c4countdown

Fiona T

Actually I can top my daughter's achievement!

Applied for WWTBAM (don't we all?)

My audition included a guy who used to be Mr Blobby

Needless to say he made it to the next stage - I didn't

Fiona T

oh yes!

My daughter went to (standard comprehensive) school with the son of Deniece Pearson from Five Star (and then The Voice)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profil ... ce-pearson

Fiona T

Remembered a strange apto-dream from last night. I was talking to Ian Volante (who IRL I've not yet met) and my phone went. It was Donald Trump, and he wanted to congratulate Ian on his octochampdom. I was trying to persuade him not to talk to Ian as I suspected Ian might not be a Trump fan and said...

Fiona T

Just me and 800 odd other people

If there were any other countdowners there, I didn't spot them.

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/heaton/resul ... Number=492

It was a nice course - tarmacked and wide paths. Recommended.

Fiona T

Came across this beauty today

"If you really must go for a jog in the middle of a thunder storm, remember to vaseline nipples thoroughly beforehand."

https://www.lexico.com/definition/vaseline

Gev, can you confirm if this is sound advice?

Fiona T

I've developed a habit of saying to myself, "He was a fucking arsehole/cunt/etc" and then realising it's myself I'm annoyed with at the time. You're from Glasgow? Cunt is a term of endearment, no? Yes, but what I really want to know is how people's monologue specifically manifests. I'd sa...

Fiona T

Yeah, I'd definitely say my visual imagination is nowhere near as strong. I can picture stuff if I try, but I don't generally think in pictures. Probably related is that I'm very poor at recognising/remembering faces. If this poll was on visual imagination, I'd be option 3 - can do it, but it's a ve...

Fiona T

My current parkrun plan is

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/heaton/

Not the closest, but very accessible on the tram.

Anyone else planning on running?

Fiona T

I've changed the poll, and perhaps more importantly the question, to better reflect people's experiences.

Fiona T

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 3:59 pm My brain is literally nothing but my own voice saying things and I can't imagine a life without it.

A much more succinct way of saying what I was trying to say.

AIUI (and I've only given it a cursory nod) the basics of mindfulness is getting that voice to shut up for a bit!

Fiona T

Interesting stuff! I have a constant internal monologue - mostly not consciously, but it's there all the time. My thoughts are basically words. Of course there are instinctive things I don't 'voice over' - driving, for example, but even then my monologue is likely to be pondering other stuff - day d...

Fiona T

Saw stuff on t'interwebs this week about people who don't have an 'internal monologue' - the voice in your head that basically is your thought process. I hadn't realised this was a thing, so I was kinda fascinated about how such people process information. There was an interview with one young woman...

Fiona T

I think comparing countdown to football is like comparing chocolate to mince. They're completely different. The comparison with other 'brain' games seems more valid. The difference between Countdown and scrabble is the element of luck/chance. In scrabble, the players have different letters, taking t...

Fiona T

As of this morning, it includes all games up to the end of 2019 . BTW, Dinos is broken due to name changes! What, still? Yesterday I noticed and fixed a couple of cases where the database thinks someone is two different people, and Dinos was one of them. As far as I can tell that's fixed now, unles...

Fiona T

Graeme Cole wrote: ↑Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:18 am
Ian Volante wrote: ↑Fri Feb 07, 2020 8:09 pm How far has this been updated to?
As of this morning, it includes all games up to the end of 2019.

BTW, Dinos is broken due to name changes!

Fiona T

Thanks Graeme!

Mine is 4

Fiona Titcombe...

played Maggie Barlow in the quarter-finals of Series 80...
... who played Gerry Buckley in Series 80...
... who played Jimmy Gough in Series 60...
... who played Kirk Bevins in the final of Series 60.

Fiona T

This is fun Think mine is .... Fiona T played Maggie Barlow in the quarter-finals of Series 80 ... who played Elliott Mellor in the semi-finals of Series 80 ... who played Dino Sfyris in the final of Series 80 ... who played Kai Laddiman in a special episode... ... who played Jon O'Neill in the firs...

Fiona T

Very well played Ian- think John had a shot at winning 8 if he hadn't met you! Good game! Cheers! I don't think he was too upset about losing anyway, if I remember right, from pub discussion later, he was happy enough with how he'd done. Aye, John put up a good show. Should be pleased. Very well pl...

Fiona T

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:35 pm From personal experience (of watching other men very carefully in the toilets),

Gevin type scoring?

