Links of countdownian interest

Jennifer Turner · Post by **Jennifer Turner** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:46 am

Thought this might be of interest. Gameshow watching-and-commenting-thereupon legend Nick Gates offers up his thoughts on watching the recording of a forthcoming episode, and has also uploaded an episode of the South African version, "A Word or 2". Linky linky: http://www.bothersbar.co.uk/

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:07 am

The audience comprises of [sic] the elderly, guests and contestants playing that day, and unemployed precocious layabout Countdown champion Kirk Bevins

Glad no one was around to hear me snorting with laughter at that one.

I'm a third of the way through the South African show and am actually rather enjoying it, despite the cheesy host and cheap set. I was pleased with myself for getting the first numbers thusly:

(75 + 9 - 7) x (10 + 1)

and was dismayed to realise it was actually a lot easier than that.

Can't believe no one got a 6 in the second letters round - not even the woman with the computer on the desk in front of her looking up words.

Sue Sanders · Post by **Sue Sanders** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:12 am

Ha Ha - had copied that line....•and unemployed precocious layabout Countdown champion Kirk Bevins*...myself, ready to post, and am a third through the SA one too. (Got the numbers your way Phil) Hmmm, possible overkill on the dictionary definitions and the numbers bloke is milking his part somewhat. Just like when I saw the Aussie version of 'Deal or No Deal' I thought, thank goodness for British telly!

*When I first joined this forum, Kirk was probably the contestant I could remember most clearly, having decided the description 'smug' fitted him best. Now I know he's just a silly old bear

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:24 pm

Hmm why am I a silly old bear?

I didn't like that article saying that he couldn't watch Countdown as he had a job. I think we've done that poll on here before.

If that guy can find me a job in the York area, then nice one. Until he can I don't think it's fair to call me a precocious layabout.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:27 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:Hmm why am I a silly old bear?

I didn't like that article saying that he couldn't watch Countdown as he had a job. I think we've done that poll on here before.

If that guy can find me a job in the York area, then nice one. Until he can I don't think it's fair to call me a precocious layabout.

Didn't you have a job? That you quit?

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:27 pm

Jon Corby wrote:
Didn't you have a job? That you quit?

I was on a 1 year contract and didn't get through the interview stage.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:33 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:If that guy can find me a job in the York area, then nice one.

Does it have to be the York area? Ashlawn School have been advertising lots of vacancies recently.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:38 pm

Phil Reynolds wrote: Does it have to be the York area? Ashlawn School have been advertising lots of vacancies recently.

Since I've just paid a year's worth of rent in York, yes. Also I want to experience a non-teaching job.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:43 pm

Kirk Bevins wrote:
Jon Corby wrote:
Didn't you have a job? That you quit?
I was on a 1 year contract and didn't get through the interview stage.

Ah, I didn't know that. I was under the impression you left of your own accord, rather then effectively being sacked.

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:20 pm

The audience yesterday were mostly made up of students, not the elderly, and labelling Kirk in the way he did is grossly unfair. Kirk came to studio at our request to return the champions trophy in readiness for the next finals. Yet another example of a wannabee journalist writing unfounded nonsense. Would have been a nice little article otherwise, but the swipe at our reigning series champ is just stupid.

Julie T · Post by **Julie T** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:11 pm

*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*
*SPOILER ALERT*

Thanks for posting this - always interesting to see other countries' versions. Host is rather annoying, IMHO, though, and far too much prattling on between the rounds.

Despite the flat scoring, I was pleased to beat the contestants. Especially pleased in round 4, getting MOPANES, which comes up on apterous a lot, and is a South African tree, which the South African contestants didn't get!

At least I know how to pronounce it now. I always thought it was 'mow-pain', whereas it's 'mo-pa-nee'.

The link to part 3 was part 1 again unfortunately. Perhaps it's not uploaded yet.

Julie T · Post by **Julie T** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:19 pm

Phil Reynolds wrote:
The audience comprises of [sic] the elderly, guests and contestants playing that day, and unemployed precocious layabout Countdown champion Kirk Bevins
Glad no one was around to hear me snorting with laughter at that one.

How dare he trash our Kirky!

To be fair, though, if he didn't know about Kirk being there to return the trophy, maybe it looked a bit geeky obsessive, like he was always in the audience and had nothing better to do.
Hope you get a job soon, Kirk. My eldest is still unemployed after leaving uni - not easy in the current economic climate.

