Regarding your answer to the NHS vs US healthcare question

Prescription costs have been abolished in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is literally the only country in the United Kingdom that charges for them. Just saying.

(November 16, 2016 at 1:28 am)Tiberius Wrote: Happy to teach anyone about hand egg. I occasionally watch the games live with Alasdair Ham on Skype and you're welcome to join us.

Yes, very welcome.

Did I miss last Sunday?

Still listening to the interview

I will watch/listen tonight and give my marks out of 10

(November 16, 2016 at 1:44 am)Emjay Wrote:

(November 16, 2016 at 1:28 am)Tiberius Wrote: Happy to teach anyone about hand egg. I occasionally watch the games live with Alasdair Ham on Skype and you're welcome to join us.

Cool... I'll take you up on that some time... thanks But not tonight (well it's actually morning but my sleep's out of whack) cos I'm watching that film Every time I've tried to learn about it I've come up against a brick wall because everything (sports encyclopaedias etc) assumes a basic knowledge of the principles of the game, which we just don't have over here because there's nothing like it. I watched about 20 minutes of a game on Channel four once and just thought if I pay enough attention to the commentary I'll get the gist but it never happened So it would be great just to get a rundown of the basic idea of the game

For starters, here's a newbies guide that I wrote:
https://atheistforums.org/thread-35335-p...pid1156118

So, after listening (read: skimming) the interview last night, I thought it would be fun to post a few facts about Tibby that I find interesting and were likely missed in the interview. I mentioned it to him, and he thought it sounded cool, so here goes.

1. He grew up quite near Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. He generally finds Stonehenge sort of boring and hasn't been many times.

2. He tutors my little cousin in programming once a week. He has also taught classes to little kids on making Xbox games.

3. My two youngest nieces call him Peter Pan because, before the second of the two was born, he met the older one on Skype. He pretended he was flying, and I told her he was Peter Pan, provable of course by the fact that he is British. She also calls his mother the Queen of Engleand. (pronounced like that.) The youngest is always looking around her house for Peter and asks me "where's pe'er?" every time I'm on the phone with her. She called him Peeper once. Wish that had stuck.

4. People seemed quite interested in his Tourette's Syndrome. Here's a few facts. He doesn't tic in his sleep or during sex, except on very rare occasions. I always assume it must be boring sex if he tics. Sometimes, he tics so loud that I jump. We've learned to have a laugh about it. He does his best to turn his head so he doesn't tic in my ear. (he's a sweetie). Finally, one day, he was walking up the stairs with my niece, and he was making vocal tics. She asked him why he kept making the noise. He told her he had Tourettes. She said, "Oh! Why do you have to rest?" They are a very sweet pair those two.

5. Since becoming an American (sort of), Tibby has become obsessed with mac and cheese, so much so that he started watching a YouTube show about boxed mac. He got into it when I was in the hospital for ten days last year. He said it helped him get through the stressful time, so I wrote to the creator and asked him to help me out with doing something nice for Tibby. He invited us to be on the show. I didn't make it, but Tibs had a blast and brought us back a few BoxMac T-shirts.

6. Tibs is stupid crazy about Christmas–particularly gaudy decorations and lights. I prefer a subdued classic look, but he just loves it so much, that I've allowed him to turn our tree into a disco. We pose in front of it wearing funny Christmas outfits every year and then make an ornament with the picture in it.

That's all folks.

(November 16, 2016 at 9:32 am)Tiberius Wrote:

(November 16, 2016 at 1:44 am)Emjay Wrote: Cool... I'll take you up on that some time... thanks :-) But not tonight (well it's actually morning but my sleep's out of whack) cos I'm watching that film Every time I've tried to learn about it I've come up against a brick wall because everything (sports encyclopaedias etc) assumes a basic knowledge of the principles of the game, which we just don't have over here because there's nothing like it. I watched about 20 minutes of a game on Channel four once and just thought if I pay enough attention to the commentary I'll get the gist but it never happened :-( So it would be great just to get a rundown of the basic idea of the game :-)

For starters, here's a newbies guide that I wrote:
https://atheistforums.org/thread-35335-p...pid1156118

Cool... that was great See, I don't think you'd ever get such a detailed guide written by an American because too much would be taken for granted, so one written by a Brit (albeit one who's now gone native ) answers all the questions of someone who hasn't grown up with the game. Did you learn about the game after you moved to America?  And I'm glad you're just as pedantic as I am... I was gonna ask whether a touchdown actually involved touching down and from what you say, no it doesn't... it just involves getting the ball into the end zone. That would have been a point of confusion for me watching a game cos I'd be wondering 'have they scored or not?'.

It does look a really good game and tbh like you I don't really like football (as in Soccer... but I still think it retains the most right to the use of the name football so I'll continue to use it here just to annoy the Americans ) because it usually is just continuous passing save for a few attempts at goal that usually only happen within extra time, making me think why have you (and I) bothered with the first 45 minutes I watch it, get behind it, and bet on it when the World Cup's on, just out of patriotic spirit, but I don't actually like the game. I prefer Rugby because there's more scoring involved, and variations on scoring (like with handegg).

It's been a long time since I last watched Rugby but as I recall, one or the other - Rugby League or Rugby Union - is more... at least superficially ...similar to handegg in the sense of always stopping and starting after scrummages (i.e. American scrimmages) but I always preferred the other one because it was more violent ...it was always frustrating for it to stop and start over so little when in the other one, basically as long as a player could still move, even with a million people piled on top of him dragging them along, play continued But that said, from what you've said I can now accept handegg as literally 'a completely different ballgame' and quit with the comparisons to Rugby. It looks really interesting from a strategy point of view and I can see that with all that in mind, the brutal way probably wouldn't work... it's a more precise and methodical game.

Anyway I'm looking forward to watching it with you and Hammy, but do be prepared for some annoying interruptions and silly questions the first few times while I get the hang of it

Rugby league is the one you're referring to. You get 5 'plays' before the opposition gets control of the ball and has their 5.

(November 16, 2016 at 11:32 am)Pandæmonium Wrote: Rugby league is the one you're referring to. You get 5 'plays' before the opposition gets control of the ball and has their 5.

Cool... I didn't remember that... about the 5 plays... so even more similar than I thought. I really should get back into them, cos they were great to watch