Fiona T

I do think DILLIGAF is a better DGAF option than IDGAF. Face. Bovvered.

Fiona T

... looking forward to it being over and going to the pub. Not in a selfish way like. (I don't think.) More pub time is the best argument I've heard yet for a 9R final :D On that note, if people are interested in the dinner, can they let me or George know? If we don't get 30 or so, we'll need to ha...

Fiona T

I don't imagine Alistair Stewart meant it in a racist context - he'd be crazy to have posted it if he did - but that doesn't mean it was not offensive. He would be very aware of the racist associations if he'd thought about it, so presumably didn't think about it - as he said a misjudgement. He's ac...

Fiona T

To publicly answer a few questions that have been received by various channels: 1) Does the venue have plug sockets? There are plug sockets around the rooms, so you should be able to recharge your phone at some point 2) Is there parking at the venue? No, there is no parking, but the venue is easily ...

Fiona T

Toby McDonald wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 6:11 pm
Veronica looks like a good player, could win quite a few, or possibly become the next female octochamp.

Loving Veronica or "wee Vee" as we're calling her in my house

Fiona T

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Jan 29, 2020 12:15 pm OK, as a compromise maybe we can have both championships running alongside each other!

I'm not that bothered (honestly!)

Fiona T

Saturday 25th January saw a record 10 Countdowners take part in the inaugural Doddington Hall parkrun before COLIN. Chris Marshall also took part in his first ever parkrun! And so here are the results out of 396 runners: 9. Gevin Chapwell - 18:28 (909 points) 12. Tim Down - 18:50 (818 points) 52. M...

Fiona T

Howie Myers wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 6:20 am
Thanks for that, but where can I look to find out whether or not a word is acceptable?

https://www.lexico.com/ is the best starting point - there's a few rules the show applies around plurals and comparatives, but this is basically the free version of the dictionary used

Fiona T

I've forgotten much of what I previously knew (if a drunken sojourn onto apterous is any guide), and the dictionary seems to have been polluted by many varieties of nonsense, but I think I might come to this and soak up some nostalgia given it's a mere 5 minute stroll from my flat. Excellent. All t...

Fiona T

[4. Unluckiest Winners (I suppose) Do we need a special category to cater for the Philip Aston dilemma? i.e. Someone who applied at the right time (approx peak form), did well on TV, but can still be considered unlucky due to *something noteworthy*.] Well another contender for that category must be...

Fiona T

From my series, I'd add John Ashcroft to the list - I was convinced he'd make octo and hope we see him back on in the not too distant future.

Fiona T

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:58 am
Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 9:10 am We're very excited to be able to reveal our lunchtime diversion!

JCP, aka Destra will be performing Eurovision hits for your enjoyment! It's gonna be awesome and I can't wait!
*withdraws sign-up*

You can go hide in a nearby bush if it's not your thing.

Fiona T

We're very excited to be able to reveal our lunchtime diversion!

JCP, aka Destra will be performing Eurovision hits for your enjoyment! It's gonna be awesome and I can't wait!

Fiona T

Quarter of the places gone folks - don't leave it too late!

Fiona T · Re: Countdown in London (CO:LON) - 16 May 2020 ...

Fiona T

James Robinson wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 8:17 pm Celebrity Countdown returning this Monday at 6:55pm on More4, and will be on EVERY day that week!!

Every day? So a repeat somewhere?

Fiona T

Nice. 3 2 1 took me much longer than it should have!

Fiona T

I'd be interested to know how much different it is. Let's say we start a business together and make £100k profit in year 1. What would be the difference between us paying ourselves £12k salaries and taking £76k out in dividends, vs. paying ourselves £50k salaries? I'm not being lazy... genuinely ca...

Fiona T

What sort of company thinks that 23:15 on Christmas Eve is a good time to send out your updated privacy notice and terms and conditions.

Fiona T

I know this is a bit of an aside, but having an extra thing called National Insurance is just an added complication. Functionally it's no different from just being part of income tax so they might as well incorporate it in. Nothing needs to materially change. It's completely pointless having a sepa...

Fiona T

75% was a nice round number that took the overall picture into "profit" vs. the status quo. What about National Insurance? Are you abolishing it or keeping it the same as it is now? I know this is a bit of an aside, but having an extra thing called National Insurance is just an added comp...