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:03 pm

Julie T wrote:
Phil Reynolds wrote:
The audience comprises of [sic] the elderly, guests and contestants playing that day, and unemployed precocious layabout Countdown champion Kirk Bevins
Glad no one was around to hear me snorting with laughter at that one.

How dare he trash our Kirky!

To be fair, though, if he didn't know about Kirk being there to return the trophy, maybe it looked a bit geeky obsessive, like he was always in the audience and had nothing better to do.
Hope you get a job soon, Kirk. My eldest is still unemployed after leaving uni - not easy in the current economic climate.

To be fair? There's no justifying it. Doesnt matter what conclusions he jumped to.

Phil Reynolds · Post by **Phil Reynolds** » Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:17 pm

Julie T wrote:The link to part 3 was part 1 again unfortunately. Perhaps it's not uploaded yet.

Worked fine for me this afternoon, and again when I tried it just now.

Nick Gates · Post by **Nick Gates** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:24 pm

Well I've never been called a legend before so, er, thanks Jennifer. And I'm glad people have been enjoying A Word or 2, it's rather jolly (and in fact only the second English language version in existance, or indeed was as it has since been cancelled). Having had this thread pointed out to me this morning I was just itching to have a right of reply, but I must confess this evening I've rather lost the enthusiasm. But it would be poor form to leave Damian Eadie hanging after he's had some Excitement Milk, so I'll have a go.

First of all Kirk, I wouldn't worry too much - the Bar has all of about six or seven readers, many of whom will remember you from old gameshow mailing list days where yes, you were a bit precocious. But that was getting on for ten years ago, I'm pretty embarrassed to read anything I've written more than about five minutes ago. It seems frankly a bit unfair to have a go at me to point out that you're currently unemployed when that seemed to be the recurring conversation topic of choice between yourself and Mr Dudley Doolittle, 'layabout' is clearly the jokey bread in the jocular sandwich (it's a sort of repurposing of an Amiga Power thing). I don't really know you, but you're enough of a name to be worth mentioning in relation to an audience viewing and you seemed to be a decently pleasant individual any lady (or gentleman - hey, it's the 90s) would be pleased to take home to their mother.

"We can't watch X because we've, you know, got a job" is a fairly standard Bar non-criticism pertaining to most shows that I sort of like but can't be bothered to watch or get excited about that are on before 6pm, because to watch them involves too much work for not enough reward.

And I'm sorry Damian but we must be talking about different audiences. The afternoon one I was in had a handful of students there to support one or two of the players, but to suggest "mostly made up of students" is frankly pushing it not just a bit but really quite a lot. Perhaps they were all mature students.

Basically we're all sort of on the same side really, as it turns out.

Kirk Bevins · Post by **Kirk Bevins** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 10:56 pm

Nick Gates wrote:It seems frankly a bit unfair to have a go at me to point out that you're currently unemployed when that seemed to be the recurring conversation topic of choice between yourself and Mr Dudley Doolittle,

It was because Dudley seems to care how I'm doing in life and asks whether I've got a job or not. He knows it's hard nowadays. Your article just threw the fact I was unemployed in to inject humour but I thought it was unnecessary and perhaps a little insulting.

Jon Corby · Post by **Jon Corby** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:58 am

I think you should give him a job, Nick.

Julie T · Post by **Julie T** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:43 am

I think you should give Kirk a job, Damian.

Mind you, maybe a series champ getting a job on the show wouldn't really work. No, wait ............

http://wiki.apterous.org/Damian

Sue Sanders · Post by **Sue Sanders** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:02 am

Did you need a hand, Kirk?

Oh, sorry, no - it's a job you're after.

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:24 pm

Nick - i saw your Twitter comment "Ha ha, looks like Damian Eadie hates us".

If you look back at my initial reaction to your "jokey bread in a jocular sandwich" comment about Kirk, i did say it was a nice little article, but perhaps spoiled by the unnecessary swipe. How that can be defined as hate? And "us"? Us who?

Strange indeed.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:38 pm

You guys are so touchy! If it makes you feel any better you're all welcome to call me a 'precocious unemployed layabout'. I promise I won't overreact.

