Michael*

As with most companies, they had humble beginning but soon bad management and sheer greed turned them into the evil empire they are today.

 

Things like selling DLC seperate from the full package are cheap tricks by anyone's standards, although I suppose it could be argued that every major developer (and indeed, every major company) is in it solely for the money.

Maybe EA now stands for 'Evil Association'?

With or without them, I guess the result could be the same.... there are 11 players in the game, it shouldn't be about the 3 only. Błaszczykowski isn't playing until September or so? His contusion somehow came in the right time I guess, with his wife being pregnant btw have you ever heard about his personal tragedy back when he was 11? I am pretty impressed he turned out to be not bitter after that.

Sure! I don't want to say 'far' but come to think about it, I only know 2 girls that are around my height. I am really surprised when I see girls taller than me! Some time ago I checked this 'average height' for men and women of different countries. For Polish men, it's 5 ft 10 1/2 inches and for women it's 5 ft 5 in. I think it is pretty accurate because many guys I meet seem to be a bit shorter than me and most of my female friends really are about 165 cm tall.

Are you between 6'1 and 6'2? If so you should be happy, that's a pretty damn good height for a man!

Nasty business for Błaszczykowski (thanks CTRL+V ), an ACL tear would have been career-ending 20 years ago. Hope he comes back stronger as I really enjoy watching him play. Superb low crosses, blistering pace, high work rate, truly one of the best wide players around when he's on song. I don't think I've heard about his tragedy though, what did I miss?

I'm right around 6ft myself. Wouldn't mind being a couple of inches taller, but I guess I can't complain. I can almost make it to 6'2 when I wear my best dress shoes (maybe even 6'3 if I spiked my hair up!). Sounds like the average in Poland is a bit higher than it is in the UK though, it's meant to be something like 5'9 for men and 5'3 for women here, which I think is probably pretty accurate too. I wonder what it is you guys are doing that breeds taller people?

What is the buzz around your side of the pond regarding football finally having a World Cup to embrace the digital age ? I'm somewhat surprised it took so long with it being the world's most popular sport and thus having arguably the most at stake. Some things can't be helped *anime voice* such as sport that need judge scores, but I think its a good move for any regular scoring sport anyway.

As in the use of technology to aid the officials? Yeah, it's gone down well amongst most of the fans. In fact, the only ones who didn't seem to want it were the governing body. I strongly suspect that when we look back in say, 15-20 years' time, we'll say this was only the beginning, it's inevitable that there'll be more expanded use of technology by the referees. Is video evidence widely used in most American sports?

 

With or without them, I guess the result could be the same.... there are 11 players in the game, it shouldn't be about the 3 only. Błaszczykowski isn't playing until September or so? His contusion somehow came in the right time I guess, with his wife being pregnant btw have you ever heard about his personal tragedy back when he was 11? I am pretty impressed he turned out to be not bitter after that.

Sure! I don't want to say 'far' but come to think about it, I only know 2 girls that are around my height. I am really surprised when I see girls taller than me! Some time ago I checked this 'average height' for men and women of different countries. For Polish men, it's 5 ft 10 1/2 inches and for women it's 5 ft 5 in. I think it is pretty accurate because many guys I meet seem to be a bit shorter than me and most of my female friends really are about 165 cm tall.

Are you between 6'1 and 6'2? If so you should be happy, that's a pretty damn good height for a man!

Nasty business for Błaszczykowski (thanks CTRL+V ), an ACL tear would have been career-ending 20 years ago. Hope he comes back stronger as I really enjoy watching him play. Superb low crosses, blistering pace, high work rate, truly one of the best wide players around when he's on song. I don't think I've heard about his tragedy though, what did I miss?

I'm right around 6ft myself. Wouldn't mind being a couple of inches taller, but I guess I can't complain. I can almost make it to 6'2 when I wear my best dress shoes (maybe even 6'3 if I spiked my hair up!). Sounds like the average in Poland is a bit higher than it is in the UK though, it's meant to be something like 5'9 for men and 5'3 for women here, which I think is probably pretty accurate too. I wonder what it is you guys are doing that breeds taller people?

