average person?
It's more like someone arriving to a park run wearing high heels and being asked to change into more suitable footwear, particularly if the organisers could be held liable for injuries sustained.It seems a bit like turning up to a parkrun and being made to change into a pair of Nike Alphaflys for the event.
For other things it's often quite obvious why you need special equipment - like ice skating. And it's also quite obvious that you at least need something that does a very good impression of a snooker cue to be able to play properly. Whereas with bowling, there's not that intuition connection, other than "well it's the case for other sports - why not this one?"Mark James wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2020 2:13 amI don't get what's weird about it though. You use the proper equipment for the sport. For me it's no different to wearing ice skates to go ice skating or using cues to play snooker. Is it just because you have to wear a shoe someone else has already worn? Is it not weirder to have to stick your fingers in the holes of the bowling ball that someone else has?But if you see it from the point of view of a random person who goes bowling once every 3.7 years, the whole thing does seem a bit weird.
Eh, more like play multiple games with each and compare how your knees feel after each set. Of course, to make it a fair test, you should take the standard 3.7 year break between the two, and assume that your knees haven't deteriorated as a result of aging.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2020 8:55 am Next time you go bowling , sometime in 2023/4 , try to bring extra footwear , play two games , one with bowling shoes on and one without and compare scores
I didn't say so at the time, but I enjoyed this.David Williams wrote: ↑Tue May 05, 2020 7:48 amButMatt Morrison wrote: ↑Mon May 04, 2020 8:11 pmA more consistent and even saltiness is exactly what many uses of salt are trying not to achieve. Good examples that you must (but obviously won't) be able to appreciate would be chocolate stuff - a bar of dark chocolate with sea salt or sea salt in a brownie or something. You don't want to make the chocolate salty, you want to be able to taste the chocolate and the salt separately at the same time.So not only do you think rock salt goes off after you grind it, you presumably make your own bars of chocolate?Matt Morrison also wrote: ↑Sat May 02, 2020 11:35 pmBecause yes, freshly ground rock salt is an entirely different thing to powdered table salt.
What did they ever do for us?
I'm LIVID (54, 499)
This is a hell of a tough crossword clue.
My buffs are pretty excellent in terms of restricting what comes out of my gob. Absolutely perfect for purpose, and nice colours too.Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:26 am Reusable face coverings.
Not fit for purpose , beyond obtaining entrance to shops and public transport
Go on..?