I read it as a pretty positive article. One ambiguous sentence does not a negative article make.
Why is it that when people are unsure whether something is meant to be a joke or meant to be offensive, they always feel the need to take the negative stance and assume it was meant to hurt?
The world would be a much nicer place if people just assumed anything borderline was meant in jest, and it's crazy to me that the reaction is always in the opposite direction. I've never understood why people get such massive boners over being offended.

Anyway, my favourite bit was (honestly) reading "a laid on hotel room" as "laid on a hotel room" which made the opening bullet point far more interesting:
"I was the honoured guest of TV's Ryan Vickers, a Canadian who I've known for years and years and years, and as such we met up at Euston, trained up and got laid on a hotel room for the night"

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:44 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:I've never understood why people get such massive boners

Probably because you're so attractive?

Edit to add, i put the sunshine face then in case you took it the wrong way and thought i was insinuating you were an ugly miserable fucker. Is this borderline enough?

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 1:59 pm

D Eadie wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I've never understood why people get such massive boners
Probably because you're so attractive?

Edit to add, i put the sunshine face then in case you took it the wrong way and thought i was insinuating you were an ugly miserable fucker. Is this borderline enough?

Tee hee

So, you do actually find me attractive? This is a special moment.

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:01 pm

Must be the tache

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:04 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:
D Eadie wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:I've never understood why people get such massive boners
Probably because you're so attractive?

Edit to add, i put the sunshine face then in case you took it the wrong way and thought i was insinuating you were an ugly miserable fucker. Is this borderline enough?
Tee hee So, you do actually find me attractive? This is a special moment.

Of course, although that bird shit falling onto your sunglasses doesn't do you any favours.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:06 pm

Note to all: my sex is obviously a good remedy to C4C arguments.

If you ever need to pacify a thread in the future, just let me know my PM and I'll come and sexy the living daylights out of it.

D Eadie · Post by **D Eadie** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:11 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:Note to all: my sex is obviously a good remedy to C4C arguments.

If you ever need to pacify a thread in the future, just let me know my PM and I'll come and sexy the living daylights out of it.

He's called Gordon Brown.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 2:14 pm

D Eadie wrote:
Matt Morrison wrote:Note to all: my sex is obviously a good remedy to C4C arguments.

If you ever need to pacify a thread in the future, just let me know my PM and I'll come and sexy the living daylights out of it.
He's called Gordon Brown.

Excellent. You got an A-chuckle for that. On my way to 10 Downing Street right now, he won't know what's hit him.

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:07 pm

Matt Morrison wrote:On my way to 10 Downing Street right now, he won't know what's hit him.

Matt Morrison's Massive Manhood?

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:14 pm

Moustached Matt Morrisons massive manhood, meeting minister

I like aliterations

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:15 pm

... meating minister ...

Marc Meakin · Post by **Marc Meakin** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:18 pm

Alec Rivers wrote:... meating minister ...

A-lol

martin moore · Post by **martin moore** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:54 pm

the audience was mainly younger folk that day, im usually the youngest at 26 . but on this day felt quite old!

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:13 am

martin moore wrote:the audience was mainly younger folk that day, im usually the youngest at 26 . but on this day felt quite old!

Do you know Jason Larsen?

martin moore · Post by **martin moore** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:34 am

who ? im new you may have to explain ?

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:30 am

martin moore wrote:who ? im new you may have to explain ?

Sorry, that was a bit mean.
Without you having referred to any particular thread, I had no idea what your post was about.

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:37 am

D Eadie wrote:The audience yesterday were mostly made up of students, not the elderly

Nick Gates wrote:we must be talking about different audiences. The afternoon one I was in had a handful of students there to support one or two of the players, but to suggest "mostly made up of students" is frankly pushing it not just a bit but really quite a lot. Perhaps they were all mature students.

martin moore wrote:the audience was mainly younger folk that day, im usually the youngest at 26 . but on this day felt quite old!

Alec Rivers wrote:Without you having referred to any particular thread, I had no idea what your post was about.

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:46 am

Matt Morrison wrote:
D Eadie wrote:The audience yesterday were mostly made up of students, not the elderly
Nick Gates wrote:we must be talking about different audiences. The afternoon one I was in had a handful of students there to support one or two of the players, but to suggest "mostly made up of students" is frankly pushing it not just a bit but really quite a lot. Perhaps they were all mature students.
martin moore wrote:the audience was mainly younger folk that day, im usually the youngest at 26 . but on this day felt quite old!
Alec Rivers wrote:Without you having referred to any particular thread, I had no idea what your post was about.