 

When Jakub was 11, he witnessed his father stab (to death) his mother :| and yet he went to his father's  funeral, if I'm not mistaken it was in 2012. There was this interesting interview with him where he talked about talking with his father after 14 years of not doing so... all in all he sounds much more mature than an 'average footballer'. His other family members had done such wonderful job at raising him.

There was also this article in another magazine where mothers of Lewandowski and Szczęsny and Błaszczykowski's grandmother were talking about their sons/grandson and what struck me is that in all of their stories there were stories about an important family member passing away.

I don't really know the answer. Maybe it's better to ask the Dutch because they are on of the tallest in the whole world I wanted to say maybe it's because we get more sun, but if that was the case then Greeks and Spaniards should have been much taller on average.

...Old Neil...looks like we hardly knew ye ....

--

 

 

He's just gone down in my estimation.

I know that this is "Daily Fail Mail" so not the most accurate and reliable source... but a particular part of the title of this article surprised me

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2586028/Britons-bad-geography-revealed-74-Britons-Greece-map.html

Quite honestly, though it makes me feel awful to say it, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some truth to that. There are some I tend to think are more forgivable (the former Soviet states for instance), but I would have thought Greece would be a fairly easy one to identify. All you have to do is remember its shape, it looks like a big fish.

Maybe it's a bit easier for me though, I was mildly obsessed with maps and flags as a youngster.

Have you seen the new Robocop?  I saw a bit of the CAM and the new design of the Robocop is disturbing.  Let's say that when they open the suit, much of him is not there...also, making him a conscious person and not mostly a robot (like the original) makes it a bit eyebrow raising & difficult to look at.

 

 

Also:  A not so subtle allegory on universal healthcare, immigration, and class warfare....I'm going to check out its competitor  & partner, Oblivion (Cruise) next.

'Robocop' passed me by at the cinema, I'll have to check it out when it hits the small screen. The bits I have seen remind me a little of the recent Dredd remake (which I thought was pretty decent) but on a much, much bigger scale. From what I understand, 'Robocop' boasts an excellent cast and the social commentary strand is roughly on the right lines, but overall, the script is a bit of a mix-up of confused ideas. I suppose to be fair, even if it isn't up to much, there isn't a lot of damage left to be done to the franchise after the dreadful third movie and the TV series. For me, the first movie is the only one that really still stands up today.

Same goes for 'Elysium' really, I remember seeing the trailer and pegging it as more of a back burner film than a must-see. I have seen 'Oblivion' though. I found it a bit melodramatic and thought the dialogue was paper thin, but it's visually spectacular and the setting of the post apocalyptic timeframe is laid out well. Also, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cruisey boy brings plenty of his usual gusto. Best bit of the movie was...

...when the alien god thingy said 'I AM YOUR GOD!'. Cruise then glanced at Freeman, looked back at the alien and said 'no you're not.' Whether the humour was intentional or not, I couldn't really say for certain, but it was absolutely hilarious all the same.

Any others on the agenda at the moment?

When Jakub was 11, he witnessed his father stab (to death) his mother :| and yet he went to his father's  funeral, if I'm not mistaken it was in 2012. There was this interesting interview with him where he talked about talking with his father after 14 years of not doing so... all in all he sounds much more mature than an 'average footballer'. His other family members had done such wonderful job at raising him.

There was also this article in another magazine where mothers of Lewandowski and Szczęsny and Błaszczykowski's grandmother were talking about their sons/grandson and what struck me is that in all of their stories there were stories about an important family member passing away.

 

I don't really know the answer. Maybe it's better to ask the Dutch because they are on of the tallest in the whole world I wanted to say maybe it's because we get more sun, but if that was the case then Greeks and Spaniards should have been much taller on average.

Gosh, what a thing for a young boy to have to witness. But I agree, in what few interviews I've seen him conduct, he does indeed come across as a cut above the stereotypical dozy pro footballer. I suppose personal tragedies can sometimes become powerful motivations for taking part and excelling in sports, but still, it's quite remarkable that he's remained such a level-headed guy after going through something like that.

