Search found 209 matches
- Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:33 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: United States of America
- Replies: 61
- Views: 6114
Re: United States of America
30 years ago, some Canadian relatives took me and other family members on an awesome 7 week trip through USA and Canada. The US leg was N Dakota, S Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and Montana... Highlights were Mount Rushmore, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Arches Nati...
- Fri Sep 11, 2009 7:06 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Derren Brown - The Events
- Replies: 584
- Views: 71181
Re: Derren Brown - The Events
The explanation looks pretty good. I think a few magicians will be slightly concerned about the use of trick photography - it is not really considered "the done thing". But I suppose Blaine and Copperfield have done it as well... And DB is honest about being dishonest - he doesn't claim to...
- Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:21 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Derren Brown - The Events
- Replies: 584
- Views: 71181
Re: Derren Brown - The Events
Any "prediction" that is only revealed after the event has happened is going to be some sort of conjuring trick, usually sleight of hand. (But I'm sure he's use technology if he thought it best.) I didn't watch the programme, but did video it so maybe I'll spot something... I have seen his...
- Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:06 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: What would your entrance music and nickname be?
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3708
Re: What would your entrance music and nickname be?
"My walk on would be the same as my darts walk on which is Kylie Minogue's The Locomotion with me dancing the moves, swinging my hips, jumping up and jumping back as appropriate." What, no YouTube link...? I would like the shower-scene music from Psycho and I would be "The Ripper"
- Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:10 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Wednesday 2nd September 2009 (Series 61, Prelim 33
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1562
Re: Wednesday 2nd September 2009
"Paul does a card trick that makes Susie go "Wow!" with a boxing glove."
Susie went "wow" with a boxing glove?
Susie went "wow" with a boxing glove?
- Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:06 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Favourite Platonic Solid
- Replies: 42
- Views: 4338
Re: Favourite Platonic Solid
Dinos said "Bucky Ball for me "
Yes - me too! Just try naming it though.....
Yes - me too! Just try naming it though.....
- Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:04 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers For Bank Holiday Monday August 31st 2009
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3668
Re: Spoilers For Bank Holiday Monday August 31st 2009
"Kevin, as we discussed on here for most of last of week, it is the correct Countdown spelling. It may not be the correct scientific spelling, but ESTROGEN isn't allowed on the show, as the dictionary defines it as the American spelling" I have now looked it up - that is true, but will be ...
- Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:16 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers For Bank Holiday Monday August 31st 2009
- Replies: 30
- Views: 3668
Re: Spoilers For Bank Holiday Monday August 31st 2009
"We all wanted some OESTROGEN!!! P.S. That's the correct spelling!" Er, no it isn't. The correct scientific spelling is now "estrogen", but I don't recall if Oxford draws attention to that. It does with the analgous sulfur/sulphur problem. It isn't really "oe" - it's th...
Re: Dilemmas
"If the motorway overhead gantries are warning me of impending doom (well, a queue/accident/closure) up ahead - should I stay on the motorway and hope a decent diversion has been set up, or hope it will have miraculously cleared by the time I get there or it maybe hope it just mightn't be too b...
- Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:25 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Pick a number from 1 to 10
- Replies: 42
- Views: 5436
Re: Pick a number from 1 to 10
The Chessbase (providers of databases for chessplayers) website recently advertised a competition where the many readers were asked to select a number between 1 and 100 where the winner would be the person who got closest to 2/3 of the average of ALL the guesses. They also asked you to give your che...
- Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:13 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Conundrum Affixes - A Statistical Approach
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3319
Re: Conundrum Affixes - A Statistical Approach
Thanks Dinos
(for LEITMOTIV)
(for LEITMOTIV)
Re: Good deed
Well done Jon! Very tenacious, I think after a while you think, "I've started so I'll finish" I tend to agree with Phil about correcting the waiter's error etc., if the service/food has been awful, they don't deserve the correction, but if it's been good or somewhere you go a lot, you poin...
- Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:09 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Conundrum Affixes - A Statistical Approach
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3319
Re: Conundrum Affixes - A Statistical Approach
That is interesting... So when I got "Neighbour", it was doubly interesting as it starts with "N" and the ING is mixed up... Perhaps someone who's more alert than me at the moment can say what ended with "V"?
- Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:19 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Who's your celebrity twin?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 3942
Re: Who's your celebrity twin?
Ronnie Dunn, one half of the legendary Country act Brooks and Dunn, who have won more CMAs than anyone else apparently.
Right date wrong year include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Whittle, Nigel Short and Bob Monkhouse....
Right date wrong year include Marilyn Monroe, Frank Whittle, Nigel Short and Bob Monkhouse....
- Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:05 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Which song topped the charts when you were born ?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 4067
Re: Which song topped the charts when you were born ?
"'I Believe' by Frankie Lane was my No.1 on 31st August 1953, so it really dates me. It was something of a classic and was top of the charts for a record 18 weeks (not consecutively). I am happy to be associated with it. " Yes me too - he specialised in ballads, so his absolutely brilliant...
- Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:01 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Which song topped the charts when you were born ?
- Replies: 26
- Views: 4067
Re: Which song topped the charts when you were born ?
Those yet to post might find http://www.everyhit.com/dates/index.html useful.....
Re: MENSA
"I have a general aversion to IQ as a concept because summarising one person's intelligence as a single number seems obviously bullshit to me (Gödel numbering notwithstanding)." Quite agree (and would also have been annoyed by their snooty attitude and by their junk mail) Doing the puzzles...
- Tue Jul 28, 2009 7:04 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Children's Programmes
- Replies: 20
- Views: 2892
Re: Children's Programmes
The Magic Roundabout!
- Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:15 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Torchwood: Children of Earth
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2288
Re: Torchwood: Children of Earth
It did bother me that it took these geniuses a very long time to work out what the weakness of the aliens might be, when it was pretty obvious from their name! Cabinet meeting was good - the one about starting the Iraq war might have been similar (except Blair didn't have cabinet meetings in case an...
- Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:04 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Reappearances
- Replies: 94
- Views: 10034
Re: Reappearances
Hard luck Philip - it's certainly unfortunate to have an audition scheduled and then have it snatched away. Nice avatar. I did have my doubts about people getting a second go - there might be ill-feeling from the large number of people (every octochamp is responsible for at least 7 people losing the...
- Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:13 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: The backwards thread
- Replies: 63
- Views: 3851
Re: The backwards thread
Did anyone else think Jon's comment was a bit over the top? If I were a moderator I might look at what he said and whip it out or blue pencil it. We don't want to corrupt young Kai so he starts making unseemly or suggestive comments, do we?
- Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:32 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: What's the best car you've ever had?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 6439
Re: What's the best car you've ever had?
"I liked my Fuego too, especially its quirky "European" (ie odd) features like the hidden door levers (hardly handles), the hatch release in the door jamb and the bonnet release in the glove box. Or was it the other way round? " That sounds familiar - the other good thing was the...
- Mon Jun 22, 2009 1:17 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Series 61
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3044
Re: Series 61
"No not a all, just saying you seem to be there quite a lot. Do you live nearby?"
There might be a clue in his "location"!
There might be a clue in his "location"!
- Fri Jun 19, 2009 11:25 am
- Forum: Countdown - Spoilers
- Topic: Spoilers for Thur 18 June 2009 [Series 60- 2nd SF]
- Replies: 50
- Views: 4500
Re: Spoilers for Thur 18 June 2009 [Series 60- 2nd SF]
BUTANOLS would be ok, as there's butan-1-ol and butan-2-ol; but there's only one isomer of each of methanol, methanal and ethanal so they should be mass nouns.
- Fri Jun 19, 2009 7:18 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Thursday 18th June 2009 (Series 60, Semi-Final 2)
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1073
Re: Thursday 18th June 2009 (Series 60, Semi-Final 2)
Hmm, PROPANOLS? There is a propan-1-ol and a propan-2-ol, so I suppose they are propanols! And I missed bentonite as well.
- Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:26 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: What's the best car you've ever had?
- Replies: 31
- Views: 6439
Re: What's the best car you've ever had?
It's a long list..... Morris 1100, Hillman Minx, Ford Capri, Renault Fuego, Rover 216, Volvo 340, Austin Metro, Audi 100 (inherited from my father), Audi A4..... so I have bought a different make each time. The Rover by coincidence had the registration C480LGC and I work for a company called LGC, sa...
- Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:15 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Monday 15th June 2009 (Series 60, QF 3)
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2330
Re: Monday 15th June 2009 (Series 60, QF 3)
"Also ADENINE is a mass noun so ADENINES is dubious. I wouldn't accept."
I agree - you might use a plural informally, e;g; "There are 27 adenines in this fragment of DNA", but technically that's wrong. We have had this argument many times about other chemicals....
Kevin
I agree - you might use a plural informally, e;g; "There are 27 adenines in this fragment of DNA", but technically that's wrong. We have had this argument many times about other chemicals....
Kevin
- Fri Jun 05, 2009 11:38 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: I feel good.........!!
- Replies: 32
- Views: 3062
Re: I feel good.........!!
Well done!
- Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:50 pm
- Forum: Other game shows
- Topic: Countdowners On Other Quizzes
- Replies: 253
- Views: 188558
Re: Countdowners On Other Quizzes
Chris Wills and I did Brainteaser as well (luckily on diffeent days). Also, Dave Ledger won £3K, having previously had one appearance on Countdown....
- Tue Jun 02, 2009 5:45 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Divided (new ITV quiz show)
- Replies: 42
- Views: 3929
Re: Divided (new ITV quiz show) -SPOILER 2/6/09
Oh dear - they thought the Battle of Culloden was when?!
- Thu May 28, 2009 12:22 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Photo of Rachel and Random Baldy Bloke
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2121
Re: Photo of Rachel and Random Baldy Bloke
"Haha, should I go on there and post that line which has now been removed?"
Maybe not - but you could post an appropriate moving graphic you have used before...
Kevin
Maybe not - but you could post an appropriate moving graphic you have used before...
Kevin
- Wed May 27, 2009 11:06 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Photo of Rachel and Random Baldy Bloke
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2121
Re: Photo of Rachel and Random Baldy Bloke
Accusing Jon of having a dodgy shirt is a bit cheeky from someone who only watches the programme to perv on Rachel....
- Fri May 22, 2009 11:05 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Tuesday 19th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 73)
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1905
Re: Tuesday 19th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 73)
Equally brilliant......
- Thu May 21, 2009 7:14 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Tuesday 19th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 73)
- Replies: 13
- Views: 1905
Re: Tuesday 19th May 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 73)
"I learnt about basilisks reading Harry Potter 2 but I must have missed a chapter because Susie says a basilisk has lethal gays "
Brilliant!
Interesting that "gaze" and "gays" are homophones...
Brilliant!
Interesting that "gaze" and "gays" are homophones...
- Tue May 19, 2009 12:41 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Numbers Order
- Replies: 8
- Views: 1727
Re: Numbers Order
"In some ways I wish they'd adopt the same approach with the letters, at least for the first 7 (which are forced, albeit in some permutation, to be CCCCVVV) but I suspect changing something so visible would activate far too many Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells." A good point - I wonder if th...
- Mon May 18, 2009 11:35 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: TV Licence Funtime
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1336
Re: TV Licence Funtime
Where do we start? One of my former colleagues has a black and white TV, and got a visit from the TV Licensing Nazis, who said he only had a B&W licence, so he said, "I have a licence appropriate to the equipment used", then they demanded to see the TV. He slammed the door in the bloke...