That was 18 posts earlier!! You don't expect me to remember the entire contents of scores of topics, do you? Or to re-read entire topics each time there's a new post?

Matt Morrison · Post by **Matt Morrison** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:27 am

Alec Rivers wrote:That was 18 posts earlier!! You don't expect me to remember the entire contents of scores of topics, do you? Or to re-read entire topics each time there's a new post?

Hehe, just teasing you Alec! But the posts were only from, what, a day before? Let's just say I didn't have to go and research the quotes to know what Martin meant, maybe I've just simply got a better memory than you! But yeah was just sticking up for Martin, you were a bit mean to say you didn't get his post when you hadn't tried! Bloody obstinate Arsenal fans

martin moore · Post by **martin moore** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:14 pm

point taken lol

Alec Rivers · Post by **Alec Rivers** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:30 pm

[AOL] Me too. [/AOL]

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:16 pm

Bit tenuous, maybe, but just read about the Tetris Effect:

"The Tetris effect occurs when people devote sufficient time and attention to an activity that it begins to overshadow their thoughts, mental images, and dreams...People who play Tetris for a prolonged amount of time may then find themselves thinking about ways different shapes in the real world can fit together, such as the boxes on a supermarket shelf or the buildings on a street."

So next time you find yourself making anagrams in the street, you are in fact demonstrating symptoms of the Tetris Effect (or possibly playing Street Countdown).

Adam Gillard · Post by **Adam Gillard** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 12:15 am

Michael Wallace wrote:People who play Tetris for a prolonged amount of time may then find themselves thinking about ways different shapes in the real world can fit together

Simpsons Tetris

David Williams · Post by **David Williams** » Fri Aug 06, 2010 8:31 am

Michael Wallace wrote:So next time you find yourself making anagrams in the street, you are in fact demonstrating symptoms of the Tetris Effect (or possibly playing Street Countdown).

You seem to be implying that there are people out there who can seen a van with OPENREACH written on it, and not think CHAPERONE. I find that hard to believe.

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:29 pm

I was unaware of the Jeff Stelling drinking game.

Ryan Taylor · Post by **Ryan Taylor** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 5:36 pm

Michael Wallace wrote:I was unaware of the Jeff Stelling drinking game.

Oh yes it's pretty good. Also I have only just found this thread after a bump and I must have met this Nick Gates but I don't remember him.

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:02 pm

If you like a bit of casual statistics now and again, the Royal Statistical Society has recently launched an online version of its magazine. You may recognise the name of one of the contributors. Tell your friends, your facebooks and your twitters! (Pimp pimp pimp.)

Howard Somerset · Post by **Howard Somerset** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:26 pm

Michael Wallace wrote:If you like a bit of casual statistics now and again, the Royal Statistical Society has recently launched an online version of its magazine. You may recognise the name of one of the contributors. Tell your friends, your facebooks and your twitters! (Pimp pimp pimp.)

Love it, Michael. Just read your first article.
I'll be back for the other one later.

Ian Volante · Post by **Ian Volante** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:28 pm

Michael Wallace wrote:If you like a bit of casual statistics now and again, the Royal Statistical Society has recently launched an online version of its magazine. You may recognise the name of one of the contributors. Tell your friends, your facebooks and your twitters! (Pimp pimp pimp.)

Nice one! Did you have a go at the Crystal Ball competition? I should have posted it on here, never thought really. Maybe next year.

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:29 pm

Ian Volante wrote:
Michael Wallace wrote:If you like a bit of casual statistics now and again, the Royal Statistical Society has recently launched an online version of its magazine. You may recognise the name of one of the contributors. Tell your friends, your facebooks and your twitters! (Pimp pimp pimp.)
Nice one! Did you have a go at the Crystal Ball competition? I should have posted it on here, never thought really. Maybe next year.

I started to, but then got distracted by other things. Plus I realised I'd've had to spend a lot of time data-mining, which is really tedious and quite a lot of effort.

Howard Somerset wrote:Love it, Michael. Just read your first article.
I'll be back for the other one later.

I have 4 or 5 on there at the moment, I think, it's just most of them were uploaded a while ago so are only really findable by searching for my name. (The quality is quite volatile, as you can see me trying to get to grips with writing shorter articles.)

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 11:20 pm

Michael Wallace · Post by **Michael Wallace** » Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:12 pm