Welcome! I remember the apprehension when I first started posting - it's groundless. I've found this board friendly, forgiving, and happy when people post. Do join the conversation!!
Welcome Lowlife - glad to have a new UKite here!! I can certainly go along with everything GP says (he's another Brit but lives over there!) Despite ipod, and ipad I am not a technical user either, but that doesn't matter, and people here are very welcoming in helping with queries.
I just completed a major website project, new resource for teachers, with UK partners. We decided early in the project that we had to develop US and UK versions of the site, both because the cultural differences were too great for a common site and because UK teachers would not use anything that sounded American.
But would US teachers use UK materials? (Years ago I remember using some High School Geography Project materials in school...) As you know it is part of being from an island, but 'we' are less afraid of Americans than 'we' are of say the French or Germans - at least it is a similar language! It will all start in earnest in a couple of months as the European Nations Football Finals begins soon. All the usual stuff will start coming out of the Sun and elsewhere, especially against Germany. Sad is too mild a word to describe it...
Greg listening to your comments about the Euro 2012 reminds me how the patten goes:
1/ Great Excitment beforehand
2/Lose 1st game
3/Win 2nd game
4/ Draw 3rd but go out on goal average to cires of plucky losers etc
Sorry to our friends outside the Eurozone if this is slightly off topic but the links to Soccer and the great music scence here are very close, maybe a discussion post suggestion
Welcome Lowlife. Odd contributions are quite common here. jonahpwll seized power a few years ago. Please show him the samerespect that you've seen the other members giving him.
Absolutely Lowlife, we are a friendly bunch here - but yes I agree Dr M's final comment about Jonah!! And do keep up the football comments, as you say lots of links between the two ....
Oh, now football is completely different matter. The NFL draft is coming up soon. I'm hoping the Bears take a lineman, since that really is their weakest spot, but if the right guy was there, either wide receiver or even cornerback would suit me just fine.
Yes, yes, football talk is welcome here... as long as you're a Bears fan. Otherwise, just keep it to yourself.
And for the rest of you, remember, don't speak unless called upon.
Jonah - as the majority world knows, football is a game played with a round ball, probably one of the most popular sports in virtually every country in the World, except one! You may know it as soccer. The top teams are either from England, Spain or Italy. Even in the remotest parts of Africa people will support and watch a team from one of these countries. Not some weird game played in North America. I gather it is even becoming popular in places like Los Angeles since an English player by the name of Beckham joined the local team. I rest my case....
I'm trying to remember the last time a German team won the Champions League, BT! 2001, maybe? Certainly the money, and hence major players, are in the three 'big' leagues. LA Galaxy were/still are paying Beckham well, so he must have some draw, even though his best playing days were over some years ago. (And don't tell him, but I'm trying to fire Jonah up a bit!!)
I don't disagree with you BT about nations, Spain 1, Germany 2 in Europe, but many of the best German players play in either England, Spain or Italy. Is that why American Football is so difficult to follow amclark?!!
In general, I find comparing the popularity of any sport problematic, because it is usual tied to how lucrative it is or how it plays into dreams of emancipating oneself from poor conditions. If popularity was itself an indication of the virtue of one or other sport, than participation rates between genders would be comparable. (BTW, greg, the United States' women's soccer team probably generates more enthusiasm than the men. I might argue that Mia Hamm and Hope Solo have had higher public profile's than Beckham it taken solely from their playing in th US.)
That's great to see that women's soccer is doing well. Here the England women's team do get good crowds and viewing figures, but not individual club sides, sadly, as there is not the infrastructure or, for that matter, cash available either. In fact, many of our best players go to the States to become full-time professionals or to join college teams.
I think we have drifted a bit from the topic of music, especially as it can go a long way toward retiring jonahpwll's quaint views. Just consider the contributions of the respective sports to musical culture. We have soccer to thank for perpetuating such marvels of lyrical sensitivity as Ole by Bouncing Souls and Vindaloo by Fat Les, not to mention the literary classic Glory Glory Man United, a song whose pedigree is vouched for by its appropriation in other settings. Add to this the signal contributions of soccer players themselves to music, including international contributions. (Name anything in the NFL that gets even close. All the NFL can muster is lengthy discussions of aging popstars nipples. Has Tim Tebow had a hit single? I thought not.) Our gratitude should go to Lowlife for opening up educational opportunities for jonahpwll.
Agreed GP! I only need to think of some of the World Cup songs from the UK nations to realise how great (not)the contribution to music has been from soccer. I am not going to give you tube links as many hardly qualify as music
Comments
I agree with the exception of jonahpwll. He's a complete ass.
Craig
As Bowie put it...
Obey.
Now commence welcoming more lowlifes to the site.
couldn't resist
Of course you couldn't. Please refer back to my previous comment...
1/ Great Excitment beforehand
2/Lose 1st game
3/Win 2nd game
4/ Draw 3rd but go out on goal average to cires of plucky losers etc
Sorry to our friends outside the Eurozone if this is slightly off topic but the links to Soccer and the great music scence here are very close, maybe a discussion post suggestion
Sorry about Jonah.
Yes, yes, football talk is welcome here... as long as you're a Bears fan. Otherwise, just keep it to yourself.
And for the rest of you, remember, don't speak unless called upon.
It helps that European teams take the best African players.
He was a dud in LA.
Please lay off the alcohol before posting.
As EVERYONE knows, this is football...
Please note: The ball is not round.
This is a not round ball: