Search found 2895 matches

by Ben Wilson
Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:23 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Countdown in Lincoln 2009
Replies: 167
Views: 17424

Re: Countdown in Lincoln 2009

Corby's put his name down! Yay! Would be good to meet you Jon, if you can make it I have? :? You said 'yeah, sounds good' or words to that effect in apterous chat and I took that as a provisional entry. If you do decide to come along I'd hold onto the place if I were you because I'm down to just on...
by Ben Wilson
Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:20 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COGST Plate unofficial 3rd place play-off: Sfyris vs Wallace
Replies: 3
Views: 1086

Re: COGST Plate unofficial 3rd place play-off: Sfyris vs Wallace

David O'Donnell wrote:I wonder if Ben and I should have done a play off too?
Yeah, go on then. Catch me whenever I'm on apterous. :)
by Ben Wilson
Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:12 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoliers for Friday 31st October
Replies: 29
Views: 4501

Re: Spoliers for Friday 31st October

Howard Somerset wrote:Looks like at least three of us saw this, and posted in three different threads. But mine was first. :D
The 'merge topic' mod option is a wonderful thing. :)
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes
Replies: 39
Views: 5578

Re: Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes

I have to admit when he was first on I thought it'd be a case of 'great man, no-so-great DC guest' but now I'm convinced his greatness knows no bounds. :D
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:10 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: People quitting games when they're losing
Replies: 17
Views: 2805

Re: People quitting games when they're losing

I don't know about anyone else, but I just find it easier to play against the computers. You can play them any time of day, they don't stall picking letters/declaring words and you can end rounds earlier and have quicker games :) And if you pick a piss easy opponent all the time you'll never lose. ...
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Championship of Champions XIII -- Official Draw
Replies: 81
Views: 9912

Re: Championship of Champions XIII -- Official Draw

Games 1 and 3 are the stand-out games in that draw, and the prospect of a Doddy/Briers quarter-final is immensely cool. My money's on Corby though. :)
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:20 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Super Cool Funny Jokes
Replies: 144
Views: 18623

Re: Super Cool Funny Jokes

Why did Richard Brittain cross the road? He absolutely positvely didn't: the photographs were faked. If you look closely at them you will see crosshairs evident but there are none on Richard's person in the photos implying that his image was super-imposed upon a pre-existing photo of a road crossin...
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:11 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: History repeats itself
Replies: 27
Views: 3331

Re: History repeats itself

I don't think Craig can walk into a future C of C event, it doesn't really work that way. Am not sure he would want to either to be honest. I think after this one, we'll not do any more C of C's anyway. I have a better idea lined up. Am I being presumptuous in thinking 'SC2'? :) Answer: yes. I'd be...
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: History repeats itself
Replies: 27
Views: 3331

Re: History repeats itself

To be fair he has snagged a place at the world scrabble championships, which will rightly require his full attention, but on the other wise of the coin, the worlds aren't until NEXT FRIGGING NOVEMBER. Three days out in ODE-land isn't going to hurt.
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:10 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Feature requests
Replies: 1956
Views: 433077

Re: Feature requests

Or, alternatively, it could just derive your declaration from the workings-out in the panel? It would save irritation like this. And then when people put brackets in the wrong place and give a method that actually evaluates to something completely different, they'll wonder why they ended up declari...
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:00 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: No God on the bus.
Replies: 83
Views: 9330

Re: No God on the bus.

As an agnostic I'm half-tempted to get a campaign started to put a sign saying 'who gives a shit either way?' on the buses. :)
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:32 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Monday 27th October
Replies: 17
Views: 2213

Re: Spoilers for Monday 27th October

I see that NODE doesn't actually list FANNY as a verb except in the phrase 'fanny around' - I think that single words from expressions aren't usually allowed. However I can understand why Susie didn't show us the entry on the pencam. :lol: :D **[afterthought]I think they allow FANNIED though, too, ...
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 27, 2008 6:30 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Feature requests
Replies: 1956
Views: 433077

Re: Feature requests

Maybe an option to type your numbers declaration after the time, with a patience bar thing. I tend to just click on the target right at the start in case I forget later. Then I try and work it out but if I fail I have to change the answer which reduces the amount of time I actually have to do the w...
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 27, 2008 3:16 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: What would you put into Room 101?
Replies: 60
Views: 6398

Re: What would you put into Room 101?

