c4countdown

From a little known Scottish football blog by Pat Anderson.

"I see my favourite quiz, The £100k Drop, is back on, but they’ve fucking ruined it. It looks like they’ve weeded out all the thick cunts that made the show so entertaining. It’s boring as fuck now. It’s the opposite problem with Countdown. There seems to be a conveyor belt of sad fuckers these days, whose whole lives have been devoted to appearing on the programme. No Harry Potter or anything for these cunts; they’ve been reading nothing but the dictionary since they were children. The guy that’s on it just now is like a fucking machine with the words he comes up with. They should give the cunt a good slap and throw him out the studio by the scruff of the neck."

James Haughton is the damned recipient of this faint praise.

https://paddyontherailway.wordpress.com ... can-share/

Am I being stupid but surely what he's just described is the same problem, rather than the opposite problem? If he's saying that there's not enough 'thick people' on the 100k drop anymore, and then complains the standard on Countdown is too high.

I think his point is that both are problems. Countdown is rendered unplayable by the high standard, and the drop is unwatchable because of the low one.

Richard Brittain

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... s-21012795

Martin Hurst wrote: ↑Tue Dec 10, 2019 2:33 pm Richard Brittain

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... s-21012795

What a weird sicko he is.

Jesus... The article mentions he's in a psychiatric ward, and I really hope he gets all the help he needs, as judging by the article, he has a long, long way to go.

Can't believe nobody posted this. Stop the fucjing presses.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/m ... 152079.amp

Slow news day I suppose!

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:32 pm Can't believe nobody posted this. Stop the fucjing presses.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/m ... 152079.amp

I did on my channels at the time, I think you’ll find...

I find it really strange - but maybe I shouldn't - that Robbo's tweet got covered by at least two news sources, with links, yet the tweet still has absolutely no likes or retweets, and just one comment (someone telling him it isn't funny). Mad disparity.

On Christmas Day, too.

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2020 11:15 pm I find it really strange - but maybe I shouldn't - that Robbo's tweet got covered by at least two news sources, with links, yet the tweet still has absolutely no likes or retweets, and just one comment (someone telling him it isn't funny). Mad disparity.

Desperation for content trumps pretty much anything nowadays...

https://twitter.com/mattletiss7/status/ ... 2738713601 Seems a bit like Matt Le Tissier has gone off his rocker.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/53536189

You can discern who this mentions without even clicking the link.

Noel Mc wrote: ↑Sat Jul 25, 2020 7:28 am https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/53536189

You can discern who this mentions without even clicking the link.

Was watching this live last night. Appalling behaviour by Van der Voort and apologising saying it was a misunderstanding is bllx also as Kirk clearly told him what the issue was at the time. Also credit to Kirk for standing there and just taking the gammon shouting and pointing at him after the match - I would have told him to bugger off.

Van der Voort comes out of this looking like a proper tool, while Kirk (as always) acted correctly and professionally throughout.

There's a video here of the incident and another shorter one but with English commentary where you can hear Kirk more clearly.

Not necessarily "news", but forgot to mention that Elliott Mellor came up as a potential candidate on this year's edition of The Masked Singer https://twitter.com/markgrimshaw16/stat ... 1869405184

https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/04/countdow ... -13370774/

Just wanted to mention this article as we finally get to learn Susie's real name. Fabulous investigative journalism there from the Metro.

Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:54 am https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/04/countdow ... -13370774/

Just wanted to mention this article as we finally get to learn Susie's real name. Fabulous investigative journalism there from the Metro.

Wow

I always thought it was short for Sushmita. Good to know.

I always assumed it was Charlie, like as in Soosie Reams.

Her name is actually Susannah, she said it aloud during this episode: http://wiki.apterous.org/Episode_1812

Forgot to mention that Phil Makepeace has stood down as the scorer of Surrey County Cricket Club: he's also done 2 test matches in that time.

without the H Andy, according to her email

Not quite the news, but have seen Carol Vorderman doing an ad for Sunlife.

https://www.joe.ie/news/pride-flags-cut ... act-723980

L'oisleatch McGraw possibly?

Good instincts, Mark!

I do think there is a massive pro-wokeness aspect to the flying of the Pride flag, and that it is overkill to dedicate an entire month to Pride... so yes, I am a prime candidate of someone who might have principles strong enough to have done this.

But no.

