Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Moderator: Jon O'Neill
- Matthew Green
- Devotee
- Posts: 716
- Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 12:28 pm
Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
It seems the brain power of some of the Countdown 'elite' (you know who you are) is of an unusually high standard.
Have any of you used it in some inetersting way- counting cards, cracking codes etc.?
Just been watching the film 21 about card-counters and was thinking that it cant be beyond Jono, Beevers etc surely?
Have any of you used it in some inetersting way- counting cards, cracking codes etc.?
Just been watching the film 21 about card-counters and was thinking that it cant be beyond Jono, Beevers etc surely?
If I suddenly have a squirming baby on my lap it probably means that I should start paying it some attention and stop wasting my time messing around on a Countdown forum
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I used to play fruit machines for a living
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Of course you all should know by now that I had an e-mail read by Des O'Connor yesterday.
But, that is not my only game show claim to fame. I had failed once, but eight years before that I did succeed in being recognized by the crew of a US game show.
But, that is not my only game show claim to fame. I had failed once, but eight years before that I did succeed in being recognized by the crew of a US game show.
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1955
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:02 am
- Location: UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
No global recognition for this one, but I do have two sentences printed in The Times every day.
When the paper introduced to Killer variety of Su Doku they got the instructions wrong, so I emailed the Editor about it. A few days later, I got a reply, not by email, nor by letter, but by phone from the Features Editor, wanting to discuss how the instructions could be improved. Sure enough, my suggestion was adopted a few days later, and continues to this day.
A while later, in a Saturday puzzles supplement, the paper introduced another puzzle - Cellblock. Again they got the instructions wrong. This time I emailed the Features Editor direct, offering a better wording. I had no response at all this time, but a few weeks later, the puzzle was introduced as a daily feature, together with my wording.
When the paper introduced to Killer variety of Su Doku they got the instructions wrong, so I emailed the Editor about it. A few days later, I got a reply, not by email, nor by letter, but by phone from the Features Editor, wanting to discuss how the instructions could be improved. Sure enough, my suggestion was adopted a few days later, and continues to this day.
A while later, in a Saturday puzzles supplement, the paper introduced another puzzle - Cellblock. Again they got the instructions wrong. This time I emailed the Features Editor direct, offering a better wording. I had no response at all this time, but a few weeks later, the puzzle was introduced as a daily feature, together with my wording.
- M. George Quinn
- Acolyte
- Posts: 190
- Joined: Wed Feb 06, 2008 11:43 pm
- Location: Belfast
- Contact:
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Ha! I noticed that correction. Was it the one about not having two of the same numbers within the dotted boxes as well as all the usual ways?
I remember thinking that it wasn't explained properly then noticing they had sorted it out.
Obviously, I don't fall into the uniquely talented section of the forum (unless not winning a teapot counts as a unique talent). However, I do feel that having a love of words is useful as an entertainer.
Also, I have started doing open mike spots and have some countdown related material.
George
I remember thinking that it wasn't explained properly then noticing they had sorted it out.
Obviously, I don't fall into the uniquely talented section of the forum (unless not winning a teapot counts as a unique talent). However, I do feel that having a love of words is useful as an entertainer.
Also, I have started doing open mike spots and have some countdown related material.
George
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Howard, I guess that's some sort of "UK Times" paper.
And what two sentences could possibly be copied in there every single day?
And what two sentences could possibly be copied in there every single day?
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1955
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:02 am
- Location: UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Quite correct George. Well remembered!M. George Quinn wrote:Ha! I noticed that correction. Was it the one about not having two of the same numbers within the dotted boxes as well as all the usual ways?
I remember thinking that it wasn't explained properly then noticing they had sorted it out.
George
Yes Jason, it's one of the UK newspapers. And the two sentences in question are in the instructions for two of the puzzles which appear in the paper every day.Jason Larsen wrote:Howard, I guess that's some sort of "UK Times" paper.
And what two sentences could possibly be copied in there every single day?
- Joseph Bolas
- Fanatic
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:19 am
- Location: Liverpool, UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Killer Sudoku is the best form of Sudoku puzzle around, because it involves math as well as logic .Howard Somerset wrote:When the paper introduced to Killer variety of Sudoku they got the instructions wrong, so I emailed the Editor about it. A few days later, I got a reply, not by email, nor by letter, but by phone from the Features Editor, wanting to discuss how the instructions could be improved. Sure enough, my suggestion was adopted a few days later, and continues to this day.
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Oh!
That's no surprise coming from a word game fan!
That's no surprise coming from a word game fan!
-
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1955
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:02 am
- Location: UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Agreed. It's the only one I bother with.Joseph Bolas wrote:Killer Sudoku is the best form of Sudoku puzzle around, because it involves math as well as logic .
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Honestly, I've played Countdown very often recently and done very well.
And if any of you haven't figured out already, writing is one of my many talents.
Why would we be here if we didn't like Countdown?
And if any of you haven't figured out already, writing is one of my many talents.
Why would we be here if we didn't like Countdown?
-
- Post-apocalypse
- Posts: 13382
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:37 pm
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
This is going to sound really sad, but you know on cars' log books (the V5C) there is a "validation character" after the number plate - well I've worked out how to find out what that is for any number plate.Matthew Green wrote:cracking codes
- Martin Gardner
- Kiloposter
- Posts: 1492
- Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 8:57 pm
- Location: Leeds, UK
- Contact:
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I think Countdown is a fairly narrow skill and it doesn't necessarily translate to other fields. On the other hand, it very often does! Generally Countdowners, Scrabble players, chess players, they're mathematical people more interested in puzzles like sudoku than reading novels and stuff.
