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Off Topic The "Discuss Anything Else" Thread

Discussion in 'Horse Racing' started by OddDog, Jun 23, 2013.

  1. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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    I don't know if anyone is into card games, but I've just now found a game called "Oh Hell" on a site called Trickster. What an amazing game. It's like 500 or euchre but played as no trumps. The card turned is the suit. 19 hands to a game. First hand 10 cards, next 9, then 8 etc down to 1 card, then back to 2,3,4 etc to 10. I've only played twice, but I'll be back for plenty more.
     
    #7761
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  2. QuarterMoonII

    QuarterMoonII Economist

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    I still think that the women will be a little way behind the top paid men. They did not disclose how much they had reduced the men’s salaries by (the four of them being news and current affairs presenters) but it could be as much as a fiver a week. As they were all on at least £50,000 more than the top paid women, there is still something of a gap.

    It was reported at the same time that the BBC was just falling into line with the market. In the commercial TV sector, the salaries of newsroom people have been declining as audience figures decline with more and more people getting their news online.

    The top paid stars at the BBC are still male, with Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Chris Evans, via his production company, raking in over £2m; and chat show host Graham Norton coining it in as well. The top paid woman is reportedly Claudia Winkleman on six figures. How do women expect sexual equality in a commercial market?

    Amongst backroom off-air staff, the BBC does actually pay men and women the same money for doing the same job, which is actually what the law intends.
     
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  3. QuarterMoonII

    QuarterMoonII Economist

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    Darts: PDC to scrap walk-on girls after broadcaster talks

    So it would seem that the protests by women are going to deny some women the opportunity to make a living by simply being glamorous and escorting darts players to the oche. As far as I am aware none of these models have been groped and there always seems to be a couple of burly minders.

    Presumably the dolly birds will be dropped by every sport. It is only a matter of time before Miss World is abolished because who wants to see beautiful women when we can go to Saudi Arabia and see Botoxed camels.

    I wonder if the women were being paid the same as men doing the same job... what men? Should women darts players not be escorted by Chippendales in tight lycra?
     
    #7763
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  4. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    Cyc, I will stick to "Hearts", it's the only card game I know. Games played on my old PC now into the thousands, and am holding my own at 57% games won against the three opponents. One thing I do know, that Mr. East is one crafty and cunning s.o.b., and Mr. West can be a pain in the ass. Mr. North and Mr. South seem to be extremely honourable "Hearts" players.............<whistle> <laugh>
     
    #7764
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  5. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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  6. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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    Every time I start mine up in the garage, I scorch the friggin wall. The wife is ashamed to be seen in it and every mutt in the area is scared ****less each time I stoke her up. (The car, not the missus.)

     
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  7. Chaninbar

    Chaninbar The Crafty Cockney

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    So what's the view with this VAR trial folks. I watched the 'highlights' of the Liverpool game last night on MOTD and even the edited version took too bleeding long. Looks to me that the current system just isn't suited to football and even though decisions will be more accurate the overall impact is negative thus far.
     
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  8. Chaninbar

    Chaninbar The Crafty Cockney

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    **** me indeed <laugh>
     
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  9. QuarterMoonII

    QuarterMoonII Economist

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    I think that the main problem with VAR is the same as every other sport has had: too many cooks spoil the broth.

    They should have the “video official” who disputes the call. That takes seconds because he has seen the TV footage.

    What should then happen is the actual referee (the guy on the field with the whistle) goes over to the touchline and watches the replay on a TV monitor and decides whether he made a wrong decision. If he did, he can change it. If not, the decision stands.

    That process would result in a situation where the on-field referee is always responsible for what decision is given. Just one person is to blame.

    Although the decisions were ultimately right in the Liverpool game that does not escape from the fact that in an earlier VAD game the “off field” decision was wrong, which entirely undermines the premise for video replay. They learned a long time ago in American Football that the guy in the replay booth gets it wrong as often as the guy doing it real time.
     
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  10. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    Yep, doesn't seem to work too well with the roundball game, certainly does OK with Rugby Union and Ice Hockey, and you could say the camera helps in Tennis as well. As for American Football, irrelevant really, enough silly interruptions in this game, which have gone on long before the use of video replays? That's why I always preferred the Canadian version, much faster, with far less bullshit.
     
    #7770
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  11. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    Capitalism at its worst, surely? Shades of 70/80 years ago too? Think it fair to say that it is difficult to understand why the car manufacturers, who commissioned these research people**, didn't show enough interest on what was going on during these diesel fume tests, instead of showing revulsion when everything was all over? Typical of big business nowadays:

    **"The tests were requested by the European Research Group on Environment and Health in the Transport Sector (EUGT) — a now defunct organization founded by German carmakers Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW."

    http://www.dw.com/en/german-scientists-involved-in-toxic-diesel-fume-tests-on-humans/a-42346854

    http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-car-industry-going-from-bad-to-worse/a-42352373

     
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    Last edited: Jan 29, 2018
  12. Sorry Swanny, only just seen this. I'm not convinced the video ref does ok with rugby union to be honest. For me it's making some refs a bit lazy as they know they don't have to make difficult decisions and can just rely on the technology. It also shows the game down - how many times have you watched a match, looked at the clock and suddenly realised the half lasted an hour?! Still, by this afternoon when the teams come out at Cardiff and Paris I probably won't care about it...
     
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  13. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    Good points, Dan. Have to admit I only watch international RU so am indeed no expert. Do agree that on occasions referees make the video replays hand-sign when it is certainly unnecessary, as the incident is so obvious that, even if he did not notice it, one of his linesmen should have. Question, can the 4th referee in the clouds talk to the ref. on the pitch even if he is not asked?

    Edit: Yes, after watching the weekend 6-Nations games, I guess they can!
     
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    Last edited: Feb 5, 2018
  14. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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    The ship captain does am amazing job turning broadside into the seas so the pilot has a decent shot at leaving the ship. Data is a bit hard to find, but it seems that pilot injuries and mortality rates are well above most other vocations.

    If you look closely near the end, you can see him coming down the ship's ladder. End story is that he found it too dangerous to disembark and stayed aboard.

     
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    Last edited: Feb 5, 2018
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  15. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    Yes, very dangerous for them quite often, Cyc. In my old job booked 'Pilots' scores of times for rig workboats and once, the guy had to be 'offloaded' miles and miles away from his home port! The sea had become just too rough for him to disembark onto his tiny vessel.
     
    #7775
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  16. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    The Premier League is not the only one which has some really great goals. Here's a few from La Liga in Spain last September............."Bueno, bueno, bueno, GOOOOLLLLLL!! <laugh> <laugh> Never tire of hearing Spanish-speaking commentators, just great! Oh, oh, you might have to go to YouTube yourself to get this clip?

     
    #7776
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  17. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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    The English born actor John Mahoney who played Frazier's dad Martin Crane has passed away at age 77. Here's a cracking scene from the show.

    RIP Mr. Mahoney. <rose>

     
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  18. Cyclonic

    Cyclonic Well Hung Member

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    Elon Musk's SpaceX has successfully launched it's Falcon Heavy, powered by 27 engines. It's payload, Musk's red roadster, a Tesla electric car. It's expected to orbit the sun for hundreds of million years. The landings of the two side boosters was amazing. Sadly, only one of the three landings engines on the third booster engaged, leaving it to miss it's landing on the drone ship. It crashed into the ocean at 300 mph, missing the drone by about 300 feet.

    What a beast.

     
    #7778
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  19. SwanHills

    SwanHills Well-Known Member

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    #7779
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2018
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  20. bayernkenny

    bayernkenny Well-Known Member

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    Have been viewing video clips of the Carnival supplied by the various establishments I frequent in Koln; Gaffel am Dom, Fruh am Dom and the Hard Rock Cafe. Cannot wait for the 24th March for my return.
     
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