- Mon May 18, 2009 11:09 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Cheeky post
- Replies: 12
- Views: 2201
Re: Cheeky post
I just bought the Hodges biography of Turing (having got it from the library ages ago). I can't help feeling the "suicide" verdict was due to bias..... I work close to the National Physical Laboratory and can just imagine the looks on the faces of the management when he proposed building a...
- Wed May 13, 2009 11:38 am
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Gender
- Replies: 44
- Views: 2862
Re: Gender
The Polgar experiment was interesting. I suspect many girls/women don't play chess because of the appalling attitude of a lot of organisers and other players. I have heard organisers saying that we must encourage more female participation, and then they say they are organising female-only events, wh...
- Wed May 06, 2009 11:01 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Unfortunate names
- Replies: 37
- Views: 4361
Re: Unfortunate names
...And did they live up to their name?
- Wed May 06, 2009 7:00 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Unfortunate names
- Replies: 37
- Views: 4361
Re: Unfortunate names
Many years ago, there was a funeral director in Hull called Boddey or Boddy...
- Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:22 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: The Weakest Link: The Dinos Sfyris Story
- Replies: 18
- Views: 4668
Re: The Weakest Link: The Dinos Sfyris Story
Really interesting Dinos
but I think you meant RAF was the youngest not the oldest!
Shame you didn't win
Kevin
but I think you meant RAF was the youngest not the oldest!
Shame you didn't win
Kevin
- Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:16 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Light up and enjoy a fag?
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2741
Re: Light up and enjoy a fag?
I should have looked it up first! It was Red Ingle and the Natural Seven, but he did perform for some time before that with Spike Jones and the City Slickers, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ingle so that would explain it. A Google search revealed a Youtube hit as well which might be w...
- Sun Apr 26, 2009 5:34 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Light up and enjoy a fag?
- Replies: 25
- Views: 2741
Re: Light up and enjoy a fag?
I had wondered about inhaling all the smoke from the engine, but obviously inhaling smoke deliberately and deeply from a cigarette is worse than coal smoke when you have a reasonable source of oxygen! I may be wrong, but I think it was "Red Ingle and the Natural Seven"? I have the record s...
Re: Y'know...
Phil is right - it goes back a long time. I recall a BBC interviewer, wearing a suit and speaking in a plummy accent, talking to a young person, who said "y'know" or "y'know what I mean" at least once a (short) sentence. The BBC man even said "yes" a couple of times. It...
- Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:49 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Street View thread
- Replies: 34
- Views: 4174
Re: Street View thread
Street View is giving great entertainment... One woman is filing for divorce, having looked at her best friend's house and noticing her (the first woman's) husband's car outside. A driver of one of Google's vans got upset when people started taking photographs of him, which he called an invasion of ...
- Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:23 am
- Forum: Games and Puzzles
- Topic: Countdown Scattergories 7
- Replies: 36
- Views: 4804
Re: Countdown Scattergories 7
Sorry I missed it - jetted off (or in this case propellered or pistoned off) to sunnier climes for a few days...
I think the spelling rules are ok as they stand - it doesn't seem a great hardship to spell correctly in a word game!
Kevin
I think the spelling rules are ok as they stand - it doesn't seem a great hardship to spell correctly in a word game!
Kevin
- Thu Apr 09, 2009 11:13 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Health and safety on the railways? It didn't exist
- Replies: 74
- Views: 9206
Re: Health and safety on the railways? It didn't exist
Great stuff George - and I would think that many organisations have similar problems...
Kevin
Kevin
- Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:10 am
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: The Curious Race of Jenson Button
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2088
Re: The Curious Race of Jenson Button
Suddenly it was racing again. And you saw all the race, no more "while you were watching the adverts, this happened!"
However, I think those that did well may get disqualified over this row over diffusers, or whatever it is. FIA don't like straightforward racing...
However, I think those that did well may get disqualified over this row over diffusers, or whatever it is. FIA don't like straightforward racing...