Fiona T

Political parties aren't like favourite colours - it's not a purely subjective thing as to which is better. And just because a party is mainstream it doesn't automatically make it acceptable. If you accept that a party can be a force for bad, then it's perfectly possible that a mainstream party can...

Fiona T

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 1:49 pm
Fiona T wrote: ↑Wed Dec 18, 2019 11:54 am Not sure vegans celebrate the 14th March in the traditional way
Wow. I'd never heard of that before.

Well you're vegetarian, aren't you?

Fiona T

Yes. On a superficial level. But there is still the question of why Tory remainers were less likely to change their voting habits than Labour leavers. It's not enough to say it's just because. And I do think that must come partly down to how Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party were seen generally. N...

Fiona T

I hate to throw a pedantry spanner in the calculation works, but 40 weeks is counted from the first day of the last period with conception typically occurring around 14 days after. So you're gonna have to go to 13 March for "the deed". Not sure vegans celebrate the 14th March in the tradit...

Fiona T

Ian Birdman wrote: ↑Thu Dec 12, 2019 12:15 am
Ah you never know who may appear...

Fiona T

Well I was told by a researcher when I got 8 that if I couldn't make the filming dates for the finals, I would be able to appear in the next series finals. Whether that would have actually happened, I've no idea! But it would certainly have made things even more difficult! Having spoken to Corrina o...

Fiona T

I would say monochrome Mary has earlobes, whereas elixir of youth technicolor Mary does not.

Not the same person.

Fiona T

Had my first proper apto dream a few nights' back - think it was the night before Sam's quiz. We were doing a quiz and standing 15-1/election type podiums. It's a bit hazy until the point where the only two players left are myself and Graeme Cole. The final 'question' required the contestants to thi...

Fiona T

4th numbers alt (75+4)*(10-2)-50/5

Fiona T

Very impressive champion; I'm puzzled though. The wiki has him listed as an apterite, presumably a very highly ranked one. Normally that means there's a number of fellow-apterites on these spoiler threads commenting on games and offering support, especially if it's a young player. Yet it's seemed v...

Fiona T

The phrasing in the email was "We have no plans to screen any more episodes at the moment but the series will be returning next year."

Fiona T

The final CO-event of the year happened in Wolverhampton Saturday, and a whopping five of us did the wet Wolverhampton parkrun beforehand. Here are the results out of 321 runners : 7. Gevin Chapwell - 19:09 92. Jonathan Wynn - 26:24 256. Fiona T - 34:42 Er, I can't seem to find Callum or Bradley in...

Fiona T

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2019 10:23 pm My favourite facebook hobby is saying yes to Countdown people who add me because I'm too polite, and then removing them 6 months later when not a word has been spoken between us, in real life or on Facebook. As the kids would say, miss me with that.

Note to self: Check friend list in May 2020

Fiona T

I do go through mine intermittently and drop anyone I really don't know and haven't interacted with (e.g. recently dropped guy from Australia that I met on a cycling holiday but had absolutely zero interaction with for the last 4 years). I used to aim to keep my friend list to <= 100, but have given...

Fiona T

Tell me more about the egg round. I'm a city boy and have never heard of it. Sounds impractical on a bike Basically you had to build up your own round - knock on doors and ask people if they wanted "fresh farm eggs" delivered weekly. Became a bit of a tongue twister. I think the minimum o...

Fiona T

What do we count as jobs? The egg round I had at 15 till I fell off my bike and broke the eggs? Post leaving school - Cleaner 3 days (sacked, was rubbish) MaccyD's 4 months. MoD 4 years. Local council 10 years (with two privatisations/takeovers) Mail order wine 10 years - good times and lots of wine...

Fiona T

goodbye is listed as a synonym.

Fiona T

If you started a small business, wouldn't you pay corporation tax (which is much lower)? Unless you decided to pay yourself a pointlessly huge salary instead. Of course corporation tax would be dramatically increased under the Jono/Jim regime as well. And how do you think money gets from the busine...

Fiona T

I endorse this proposal wholeheartedly. A 75% tax rate on earnings over 50K kills aspiration. Why would anyone start a small business, with all the risk and all the extra work bother? If you started a small business, wouldn't you pay corporation tax (which is much lower)? Unless you decided to pay ...

Fiona T

James Robinson wrote: ↑Fri Nov 22, 2019 2:21 pm
I would assume the main entrance and ask for the aforementioned International Suite...

Ah, that was the bit I missed - ta.

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