Fierce_LiNk

I heard about it, although wasn't it broken by The Sun? So, not sure about the reliability of it. Although, a few of the folks over at BBC 606 mentioned that Defoe, Hutton and O'Hara had all been with Danielle Lloyd, but I don't know how accurate that is either. I was a little surprised at Owen being given the Number 7 Shirt. I would've saved it for someone else, but then...who? Maybe even keep it for when someone else comes in next season, or one of the youngsters.

Haha, that formation is pretty funny. I hear Real Madrid are going to try the same thing next year. Man City, the English Real Madrid...who would've thought it? I did forget about Robinho. There's also the bonus for City that they can play him out on the wing. I really want the new season to start now. Edit: Carlos Tevez has signed for City. It was expected, but it's still sad. It's a shame, as I was a huge fan of the guy. However, the last few months with him at the club were pretty bad. Bad tempered, lots of speculation, and as a fan of the player and team, it was sad to watch. I have my own personal thoughts about the situation, which I have already detailed in this thread.

That's a lot of money. Christ. So, City would have a front-line of Santa-Cruz, Bellamy, Tevez (if the deal goes through) and Adebayor. I wonder if any of them could play together.

I do definitely think that he has gone down in the fan's estimation and respect since last Summer. All the talk about him leaving for AC Milan, and it's not the first time that I've heard an Arsenal fan claim that he is lazy. Do you think he'll go, though? And for 20 million? I don't remember seeing the rant of football focus, I may track that down. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8147852.stm It is pretty damn awful. Dunno how the guy is coping. Thoughts are with him and his family.

Haha, I saw that posted on SkySports and didn't know what to make of it. Ramar, what do you make of it? Do you like the guy?

It's a bit strange that he has come out with this, whilst reports are still flying about with regards to Douglas Costa and Aguero. I do agree with the idea of him being frustrated because of the prices being bumped up. I think the prices of players have been rising in general though, especially with big names like Ibrahimovic and Ribery, which are being quoted as 50million+. Even Aguero is being prices at 35million plus. Actually, it's more like 45. It's insanity.

I watched it the other day, tooooo! It may be too cheesy for many other people, but I seriously love this film. It's dramatic, it's good entertainment, and it makes you smile and cry. I'm leeeeaving On a jet plaaane!

There you go, Sexy_LiNk.

Do that thiiing that was posted on the other page, about doing 100 consecutive press-ups. At the moment, I get to around 45 and my arms fall off. I dunno if thats good or bad, haha.

Go ooooon Raining and Scary Cool Ghost. You can do eeeet. Do eeet naaaw! At the moment, I feel a lot fitter. I was at the gym yesterday, kicking some arse on the treadmill, and one of my brother's mates jumped on the machine next to me. He went for 2 mins at the same speed as I did, then slowed it down to a walking speed, pumped the speed back up for another minute and got off, looking a bit tired. All the while, I was still going. POWWWWER! I need to start upping the speed now, though. I think my stamina is getting better, but I'm now gonna be starting to push myself a bit more. I wish I was playing football or something now though, so I could use my awesome in practice.

Definitely, it is a very broad subject. But, at the moment, I feel sometimes that maybe it is being taught in a very narrow way, just focusing on British History. I mean, look at what Noodleman studied: "Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, The Wild West, Ancient Britain, Medieval History (Charlemagne and co), Medicine through the ages or something like that, Vikings, Anglo Saxons, the Norman conquest and Vietnam." All at Secondary School. See, that's what I'm talking about! You're covering a lot more of the world that way. I always had a fascination with Egypt as a kid, and in Secondary School we didn't touch on this in the slightest. Big disappointment.

According to Fergie, there will be no more Summer signing. It'll probably disappoint some people, but I'm glad as now this will hopefully put more emphasis on some of the youngsters to step up to the plate. In particular, this is where we need players like Nani to really show their quality. I'm expecting big things from Anderson. He played well last season, but wasn't consistent enough.

Well, I sent one message quite a few days ago, and have heard nothing since: "To be honest, this is doing my fucking head in now, and I've got other stuff which I need to worry about. You haven't really listened to a word I have said, and I have stated exactly why I feel that I do not need to pay the money. You're trying to make a fool out of me, and I have shown these posts to other people who have agreed the same thing. There is no proof that the jacket was even Seb's anyway. Honestly, I can't believe how ridiculous this all is. The money will get paid when it gets paid. You and Jack have both gone down in my estimation and in my respect. I have said several times that this was not my fault, I've stood my ground and defended myself. From now on, stay the hell away from me. Both of you." No reply. Tail between the legs by the sounds of things.

