In todays news...

[Lutin]

Super Mario 64 game sells for record-breaking $1.5m at auction

A sealed copy of video game Super Mario 64 has sold at auction for more than $1.5m (£1.1m), shattering records.

The 1996 cartridge was a launch title for the Nintendo 64 console, and was one of the most influential early 3D platformers.

The auction house said there were "fewer than five" copies in such good condition.

The sale dwarfed another record-breaker, an original Legend of Zelda cartridge, set just two days before.

That original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) cartridge sold for $870,000 on Friday, briefly making it the world's most expensive game.

Neither game was bought for the rarity of its gameplay experience - Nintendo has rereleased both for its Nintendo Switch console.

Instead, they have value as physical memorabilia, in the same way as rare trading cards.


Bonkers. Truly bonkers.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Because stamps, bubblegum cards and nice paint smeared skillfully on old cloth makes total sense.

[ZRX61]

Bloke on quad escapes from the rozzers:
https://funker530.com/video/man-on-quad ... -officers/

[Yorick]

When did blackmail become legal?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-57860942

[Yorick]

Officials need to take a reality check...

This lass got told off for wearing high waited bikini bottoms.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/57887715

And this lot got fined for NOT wearing a bikini

https://www.bbc.com/sport/handball/57890430

Madness

[slowsider]

Officials need to take a reality check...

This lass got told off for wearing high waited bikini bottoms.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/57887715

And this lot got fined for NOT wearing a bikini

https://www.bbc.com/sport/handball/57890430

Madness

Glad to have you keeping an eye on it.
Mind those hairy palms.

[ZRX61]

Uh oh....

[DefTrap]

Officials need to take a reality check...

This lass got told off for wearing high waited bikini bottoms.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/57887715

And this lot got fined for NOT wearing a bikini

https://www.bbc.com/sport/handball/57890430

Madness

There's not a lot of sense in sporting bodies rules.

I questioned some FA (youth) rules once. They weren't prepared to even discuss the logic / fairness / correctness of it. 'Rules are rules' they said. And as long as no laws are broken they can presumably do what they want.

[Yambo]

Officials need to take a reality check...

This lass got told off for wearing high waited bikini bottoms.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/57887715

And this lot got fined for NOT wearing a bikini

https://www.bbc.com/sport/handball/57890430

Madness

The first one (Olivia Breen) would appear to be the official stating a personal opinion and whilst he's entitled to an opinion he didn't appear to be telling her she'd broken any rules.

The Norwegian girls wearing shorts was clearly a breach of the rules. The rule however appears to be ridiculous - unless it's to prevent trans women, who still have a meat and two veg prancing around exposing the fact that they're not actually women.

[Saga Lout]

There's not a lot of sense in sporting bodies rules.

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has a rule about the length of cyclists socks - no higher than half way between ankle and knee, in case you were wondering.

Why? Because they can.


EDIT: And because all the big problems in professional cycling have been solved.

[Mr. Dazzle]

There's not a lot of sense in sporting bodies rules.

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has a rule about the length of cyclists socks - no higher than half way between ankle and knee, in case you were wondering.

Why? Because they can.


EDIT: And because all the big problems in professional cycling have been solved.

And because there are aerodynamic advantages to be gained from sock design. Real reason.

Not a lot, TBF, but bear in mind that in the Rio men's team pursuit the difference between gold and silver times was 0.3%.

[Saga Lout]

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has a rule about the length of cyclists socks - no higher than half way between ankle and knee, in case you were wondering.

Why? Because they can.


EDIT: And because all the big problems in professional cycling have been solved.

And because there are aerodynamic advantages to be gained from sock design. Real reason.

Not a lot, TBF, but bear in mind that in the Rio men's team pursuit the difference between gold and silver times was 0.3%.

0.3% of 4 minutes is over 7 seconds. The winning margin was 3.453 seconds, about 0.15%

How high would your socks need to be to make up three and a half seconds?

If socks really can give an unfair advantage just ban socks altogether, this halfway house is neither one thing nor the other.

[Mr. Dazzle]

GB - 3:50.265, aka 230.265s
Australia - 3:51.008, aka 231.008s

0.743s different, which is 0.32% of the winning time? No?

Socks really do give an unfair advantage. In London they used oversocks...



Whereas in Rio they used custom fitted carbon shoes...with socks that finished half way up the leg. Guess why they dropped the oversocks.



The way the air flows over and off of the rider's legs has a big aero impact ("big" in the land of marginal gains) so they go to some lengths to mitigate it. How much do you think custom designed and fitted carbon shoes cost after all?

The rules are not just about unfair advantage, it's also about stopping one team with lots of money (guess who that is ) outspending everyone else chasing tiny advantages and starting a spending war. It's a fairly reasonable request for an athlete to wear socks, so who's to say that your aerodynamic foot fairing isn't a sock? The UCI, that's who.

[JackyJoll]

Are you wearing socks?

[Mussels]

I wonder how the afro swim caps will pan out, I imagine a lot more swimmers suddenly deciding they need them and gelling their hair into a more streamlined shape.

[Mussels]

This video leaves me speechless, I've seen a few of this guy's videos and he's about as inoffensive as you can get. He's a bricky that builds daft stuff for his kids in the back garden.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57915749

[Yorick]

This video leaves me speechless, I've seen a few of this guy's videos and he's about as inoffensive as you can get. He's a bricky that builds daft stuff for his kids in the back garden.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57915749

Shame his whole body didn't catch fire.

[JamJar]

This video leaves me speechless, I've seen a few of this guy's videos and he's about as inoffensive as you can get. He's a bricky that builds daft stuff for his kids in the back garden.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-57915749

I assume this is because he spoke out against the racism after the Euro's final?

[Saga Lout]

GB - 3:50.265, aka 230.265s
Australia - 3:51.008, aka 231.008s

0.743s different, which is 0.32% of the winning time? No?

Socks really do give an unfair advantage. In London they used oversocks...

Yes, my mistake. I was looking at the wrong times.

But still, if everybody is allowed to wear any length socks, how is the advantage unfair?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Cause its tiny refinements which take loads of time, money and effort to get right. I suppose it's not unfair in the sporting sense, but it means anyone who can throw money at the problem will have an advantage. Therefore some things are deemed unfair on cost grounds.

It's also a bit stupid when you consider Cervélo and BC paid us er....lots.....to make new frames and handlebars.

All sports have rules like this pretty much, F1 is the most obvious cause its also the highest budgets, but its by no means exclusive.

I doubt the bikini rules have anything to do with cost control though