Predictable possibly but GTA V has had more jaw dropping moments for me than any other game in my life. I keep stopping just to admire the cityscapes, or views from mountain tops or the moon light glowing over the sea. It is an absolutely stunning game. Genuinely beautiful.

Very recently Whiplash took my my breath away. It looks beautiful, is full of these powerfully contrasting sights and sounds and has a truly visceral finale. Quite an inspiring story.

The racing FPV Quadcopters look fantastic. Good video guide to building your own –

tempting

Thanks all for the thoughts and insight.

Just to clarify. I don’t have a problem with the pub or there being a pub, I bought the house with that knowledge obviously. I had a couple of evenings after viewing the house to spend some time in the area and also had a night at the pub to say hello and tell them I would soon be a new resident opposite. I was also pleased to see that had about 4 notices scattered around asking customers to be quiet and respectful of the pubs neighbours. It seemed like they had gone to some effort to keep it a peaceful village local.

The pub was always a quiet, Sunday lunch, few beers for local farmers sort of place – usually a tractor or two parked up out the front at 7pm on a weekday night etc. Never really had any problems but it seems that as the pub has become more popular the landlord has seized on that and relaxed his rules and become less concerned about noise. So over a few months it’s gradually become noisier much latter. Generally we have at least two nights in the week where it’s very noisy until 1 to 1.30am (closing is at 12) and most saturdays excessive noise spills into the early hours.

I suppose I’m also anxious now as we have a baby due in 6 weeks and I’m wondering how things will pan out with the pub come summer time.

It’s a village pub, that is what they do. Do not upset that or everyone in the village will hate you.

I can live with that.

I’ve lived in this village for a couple of years after moving from a nearby village before anyone accuses me of being a towny moving into the countryside and laying down the law.

Regardless I’m entitled to peaceful enjoyment of my own home surely?

Just saw this linked to from a Whitelines Mag email and it’s incredible. both the mechanics and the flying. Real Star Wars stuff.

It’s just a quadcopter isn’t it, not a drone… Powerful motors and powerful lipo’s.

telling the story of a damaged man trying to reconcile what he’s done, it’s not the story of Chris Kyle per se, but a story about what intense conflict can do to a person and his family.

If that had been the film Eastwood had made then it wouldn’t have been bad. AS had none of that nuance, detail or depth.

Saw it last night. Wasn’t expecting much and didn’t get much. Another simplistic childish effort from Eastwood. Almost as bad as Gran Torino but not quite. If nothing else Eastwood knows how to patronise his audience.

Does anyone have any opinions on the Pfeil Schaller knives. Was thinking of getting a large and small for some whittling.

http://www.tilgear.info/hand-tools/woodcarving-tools/pfeil-carving-knives/pfl03schg–pfeil-large-schaller-knife

Can we see some pics of what you expensive knife owners have whittled?

Well our first is due in two months. It was planned and when she became pregnant I was pleased but it didn’t really feel real at that stage and in all honesty there was so much to go through before I wanted to be overly excited – it’s only now with two months to go, a wife with big boobs, a big belly, baby clothes, baby related stuff, over excited parents that it absolutely feels real and the excitement/fear/nerves are well and truly here.

Good luck OP. Hope all goes well for you both.

You don’t tend to look too far ahead when you’re 17. I certainly didn’t, so I would have just considered two things if that offer had come my way – money vs social life, and social life, fun would have probably won out.

When I was 17 I was making the decision between work or Uni. I applied for a job with british rail whilst researching universities and after meeting a couple of managers at BR I was offered a fantastic opportunity to do an apprentiship with a very good salary and overseas travel. Amazing chance. But my mates were going to uni and I just didn’t want to miss out on the craic so I turned the job down. I just couldn’t see any further ahead than the first few weeks of uni life and I figured i’d got plenty of time to chase other opportunities. I don’t regret the choice I made. More to life than money.

There’s a million ‘beautiful’ women out there who all look exactly the same, sound the same, dress the same. You’d forget every one of them, but we’re TOLD they are what beauty is.
Paloma stands out. She’s striking, she’s got character, she’s not a stick thin lollipop head either. I’d pick her over Joss Stone, and most other ‘beautiful’ women every day of the week.

Yes, it was sort of my point.

She’s great. Completely barking but that’s part of her appeal. Fantastic live performer. But yeah, very good point about her not being blindingly beautiful – makes me sick that these sort of ugly women are allowed to work their way into the industry and make music.

I’d go for an experience over a ‘thing’. Actually doing something you’ve always wanted to do or having a nice break away somewhere you’ve always wanted to go will stay with you far longer than some sort of symbolic object or new toy.

offended on someone else’s behalf.

You mean he has empathy?

I might be strange but I find that a good quality in a person. One that is so often lacking.

A sociopath with a Twitter account. Perfect combo.

Lets not spoil a good ruck by bringing silly facts into the equation!

We’ve had plenty of facts from the start of the this thread but it seems that the only ones worth anything are those that relate to profit.

Ah, money. Must remember that making money glosses over/forgives the all the other sins.

Indeed. Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia and Sexism are all fine as long as the numbers stack up. It’s almost like money is the be-all and end-all. Who knew?

Does anyone doubt that Clarkson actually is racist?

In summary.

Some people don’t like an entertainment show focused on banter and nuanced humour between 3 blokes, but rather than turn over, continue to watch and get angry, either for themselves or on behalf of others who they think they should be offended on behalf of.

