Science Fiction Friction

I've had occasion to watch some tv and the odd film and have some thoughts about what I've been watching. and no particular order I'm just going to put it out there.

Dark Matter, Ex_Machina, Humans/Äkta människor, Stitchers, SuperGirl, Mr.Robot and Utopia.

Dark Matter.

The spaceship makes this manoeuvre to 'fall' rapidly 'downwards' to avoid a missile. In doing so the ships 'gravitational processor' would not be able to compensate adequately. So in this scene all the characters from the 100lb to the 300lb 'floated' 'weightless' as the ship 'fell'

Moments later the spaceship makes an FTL leap, that's Faster Than Light wherein none of the characters suffered compression injuries due to rapid acceleration from going zero to extremely quickly instantly.

Secondly. Why is it that in every space ship show and film ever all the spaceships fly along the same place in the same orientation. All of them. With few exceptions like in this episode of Dark Matter and one episode of classic Star Trek do you ever see spaceships on different planes of travel.

They never approach from 90 degrees, of directly from above, or below or some oblique angle. Always head to head, face to face. Always the same orientation.

Thirdly. Guns, why so many guns?

Ex_Machina.

A female robot is programmed with self will and though.

There were some interesting themes in this, like the accumulation and endowment of knowledge based on the capture of internet searches and phone communications.

But it's not a startlingly good movie, given that the robot has figured out how to overload the power system by feedback I wondered why it was content to wait to escape by conning a guilliable male into helping it.

Anyway the robot escapes, without a worry about how it'll recharge itself, money, identification, destination or means.

Humans the English Version and Real Humans (Äkta människor) the swedish version.

Robots have been given AI. “Science has created a robot that looks like a human being and is considered a perfect substitute.”

Perfectly articulated robots are programmed for specialist roles in the domestic and workplace, from domestic help, aged care workers, to warehouse stores pick and pack and labourers.

Except some of them have been given freedom of thought, just a few.

Set 'now' this is an interesting study in human and machine interaction. One of the good things is that the robots don't have cellular communication or are internet connected, and they require charging regularly.

One of the strange things is just how well articulated and mobile they are, and just how good they are at things like cooking, which is sometimes a judgement call, they don't posses super sight, super strength, or any other extra powers. Some of them can drive cars, but not many.

'Real Humans' is a movement to avoid or discriminate against 'hubots' in society, and there are plenty of stickers and warnings about where they are welcome or not.

It's a very good theme and it's well acted and scripted, the tribulations of teenage angst and infatuation with the overly pretty house bots, the 'hubots' becoming sexual partners for some, and the anger that some humans have towards being inferior to 'hubots' in some situations.

Then there are the different group, who are free-thinkers and have different personalities, from a psychopath, a religious one, one who wants to be loved and have children, and one that got away with being a police officer, only I have no idea how they passed the medical for that since there are special 'hubot' readers that can pick up identification and ownership ID quite easily. Still it makes for a great plot angle.

Then….. one of the different 'Hubots' uses it's standard USB port to hack into a security network. You knew it was coming, along with the leaping of the car.

Stitchers.

Jump into the memories of a recently dead person and discover why or how they died. Female lead has emotional detachment and the nerds are pretty second rate.

Throw in that the lead has to wear a skin tight suit that covers some of her body and protects her when shes in the swim pool, it's particularly odd. I might not be getting it but when you assume someone memory I'd have thought that you also gain their perspective and not be an observer in their dream, you'd see things in the first person as you are now, not be standing behind you looking at you.

It's not overly different to any number of soft detective shows that are or have been on from Sherlock, Person of Interest, and others. It's not particularly good on story, script or procedural accuracy.

SuperGirl.

This is particulay vexing.

In this new paradigm Super Girl is facing other aliens who happen to be in the same town, and want to cause distruction and mayhem.

Not acts of bravery. So essentially it's a monsters of the week show. Hugely disappointing and rather average thinking.

Mr. Robot.

Introvert hacker with extraordinary skills 'hacks' people to being them to a justice.

Was doing ok, and is quite interesting, realistic perhaps and at one point he used the acronym AFK (away from keyboard) to explain why he was meeting someone in real life and not just via email. Of course gets caught up with some major league conspiracist and mysterious hacking group that disappear, the hunt is on.

Of course gets in a corporate jet to fly to a data centre where he is the only one ....

Has a lot of potential if it stays true to itself and not one of those stupid tap the keyboard hack pastiches, which it will be eventually.

Utopia.

One of the best and quirkiest programs in the last while is the TV series Utopia. Just 12 episodes.

Jessica Hyde on the run and hiding a secret contained in a manuscript that foreshadows or is as a result of and experiment to end or change mankind for good and forever.

It is strange and it is compelling if you can get into it.

Too odd for the network TV people they stopped it sort of stopped it mid story with might of course be a blessing since look what's happened in "Orphan Black' that's turned into a bit of a shambles.

4:11 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

I found this, which reminded me of the problems associated with the insomnia musings about being able to shrink smaller and smaller.



I'd thought about the atoms of oxygen needed and set aside the weight issue.

Sadly it seems I'm not the only one with time on my hands in the dark of the night .

4:10 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Thoughts about, flying, being invisible, faster than light, superpowers in general, the opposite side of the earth to you, they come and go.

But have you ever thought what it might be light to be twice your size? Three times?

Three time might be about 5,5 meters  or perhaps 17-18 feet tall. Heck twice might be 3.5 meters or nearly 12 feet.  Even if you're smaller of stature that's not going to be so much different, couple feet here or there.