Which isn't fair really, the Netherlands are all flat. You can see everything coming no matter what height you are.

I wonder if they've ever had to change their standard sizes for windows, doors, ceilings etc. because they were getting too tall for them.

Although its probably been some years, I forgot to mention how technology has changed tennis. That is the instant replays help to distinguish the balls that barely touch the line from those that almost did and such. Its huge in NFL football too. As a matter of fact, its even factored into the strategy in that each coach has a couple challenges and if his challenge is incorrect, he loses a timeout :| (each team has three per half) whereas if he is correct, he doesn't lose a timeout. There are so many rules and everything happens so quickly that it actually has helped the game out. With basketball on the other hand, the pace of the game combined with the type of rules make it more difficult to incorporate technology. That is the rules are usually either really subjective (like hand checking) or really obvious (like a flagrant foul or goal tending). 

 

I heard from some of my sources about a possible Merlin U.S. in the works. Of course, the first few episodes of the regular version showed in the U.S. on a major network, but was quickly cancelled and later resurfaced on SyFy a couple seasons into it. Some of the names that have been thrown around are...

 

Eric Roberts as Uther

 

 

Sam Elliot as Gius...The accent thing should be interesting . Then again, it is Merlin U.S. so maybe it could be Merlin for modern U.S. times? 

 

 

This guy (don't recall his name) as the young Merlin...

 

 

It sounds like another case of the classic American remake with looks over substance, but we'll see I suppose .

Which is the best way to do it, I'd say. The challenges in tennis have actually become something else for the fans to get excited about, and something that has to be used in a very strategic way by the players.

I'm surprised to hear about a new Merlin show happening so soon, perhaps they've taken inspiration from the recent adaptions of Sherlock Holmes to modern times. They'll be starting at a disadvantage if Eric Roberts is involved in it though, the writers may very well have their work cut out to redress the balance.

 

Things like selling DLC seperate from the full package are cheap tricks by anyone's standards, although I suppose it could be argued that every major developer (and indeed, every major company) is in it solely for the money.

 

Maybe EA now stands for 'Evil Association'?

 

Money is the true motivator behind any company, that is not to be doubted Just shady when they pull the DLC card on people among similar penny grabbing tactics.

"Evil Association" it is!

I wonder, any games you are currently playing or interested in?

 

I know that this is "Daily Fail Mail" so not the most accurate and reliable source... but a particular part of the title of this article surprised me

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2586028/Britons-bad-geography-revealed-74-Britons-Greece-map.html

 

Quite honestly, though it makes me feel awful to say it, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some truth to that. There are some I tend to think are more forgivable (the former Soviet states for instance), but I would have thought Greece would be a fairly easy one to identify. All you have to do is remember its shape, it looks like a big fish.

 

Maybe it's a bit easier for me though, I was mildly obsessed with maps and flags as a youngster.

 

I mean, seriously... Greece is a popular country and the same continent. Though then again I keep hearing that one shouldn't associate Englishmen with being European

And me too! I loved learning the names of capital cities and what flags belong to which countries

 

When Jakub was 11, he witnessed his father stab (to death) his mother :| and yet he went to his father's  funeral, if I'm not mistaken it was in 2012. There was this interesting interview with him where he talked about talking with his father after 14 years of not doing so... all in all he sounds much more mature than an 'average footballer'. His other family members had done such wonderful job at raising him.

There was also this article in another magazine where mothers of Lewandowski and Szczęsny and Błaszczykowski's grandmother were talking about their sons/grandson and what struck me is that in all of their stories there were stories about an important family member passing away.

 

I don't really know the answer. Maybe it's better to ask the Dutch because they are on of the tallest in the whole world I wanted to say maybe it's because we get more sun, but if that was the case then Greeks and Spaniards should have been much taller on average.

Gosh, what a thing for a young boy to have to witness. But I agree, in what few interviews I've seen him conduct, he does indeed come across as a cut above the stereotypical dozy pro footballer. I suppose personal tragedies can sometimes become powerful motivations for taking part and excelling in sports, but still, it's quite remarkable that he's remained such a level-headed guy after going through something like that.

