It’s the current system which has led to Scotland becoming a footballing backwater, if indeed it is. It doen’t offer a way out merely more of the same.

Edited for latest post: I agree the smaller clubs really struggle to get full value for young players, but it is viable. Kyle Lafferty went to Rangers for 3M, which kept us in cut price full-backs for over a year.

Matt

BlindMelon – Member

There are some interesting arguements that suggest this would not be the case and that removing one or both of the old firm would actually have a positive effect for the other clubs in the league and scottish football as a whole.

Matt what does these arguments say? Genuine question not being sarky

The guys who suggested it have looked at the sporting and financial performance of the other clubs when one or other of the old firm have been poor (not a very regular occurence, I grant you).

They conclude that the money from old firm ‘visits’ can be made up by as few as 1000 more fans per week over the course of a season. Very easy to get if there is a fighting chance of the club actually winning something or getting into Europe.

Extended runs in cups and Europe, again benefit the clubs to an extent which could easily match, or exceed, the contribution from the OF.

I don’t have the numbers but it is suggested that in recent years money from Sky to the SPL has been greatly reduced and that the OF get the lions share (I would guess on an appearance type deal). If it were taken away from the other clubs it may not be significant as attendances may actually go up as a result.

My own thought is that without teams being able to buy players in as a quick fix, they may have to concentrate on producing homegrown. This is already happening in the English Championship, my own club’s youth team are on a particularly good run. The more clubs in Scotland can do this the better for the clubs (nothing fans love more than a local bopy) and the National Team.

I will see if I can find the link it was a really good analysis, although very focussed on a few years back.

Matt

Junkyard – Member
i tis too importnant to Scottish football fo rthis to happen

There are some interesting arguements that suggest this would not be the case and that removing one or both of the old firm would actually have a positive effect for the other clubs in the league and scottish football as a whole.

Why should a team/club/business that has systematically been cheating for god knows how long, be allowed to carry on?

Of course they could always apply to join an English league if they go into liquidation!

Matt

The question remains.

After receiving all of this wisdom, what will SBZ’s stated goal be? My guess is sub 34:00.

Matt

AdamW – Member
Cute as he is, I reckon that Dr Christian is trying to be the next Harry Hill. The collars on his shirts are getting bigger and bigger!

He needs to accept his hair isn’t going to last for ever as well!

Matt

I don’t know about Dalmatian, but that bike’s definitely a dog of some description.

Should be drive-side out, valves and logos not aligned, but on the plus side crank position is good [2/10]

Matt

I’ve already been told off three times for shouting at the TV. It really is poor stuff so far.

Matt

2 votes from me.

450 up now

Matt

Done!

STW united in lecherous anticipation

Matt

The evidence from 100’s of studies suggests that it is much better to be fat and fit in terms of coronary heart disease risk and ill-health, than it is to be thin and unfit.

Neither is without risk and both are likely to predispose you to some ailment or other.

Basically, would sir prefer to be shot in the left foot or the right :roll:

Matt

jimster – Member
It’s a bit like buying sunglasses in February, you know it’ll be a wet summer.

Joking aside is there no way of moving water from Scotland to where it’s required via river/canal network? Especially as Scotland didn’t have a summer last year!!

It’s not actually downhill when going south, just feels that way :-)

Matt

email info@brewshedbrewery.co.uk

Drank some of their beers at ‘The One Bull’ in B-S-E. There was group of us, maltsters mainly, and they were well received.

As an aside, one of our group completely confused the waitress by asking where they sourced their malt from, never miss an opportunity!

Matt

Thanks guys, at least it could be something straightforward.

I would have thought this would have been covered in testing, but if it was DIY, who knows?

Matt

warton – Member
the zipvit drinks and bars are good, but the gels are rank, I nearly threw up when I had the orange one.

I couldn’t stand the orange either, but love the blackcurrant. Really thick and blackcurranty, the caffeinated version is like rocket fuel.

The bars are really nice but not wheat free, unfortunately.

Matt

Thanks guys,

We’re disinfecting, washing, hydrating maniacs at the minute!

