[bitofatit]

I don't know why this passes as entertainment. Two girls stand their and take turns at slapping one another - really really hard - oucheee...
Its called "smackfest" and the winner gets $5K.

Two things - wow wow weeewa yep it was funny and I was laughing and grimacing whilst at the same time hating myself for doing so.
Why do people do this?
Is there nothing people won't do for money?
Should I have brought this to your attention?
(OK 3 things!)

http://www.killsometime.com/Video/video.asp?ID=697

[MrBlofeldt]

It would appear that stupidity has become a valuable commodity !

[Pat_C]

Originally Posted by bitofatit

Why do people do this?

$5k

Is there nothing people won't do for money?

Apparently not much. And what they won't do now they probably will be doing soon.

Should I have brought this to your attention?

Yes, you were right to do so. We need to be aware of these worrying trends if only to understand the depths to which humans will plummet for fame and financial gain. That way we can ensure that we have adequate reserves of contempt and sarcasm to deal with it if it ever takes off over here.

This makes playing darts look like an intellectual pastime.

[darren_eaf]

Originally Posted by Pat_C

This makes playing darts look like an intellectual pastime.

It is, it helps greatly with numeracy.

Plus, do you have the skill to clear down 501 in 9 - 15 darts on average.

[Pat_C]

Originally Posted by darren_eaf

It is, it helps greatly with numeracy.

In the olden days we used to learn mental arithmetic

Plus, do you have the skill to clear down 501 in 9 - 15 darts on average.

No. I can't swallow 4 gallons of bitter or balance a sofa on my stomach either.

[Mr.D]

Very high possibility a misplaced slap could burst an ear drum or damage an eye there.
At least boxing is regulated.

[darren_eaf]

So why say darts isn't an intellectual pastime?

It's not a barbaric no brain sport.

You have to have some intellect to remember what scores are needed for a checkout

[Pat_C]

Originally Posted by darren_eaf

So why say darts isn't an intellectual pastime?

Because I don't consider it to be so. Obviously that depends on the interpretation of 'intellectual', so perhaps it's best to agree to differ on this. My comment was a rather peripheral one.

You could always set up a poll if you wanted to seek other views.

[INSOMANiAC]

They're just a pair of slappers

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Pat_C

Because I don't consider it to be so. Obviously that depends on the interpretation of 'intellectual', so perhaps it's best to agree to differ on this. My comment was a rather peripheral one.

You could always set up a poll if you wanted to seek other views.

I'm with you Pat. Anyone can work out the darts scores, even the numbnuts my sister calls 'friends'. Darts is a pub game, for fun, played by (massively) overweight professionals, for silly money.................

Those two girls are no worse than the lunatics who take part in those exercises in S&M called 'Japanese game shows'.

[bitofatit]

Originally Posted by Pat_C

In the olden days we used to learn mental arithmetic


No. I can't swallow 4 gallons of bitter or balance a sofa on my stomach either.

Found it - U C_Pat you seem to have a thing abouts Darts, drinking copiously ....and a sense of humour? This ones right up your street - but to be fair the game has moved on since them bad old days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ffFo2Ymrck

[Knyght_byte]

Originally Posted by overkill

I'm with you Pat. Anyone can work out the darts scores, even the numbnuts my sister calls 'friends'. Darts is a pub game, for fun, played by (massively) overweight professionals, for silly money.................

Have to disagree here on the darts not being good for math. In my last place of employment, almost all the younger folks, those who have left Uni with degrees and all that shiny stuff couldnt work out adding up 5 or 6 three figure numbers.....i dont even mean they couldnt do it in their heads, they failed to do it correctly using the board and adding up each column!!!

none of them played darts.....

whilst all the slightly older folks, of which a dozen played in the darts comps regularly at the pub over the road......they could do not just the basic teams revenue adding up, but work out the VAT differences and then apply the commission detractions based on the various levels....in their heads....

seriously, most people my age or under do not find it easy to do the calculations involved in playing darts, ie working out which plays they need to make to get a finish etc....

nowadays the nearest you get in most pubs/bars thats challenging for the brain is Giant Jenga......good fun and noisy...definitely not cerebral....

