Fierce_LiNk

Cheers for the post, duuuuude. I'll look into the local colleges and see what's on offer there. Thanks for that, that's really helpful. I've heard of the standardised levels before, but I had/have no idea how you go about obtaining them. It's one of those things that I wish was a little bit clearer, or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough. I'll look and see what the Dutch equivalent is! I know what you mean by the last paragraph of your post. Part of me is thinking "what is the point?" But the other part of me thinks that it would be really useful to have on your CV. However, maybe I'm overthinking things and just simply having Dutch or Spanish or Italian on your CV is enough and you don't necessarily need the grade/level/qualification. I'm probably not going to need it, unless I decide that I'm going to move abroad or something. Hmm. I'm in the same sort of predicament with music stuff and am wondering whether or not I should do the formal grades. Part of me can't be arsed, but the more sensible part of me thinks that maybe having the qualification is useful. Does it sound better to say "I am B1 in Dutch" rather than "I can speak Dutch", for example? Hmm. I'll look into it a bit more and if it becomes too expensive or time consuming, I'll do something else. I'm going to carry on learning the languages anyway and the goal is that I'll be able to speak (+read, write, listen) to the languages...I guess the piece of paper is just a physical representation of that.

Put Trippier on the bench this week as I wasn't convinced that he'd be starting, seeing as how he didn't start for some reason last week. Fucker only bluddy scored today. Typical! I've also transferred Kevin De Bruyne out due to his injury and have got Mane in there. I was tempted to put Sane, but Pep rotates his attacking lineup so much that I can't really afford to take a chance on him. I've already got Bernado Silva in there and part of me is wondering if he'll do the business for me. We'll see!

We're at @Eenuh's house in Belgium and a huge mouse just appeared downstairs. We were planning to watch a film downstairs but I've just nope-d right out of there and we are now safely locked away in her room about to watch something cheerful there. We couldn't find it when we (Eenuh) looked for it and I'm half wondering whether it actually made it upstairs in her room and is here somewhere waiting for me. Fucking hate it, maaaaaan.

Just watched the gameplay video of this. Hnnnnnngggggggg, this is going to be so good. May have to put this down as a Christmas game. Can already see myself waking up extra early on weekends to play this like I did a little bit with GTAV.

We had fun looking at the players to go into that team. It's weird, we were shopping for humans. They had prices and everything! I gave @Eenuh a few tips here and there (don't choose Schneiderlin, he'll give you NOTHING) and we looked at stats from last season, other people's teams, lots of googling and swapping players in and out. Basically, she based the team around Vardy, Lukaku and Salah, which isn't a bad strategy, tbh. Part of me was very proud with the "Shall I put Wilson (Bournemouth) in there. I think he usually does quite well!" Not going to lie, I think she's chosen a very solid team there. There's goals to be had with that team and I think the likes of Alonso, Maguire and Van Aanholt will pop up with a few goals here and there to give extra points. Jealous that she's managed to sneak Lukaku, Vardy and Salah in there.

I don't want to get on IGN's back at all, because I think that they have responded to this really well and can't really be faulted with how they've handled this. But, why was this guy hired in the first place? On what credentials exactly? I don't really follow the ins and outs of IGN and all of their podcasts, etc. To me, it just looks like they've hired a random YouTuber to be their Nintendo editor. Is there more to it than that?

I was expecting about 10...people. So, I think this is good. I really don't know. Let's just agree that the answer is yes. Forget what the question is. I've already forgotten. Have you? Remember: yes.

Good going, duuuude. The pushups point is interesting. You'd be surprised at how many people struggle to do them and I bet the percentage that can't do them or find them very difficult is higher than you think. Pullups are the other ones which I think many people would find very difficult, if they weren't already doing some form of fitness regime.

Man, I really don't get it. Surely it's harder to sift through other reviews looking for a relevant quote, constantly switching tabs back and forth between reviews (yours and theirs), highlight, copy and paste them into your review than to just write it yourself. That Moriarty video earlier sums it up by saying that surely everyone has an opinion when playing a game. Could it be that he never actually played these games to begin with? What was he doing with his time when he should have been doing his job? There are so many questions and I doubt he'll ever answer them honestly.

What the fuck? Have you got a link to that one? This is next level stuff now. Imagine stealing somebody's review for Debbie Does Dallas and trying to pass it of for...Cars 2. Or the new Paddington film.

The trust part is the most important bit. Especially in this day and age where you can fact-check information or just do a quick and simple google search. It's very naïve to think that you could get away with stealing somebody else's work, especially to the extent that has been done in this case. Hopefully this will act as a warning to others to not even contemplate doing anything in this manner in the future. I feel bad for IGN that they're having to go to all of this extra work and effort to fix this mistake, especially his colleagues who have worked beside him. This must be so embarrassing, especially as more and more information just seems to be coming out!

Ana did it better. Have to agree that it has been somewhat interesting seeing this all unravel. Especially that "prove it" plea in his non-apology video...which hilariously backfired. It's like a better version of that Cheaters program, tbh.

I spent way more time on the map maker for Timesplitters 2 than I actually did with the single or multiplayer game itself. I'm one of the rare bunch that belonged to the "meh" camp. I just found it very unsatisfying to play and the weapons didn't do an awful lot for me. I spent ages with it hoping I'd get into it, but nah, it wasn't for me. Will give it another go in the future if a remake or sequel comes about. This is good news for the many who enjoyed it, however. There's potential there for a remake or even a reboot of the series and I'm sure with the current technology available they can make it an even grander experience. So, hooray!

Less scandalous is that his part relating to California State University in the Education section on his LinkedIn profile is simply lifted from their Mass Media course page. You could almost forgive him for lifting some parts of a job description from a template somewhere, because I imagine that there are tons of people out there who do that, or something similar. There are plenty of CV templates out there, for example. But, to take entire sections and not even change or alter the wording or layout is hilarious. It just reeks of laziness, tbh. His LinkedIn page is still up, so you can see it for yourself, which is what I did. I'm amazed how he got his job at IGN in the first place. On what credentials exactly did they hire him?

I love Zidane and he is one of my all-time favourite footballers. But, it's a country that he's not familiar with that much, and his only other managerial experience has been at Real Madrid. It's a huge job for him at Man Utd and before we just give him the job because he's Zidane, we have to look at the problem properly and identify whether he's the man to fix that problem. Let's say that the problem comprises of three parts: 1. Is he able to construct a team and coaching them to play attacking football or any other type of attractive style? - Will Zidane be able to do this? Moyes, Van Gaal AND Mourinho have all been criticised for this. What does Zidane bring to the table that can solve his problem? We have seen Moyes' football which focused on wing plays, Van Gaal's possession football and Mourinho's counter-attacking football based on a defensive first mindset. What style does Zidane bring? Will his way be a better way than what we've had before or have now? 2. Can he get the most out of our players, by motivating them and challenging them to become better? - There are so many players in our squad who are in need of this. In addition to that, there are lots of young players who have the potential to get better, but need coaching in order to do so. Could Luke Shaw and Darmian be better players with the right coaching? Martial? Rashford? Lingard, etc. Is he a coach or is he somebody who will bring players to the club, or will he be a master tactician? At United, you pretty much need to be all three, which may mean that the club needs to modernise their approach. I've often thought that there are issues with the club's hierarchy and there's a problem with how the players have been coached post-Ferguson, or even towards the end of his tenure. Do we need a Director of Football? This sounds like it's on the cards as we speak. 3. Can he get the results and be able to win games to challenge for the title? - We finished second but so far behind City, so I can't honestly say that we challenged for the title last season. In fairness, nobody else got close last season. We've seen that Zidane has been able to win Champions League trophies, but what about the league? Well, he finished one single point behind Barcelona in 2016 (but wasn't in charge for the full season), then won the league in 2017, then finished 17 points behind Barcelona in third place. Can he do it in England where there are other talented managers under pressure to win the league? City are expected to win every game, Liverpool are expecting big things of Klopp, as are Spurs of Pocchetino and Chelsea also brought Sarri in to win the league. There are 6 teams vying for it, which is a very different prospect to La Liga where it's mostly Barcelona and Real, with Atletico being an outside by highly competitive third option. So, in short, I don't know if he is the right man. I think many fans expected Mourinho to be the right person to come in and toughen up the team, as well as making them more competitive. It's highly arguable whether or not he has achieved that. If the answer to all three of those questions is yes, then maybe the next question should be "When?" Is it a bit unfair to sack Mourinho after one game, especially when he has won that game? Is it unfair to the current manager, the players, the fans and the new manager, baring in mind that the transfer window has closed? I've often thought that there should be a transfer window for managers, like there is one for players. Maybe the right thing to do would be to see the season out and think about a change then. My problem is if we are thinking of a change now, why didn't we do it earlier in the Summer? Zidane was available then and we already knew where we stood with Mourinho. So, I feel that we have to back him this season because he is the current manager and should be given the opportunity to do his job, if he still feels that he is the one to do it.

There's something about that type of film (Alien) and the way that the pace is managed that I just love. It's similar to films such as Night of the Living Dead where there's more of than not something not happening than action taking place, but you always get the feeling that something "could happen", in a not too cheap or unrealistic way. But, I love that. I think I've seen Alien over 30 times in my lifetime, including at the cinema for Halloween where they showed the Director's Cut for the very first time. I don't think the pace is for everyone and there will be some that find it boring. But, I've always found it fascinating. I would probably say that it's my favourite film of all time, or at least in that group of films which I hold up very high. Aliens, The Terminator and Terminator 2 are all perfect action films and are all very different to each other. The Terminator is just an excellent thriller and I LOVE Michael Biehn's role within the film, as well as the casting of Arnie and Linda Hamilton. As for which film is the better sequel (Aliens or T2) that is a really, really, reeeeeeally hard question for me to answer. I love all of the films mentioned and they are all important parts of cinema history for me. I think the effects in Terminator 2 probably just edge it for me...I think. I dunno, both are extremely quotable, the set pieces are brilliant and they both have extremely satisfying endings/pay-offs. Ahhh, don't make me choose. Alien Isolation was pretty much perfect for me and was exactly what I wanted. It took me back to the world of the first film and the aesthetics, sound design and atmosphere were inch perfect, imo. Also, the pacing fits in with the original film. It's sloooow at times, but you know that all it takes is a second or some kind of wrong decision at the wrong time to end in death. I remember one instance where I wanted to check if the Alien truly would appear anywhere. So, I think I hit a cannister or a wall about four or fives times. Within moments, I could hear the Alien crawling through the vents above me and it came down and promptly ruined me. I just remember thinking to myself "I fucking love this game, bwaha". I only wish that Colonial Marines had been better. That game looked the business and should have been to Aliens what Isolation was to the original. Gutted, tbh. I don't think there's been a single game which has managed to get the look and feel of Aliens just right. AvP2 is still the closest, but that's dated as hell now.

Watch Alien, but make sure that it's the Director's Cut. Then, watch Aliens, make sure that's the Director's Cut, too. After that, watch the Theatrical release of Alien3. Once you've done that, watch the Extended version of Alien 3 and in between read all of the issues that they had with making the film, including the rewrites, changes, and how David Fincher now disowns the film and the fan reactions surrounding it. I saw the Theatrical release first and didn't realise that there was an extended cut, which is pretty much an entirely different film, with a lot of changes in the middle section and a completely different opening. Theeeen, forget that there have been any more films in the Alien series and live your life in bliss. Once you've done that, watch Alien again because it's one of the best films ever made. Then, watch Aliens again (EXTENDED) because it's one of the best sequels ever made and has redefined the sci-fi/action genre) You are very welcome, in advance. Once you've watched Aliens and agree with years of analysis that it's the gold standard for action films, read the proposed initial script for Alien 3 (featuring Bishop as the lead). It's fairly long, about 70-100 pages from what I remember) but it's worth it to see the Alien 3 we didn't get. Apparently they're making that into a comic this year, so that's something at least. It's actually a joke how much better Alien Isolation is compared to any of the films past 3. Alien Isolation is miles, miiiiiiles more in line with the original film than Alien Covenant was, which is retarded given that it's directed by Ridley Scott.

I had an epic moment similar to yours where the Alien came out and slaughtered some humans, whilst I hid out of the way. I can't remember which mission it was as it was long ago, but towards the second quarter of the game. I just came out of hiding to then complete my mission/get to where I needed to be. Part of me felt bad for the humans, but then it was either them or me. I don't think cutting some of the length of the game would have been a terrible idea. It's definitely long enough, so I don't think it would hurt too much. I did really enjoy the pacing during the final few missions and it was tense as hell, with an open ending to leave room for more. I just hope that they stay true to the spirit of this game and go for the same sort of vibe. I didn't get around to playing the DLC, but I did watch a run-through of it on YouTube the other day in fact (timing is perfect) to see what I missed out on and I'm very tempted to give it a go. It looks great.

Man, those working joes scared the crap out of several times during that game. I don't think the interactions with the other humans was that, though. Think there's even a trophy if you don't kill a single human in the game, so they are avoidable. I think I ended up killing two, but didn't have much of a choice due to how I managed to fuck myself over and get cornered somewhere. I LOVE the atmosphere in this game. I just love the idea of basing a game around Alien rather than any of its sequels, and Creative Assembly absolutely nailed the atmosphere, looks and sound of the universe. I really hope that we get a follow-up to this, as it has been rumoured time and time again, but nothing concrete seems to have come up yet. From what I remember of the game, it was pretty long and I remember feeling exhausted by the end of it. But, I also found it difficult to calculate how much of that time had been spent making progress or was spent hiding from the Alien. There was one three-hour playthrough that I remember where I had to make it through three or four rooms and corridors, but I was playing soooo cautiously, hiding in every locker or under a table at every opportunity. I remember feeling a real sense of accomplishment having made it to the end of that section, as it was so tense and nerve-racking.

Whilst I wouldn't mind at all Bournemouth finishing that high up the table, I'd not be too pleased if that's where Man Utd finished.

Only just catching up with all of this, including the non-apology video and the further accusations. This is proving to be a very interesting case study in how not to handle a crisis situation from Miucin's perspective. A truly horrendous car-crash of a video from him and to not actually admit or even apologise to the original victim shows you the quality of his character. He will find it very difficult for the rest of the industry (fans, writers, gamers) to feel any ounce of sympathy towards him, largely due to his lack of remorse shown in that video. I've just watched that HD Rumble video along with reading the relevant NeoGAF post. We are officially in SillyTown now. There's no doubt dozens of other instances of plagiarism out there, just waiting to be found. This one could really drag on.

Man City walked the title last season, so there's a lot of work need to be done by their rivals to catch up. Liverpool have invested heavily this Summer and look to be in the best position to challenge. United have brought in Fred and we also had Sanchez in January. There's a lot of underperforming players there who need to start performing, so I feel that it's really up to the manager in this case to determine how well we do this season and how much he can get out of the players. But, it's been a bad transfer window for us, imo. Arsenal have got players in and have a new manager. Chelsea have a new manager. Spurs are the exact same as last season. I think for them, the priority is on finishing top 4 again. I just feel that if they had been a little more adventurous in the transfer window, they could be pushing City for the title, especially as the timing is about right for them to challenge for honours. It's a step backwards for them, imo. What happens if they finish 5th or 6th next season? It just reeks of complacency.

I wonder how much of a factor all of the stadium struggles have contributed to the lack of signings at Spurs this season. It's...odd that nobody came in at the club.

Am in Belgium for about 2 weeks. Time to put my learning into practice and impress.

@ArtMediocre, awesome post. Thanks for that! That Squire Jazzmaster just looks fantastic. I googled the prices for all of the guitars that you have mentioned and immediately thought "looooool, there's no way @Eenuh would let me get these anytime soon!" Have to get the wedding out of the way first! I'm quite in love with that Voodoo for some reason. I'm sure that it sounds fantastic, too. Guitar and drum porn really is the best!