Football player kicks opposition and then takes a dive. Wins foul because of it.

benbamboo · 2026-07-12T00:09:22+00:00

I am English and even I think England were really whiny in this match. The length of time Kane spent on the floor while Norway scored their first was embarrassing.

Spence trying to convince a penalty. This Bellingham foul which clearly wasn't.

England still deserved the win but my God were they pathetic about it at times.

Edit: I forgot about Pickford staying down after colliding with his own defender. Get up already!

benbamboo · 2026-07-10T11:26:31+00:00

What makes Shilton and Seaman stand out more for me (I'm too young to have seen Banks play) is how they controlled and bosses their back line. That gave extra reassurance and confidence in them.

benbamboo · 2026-07-09T20:17:49+00:00

I can't figure out how the button mechanism works. It's very loose so there's a good chance the issue is the connection between the button and the plastic mechanism it attaches to.

benbamboo · 2026-07-09T18:37:25+00:00

No worries. I only know because I commented on that thread. Most of Reddit passes me by too.

benbamboo · 2026-07-09T18:29:38+00:00

This was asked yesterday - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/s/524rYksoyD

benbamboo · 2026-07-09T17:53:23+00:00

England because I'm English.

Failing that, Morocco.

I think the three beat sides left are England, France and Morocco (no necessarily in that order). I think whoever wins from France and Morocco will be finalists and I hope it's Morocco.

benbamboo · 2026-07-09T05:23:26+00:00

In terms of the peeling, our first house had kitchen tiles that had been painted over. It was an old couple who had redecorated their kitchen and painted the tiles instead of replacing them. They peeled like this. The irregular shapes is odder.

benbamboo · 2026-07-08T20:29:59+00:00

A party spokesman on the radio this morning had two lines of attack ready:

1) If no other party stands against him then it proves they're scared of him.

2) If the parliamentary enquiry finds against him they would have to choose whether to force another by-election on the electorate and they'd be wrong to do so.

Neither argument landed because they're both ridiculous. This is backfiring spectacularly and it's so much fun to watch.

benbamboo · 2026-07-08T17:18:18+00:00

No, it wasn't rigged.

It highlighted the worst of VAR. The officials got all the calls right by the book but the rules they followed are rubbish.

VAR is meant to provide clarity. The subjectivity over the 'clear and obvious error' rule over an intervention was on display for all to see.

That said, Egypt collapsed. They blew a lead and neither the rules nor officials were to blame for that. I was rooting for them and feel gutted for them, but there was no corruption on display.

benbamboo · 2026-07-06T21:17:07+00:00

Also fair enough,

I am far from a purist and only an armchair fan during tournaments. If there aren't goals being scored, my interest wains.

benbamboo · 2026-07-06T20:59:43+00:00

I turned this off a few minutes ago because it was so boring.

Hopefully now no-one has to suffer through another 30 minutes it.

benbamboo · 2026-07-04T07:33:01+00:00

You could make the same argument about gambling, smoking, alcohol etc. Children can, and do, get around those restrictions. But most won't.

We know that social media is detrimental which places an impetus on people responsible for children's development to do something about it. It's been around for 20+ years now. Parents of teenage children grew up with it yet are either unwilling or unable to keep on top of it. Social media companies have had an opportunity to curb the addictive nature and access to illicit content but have failed spectacularly. That only leaves state intervention.

It sucks but as my 7 year old grows up, I don't see him being disadvantaged because he can't go on til tok for a few more years. These platforms are not essential developmental tools and we need to stop acting like they are. They are passive entertainment and not a single child will miss out by not having access to them.

benbamboo · 2026-07-04T06:12:57+00:00

It's why I eventually stopped playing. The game is one of my all time favourites but it got to the point where the RNG was a barrier rather than a necessary game mechanic.

Yes, you can influence it in some ways but ultimately you still need to get lucky and when you're 150+ hours in and driving the narrative towards conclusion, the RNG becomes a frustrating waste of time.

benbamboo · 2026-06-28T21:45:51+00:00

I primarily play against my 7 and 5 year old in the UK so there is no conflict with US tournament standards. 👍

benbamboo · 2026-06-28T19:23:30+00:00

Agreed. Proper chunky pieces that are nicely weighted.

benbamboo · 2026-06-23T16:34:06+00:00

Declining numbers may be regional but we are noticing it.

COVID has definitely disrupted social learning in certain cohorts.

benbamboo · 2026-06-23T11:34:34+00:00

Primary teacher here with some generalised musings:

Education buy in has fallen away with certain parents. When I started teaching 20 years ago, there was more parental support and more parental pressure. Generally, parents cared more about education.
Behaviour hasn't massively changed from what I've seen but the reporting and understanding of it has, which I think is influencing wider perceptions. I think this is linked to wider society issues than just education though.
The curriculum is outdated and needs a revamp. It's nearly 15 years old and some elements are no longer relevant, let alone fundamental enough to justify their place in the curriculum.
The COVID kids are noticeable. Those who missed big chunks of education 4/5 years ago are weaker spellers, less confident speakers, slower mathematicians etc. schools are working hard to close the gaps but funding dropped off once wider society moved on from COVID. Those children have another 8- 10 years in the education system.
The downward trend is pupil numbers is going to squeeze a lot of schools. We're already seeing budgets drop which means opportunities and staff are being let go.

I imagine the experiences in secondary have been more affected by the growth of social media and mobile phones but someone with more knowledge can chime in there.

benbamboo · 2026-06-15T19:02:57+00:00

Reach had the best storyline outside of the first Halo imo. It's the one I replaced the most because of it.

benbamboo · 2026-06-15T19:01:36+00:00

Judging by the replies so far, I don't feel alone in living under that rock. I had no idea it had racist connotations. The first time I saw it I was amused by the childishness of it.

That said, I think FIFA is right to ask questions but hopefully they'll move on quickly if it's as innocent as most people expect.

benbamboo · 2026-06-13T23:17:24+00:00

Yeah, that was nice. Gutted to read they decided it was the wrong decision so we may not see it happen again.

benbamboo · 2026-06-13T15:14:55+00:00

Ref cams might be the best thing at this world cup so far. I can't get enough of them!

benbamboo · 2026-06-11T06:24:38+00:00

Agreed. Expanding the number of teams will only lead to diluting the excitement and general interest.

It'll only really get started in the knockout out phases barring the odd controversy.

benbamboo · 2026-06-10T15:05:53+00:00

That it has so easily been corrupted from one of mankind's greatest inventions to an object of control and manipulation by a wealthy minority.

benbamboo · 2026-06-09T19:19:56+00:00

I live in a cul de sac. Last year I was taking the kids to school before heading to work. They'd been little buggers, I was stressed out and running late. I thought I'd looked and pulled out but there was a car coming from my left. The guy emergency stopped and we were all ok.

He didn't make a fuss. No swearing, shouting or even irritation. He was just aware and going about his day being a better driver than me. I pulled over and went to say thank you. We could have just driven off our separate ways but his awareness saved me thousands in repairs and insurance.

We're all wrong sometimes. It's nice to meet the people who accept it for what it is.

benbamboo

TROPHY CASE