 

Which isn't fair really, the Netherlands are all flat. You can see everything coming no matter what height you are.

 

I wonder if they've ever had to change their standard sizes for windows, doors, ceilings etc. because they were getting too tall for them.

 

Really terrible... Also, I don't know much about Zlatan Ibrahimovic's life, but wasn't his childhood pretty miserable? I recall reading that his mother died really young (or left the family?) and his father was an alcoholic so if not for sport, he'd probably become a criminal.

I've never been to the Netherlands so I'm wondering if it's really noticeable that Dutch average people are taller than average people of other nationalities.

Money is the true motivator behind any company, that is not to be doubted Just shady when they pull the DLC card on people among similar penny grabbing tactics.

 

"Evil Association" it is!

 

I wonder, any games you are currently playing or interested in?

Oh, most definitely. It's unforgivable when games feel unfinished as a consequence of not having every last piece of DLC. Especially when there's a charge for them.

I've been dabbling a bit but quite honestly, I haven't been genuinely 'immersed' in anything since 'Arkham Origins' and 'GTA V'. A copy of 'The Last Of Us' (which I hear is one of the best that the PS3 has to offer) has been sitting on my shelf for almost a month now, I just haven't quite felt motivated enough to try and give it a whirl. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually though.

How about yourself? Anything good on the horizon?

I mean, seriously... Greece is a popular country and the same continent. Though then again I keep hearing that one shouldn't associate Englishmen with being European

 

And me too! I loved learning the names of capital cities and what flags belong to which countries

Depends on who you ask, I guess. I myself am very into the idea of being a part of Europe, but if you asked a hundred people, you'd probably get a hundred different answers.

Oh, cool! I had this huge map of the world on my wall when I was younger, which I distinctly remember staring at for ages (probably far longer than was healthy, if I'm honest ). I suppose it kind of tied into my interest in football too, I always collected every World Cup book and sticker set going and was forever drawing the shirts and flags of each country.

 

I mean, seriously... Greece is a popular country and the same continent. Though then again I keep hearing that one shouldn't associate Englishmen with being European

 

And me too! I loved learning the names of capital cities and what flags belong to which countries

 

Depends on who you ask, I guess. I myself am very into the idea of being a part of Europe, but if you asked a hundred people, you'd probably get a hundred different answers.

 

Oh, cool! I had this huge map of the world on my wall when I was younger, which I distinctly remember staring at for ages (probably far longer than was healthy, if I'm honest ). I suppose it kind of tied into my interest in football too, I always collected every World Cup book and sticker set going and was forever drawing the shirts and flags of each country.

 

Just in time, as today I heard this "but British people are not European" comment and explanation as to why (which was said by such a weird person that I couldn't focus on what he was saying )

That sounds like a healthy obsession though!

Did you manage to get an album with stickers with every player, or you were always left with 5 stickers of some lesser knowns and never got to get stickers with the most popular ones? because I assume you're talking about these stickers sets when you would have 5 or 10 stickers in a pack and could never see which stickers were inside before opening the pack? Am I right? Wasn't it some Italian publishing? Somehow I recall it being published by Panini? (definitely starting with 'p' but I guess it wasn't Panini I'm just hungry ) wait... I just googled it and the name was definitely Panini

Really terrible... Also, I don't know much about Zlatan Ibrahimovic's life, but wasn't his childhood pretty miserable? I recall reading that his mother died really young (or left the family?) and his father was an alcoholic so if not for sport, he'd probably become a criminal.

I've never been to the Netherlands so I'm wondering if it's really noticeable that Dutch average people are taller than average people of other nationalities.

I've recently read Ibrahimovic's book, and he definitely had a difficult upbringing. His parents arrived in Sweden in the seventies, but divorced when he was two. His mother worked long hours as a cleaner to support him and his older sister, plus a number of half-brothers and sisters, one of whom got heavily into drugs at a pretty young age. Later on, the family was split up and Zlatan was sent to live with his father, who was either an alcoholic or very close to being one (it's implied that he may have suffered from some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder too). Virtually all his dad's money was spent on booze and there was rarely food in the house. So by all accounts, he had it tough and was a bit of a tearaway as a youngster. From what I hear these days, although he presumably still has his moments, he's extremely calm off the pitch. He's been married and been a father (of two kids) for many years.