I'm glad that paragraph made sense, haha. It's a shame that many people perceive this, and it's ultimately why I tend to not read many reviews, because I don't want to see myself fall into the trap of thinking "oh shit, 6 out of 10, fail!" I guess I may just throw caution to the wind with certain games, but sometimes you need to in order to find the gems.

Importantly, you used the word "perfect" there a few times, to describe a perfect game or a game perfectly in the middle. It may not be possible to get a game "perfectly" in the middle, but you will have a number of games that float around this region. Games which on paper may seem promising but it just doesn't quite deliver in reality. Games which are not broken, but may not warrant full price. You're right though, games that do get 7s should have some sort of merit to them. I think the problem with a lot of gamers is that they automatically think of games (especially exclusives or big-hitters) to be reaching for that 8/9 column. If a game slightly drops off to a 7, they start to get worried. But, in reality, I still think a 7 is a good score. It means the game may need some improvements in the sequel or the company's next project, but that the experience is a pleasant one.

That doesn't mean they're necessarily good games, though. I mean, there are games out there, plenty of games that have decent sound that functions, graphics that enable you to recognise that the character infront of you is an enemy, or have an options screen. I mean, that's pretty basic. When you fork out money, you should be receiving a functioning game in return. It's a bit like paying for a music CD, and expecting there to be tracks that work in your CD player or computer. This stuff is a given. But, the main thing you're looking for in games is quality. You're looking for a positive experience, or a game that offers you entertainment. If the experience is frustrating, or you don't receive that "basic" game, or a game which is broken, then you're looking at using the term bad game.

What do you mean "did everything they needed to"? Do you mean "passable" in the sense that has gameplay that works, graphics that allows us to see what is going on?

I just find that strange, since 50 is the middle-mark. It seems like a lot of places are afraid to give scores like 5/10, though, incase it portrays the game in a bad light. Well, 5/10 just means it's bang in the middle, although I guess things are not that simple. That's what I'm saying though, if a game is deserved of a score like that, then there must be quite a lot that is positive about it. However, if you're feeling underwhelmed by it, or not enthused about playing it, or would rather be playing something else, deeming it a "good game" just doesn't seem accurate, in my opinion. Sorry for taking up your Conduit gaming talk, guys. You better be enjoying this game, or else I will be angry. I want eeeet.

Whether there's 8 deaths or 8000, you should try to look beyond the fact that it's a number. I think of individual people with lives and families, and now they are not here anymore. To us, when someone dies, it may seem like a number, and I guess we don't really comprehend how horrendous it is unless you know of someone involved. I find it horrifying whenever I turn on the news and hear of people being killed in any environment, but I can bet my life that what I feel is nowhere near what the families of those who have passed must be feeling. With the subject of war, again, I probably do not understand it anywhere near as well as any politician or solider out there fighting it. I feel for these guys who are out there. They are serving their country and doing the Government's bidding, and at the very least the Government should be ensuring that they are given the right tools to do the job. If they can't do that, then how they expect the soldiers to do the work to the best of their ability, or how can they ensure that these soldiers will have some degree of safety? When your own Government can't help you, then you just have to wonder who will. On an unrelated note, I was reading up on some background information on the film Rambo, which of course deals with the impact of War (notable the Vietnam War) on the life of a man trying to return to normality. After a bit of website jumping, I came across these two websites: Not All Homeless people are drug addicts and drunks Information on Cold War Veterans "While accurate figures are hard to come by, the number of homeless veterans is about 1 in 3. Sources vary in their figures, even the VA is not sure. One claim is 299,000 on any given night and 400,00 during the year. And 30 percent of the homeless veterans are from the Cold War and Vietnam." I found that shocking and saddening. It makes you wonder exactly what these people are fighting for.

I do see what you're saying, but ultimately, you mark each game on what they do well and what they don't do well. What I was saying that if this game (to some) is bland, lacks that special charm but it still playable, then really you should be looking to put that score somewhere in the "middle." Rather than along the 70s, which to me signifies that it is a good game. It's very hard to try to type my words down, seeing as I have something in my head that I want to say but I can't find the right words. With something like Mario galaxy, you look at the game, every aspect of it and like many reviews that are out there, you grade it in each of these aspects. You judge the game on its sound, its visual, and ultimately how it plays. Now, that doesn't mean to say that all of these categories are equal. A game could have bad sound but may still get a good score, whereas if the gameplay itself was bad, then the chances of it still getting the same score may not be the same. Some reviewers really pick up on the idea of "lastability" for example. In essence, it really does depend on the actual game in question. But, what I'm saying is you look at what the game does, and you base it on that. I'm not saying you give all games that are neither good nor bad 50%, but rather that you should be looking in that region rather than giving it something higher which indicates that it may better than it actually is. If the game really is a bit "blah" to you, would you still classify it as a good game? If every game were perfect, we'd be living in a utopia! Haha. But, the same would still apply. You'd look at each game and see what it does well and where there is room for improvement. I think maybe we got our wires crossed, because when I say "average" I mean being average in terms of being dull or an experience that is a bit monotonous. I don't mean average in terms of compared to the rest of the games on the system. Like, taking the scores of all Wii games and re-working those so that the average was 50%. I prefer to see each game as a standalone.