I can play Countdown almost as well blindfolded as not blindfolded, the trick is to keep building words as you play. So if I use Countgen for a random selection :
G A N I R O L E R
So you memorise the first two letters, then it's:
NAG
GAIN
GRAIN
GRAIN + O
GRAIN + LO
REGIONAL / GERANIOL
Nothing, probably for the last one. But I find the trick it either to do a word plus one letter, or an order of letters that you can remember easily. With Scrabble it's possible to but incredibly difficult. It is possible in a friendly game where you have someone read your letters to you and then dictate the words that they play, like HOLDING H4 and unless you have braille tiles and can read braille, which I can't, you just have to remember all the words and dictate them verbally. I wouldn't want to do it everyday but I've had a couple partial games now.
Martin
I can play Countdown almost as well blindfolded as not blindfolded, the trick is to keep building words as you play. So if I use Countgen for a random selection :
G A N I R O L E R
So you memorise the first two letters, then it's:
NAG
GAIN
GRAIN
GRAIN + O
GRAIN + LO
REGIONAL / GERANIOL
Nothing, probably for the last one. But I find the trick it either to do a word plus one letter, or an order of letters that you can remember easily. With Scrabble it's possible to but incredibly difficult. It is possible in a friendly game where you have someone read your letters to you and then dictate the words that they play, like HOLDING H4 and unless you have braille tiles and can read braille, which I can't, you just have to remember all the words and dictate them verbally. I wouldn't want to do it everyday but I've had a couple partial games now.
Martin
If you cut a gandiseeg in half, do you get two gandiseegs or two halves of a gandiseeg?
- Ben Wilson
- Legend
- Posts: 4552
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:05 pm
- Location: North Hykeham
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
You should've been at COLIN 06 Martin.
- Jon O'Neill
- Ginger Ninja
- Posts: 4554
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:45 am
- Location: London, UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I'm the same re: blindfolds. In fact I usually spend half the round looking into space because the letters distract me from the word forming that goes on. Same with conundrums.
Can't do numbers blindfolded. I'm shite at that.
Can't do numbers blindfolded. I'm shite at that.
- Joseph Bolas
- Fanatic
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:19 am
- Location: Liverpool, UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Have you solved any other type Japanese puzzle Howard? (like Kakuro, Masyu and Shikaku etc)Howard Somerset wrote:Agreed. It's the only one I bother with.Joseph Bolas wrote:Killer Sudoku is the best form of Sudoku puzzle around, because it involves math as well as logic .
There's a Japanese website that you can join and play loads of Japanese puzzles called Nikoli.
- Mike Brailsford
- Acolyte
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 4:41 pm
- Location: Blackpool, England
- Contact:
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I've done a number of other quizzes with different themes, with mixed results.
In the last couple of weeks I have been shooting a commercial for EA Games for the new FIFA 09 game. I have been part of crowd scenes filming in Manchester.
I got pretty close to the star of the commercial, Wayne Rooney. I am not a extra, but I would like to head in that direction.
In the last couple of weeks I have been shooting a commercial for EA Games for the new FIFA 09 game. I have been part of crowd scenes filming in Manchester.
I got pretty close to the star of the commercial, Wayne Rooney. I am not a extra, but I would like to head in that direction.
-
- Devotee
- Posts: 593
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 8:54 pm
- Location: Farnborough, Hampshire
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
In the 1960s I used to play the piano Fri-Sun in a pub in Gosport. My mate was on the drums. I could play 'by ear' (though mostly I used my fingers) and one Sunday afternoon I was listening to pirate radio when the DJ claimed a "world exclusive" for playing the new Rolling Stones single that was coming out in three weeks' time. It was such an easy tune, I picked it up on first hearing. That evening I played it to a packed pub, with my mate drummed along to it. I think it highly likely that I performed the world's first public performance of "Paint It Black"!
Last edited by Chris Corby on Mon Aug 11, 2008 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Series 80 Champion
- Posts: 2707
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 10:07 am
- Location: Sheffield
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Mint song. Karaoke'd it t'other nite with Emma.Chris Corby wrote:It could be that I performed the world's first public performance of "Paint It Black"!
-
- Series 58 Champion
- Posts: 2010
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 2:27 pm
- Location: Cardiff
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I didn't know pub-quizzing was going to be one of these unique talents! Our team has qualified for the N.I. Quiz championships on Tuesday night which just about typifies the innate mediocre nature of my accomplishments eg some success in Ulster chess but at intermediate level; winning bridge tourneys at a local level; playing classical guitar but generally as part of a quartet or duet rather than solo; setting cryptics for local papers. All in all I am fairly good at mediocrity but I think Matthew's post had in mind something a bit more special.
- Joseph Bolas
- Fanatic
- Posts: 2446
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:19 am
- Location: Liverpool, UK
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
I don't know if you would call it a talent, but I like doing origami and I have constructed quite a few polyhedral models. I think it could possibly be classed as a talent, if I could remember the folds from memory.
EDIT: Although origami is a Japanese art, I am not that much of an artist, though I did take Art in school, but didn't do too good.
EDIT: Although origami is a Japanese art, I am not that much of an artist, though I did take Art in school, but didn't do too good.
Last edited by Joseph Bolas on Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Jason Larsen
- Postmaster General
- Posts: 3902
- Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 3:18 pm
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Has anyone here put their talents to a unique use?
Are you very much of an artist, Joseph?