Matt

Grim is about the word, from my perspective. The little-un appears to be laughing it off.

Thanks for the hydration reminder though.

Matt

You don’t really say what you are intending to do with the data afterwards.

All you are describing is a very crude outlier rejection.

You could simply use robust statistics on the data and one result in 500 would make no difference to the results of your analysis, no matter how far from the central value.

Matt

There are people on that vid, who clearly have little or no concept of how gravity actually works (at least for the rest of us!) :lol:

Great vid.

Matt

Since my daughter was born I now associate any phrase including the word ‘catch’ with either the ninky nonk or the pinky ponk. Blame ‘In the night Garden’.

I understand your pain though, I once saw a lab technician catch (not for very long though!) a crucible that had recently come out of a 550 degree muffle furnace.

Matt

Post physio update:

The diagnosis is: strain to the Soleus muscle, with potentially some scar tissue remaining from the injury in November.

A little manipulation and ultra-sound and it eased noticeably. This morning the ‘tenderness’ has almost gone, but obviously I haven’t tried running which almost the only thing that causes pain.

The marathon is still on, but I guess that will depend on how quick the healing process is.

Matt

surfer – Member

it’s not the sort of race you’re going to get a pb in really, is it?

It is, its a fast course I recall (ran it in 96)

Its alsmost 14 weeks away, a week or so off now wont cause you too much problem. If you continue to train hard (non running) you wont lose any aerobic fitness.
Is the pain on the inside of the shin? is it very tender to touch?

That’s the annoying thing, you have to press quite firmly, just below the bulge of the calf, behind the bone to feel anything, but any running and I’m limping like I’ve been shot.

Matt

the teaboy – Member
Unlucky

What did the physio say?

Appointment’s today hopefully, but any lay-off more than 1 week and I won’t be able to acheive what I want to at London.

Matt

Generally with these letters, the amount of money and the level of threat increases until the point where they absolutely insist that they will take you to court, as they have successfully done with others in the past. About two weeks after this final letter, you get a letter offering you a chance to pay a reduced amount as you now appear to be their mate.

Ignore this one and they will a) stop sending letters or b) sell the debt to another firm for a minimal amount to recoup their letter writing costs. This new bunch will offer to let you pay 50 – 60% of the original fine as they only paid a pittance for the debt anyway. This is where we are at the moment. My wife was very tempted by the last letter as she isn’t as bloody minded as me and would like it to go away.

Keep the letters they’re an excellent conversation piece.

My wife’s Polish. She freaks when she sees Brit girls going out in their ‘knickers’, even when it’s snowing.

She thinks we should be more direct in conversation as well, Poles can be incredibly direct!

Matt

It’s an insult to google to look it up. Are BT looking to recruit 10 year olds (or Julius Caesar) all of a sudden?

Matt

What do you class as forefoot striking?

There is an advert for Newton shoes in one of the magazines which shows, impact on the front, then a loading as the whole foot touches, then springing off again from the front.

When I’m running I’m pretty sure my heel never touches the floor and some of the runners I’ve seen (Alistair Brownlee and Vanessa Raw spring to mind) appear to do the same thing. Is there a right way and a wrong way to forefoot strike?

Matt

Mmmmmmmmm! Uncaught trout, the most succulent trout money can’t buy.

Hope you do find you’ve hooked it on Monday.

Matt

IanMunro – Member
Mate did Edinburgh this year. Said the run was ok, but the finish was a shambles, but the finish point had changed from previous years.

The finish this year was a complete balls-up. You turned a corner and then had 385 yards to run which was fantastic, but they had contrived to keep the majority of supporters away from the run-in!

The post-finish and baggage reclaim was all in a line down quite a narrow street and it was an absolute log jam.

The finish has changed for this year, presumably because of the feedback from runners, everyone I met mentioned it!

Having said that I would do it again with the same finish, the course is good (more challenging than they make out) and the crowds, although not in the same league as London, do a fantastic job of encouraging the runners. Now if they could hide the power station for a day, so that you can’t see how far away it is, that would be perfect!