- Sat Mar 28, 2009 5:09 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Small Furry Animals
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1785
Small Furry Animals
I note that Michael Wallace and Charlie Reams are now sporting small furry animals as avatars... I am sure there is a good reason for this. I was thinking of heading the topic Pet Shop Boys, but in these days of "Political Correctness" you can't joke like that... Hopefully I won't be hound...
- Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:59 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Four Times More
- Replies: 28
- Views: 2731
Re: Four Times More
"Fill in" a form is correct as you are completing the form. People "fill out" if they get heavier. "Fill out a form" is an Americanism, which should be sufficient reason not to use it! You use "fewer" for numbers, so "8 items or fewer" is right (as u...
- Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:00 am
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Tuesday 24th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 33)
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2890
Re: Tuesday 24th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 33)
Thanks - I'll try to remember to watch it... Or I could just contact the chessplayer!
- Wed Mar 25, 2009 6:40 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Tuesday 24th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 33)
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2890
Re: Tuesday 24th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 33)
Any idea where the challenger came from? There is a Krishna Mehendale who plays chess in Surrey...
- Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:07 pm
- Forum: Countdown - General
- Topic: Countdown Lookalikes?
- Replies: 390
- Views: 234282
Re: Countdown Lookalikes?
Jon Corby - Pete Sampras
although less so nowadays, probably a conscious effort from one or the other...
although less so nowadays, probably a conscious effort from one or the other...
Re: Equinox
Indeed - but it does remind me of the chap on TV a few years ago who got carried away with the drama of whatever he was talking about and said,
"It wasn't just a long time - it was an entire equinox."
Makes you think.
"It wasn't just a long time - it was an entire equinox."
Makes you think.
- Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:26 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: A Question of Genius
- Replies: 43
- Views: 8530
Re: A Question of Genius
I was a bit worried today that Kirsty was doing an Anne Robinson - i.e failing to pronounce words correctly. e.g. "Mendeleev" was given as "mender-leave" rather than "Mender-lay-eff". Of course they could have given her the Mendeleyev spelling to make it obvious! But be...
- Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:34 pm
- Forum: Countdown - Current recaps
- Topic: Monday 16th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 27)
- Replies: 7
- Views: 1547
Re: Monday 16th March 2009 (Series 60, Prelim 27)
Completely missed "olefinic" - it is an archaic term, but I still kicked myself! Not sure I would have risked "partaker", as I have never seen it used.
- Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:49 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Obscenity democracy
- Replies: 205
- Views: 30750
Re: Obscenity democracy
Feel free to bring in sexism as well! And ageism..... The trouble with comparisons is that they don't work 100 % of the time. "Afro-Caribbeans" tend to run faster than "Europeans", "Europeans" tend to swim faster than "Afro-Caribbeans", and men generally play ...
- Thu Mar 12, 2009 6:58 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Obscenity democracy
- Replies: 205
- Views: 30750
Re: Obscenity democracy
George makes a valuable point - the whole "equality" industry is based on discrimination. According to its adherents, you have to treat non-white people better than white people or you have to treat women better than men. If you take an honest approach you treat people equally. We had a Un...
- Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:36 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Obscenity democracy
- Replies: 205
- Views: 30750
Re: Obscenity democracy
"Barbie is a male stereotype of women."
Er no, Barbie was designed by Ruth Handler 50 years ago. Barbie is not just a model, she has been doctor, teacher, soldier etc. It could be argued she empowers women...
Kevin
Er no, Barbie was designed by Ruth Handler 50 years ago. Barbie is not just a model, she has been doctor, teacher, soldier etc. It could be argued she empowers women...
Kevin
- Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:14 pm
- Forum: Off-topic
- Topic: Obscenity democracy
- Replies: 205
- Views: 30750
Re: Obscenity democracy
"A racist cuddly toy..." It seems to be the perception now... I think the original comment was no worse than saying Boris Johnson looks like a Teddy bear, or some vacuous starlet looks like a Barbie doll. Of course, Barbie has a black friend (Francie), so I guess if you were talking about ...