I have more than a few things I would like to put into Room 101- Shopping Centres being very near the top of the list- but right at the top would be Harry Enfield. The man is a talentless gurning twat with possibly the most punchable face in the whole of the UK. :evil:
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 26, 2008 11:03 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Nicole HUTCHINGS!!!! & How do you become a recapper?
Replies: 16
Views: 2921

Re: Nicole HUTCHINGS!!!! & How do you become a recapper?

Hi, Giles! Welcome! I believe a child prodigy on Countdown beat your mom, but it's still nice to have you here! What? Stewart Holden? Nik Von Unspellable, who I think lost in the quarter-finals, can't remember who to. But yes, I was about to say, the name rang a bell- will have to let Mr. Holden kn...
by Ben Wilson
Fri Oct 24, 2008 5:20 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Friday, 24th October
Replies: 34
Views: 3988

Re: Spoilers for Friday, 24th October

Well done on Octochampdom Charlie, and commiserations to your washing machine after that close one. ;)
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:53 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers -- Thursday 23rd October
Replies: 34
Views: 5500

Re: Spoilers -- Thursday 23rd October

R9 RAMEKINS- I thought this was what Charlie was fishing for, in fact.
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:37 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Official Thread of Brag
Replies: 1176
Views: 167128

Re: Official Thread of Brag

In a speed game (10s) I'm pretty sure I've buzzed in (didn't get it though) on something like 11.6 seconds.
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:35 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: October's Daily Duel
Replies: 73
Views: 5431

Re: Daily Duel

Julie T wrote:I think that Charlie's gone to off to the finals, but, if not, or if anyone else knows if it can be fixed:
I was declining a challenge, and accidentally declined the duel instead. Can it be retrieved?
TIA hopefully,
Julie
Try logging out and in again, it might work.
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:10 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Drink of water
Replies: 27
Views: 3969

Re: Drink of water

If you believe some, the 'arrogant sipping of water' is quite an epidemic amongst certain contestants... :roll: ;)
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:51 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COGST Plate final - Reams vs. Gardner
Replies: 6
Views: 2114

Re: COGST Plate final - Reams vs. Gardner

http://www.apterous.org/viewgame.php?game=6652 We're still having a debate about TINKLER as we think it might actually be a dictionary error as it's been allowed before on Apterous... can anyone look at this? Not in ODE2r as far as I can tell, certainly not anywhere near the entry for TINKLE, that'...
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:07 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: C4C celebratory topic
Replies: 40
Views: 3114

Re: C4C celebratory topic

We're having vast quantities of new members registering as well (no doubt helped by the fact that it is half-term and the plug was at the end of the show so people can instantly jump onto the site)- 23 in the last hour alone. I reckon over the last seven days we've had something like 200 new members...
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:03 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: CoC XIII Discussion Thread
Replies: 114
Views: 15023

Re: CoC XIII Discussion Thread

If this keeps up we won't need any speculation, we'll already know precisely who'll be going down. :D

...Anybody got a spare ticket to the recordings? ;)
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:22 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Which mailing list was best?
Replies: 10
Views: 1813

Re: Which mailing list was best?

Indeed- research suggests zefcountdown was just an online persona, and a website last updated seven years ago, which introduced recaps to the world in much the same way an elephant with a paintbrush introduced us to portraiture. Countdownonline, however, was a mailing list where, if you didn't post ...
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:36 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Which mailing list was best?
Replies: 10
Views: 1813

Re: Which mailing list was best?

Please tell me that was never a real mailing list. If it was my bowels may well commit hara-kiri.
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: C4C celebratory topic
Replies: 40
Views: 3114

Re: C4C celebratory topic

Just to be geeky and statto-like, the actual target you should be aiming for is 16 812 posts- as this was the very post number in which Charlie announced the (re)birth of c4c- http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/c4coun ... sage/16812

Either way everyone seems astonishingly accurate!
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:15 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Cat Puzzle
Replies: 7
Views: 1572

Re: Cat Puzzle

972, I think. You need to work through the list of cubes, multiply each one by 4, check its a square number and if so divide by 3 to get the answer. 9^3 = 729 is the first cube this works for (4*4^3 = 256 is a square too, but doesn't give an integer when dividing by 3). 1 also works but fails the s...
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:11 pm
Forum: Games and Puzzles
Topic: Cat Puzzle
Replies: 7
Views: 1572

Re: Cat Puzzle

972, I think. You need to work through the list of cubes, multiply each one by 4, check its a square number and if so divide by 3 to get the answer. 9^3 = 729 is the first cube this works for (4*4^3 = 256 is a square too, but doesn't give an integer when dividing by 3). 1 also works but fails the s...
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:25 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: CoC XIII Discussion Thread
Replies: 114
Views: 15023

Re: CoC XIII Discussion Thread

Paul Howe wrote:
Damian E wrote:Actually, its FAR too soppy. Will get in touch asap re C of C. :mrgreen:
Haha, fair enough. Hey, you're not getting in touch with ME about the CofC are you? Because that would be a whole new way to piss Bolas off. Just saying. :)
Supreme Championship II, anyone? :D
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Are contestants seeded from the beginning of the series?
Replies: 19
Views: 3246

Re: Are contestants seeded from the beginning of the series?

Maybe we just need a disclaimer, 'all views expressed in these posts are those of the sarky git who posted it and not those of c4c in general, and definitely not Damo's, Granada's or Channel 4's.'
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:01 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Are contestants seeded from the beginning of the series?
Replies: 19
Views: 3246

Re: Are contestants seeded from the beginning of the series?

I've seen posts from Damian stating it both ways- that contestants aren't seeded in the heats by ability, but earlier he stated that certain contestants are given priority placement- often (at least in times gone by) at the start of a series (think Allan Saldanha, definitely Scott Mearns, Tom Hargre...
by Ben Wilson
Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:17 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: Countdown in Lincoln 2009
Replies: 167
Views: 17424

Re: Countdown in Lincoln 2009

Website is now up-to-date with all current entrants- still just the three spaces left so stick your name down quick if you're interested- everyone who emails from #43 onwards will go onto a waiting list and be given spaces as and if they become available.
by Ben Wilson
Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:05 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Foreign place names in the UK
Replies: 7
Views: 2498

Re: Foreign place names in the UK

There's a New York in Lincolnshire. :)
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:41 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: October's Daily Duel
Replies: 73
Views: 5431

Re: Daily Duel

Actually it's not max scoring only, it's 'only winners score', which means all you have to do to score the point is beat your opponent's declaration.
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 9:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Welcome! - Post here first
Replies: 1961
Views: 1026537

Re: Welcome! - Post here first

Joseph Bolas wrote:Welcome to the forum Martin Bishop, Caroline Foord, Andy Thomson and John Douglas (think thats all of them :lol:).
As well as welcoming all new users, allow me to congratulate Mr. Bolas on (unsurprisingly) nabbing c4countdown's 15000th post since the move to the new forum! :)
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 3:26 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October
Replies: 43
Views: 3908

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October

Great stuff, I got SPREADERS but missed INCUBATES - disappointed Charlie missed the 2nd numbers though. What's the biggest winning margin anyway? That game when DOD left someone with about 15? I was particularly amused by the rounds when the challenger was clearly risking his 7 (or whatever) and th...
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:55 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October
Replies: 43
Views: 3908

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October

(10+1)*5*5+8-1- that's also 282.
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:47 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October
Replies: 43
Views: 3908

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October

Charlie said on facebook that this'd be a corker... I think I can see why!
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 2:40 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October
Replies: 43
Views: 3908

Re: Spoilers for Thursday 16th of October

I did R5 the same way as Charlito at first, then spotted the challenger's way and felt a right berk...
by Ben Wilson
Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:55 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Which football team do you support?
Replies: 84
Views: 10071

Re: Which football team do you support?

I support the future League 1 20th-placers, Lincoln City. :D
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:12 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 15 October (Reams' debut)
Replies: 51
Views: 6045

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 15 October (Reams' debut)

A fine debut, congratulations, and much more to come I'm sure. For some reason though, watching you made me feel nostalgic :( Just noticed the swarm of 257 people who were online earlier today. Yesterday I spent a few befuddled moments wondering what caused the previous record of 28 sometime in May...
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:36 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Apterous Prime
Replies: 5
Views: 1783

Re: Apterous Prime

Au contraire, Prime is quite beatable, I've taken it to crucials on many occaions (and typically screwed them all up).
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:41 pm
Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
Topic: Spoilers for Wednesday 15 October (Reams' debut)
Replies: 51
Views: 6045

Re: Spoilers for Wednesday 15 October (Reams' debut)

Joseph Bolas wrote:
Most users ever online was 257 on Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:34 pm
I think Charlie's plug of the site worked :P
6 new users in 3 minutes kinda agrees with you!
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:07 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: ratings
Replies: 37
Views: 4216

Re: ratings

It might be a good idea to make all conundrum attacks unrated. It's certainly true that the bots are underrated for 15 rounders. For example Apterous Rex is rated below Kirk, but I can't imagine it losing to Richard Pay. Still, forcing certain games to be unrated would be a pretty ad hoc fix. Shoul...
by Ben Wilson
Tue Oct 14, 2008 4:02 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Who has an ODE2r?
Replies: 17
Views: 2339

Re: Who has an ODE2r?

