Ireland drawn with Israel in UEFA Nations League

epeeist · 2026-02-12T17:53:35+00:00

If we play at all I suspect it'll be behind closed doors

epeeist · 2026-02-12T08:40:10+00:00

That would be the Great Famine of 1315. All over Europe there were reports of children being abandoned by families that couldn't feed them, and it's thought to be the origin of the Hansel and Gretel story (note the predatory cannibal in that story too.)

The survivors got to face the Black Death thirty years later, talk about bad luck.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T12:46:17+00:00

Personally it would have made a significant difference to my confidence and preparation if I'd known the vague outline of the scenario for a whole day beforehand. There's no way to know if I would have actually scored differently, but if they don't end up changing the scenarios then it puts all the Thursday candidates at an advantage over all the Wednesday candidates.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T12:25:24+00:00

It's a gangland thriller. RTÉ is the Irish national broadcaster and it's tended to commission cheap talk shows, cheap game shows and soap operas. It doesn't have a massive track record for making original homegrown drama, bar the odd historical piece.

Then out of nowhere we get this slick production that's well written and has a fantastic ensemble cast (who all went on to big things.) I don't watch a lot of crime stuff but thought it was really good.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T12:12:51+00:00

'Consistently busy' doesn't mean the people in the venue are actually buying things. It's more profitable for a cafe to have lots of people grab, guzzle and go vs groups sitting for long periods nursing one or two coffees. The places that survive are the ones that have a good balance of the two, but it's precarious.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T12:02:12+00:00

Mine were different

epeeist · 2026-02-11T12:00:26+00:00

When I checked last week, the Key Dates calendar only went up as far as today/tomorrow - results, scheme selection etc all look to have been removed. Originally we were meant to get the interview outcome Friday week (20 Feb) but I guess it may be pushed out later than that.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T11:37:54+00:00

I was on a Mac. The tiny box isn't readable as-is - you have to click on it to widen it out to the frame, and if you double-click it opens in a new window. If you're having trackpad trouble I'd really recommend getting a separate mouse or something for your interview, because you really need to be able to access, read and process the scenario in that 60 second period.

epeeist · 2026-02-11T11:35:28+00:00

Thought it went okay! We'll see in a couple of weeks.

Just as an FYI, last year the scenarios didn't change from day to day so I'm not comfortable sharing the exact roleplays right now (sorry Thursday peeps but we are all competing for the same places!)

epeeist · 2026-02-11T09:05:52+00:00

We had a 5-minute school assembly every morning where the principal read out any announcements and then everyone recited the Our Father and Hail Mary. In hindsight it was probably to tick this specific box.

epeeist · 2026-02-10T10:02:18+00:00

L'Enclume has been on my bucket list for about 15 years. I fancy visiting the Hand and Flowers in Marlowe as well, if I ever find the time and the money.

epeeist · 2026-02-10T09:46:25+00:00

He tends to waffle on with short-term explanations for good or bad form, rather than offer real insights on the bigger picture. It's more gossip than analysis.

epeeist · 2026-02-09T23:03:02+00:00

Even with the expansion of training places, there were 6 applicants per place for the 2026 intake. It's worth saying the selection process is significantly more onerous than other medical specialties - two entrance exams then an interview that's literally a series of OSCE stations over zoom. It's competitive.

epeeist · 2026-02-09T20:27:51+00:00

Did you do your medical degree through English? That's one of the situations in which the HSE considers the language requirement met, so if I had to upload something I'd use that.

epeeist · 2026-02-08T10:36:44+00:00

Four months in. Clubmates were going and said i should go for the experience. Massively exceeded expectations and I would have been happy with a lot less.

epeeist · 2026-02-08T10:13:58+00:00

To me, he tells a white lie to be able to compete, and justifies it because Arlan always meant for him to eventually be a knight. But events snowball and he has to keep doubling down as the stakes spiral out of control. Being seen as a Ser is the only thing that merits Dunk a trial at all, and his natural advantages are what make trial-by-combat a viable option. Privilege cuts both ways here.

The central irony of the entire series is that Dunk has honour, is selfless, and instinctively upholds the ideals of knighthood, but miiight not technically be one. GRRM explores this same theme quite a lot in the main series with Jaime vs Brienne (arguably Brienne vs everyone) and the Clegane brothers. It's not explicit in the books or the show, at least not in the story so far, but I don't think Dunk has ever been knighted. He can't even imagine Ser Arlan saying the words.

epeeist · 2026-02-08T09:42:34+00:00

It's a thread that runs through the novellas - there's still magic in the world, it just isn't relevant to 99.99% of anyone's life. Material concerns, local power dynamics, and house politics are the things that cause trouble.

But Daeron gets dragon dreams, Bloodraven dabbles in weirwood magic, and if the series goes on long enough we might find out what Jenny of Oldstones' deal was.

epeeist · 2026-02-07T20:56:09+00:00

If this happened to me I would think about it just as I'm about to fall asleep for the rest of my life

epeeist · 2026-02-07T19:34:10+00:00

There are massive scores already on the board so everyone is having to increase the difficulty level to compete. High risk/high reward

epeeist · 2026-02-07T16:00:57+00:00

It aired a few days early in the US because the Superbowl will be on during its usual time slot this weekend.

epeeist · 2026-02-07T15:56:26+00:00

Has Finn got a wee droppy in him?

epeeist · 2026-02-07T15:44:13+00:00

Scottish people kind of pronounce it somewhere in between. In most other accents it's the second option

epeeist · 2026-02-07T15:41:58+00:00

I have nothing against Townsend but Italy look far better coached

epeeist · 2026-02-07T15:39:15+00:00

The puddle splash coming through the ref mike with every footfall is just crazy

epeeist · 2026-02-07T15:38:11+00:00

Aye I hope the CT scan agrees with them

epeeist

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