I don’t think we’ve established whether the nuanced humour is nuanced or humour. To continually make such sloppy and unpleasant racial stereotypes time and time again would suggest that it’s more than just ‘having a bit of a joke’. None of them on Top Gear are stand up comics or comedy writers who will do a nostalgic look at Top Gear in 25 years time explaining that it was all ironic and they were actually taking the piss out of the sort of bigoted racists they were portraying. Each of them does it so well if it all is just a big act.

I’m just surprised and disappointed that the beeb think it’s all so acceptable.

But as we are now in a black and white internet age, seems a growing number of folk cannot cope with any concept of humour, nuance etc

Is this the same sort of nuance the show used when Hammond said “Cars reflect national characteristics…a Mexican car’s just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat”

or when Clarkson used the term “Slope” to describe Asian people in Burma?

That sort of nuanced humour you mean?

Use mine all the time. In the two years I’ve owned it, it’s certainly earned its money. It’s basically replaced my laptop and desktop but generally it’s the centre of my entertainment universe. I recently purchased Apple TV so now use my ipad to watch netflix, youtube, listen to my music, view photos all on my TV.

If something happened to my current iPad (god forbid!) i’d be straight down the Apple store to get a new one.

Maybe try connecting it to your computer and to itunes? had an issue with mine yeserday. It drained empty so I put it on charge. Got the usual red battery empty image so just assumed it was charging and would charge up as normal and would turn itself on once it had got enough power. But nothing. Left it for two hours, still nothing. I tried a different charger, still nothing. I tried various things including holding down power button, taking it off charge for a while, holding down power and menu button but nothing so I just left it charging hoping it would just miraculously spring into life.

Then Suddenly my ipad said connect to itunes. So turned on my mac connected it and itunes said it needed to do a complete reset on my ipad, which it did and thankfully it’s back up and running.

que sera sera

I enjoyed the second one so went to the Cinema for the third. Disappointing. It is just one big CGI battle and as the film drags on (and it does drag) the CGI becomes gradually worse.

They either ran out of budget, time or patience. Some of the set pieces are laughable in terms of CGI, reminded me of the very first Sam Raimi Spiderman films.

If the first two were stretched this one was pretty much beyond breaking point. It’s dull sadly. The threat and anticipation of the Orcs at the start was good but that’s about it

He still does some amazing things on a bike that sets him apart. If he could just have nailed consistency and a cool head he’d be the most successful, in terms of titles, rider in the world.

I’m more interested in how things are going to pan out between Villipoto and Carolli in the GP’s next year. I may actually watch an MXGP for the first time since 2005.

They do? Personally, I seem them as a tired franchise that has been running on fumes for the last several years while the publishers wring every ounce of profit out of the series.

It may just be the excessive marketing campaigns that come with every new COD release thats convinced me they are raved about.

So the last of us remastered is on my list as is GTA5. Possibly Farcry 4 and maybe Assassins creed black flag.

I’ve never played any of the Call of Duty games ever but am tempted, but mainly because so many seem to rave about them. Are they quite tactical games or just shoot kill shoot kill kill kill type stuff? I prefer a bit of thinking and strategy over just blind all out shooting. I remember many years ago, at least 12 years ago, a game I briefly played on PC whereby you were some sort of SWAT agent and basically each ‘level’ was a hostage situation and you and your team had to safely remove the hostage and ‘neutralise’ the target. It was tactical whereby you had to input instructions for your team and had a variety of gadgets and gizmos at your disposal. I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called but it was really good. Games like that I find really addictive.

Ridiculous that its taken them 8 months to come to that decision. I reckon that’s the last we will Stewart racing Pro Supercross now.

Another for Dallas Buyers Club. Superb film.

Well, there isn’t much info on the Web but what there is seems to suggest that access is access and that wheelbarrow access just relates to what can be taken through as opposed to regularity or permission. In other words he can use the ROW as often as he likes and doesn’t need to ask or notify but riding a motorbike through to stick in his garden wouldn’t be acceptable.

I think he was mainly concerned about having limited use of the ROW rather than what he can take through so it seems he’s fine to use it. I guess if she has an issue with it she shouldn’t have bought a property with a ROW through her graden.

According to local papers/village newsletters It seems that round here (Northants) many residents of the sleepy villages and market towns which are normally tory strongholds will be supporting UKIP on the basis of their proposal to scrap HS2.

Its become a single issue election for many and immigration doesn’t seem to be the issue. Deluding themselves if they think UKIP actually would scrap HS2 though.

OP,
That guy obviously has Metal Health issues.
Why is that funny?
To overtone others thinking it was a funny vid, get a life and I hope you never get the same issues as that poor guy.

A short fuse mixed with deep frustration? Hardly mental health issues.

Ooh, Let me know if/when you decide to sell them. Could be interested.

He has a brand new sketch on Radio 6 soon – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tm3qb

Who likes to hate them?

Brilliant event, fantastic atmosphere, great racing all flawlessly executed. Hats off to everyone involved.

Hope it returns in 2015!

Ive got one as my Downhill bike. I love it. I couldn’t justify keeping a full blown DH bike anymore as I no longer race and i rend to ride short DH tracks (Aston Hill) so I opted for the bolt. It’s taken everything i’ve thrown at it including some very big drops, gaps and rock gardens and I have no concerns about its ability to handle the rough stuff. It accelerates really quickly which makes it much more fun to ride than a big 8″ travelled DH bike.

Best bike i’ve ever had.