They were half price in WH Smith a while ago, that's where I got mine, so it might be worth shopping around if you have a spare £15 and are in need of one.
by Ben Wilson
Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:57 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: Connection problems
Replies: 136
Views: 15009

Re: Connection problems

I can't get in either, alas.
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:32 pm
Forum: Off-topic
Topic: Your ebay items for sale (if you have them)
Replies: 1
Views: 780

Your ebay items for sale (if you have them)

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/merchant/hulla_m ... omZQQ_mdoZ

Just in case anyone here was a fan of Andromeda or fancies some cheap retro video games. ;)

(Yes, yes, I know, it is a cheap plug. :oops: )
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 12, 2008 11:00 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COGST QF- WILSON vs HOWE Now with shiny RECAP!
Replies: 13
Views: 2232

Re: COGST QF- WILSON vs HOWE Happening Tonight!

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm baffled by the offerings in round 11. Round 11: S S P Q A I O P D C1: qipaos C2: papsids OT: DIPSOS (6) OPPIDA (6) Score: 71–78 (max 95) I thought these might've been Scrabble words, but I can't find them in the dictionary. Qipaos is bad no matter the diction...
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:08 pm
Forum: Countdown - Events
Topic: COGST QF- WILSON vs HOWE Now with shiny RECAP!
Replies: 13
Views: 2232

Re: COGST QF- WILSON vs HOWE Now with shiny RECAP!

Indeed- well done Paul on nabbing your revenge. :p I'm really pissed off about missing round 10, and OXIDATE is one of the more baffling omissions from the ODE, but all in all, I was beaten by the better player on the day.
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 12, 2008 3:16 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: A few general queries
Replies: 16
Views: 3085

Re: A few general queries

I have to say I thought Tom meant "finalist" in the sense of "player taking part in the series finals" i.e. quarter-finals onwards, but maybe I was wrong. Does cause confusion though, this overlap in meaning. Ah- I thought he specifically meant 'grand finals', otherwise the list...
by Ben Wilson
Sun Oct 12, 2008 1:03 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: ratings
Replies: 37
Views: 4216

Re: ratings

How are the ratings exactly worked out? However it works, the bots seem to get the shitty end of the stick. Prune has had a negative ranking for a while now and Waldorf has fallen pretty quickly down into the low 100s; OK, he's not a brilliant player, but this seems unrealistically low. Even Plum a...
by Ben Wilson
Sat Oct 11, 2008 3:00 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: A few general queries
Replies: 16
Views: 3085

Re: A few general queries

David O'Donnell wrote:Tim Morrissey was very young too, right?
He was, but he didn't reach the final (amazingly)- got knocked out in the semis. He later won the c of c though.
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:31 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: A few general queries
Replies: 16
Views: 3085

Re: A few general queries

An old friend who I met the other day seemed convinced I was the youngest finalist in the show's history but told him otherwise. I said at the time I was the 4th but 3rd at the time - anyone know an exact answer? Alan Saldahna and Wayne Summers before me? And Andrew Perry. Richard Saldanha was (iir...
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:25 pm
Forum: apterous.org
Topic: General feedback
Replies: 284
Views: 52465

Re: General feedback

Ian Volante wrote:I find it much harder to play Plum than Caesar. Does anyone else?
Already well-documented mate, in this very thread no less. :)
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:35 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Today on Countdown
Replies: 56
Views: 4599

Re: Today on Countdown

My cousin's son is called Kai - not sure what relation he is though - anyone know? First cousin once removed iirc. Quick way of working it out- number of generations back to find a common ancestor-1 (e.g. shared grandparents= first cousin, shared great-grandparents= second cousin). The 'removed' pa...
by Ben Wilson
Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:13 pm
Forum: Countdown - General
Topic: Today on Countdown
Replies: 56
Views: 4599

Re: Today on Countdown

No one has mentioned that Kai is a very unusual boy's name in the UK. The only one I have ever heard of before is Kai (or Kay) in the Hans Kristian Andersen tale and the 2002 film version. p.s. I played a woodpigeon in a 1964 junior school production of it 8-) Anyone know of any others? Al It is ga...