The fact was about the misconception that the main belief during the middle ages was that the Earth was flat, rather than spherical. Whereas, the idea or notion of the Earth being spherical dated back to the Ancient Greeks, who were the first to speak of this. A lot of confusion seems to date back to the 1800s, where Washington Irving published a book on Christopher Columbus which gave inaccurate information. Columbus didn't set out to determine if the Earth was flat or spherical, but rather the size of the Earth and the location of the East Coast of Asia. He wanted to know this so he could determine an easier trade route for reaching Asia, rather than trekking along through many other countries which would take up time. So, this information is not something that I had previously known. It's not something that I learned in School, because we never did study Ancient Greece, or we never studied other countries outside of our own. Thankfully, between Stephen Fry, Ine, and the internetings, I now know more about this. I will reply to the other posts, too. I thought this would be the easiest to start with as it was the smallest. Out of curiosity, how do Portugal "see" Britain? I mean, when the subject of Britain ever comes up in conversation, is it in a negative light or positive one? I do definitely feel that we are isolated from the rest of Europe. The location of Britain doesn't help, but I personally feel that at times we just prefer to see ourselves as a whole seperate entity. I do think a lot of people outright refuse to catergorise the UK as a part a Europe, but just regard it as something seperate, as if we are in our own continent. I remember I had this conversation with another person, who said that a lot of entertainment, business, news and other such things were primarily in English, so there was no emphasis on us to learn other languages. For the most part, I do think she has a point. One problem I do have is that in school, we are taught "tourist" French or Spanish. So, we're not being equipped with good skills if we ever really needed to use these languages in a context other than visiting the country for a week and returning. Maybe that is why a big proportion of this country will always live within this country, because the language in other countries is a big barrier. I do agree with this, and I guess every country has its fair share of people who are open-minded, or patriotic, or something or other. So, well said. I checked the Newport website, and it says that it's currently around 71% Christian-based, with around 11% choosing not to disclose their religion. Muslims make up 2.8% of the total, but I think this must be an inaccurate value. It seems pretty diverse, but then I think Brighton was also very diverse, but in a lot of different ways. In Brighton, for example in my halls of Residence, I lived with 2 French Girls, A German Girl, 2 other Welsh people and one English boy. There were also a lot of people who came over from Spain or Germany to study, so it was mixed in a different way to that of Newport. I do agree with the last sentence, in that it does prepare you. But, I feel that more should be done to encourage others to be curious about the world as a whole, and not just curious about our own country and heritage. Yeah, we're citizens of Britain, but we're also World Citizens, which is an idea that I just don't think was encouraged enough in school. Yeah, after you leave school, you can do what you like in terms of learning about well..anything. But, school should be more of a starting point than I think it is. Sorry, I think I botched up what I was trying to say in that last paragraph. My eyes hurt, but that was a good post, Aimless, haha.

I don't think he's a hero or scum, and there are a few mixed messages with the show, at least in my own opinion anyway. First off, the show is in its own set routine now, in that each show will definitely feature a lie detector test/result, a DNA test/result or alcohol/substance abuse at some point. It seems to have lost the "shock" factor that I think it may have had in the past. As a result, it's now harder to take the show seriously. Sure, you still feel appalled, but you care less than you would've done in the past. Dare I say it, have we as a society just come to accept the issues that this show portrays? Secondly, this show is broadcast at around half past 9 in the morning, and it's deliberately aiming towards a certain type of audience. Is it a coincidence that all of the guests on the show are job-less or from a "underclass" background? I don't think it is. Some people think that the show "baits" people, and I would agree with this. Thirdly, I think Jeremy does try to point out that there are a lot of problems with the country. He does ridicule a lot of people on the show, but then many others ridicule themselves, walking off stage, swearing, talking back to the host, basically making fools of themselves infront of the audience and country. So, sure Jeremy is making a point, but I think that it is a point that is lost upon many. Why do I think there are mixed messages? Well, personally, I do think he is trying to talk some sense into guests who do have problems. But, it's bordering on farcical. He is now an agony/aunt for the job-less and ridiculous.