In fact, I don't know who did it, or what their motives were... though I know a few likely suspects (assuming it was political and not just wanton vandalism).

https://www.dekyas.com/lockdown-boredom ... wn-victory

If anybody wants to read the worst winners article of time enjoy...

Adam Latchford wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:55 pm https://www.dekyas.com/lockdown-boredom ... wn-victory

If anybody wants to read the worst winners article of time enjoy...

Haha that reads like it's been put through google translate and back!

Giles Hutchings in a bit of a Twitter spat. https://twitter.com/vampthebs/status/14 ... 03139?s=21

Oliver Garner on BBC2 this morning (and BBC World right now) talking about Wordle. They captioned him as 'former Countdown contestant', which is a bit like captioning someone like Medvedev as 'likes to play tennis'. Is captioning the right word here? I don't know.

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 12:44 pm Oliver Garner on BBC2 this morning (and BBC World right now) talking about Wordle. They captioned him as 'former Countdown contestant', which is a bit like captioning someone like Medvedev as 'likes to play tennis'. Is captioning the right word here? I don't know.

About 50:30 here for anyone who wants to avoid repeating my search for this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... 9-01022022

Nice. How did he become the go-to guy?

Thomas Cappleman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 2:22 pm

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Tue Feb 01, 2022 12:44 pm Oliver Garner on BBC2 this morning (and BBC World right now) talking about Wordle. They captioned him as 'former Countdown contestant', which is a bit like captioning someone like Medvedev as 'likes to play tennis'. Is captioning the right word here? I don't know.

About 50:30 here for anyone who wants to avoid repeating my search for this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m ... 9-01022022

Already "gone" or not available or whatever. Odd. "Sorry, this episode is not currently available"

Matt Morrison wrote: ↑Wed Feb 02, 2022 8:59 pm
Already "gone" or not available or whatever. Odd. "Sorry, this episode is not currently available"

It really wasn't that bad

Was a nice, decent length chat with Ollie about what made wordle a success, what could be improved (nothing according to Ollie - IMO cross device stats (optional registration))

The boy did good - ideal combination of geeky and approachable - nicely done

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live: ... _leicester Jack Hurst on radio Leicester around 9:20am, also talking wordle.

Not the most impressive news, but certainly one of the more bizarre ones.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/20 ... 157861001/

Haha, nice pic. We'll get the story out of you tonight

Thomas Carey wrote: ↑Wed Mar 30, 2022 12:02 am Not the most impressive news, but certainly one of the more bizarre ones.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/20 ... 157861001/

Caption competition:
"Big Cheese heads to Big Apple".

Mark James wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 8:40 am https://metro.co.uk/2022/06/05/countdow ... -16769793/

Excellent!

Point of order tho - HANDJOB is valid in both ODO and CSW

A nice profile piece here on Sky. https://news.sky.com/story/countdown-ch ... a-12767414

Rhys Benjamin wrote: ↑Fri Dec 30, 2022 6:41 pm A nice profile piece here on Sky. https://news.sky.com/story/countdown-ch ... a-12767414

Good article, thanks for sharing.

Unless there are two people of that name who live on that road, then...

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... 0-19453696

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:33 pm Unless there are two people of that name who live on that road, then...

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... 0-19453696

Two people with the same name, on the same road, who are the same age...

Yeah, this one has thrown me. It could literally be any of you now. Spent some time with Jim back in the day at a few COLINs, and got no inkling of this whatsoever. Fuck's sake.

Thinking of adding a "Category:Wrong 'Uns" page to the wiki for ease of reference

Jon Corby wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:44 pm It could literally be any of you now.

Which is why the apterous/co:event safeguarding conversations and actions need to happen

Jon Corby wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:44 pm Spent some time with Jim back in the day at a few COLINs, and got no inkling of this whatsoever. Fuck's sake.

I fear that sexual attraction to children is way way more common that any of us would like to think. It's not something you'd admit to family and friends. It's pretty much now accepted that you can't help your sexual orientation, so must be a pretty distressing and lonely place to be. Of course acting on it is a choice. Help is available but you gotta admit to yourself that you need help. https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/how-we-pre ... ine-works/

(FTAOD "you" above is the generic you - comment not directed at anyone quoted!)

Dearie me.

Looking at the date on that article (December 2020), and some of the case details given in it (which I am not repeating), what concerns me a lot is the fact he has been active on Apterous and here between then and now.