[Pat_C]

Originally Posted by bitofatit

Found it - U C_Pat you seem to have a thing abouts Darts, drinking copiously ....and a sense of humour? This ones right up your street - but to be fair the game has moved on since them bad old days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ffFo2Ymrck

Thanks, I do remember that one. They've produced some great material over the years!

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Knyght_byte

Have to disagree here on the darts not being good for math. In my last place of employment, almost all the younger folks, those who have left Uni with degrees and all that shiny stuff couldnt work out adding up 5 or 6 three figure numbers.....i dont even mean they couldnt do it in their heads, they failed to do it correctly using the board and adding up each column!!!

none of them played darts.....

whilst all the slightly older folks, of which a dozen played in the darts comps regularly at the pub over the road......they could do not just the basic teams revenue adding up, but work out the VAT differences and then apply the commission detractions based on the various levels....in their heads....

seriously, most people my age or under do not find it easy to do the calculations involved in playing darts, ie working out which plays they need to make to get a finish etc....

nowadays the nearest you get in most pubs/bars thats challenging for the brain is Giant Jenga......good fun and noisy...definitely not cerebral....

I think that has more to do with the lack of emphasis on certain maths skills at school than playing darts. Sorry to be contrary, but..................

[Pat_C]

Originally Posted by Knyght_byte

seriously, most people my age or under do not find it easy to do the calculations involved in playing darts, ie working out which plays they need to make to get a finish etc....

I'm sure I could do that just as well as the average darts player. When you have to recite times tables at school as much as I did you never forget them.

I would agree that the calculations required for darts do help to develop and maintain mental agility; I just wouldn't rate the benefits any higher than that.

[Knyght_byte]

Originally Posted by overkill

I think that has more to do with the lack of emphasis on certain maths skills at school than playing darts. Sorry to be contrary, but..................

point taken and agreed on in some respects, those of my age though would still have done their tables etc to an almost religious incantation level...lol

however, people these days do less hobbies/sports where math is involved in general.....such as Darts given the example......years ago a lot more people would play a game like darts, or perhaps card games, when in pubs, social clubs etc. Nowadays they dont tend to do that, they just sit there finding out who can get mullered the quickest on shots.....

in fact, the people (younger) i find who retain their mathematic abilities the best are those i play online games with, especially the RTS ones, but even some of the FPS players.....why? because the games they play use the brain, RTS is obvious, balancing finances to army composition, working out relative strength of units to the enemies and general strategy......FPS some people might think doesnt work so well, but those who play them to a clan level (ie competitive) know full well how fast your brain is working to combat your opponents strategies (mainly with team based games like CS:S)...it all keeps the mind sharp.....unlike say The Sims or similar where its simply yes or no options........in fact, for anyone here who wants to try and give their kids around 10 years old or thereabouts a cerebral challenge, get a game for the PC called Pharoah, part of the Citybuilder series....amazing game for building up math/logistic background plus its good fun once they get in to it, not to mention it has a fairly decent size historical database they can look in to as well, but isnt forced upon them....

i guess what i find the biggest shame personally is that people wont try doing something because of a stigma attached to it, i dont mean a bad stigma (ie glue sniffing), but a old fashioned or slow etc type stigma....example bowling, not ten pin but lawn bowls (whether indoor or outdoor)....its no different from snooker in its application, its relatively slow game, using tactical thinking as much as skill........its downside, its commitees are even more ludicrous than in cricket and consequently became ruled by old gits who wanted to stifle the sport in rules and regulations that had nothing to do with the game itself....which ended up meaning it was mostly older people playing it.....as a result people think 'lawn bowls, oh that old mans sport'.......but it isnt....most of the sports best players are in their late twenties.....its certainly a sport where a bit of maturity and experience helps, especially with team games, but in singles, providing you have a good head on your shoulder for calling shots on a percentage, its a fantastic game thats as tense to both play or watch as any other.......but people will instantly retort to that with 'no it isnt....its boring'......no, thats most likely peer pressure to make fun of something you dont understand talking....ok some people might have tried it and not enjoyed it, fair do's, some think snookers a waste of time, or running, or even football (personally i enjoy having a kickaround, used to play on a sunday in my teens, cant stand watching it though, no interest at all)......

ok, time to go to the shops to get some dinner...or i'll be here all night, i swear i have a switch on the back of my neck which gets flipped to SoapBox mode by someone every once in a while