The idea for this thread actually came about through an MSN conversation with Ine. For some reason, we were talking about the subject of History, and being taught History in school. When I thought back to my experiences and shared this with her, she was horrified to say the least. I'm going to copy and paste a section of the National Curriculum Website, which details the breadth and content of each subject that should be taught in the classroom, including what children should be learning, skills they should develop, and so forth: "British history 4. the development of political power from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, including changes in the relationship between rulers and ruled over time, the changing relationship between the crown and parliament, and the development of democracy 5. the different histories and changing relationships through time of the peoples of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales 6. the impact through time of the movement and settlement of diverse peoples to, from and within the British Isles 7. the way in which the lives, beliefs, ideas and attitudes of people in Britain have changed over time and the factors – such as technology, economic development, war, religion and culture – that have driven these changes 8. the development of trade, colonisation, industrialisation and technology, the British Empire and its impact on different people in Britain and overseas, pre-colonial civilisations, the nature and effects of the slave trade, and resistance and decolonisation European and world history 9. the impact of significant political, social, cultural, religious, technological and/or economic developments and events on past European and world societies 10. the changing nature of conflict and cooperation between countries and peoples and its lasting impact on national, ethnic, racial, cultural or religious issues, including the nature and impact of the two world wars and the Holocaust, and the role of European and international institutions in resolving conflicts." In pasting that, I have just remembered what started off this conversation. It was to do with a fact that was told on QI, which I did not know, and Ine wondered why I had not been told that in History. My answer: Well...we only ever really learned British History. Thinking back to my experiences, and looking at the information I have just pasted, this is very, very strange. There is a lot of British History, and it takes an awful lot of time in teaching all of this. However...we have sacrificed teaching more about countries outside of our own. With further discussion, I mentioned to Ine that sometimes I think Britain has a "superiority complex", and she definitely agreed. I've been thinking more about this since, and I just can't help but think about it. Why do we think this? Are we actually even that much better? Or are we in fact worse? Walking through the streets of Newport, you can go miles without seeing a smile from anyone. There is very little to do here, very few places to go, and when you're unemployed, there are very few opportunities for jobs. Not only that, but there is no sense of identity, or a sense of being proud. When I think about topics of conversation that I have with family members, or programmes that I see on television, they are all very much focused about Britain (America, as well) and stuff that is taking place in this country. My problem is why do I feel as if we are stuck in the corner, or not a part of the rest of the world. Sure, we see news broadcasts which show the goings-on in the rest of the World, but I find that not many people tend to care. Part of the beauty of being in Belgium or even France (Paris) was that you are in an entirely different country, with different values, tradition, language and identity. The family unit there seems tighter. It's very hard to describe what I'm trying to say, but it feels more "worldly", and it generally feels as if they are more connected and in tune with other cultures than we might be. At least how Newport is anyway. I guess it is very late, so I'm sorry if this makes little sense or seems a bit crap. This makes sense in my head, but it's hard to put my feelings down in writing.

I feel a bit better today. My nose isn't as blocked as it was yesterday, but my head still feels a bit funny. I went to the gym for a little workout, which made me feel better somewhat, and gonna do some exercises before I return to the land of sleepies. One of my best friends called me today to tell me she had swine flu! She's got a week (at least) off work now, and we kinda had a laugh about it, as she's so illness-prone. She's had meningitis twice, glandular fever, and quite a few other things. Aww. She should be ok, though. I also found out that my friend failed one of his modules at uni, and failed his dissertation, too! He's working at a school, albeit on unqualified pay...but his contract states that he will start on qualified pay on the condition that he passes his degree. No idea what's going to happen to him now. He'll most likely lose that job and will have to redo the modules, I expect. It's so strange, because he was so, so cocky about his dissertation when he was writing it. "uh, Jim, how many words have you done? Oh, I've done <insert a number greater than mine>" I spent the rest of my day watching The Ashes, Armageddon, and now Bowfinger. *hugs for the Resaucemens*

I've only run into my ex once, and that was at a club, so I don't think she even saw me. At the time, it wasn't very long we had been apart, and I did feel pretty shit. There's also someone else I had a fling with, which didn't last. I've seen her a few times since she moved away, and I guess I did feel resentment and anger towards her, the first few times anyway. Now, I look at what I have, and how this is so much better and nicer than what I had with her, or ever could have had.