I've split the general safeguarding discussion off to this new thread.

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:33 pm Unless there are two people of that name who live on that road, then...

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... 0-19453696

Yikes. Looking back over Jim's posts on the first page of this topic I've done something that will annoy him, by taking a number of his posts out of context and mashing them together,

JimBentley wrote: ↑Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:34 pm like in the Simpsons episode when Homer was accused of being a sexual predator because of a gummy bear mixup

.

So here are Jim's views on wanking, Jimmy Savile, Savile again,Charlotte Church, age of consent, paedo emails, paedos who are into older children, political paedos and accusing Jon of being a paedo.

That last one has especially pissed me right off. Absolutely fuck that guy, how dare he.

Maybe a candidate for the first de-spooning?

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:33 pm Unless there are two people of that name who live on that road, then...

https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/tees ... 0-19453696

"various message boards, to share and upload images"
Sounds ominous

Another one.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/21143 ... urt-hears/

Mark Deeks wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:35 pm Another one.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/21143 ... urt-hears/

Can remember watching this guy's show- thought he played abysmally. Seemingly more abysmal in real life.

I don't instantly recall the guy.

As far as I can see he's not been on apto, or co-events, so in terms of our community a non-concern. Basically he's just a guy who lost (badly) on countdown.

A couple of points I picked up from the article

"He [the judge] said he could not begin to imagine how Pooley had got any pleasure ‘from this filth’."

I'm very much coming round to the view that paedophiles cannot help their sexual attraction. It's wrong/abhorrent by all societal and moral standards, but not something they've chosen to be. You cannot help your sexuality - you can of course choose whether to indulge it.

"Mitigating, Dana Bilan said her client had no previous convictions, was now working in a laboratory to support his wife and baby"

So he's married and has a child - he doesn't want to be who he is. Pretty much Philip Schofield a few decades ago when being a gay man was (while no longer illegal then still very taboo) acting out the 'normal' lifestyle.

I do think we need to recognise that some (who knows how many - it's not something you'd ever confess) people are attracted to children and that's not something they can help any more than you/I can help finding men/women attractive. Clearly it's something that absolutely cannot be acted upon, but perhaps if it was easier to ask for non-judgemental help, less abuse would take place.

I can imagine the self-justification that viewing porn is different to committing abuse yourself - we've all used that justification (going back to the veganism thread as a similar example where we detach ourselves from the suffering caused by our actions)

IMO to tackle this, is to make it easier for people who feel attracted to children to seek non-judgemental help on controlling their desires.

But not gonna happen - if someone had confessed to being attracted to kids when mine were small, I'd have probably called the police.

I largely agree with that Fiona. Obviously in Jim's case he denied any attraction, though we can't really know. Sometimes it might even be the taboo nature of it that causes the attraction rather than the material itself but I'm idly speculating at this point.

Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:58 pm I'm very much coming round to the view that paedophiles cannot help their sexual attraction. It's wrong/abhorrent by all societal and moral standards, but not something they've chosen to be. You cannot help your sexuality - you can of course choose whether to indulge it.
[...]
I do think we need to recognise that some (who knows how many - it's not something you'd ever confess) people are attracted to children and that's not something they can help any more than you/I can help finding men/women attractive. Clearly it's something that absolutely cannot be acted upon, but perhaps if it was easier to ask for non-judgemental help, less abuse would take place.
[...]
IMO to tackle this, is to make it easier for people who feel attracted to children to seek non-judgemental help on controlling their desires.

Unfortunately this is something of a contradiction in terms. You cannot change people's sexuality (conversion therapy) and thus what exactly can a medical professional do?

Ultimately, whether paedophilia is natural or not, it's irrelevant to the actual crime of possessing/obtaining indecent images of children, or worse. People have complete autonomy over this, and cannot claim that they had no control over their actions.

Unless you change our fundamental understanding of not just the law, but also that of children's brains, children do not have the ability to consent to sex or (admittedly in a bit of an odd legal loophole, as the two ages here are different) creating/possessing indecent images of themselves.

Fiona T wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:58 pm So he's married and has a child - he doesn't want to be who he is. Pretty much Philip Schofield a few decades ago when being a gay man was (while no longer illegal then still very taboo) acting out the 'normal' lifestyle.

Really not comparable for the reasons I outlined above.