Nice People Thread Number 11 - A Treasury of Nice People

silvercar

I just read a really interesting question. Why are there no female professional snooker players?

Teenage boys playing snooker was a sign of a misspent youth.

Teenage girls playing snooker is wierd. It's an odd thing to do in itself, but we accept that certain sorts of boys would want to. The idea of girls wanting to waste their time on it is even odder. And the idea that girls would hang out there because they fancy the sort of boys that play snooker is even odder.

The other thought is that boobs get in the way of the cue and table.

neverdespairgirl

Yorkie1 wrote: »

Indeed; bet those involved in the other big fraud cases scheduled for later this year are either panicking or rubbing their hands in anticipation (depending on which side of the fence they are on) at the moment. I think the prosecution has a day or so to decide whether to appeal the ruling by the Southwark Judge?

It's a final ruling (as it stays the case) so I think they have 14 days to put in an appeal, but I'd need to check it. They'll make their minds up quickly, though, I'm sure.

LydiaJ wrote: »

I would like a simple way of explaining to others roughly what's wrong with me, so they can have realistic expectations of me, and I would like to be helped to find ways of getting better.

More important, though, Lydia, is for you to have realistic expectations of yourself. Sometimes you think you ought to be superwoman, capable of everything under the sun at the same time, and that doesn't do anyone any good, it just upsets you because you hold these unrealistic expectations for yourself.

You don't have unrealistic expectations for your lovely children, or anyone else, so you need to try to be as nice and compassionate to yourself as you are to everyone else.

neverdespairgirl

GDB2222 wrote: »

Hi all. I see that the thread has been ticking along nicely without me. Sorry that I have been too busy/stressed to look in.

I am pleased to report that my minor scare has turned out not to be an issue. And we are off to Norfolk for the weekend soon. That's my news.

How are you all recovering from MIL's death? Is Mrs GDB coping?

Generali wrote: »

I just read a really interesting question. Why are there no female professional snooker players?

Men and women compete professionally on a completely equal footing apparently. They play in the same tournaments, entry rules are the same etc.

Just wondering.

Similar to chess, and darts, and stuff like that, I reckon?

I played chess competitively, and at county and national level until I was 15, and county level until I was 18. At Under 9 team level, it's about 60% boys, 40% girls. It then gets more and more male until at grandmaster level it's pretty much men only.

There comes a point at which if you want to carry on competitively, it has to become a complete obsession. You have to spend hours and hours every week practising and researching openings, middle games and endings, working through problems, etc.

I think men are more interested in taking things to that level on the whole than women. I certainly didn't want to - I wanted to do other things as well, such as sailing, debating, going to the theatre, all sorts of stuff.

Isn't it still the case that men get more firsts and more fails at uni, and women get more solid 2.i degrees?

PasturesNew

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I wanted to do other things as well, such as sailing, debating, going to the theatre, all sorts of stuff.

Posh alert
At that age I was hanging out at the village green, sitting on the pump steps... and talking to boys on mopeds.

neverdespairgirl

I think my parents probably encouraged us all to do things such as chess, sailing, debating, riding etc precisely to avoid us chatting to boys on mopeds.....

PasturesNew

On telly Makeover programme: Twee designer woman said - "You always have to have a chair or a stool in a kitchen .... when you're cooking and a friend drops by you need somewhere to sit and have a glass of wine".

Really? Not everybody has [a] friends people who'd drop round unannounced that couldn't stand or be sent packing [c] people sitting down and drinking wine [d] space for such a thing.

It annoys me when people assume that everybody's "just like them". "We all ..... we all have ..... " etc.

Masomnia

I am currently watching the snooker. Will end up doing nothing with the day, but I'm feeling a bit mopey, so I'm not beating myself up about that.

I think it's the lifestyle of snooker that doesn't appeal to women, snooker halls do tend to be frequented by older, fatter blokes. And how else do you practice if not going to such places? You get female darts players, but you can play darts at home or at the pub, which isn't as much of a blokes place. I used to go every few weeks with some friends when I lived in Sheffield but haven't played in ages now I've moved.

PasturesNew

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I think my parents probably encouraged us all to do things such as chess, sailing, debating, riding etc precisely to avoid us chatting to boys on mopeds.....

I'm sure that if we'd had the sort of income that'd allow such activities we'd have been doing them. I've never done any of those, nor been in a position to choose to do them or not.

Talking to boys on mopeds is free.

neverdespairgirl

Chess is pretty much free. Once you've bought a board and pieces, you don't need to spend a single penny on it thereafter. Debating at school is free, too. Sailing, riding and so forth are a bit more expensive, admittedly.

Masomnia

My parents never really encouraged me to do any such activities... but then I didn't get the upside either