Matt

I think I’d have given up on the whole thing if I wasn’t guaranteed a place in 2013. I’ve done Edinburgh twice in the meantime, which is a excellent race, if you don’t mind freaky weather.

I don’t know what the odds are through the ballot, people used to quote 1 in 5, but they seem to be getting worse.

Matt

+1 for DD’s Sennheisers.

Stay where you put them, unlike the in ear jobs that pop out at the first sign of sweat.

Sound’s OK and they’ve survived being dumped in bottom of the gym bag for two years.

Matt

cynic-al – Member
I agree re. Dom Joly – just that losing one’s job/going to prison seems disproportionate.

I’m guessing to the MD it was a reasonable action to preserve the reputation of his company. It was probably gross misconduct according to their policy.

Matt

emsz – Member
I don’t get injured really, want to go faster though. There’s some the adizero, they call them the world’s fastest shoe?!?

really? can they say that?

I’m pretty sure these are what Haile Gebrselassie wore when he set the current mark for the marathon in Berlin. A little bit of ‘artistic license’ I grant you but not completely unreasonable.

Matt

mastiles_fanylion – Member
Then there was ‘Spiders’ nightclub in Hull – a Goth/Metal nightclub frequented by students – they did a ‘Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster’ which was basically a top-shelf rally in a pint glass. Ohh the memories of drinking that whist listening to Black Sabbath ‘Sweet Leaf’ blasting through their PA

Only went to ‘Spiders’ once, with mates before a holiday in the North Yorks moors. Spent the night drinking brown bombers (brandy and chocolate milk) and brain haemorages (baileys, vodka and grenadine). Stepped outside for a hawaiian burger (dog burger with thousand islands dressing) after which the rest of the night is a vomit covered blur!

Matt

I developed ‘runners knee’ after the Edinburgh marathon in May, so my first run since the middle of June was Tuesday night on the treadmill.

I ran for 3 x 1 minute with 1 minute walks in between and it was one of the best runs I have ever done, mainly because it was completely pain free.

Next step tonight 10 minutes of the same, London in April here I come.

Matt

Valves and logos lined up though.

I’m still waiting for the other shoe to fall.

My daughter hated her moses basket and so only spent two nights in our room. Now at 6 months she sleeps from 7 to 7 and wakes up with a huge grin on her face.

Something has to give and the anticipation is killing me!

Matt

In 2007 it’s on the ‘Font’ section of the ‘Home’ tab.

It’s a drop down which selects the border type you want to add, once that’s selected you just highlight the cells and click the button.

Matt

Cook’s got his 250, call them in and let’s get the game done. Carrying on batting is just ripping the p***.

Matt

According to Cycling Weekly they knocked over Geoffrey Butler Cycles in Croydon and took a 7000GBP road bike.

After that the owner stayed in the shop to prevent more being taken! I’m taking my hat off to that.

Matt

dan1980 – Member
I’m measuring some samples (F) by getting their mass (m), and measuring a particular property(DI), that I want to plot in terms of unit mass (DI/m vs F).

So, I’ve done the measurements and I’m aware that the weighing out bit has an inherent error (I’m going to assume that the machine doing the measurement of DI doesn’t have an error)

If m actually = m +/- 2.5×10^-5 then do I work out what DI/+m, and DI/-m are, calculate the standard deviation and then standard error of the difference between to the two, and this becomes the standard error of DI/m?

Dan,

You are basically calculating the uncertainty of your measurement. As you only have one contribution (unlikely but possible I guess) all of the error stems from the tolerance on the weighing step.

If you calculate the results for plus-tolerance and minus-tolerance you’ll see that the absolute differences from the result without applying the tolerance are the same so no need to do it for both the plus and minus cases.

Do it for one case (plus-tolerance), for each result you need to graph, subtract the result without the tolerance applied and whack them in a column alongside your data and use this column as your error bar values in excel.

If you decide you have more than one source of error the calculation becomes more complicated but I can send you some more information. We use this method of assessing uncertainty for analytical chemistry, which includes weights, volumes, purities, measurement errors often all within the same method.

Matt