I've only been once and I don't really remember being struck by the sight of lots of tall people, but I suppose you never really know who's a tourist and who's a local.

That sounds like a healthy obsession though!

Did you manage to get an album with stickers with every player, or you were always left with 5 stickers of some lesser knowns and never got to get stickers with the most popular ones? because I assume you're talking about these stickers sets when you would have 5 or 10 stickers in a pack and could never see which stickers were inside before opening the pack? Am I right? Wasn't it some Italian publishing? Somehow I recall it being published by Panini? (definitely starting with 'p' but I guess it wasn't Panini I'm just hungry ) wait... I just googled it and the name was definitely Panini

Yeah that's right! There were a few rival manufacturers too, but none were quite the same as Panini (I wonder if they're still around?). They were the ones who started it all. This is actually making me hungry for paninis too.

I only ever managed to finish one collection, it was Euro '92, the year Denmark won. I remember Denmark were in a bonus section at the back of the book as they weren't originally supposed to be at the tournament, and despite not qualifying, Italy had a page too, in case the newly-formed CIS joined Yugoslavia in having their invitation withdrawn by UEFA. Probably still have the album somewhere, I don't recall ever throwing it out.

 

That sounds like a healthy obsession though!

Did you manage to get an album with stickers with every player, or you were always left with 5 stickers of some lesser knowns and never got to get stickers with the most popular ones? because I assume you're talking about these stickers sets when you would have 5 or 10 stickers in a pack and could never see which stickers were inside before opening the pack? Am I right? Wasn't it some Italian publishing? Somehow I recall it being published by Panini? (definitely starting with 'p' but I guess it wasn't Panini I'm just hungry ) wait... I just googled it and the name was definitely Panini

Yeah that's right! There were a few rival manufacturers too, but none were quite the same as Panini (I wonder if they're still around?). They were the ones who started it all. This is actually making me hungry for paninis too.

 

I only ever managed to finish one collection, it was Euro '92, the year Denmark won. I remember Denmark were in a bonus section at the back of the book as they weren't originally supposed to be at the tournament, and despite not qualifying, Italy had a page too, in case the newly-formed CIS joined Yugoslavia in having their invitation withdrawn by UEFA. Probably still have the album somewhere, I don't recall ever throwing it out.

 

I think it still exists! Not sure what kind of photos were on the stickers, but I saw these tiny packs in a local supermarket near a cash desk, haha.

Hmm if you find it never throw it away! 1992... Yugoslavia... quite a sports/past geography/history lesson there

Oh, most definitely. It's unforgivable when games feel unfinished as a consequence of not having every last piece of DLC. Especially when there's a charge for them.

I've been dabbling a bit but quite honestly, I haven't been genuinely 'immersed' in anything since 'Arkham Origins' and 'GTA V'. A copy of 'The Last Of Us' (which I hear is one of the best that the PS3 has to offer) has been sitting on my shelf for almost a month now, I just haven't quite felt motivated enough to try and give it a whirl. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually though.

 

How about yourself? Anything good on the horizon?

Amen on that sir, it's why I have given up on the latest version of Simcity, no way of resurrecting that anymore

Sort of stuck in a video game void I see? A good time to pick up some other hobby until something good comes along

I myself have been looking at a game called "Cities in Motion 2". I've always been a nerd when it came to simulation games and I heard good things about this installment so I might give it a try soon when I get the chance

I think it still exists! Not sure what kind of photos were on the stickers, but I saw these tiny packs in a local supermarket near a cash desk, haha.

 

Hmm if you find it never throw it away! 1992... Yugoslavia... quite a sports/past geography/history lesson there

Out of interest, I might see if there are any out for the next World Cup. Not that I'll be buying them - knowing my luck, I'd probably end up getting Wayne Rooney and John Terry in the same packet.

History, geography, is there anything football can't do?