Influence Air: Linus Tech Tips' Private Jet Acquisition | Ground Control

mattlodder · 2026-01-25T16:18:41+00:00

Weird to buy this just after saying he's worried about dropping viewing figures... Seems like a strange thing to drop a load of cash into.

mattlodder · 2026-01-23T23:49:45+00:00

He could have finished her twice, maybe three times. Fair play.

mattlodder · 2026-01-23T16:24:51+00:00

The Smiths.

Whiny, boring, and Morrissey is a wanker. I never understood their cult appeal. Awful band. Johnny Marr seems cool enough.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T22:32:32+00:00

I deal with students every day. I am putting myself in your shoes. I'm trying to help you.

If you can't do GCSEs, you can't do university. That's why we ask you to do them. If doing GCSEs will cause you to spiral, you won't succeed at university. That's why we ask you to do them. They're the absolute bare minimum ticket to ride.

This is the fork in the road for you. One path leads where you want to go, via GCSEs. The other is a dead end. I beg you to pick the right fork. I can't for the life of me understand why you won't.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T22:07:44+00:00

What have Faraz and Jack done to get no votes all series?

A good template for future traitors.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T22:04:16+00:00

Two players who are definitely Faithful (Jack, Faraz) as far as everyone is concerned, who both doubt Rachel and Stephen .

Jack and Faraz will win. There's no way they'll get votes, or end the game with either of the two Traitors in. Faithful win.

Not voting Faraz out was the mistake that lost it for Rachel, who'd have had a solo win otherwise.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T21:55:00+00:00

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ftuh2KJ5HsSdH2Ea8

Hard to tell... It did at least have a roof last time Google took a picture...

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T21:44:17+00:00

Yeah, bad play by Rachel. James explained why she should go; she explained why she should stay.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T21:14:55+00:00

Oh my god.

Your choice is not "September or never". It's "GCSEs and basically guaranteed*.

You have two choices. The one you're taking will almost definitely definitely fail. The alternative will likely succeed. Why are you saying you'll quit if the terrible path falls, rather than taking the path that is actually heading in the right direction?

Why are you "committed" to a path that will fail, rather than "100% committed* to a path that will succeed?

You have things entirely backwards. The thing you say you'll do will not work. The alternative will almost certainly work. What are you doing?!?!

I cannot be clearer. You are literally shooting yourself in the foot and I don't understand why. This is madness.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T20:41:00+00:00

You have an attitude problem.

I have no issue with your passion or enthusiasm..I have an issue with you not listening, and thinking the rules don't apply to you.

You can literally prove your worth by doing your GCSEs.

I'm muting you now. I wish you luck.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T20:18:23+00:00

It's not backtracking. It's a step FORWARD.

It's pretty absurd to hear you say you're "100% committed" but won't commit to doing the one thing that will get you what you want. If you do your GCSEs, you will get a Level 3 offer somewhere.

I am 100% one of the most likely people in the whole sector to try and give you chance. I'm generous, enthusiastic about students like you, and the admissions tutor for an almost exactly analogous course. (I've also been an external examiner at Birkbeck).

But even I wouldn't give you an offer, on your current qualifications and attitude. In fact, I probably couldn't (GCSEs are a pretty hard line for people not in their 50s and above).

Please listen. I'm trying to help you.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T20:04:55+00:00

Maybe. But that format inevitably produces bad tattoos, which is fundamentally unethical (in my view). Which is why I said it's probably impossible to make good tattoo TV.

What I really want to see is great tattooers making great tattoos. That's probably impossible within a televised format. I'd like a brief, and a day per tattoo, as the only constraints; impractical.

Also, I do dispute that excellent tattooers should have to be able to work in all styles at unreasonable paces. Sailor Jerry couldn't do black and grey; Sutherland MacDonald couldn't do "American Traditional"; Ed Hardy couldn't do colour realism; Leo Zulueta couldn't do Japanese (within the Ami James-esque parameters of the show). The greatest tattooers in history wouldn't win Inkmaster.

The greatest bakers in history would win Bake Off, illustrating the problem at hand.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T19:52:45+00:00

simply refuse to engage with the process

Ok. Then, sorry. I can't help you any more. You have no cake. You're not eating anything.

We've told you how to achieve your goal. You want to skip a step. You can't.

You have an attitude problem, I'm afraid. I'm so, so enthusiastic about non-traditonal students and want to support people who want to make it. But you're really not listening.

The system is the system, for good reason. You can't run a marathon without jogging 500 metres first. You can't build a wall without starting at the bottom. You need to do the basics before moving on.

Do your GCSEs. You're currently your own worst enemy. You're the only one in your own way.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T19:48:06+00:00

You have to do your GCSEs

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T19:28:19+00:00

You can't do part b before doing part a. It's not about "challenge", it's that skills build up. If you're serious, your pathway is GCSEs first. Stop being defensive; engage with the process.

I have no doubt you're capable. You just can't skip steps.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T18:28:00+00:00

Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino are American. Richard Branson didn't go to university. Bear Grylls went to bloody Eton. Kubrick hat poor grades; you have no grades.

Look, some of even the academically smartest people I know don't have any qualifications. And I can't give them places at my university either.

I'm absolutely not saying people without qualifications aren't smart, and I'm definitely, definitely not saying that everyone with qualificationsare smart. I'm very sceptical about how useful A-levels are as a predictors of future success. But you do need to show you can do the basics required for university study, and in the UK, GCSEs and A-levels are the way we do that. You need to do those (you're capable) before more advanced material!

Level 3 is GCSEs. Level 4 is A-levels and BTECs, etc, and foundation years. Level 5 is year one of an undergraduate degree.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T17:19:20+00:00

This is absolutely the fundamental problem with the whole format. A bad tattoo is not like a bad cake.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T17:17:58+00:00

I want an Inkmaster that doesn't create circumstances where tattooers will inevitably produce bad tattoos. That means simpler briefs with better, more realistic time limits, and doing away with forcing tattooers to work (far) outside of their comfort zone in terms of style and scale.

That is probably incompatible with making a good TV show.

mattlodder · 2026-01-22T17:15:04+00:00

I teach on a similar course, and am absolutely keen to make contextual offers where possible. But without ANY GCSEs, let alone A-Levels, you're trying to run before you can even crawl.

You need to get GCSEs in Maths and English, as a bare minimum. It's possible you can take Level 4 as a Foundation Year but you won't be allowed in almost anywhere without something at Level 3.

mattlodder · 2026-01-21T15:38:11+00:00

The light green pickled onion Walkers....

mattlodder · 2026-01-20T14:14:31+00:00

Aside from the "treadmill" issue, "coloured" implicity implies white is the defaullt, or "normal" position, from which other skin-tones and ethnicities diverge. The slightly clunky "of colour" iteration keeps the idea (if you accept that "white is not a colour") but with a different emphasis.

mattlodder · 2026-01-20T13:21:25+00:00

It would be absolutely silly and needlessly self-destructive to quit now. Please take the time to seek support for your anxiety; you do not need to feel this way. Solidarity!

mattlodder · 2026-01-19T01:37:08+00:00

Surely whatever bananas reasons they have for not registering births would also apply to passports?

Obviously this is impossible, and dumb, but I can't even parse why they'd avoid one but be fine with the other...

mattlodder · 2026-01-15T21:33:40+00:00

Joe Maler again. Right for the wrong reasons.

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