The tallest man living is Sultan Kösen (Turkey, b.10 December 1982) who measured 251 cm (8 ft 3 in).  Robert Wadlow  was 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m), 439 lb (199 kg).  Thing is with unusually tall people is that they suffer from all sorts of health and skeletal problems, and gravity isn't kind. Humans are just not evolved to be taller than we, on average, are.

Putting aside the problems of mass (as always), and some other problems, like clothing, feeding, and shelter does being über tall have any benefits? or Opportunities?

I came to some conclusions.

Work:

Ideal for cleaning the gutters and general roof maintenance. Useless however at arial installation where there are small screws and fixtures required.

Possibly good at house washing, again houses have some fiddly bits about them.

Ideal for being an arborist, or tree maintenance. Not so much lawn mowing, too much crouching.

Seasonal work in pantomime as a 'giant'

Sports:

• Might be handy at basketball, but unlikely to be able to get into any stadiums.


• Should be good at swimming, big flipper like feet, and the diving in should give you a handy advantage.


• Might be good at running, but might not be able to stay in lane and get disqualified a lot. Cross-country running might be more the go.


• Might be good at lifting weights overhead, but not convinced about this.

Travel:

Getting around might be a problem, They don't make cars or trucks for the particularly tall, so you could walk or run, but there would be a fair amount of obstacles in the way, overhead wires, trees, etc. (Before you thing about Monster Trucks, for instance, they're big truck for 'normal' sized people).

Flying would be almost impossible, travelling overseas almost impossible

The only solution I had was to be chauffeured about on the back of a flat bed truck.

Not a lot of dignity in being tall.  Not a lot of jobs, and I don't think there would be a log of glamour.

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Out and About - 16Tun - Auckland Viaduct

16 TUN is a craft beer bar in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter. It has a choice from 19 tap crafted beers  all from independent brewers, from all over the country.  Just this country. Nineteen ! On Tap!

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There are a couple of really special things about 16 Tun.

Unlike other pubs, gastro, sports, or otherwise the atmosphere at 16 Tun is not impaired by the presence of TV monitors in the bar. Not a one. You can watch the other patrons, or talk to your partner, or the bar person.

Decor and lighting give the impression of indulgence, and some of the fixtures are artistic interpretation of plumbing fixtures. It's quirky and impressive, different but not edgy.

I've been here a few times, the pictures above from a previous visit, but this time with MrsPdubyah and an old friend who loves in Wellington now for a catch up and some food and a bit of a yarn

Everything on the menu has that 'I'd like to try that' thing going on, from the Ruakaka Paua (abalone) Fritters, through Wings, Ribs or vegetarian options, and of course 'sliders'

It's almost too hard to go past a Beer tastings from their  range of  tap beers. There is a  ‘half crate’ (4 different 200ml beers), ‘6 Pack’ (6 beers) and ‘Full Crate’ (8 beers). But I did.

For me, this night, on taps they had beers that were old favourites and a couple of new ones that I wanted to try.

We ordered some food, where we had a Caesar salad, Paua fritters, pork sliders and both the normal and kumara chips to keep us going. It was enough to enjoy if not being spectacular in taste it is presented well, and everything was eaten.

[gallery type="rectangular" ids="10592,10593,10594,10596,10597,10598"]

They have an extensive bottles selection too, and they serve them in appropriate fancy IPA glass form Spiegelau where they can.

It is, in summary, a great place to spend an hour or two, inside in one of the booths, or at one of the big bar tables, or outside sitting on the trestles.

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this one as 9 random things for the great night out, in a bar that is elegant, where the staff are attentive, and the ambience is pleasant and enjoyable. The food could have been better, and that would really be being picky and needy, however that would be the difference between Great (9) and (10) Awesome. 

The double dip review

1. Am I enjoying it? It really is a nice place to visit, alone, or with friends.


2. Would I have another? If I could go more often I would


3. Would I bring  a friend and set the world to rights? Of course, next time I might have the full crate though, seems a shame to come out of a 19 tap option bar and to have to make hard choices about what not to drink.

4:09 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Remember this nonsense? ...

Putting aside the question of mass then, bear with me it's important or not,

There was I thinking

"What if you could shrink yourself"

 

You want to keep shrinking though, smaller and smaller.'

It opens up a lot of thinking

This led me to thinking about falling through the gaps between the threads in the sheet of the bed and falling to the floor. Size is relevant here, that would be a terribly long drop.

But, it then occurs to me this morning that this there is a simple and yet fatal flaw and it's down to lack of planning.

Again putting aside the question of retention of mass, two issues of size, one of which I glossed over. I may not even have mentioned the thing about clothing. But I have plan for that.

(i) Clothing, this is an important thing. It is 4:09 bear with me. or even bare with me.

The idea of shrinkage. Presume it's the physical self and the contained within the body. A closed system. You get around the problem of clothes but putting in your mouth small clothes that shrink with you. Clothes you are wearing don't shrink, they're not in the closed system. This is important, or your shrinking would go badly wrong when you were crushed by an amalgam filling that burst our of you cheek, or the salami sandwich that you had to have coming back to haunt you.

So you tuck a pair of tiny pants in your mouth. I've though this through, I had lots of time. You shrink in increments right, at some point you take the small pants from out of your mouth, and put them on? Am I right?  tell me I'm not?  You can shrink increments so tiny shoes are not a problem, you spit them out at the size you want and put them on. This does however limit the amount of equipment you can take with you, a story for another time.

Moving on ..

1. Size. Say I'm 2.00 meters tall (I'm not, unless I'm wearing heels) but anyway I'm not, ok, and it was the once. And there was no lippy, well a bit but no eye shadow and even if there was it wasn't blue. ok.  Say also  200 pounds

Anyway, say, just do it, say that I'm 200 cm tall (not in heels) and suddenly I'm  20cm tall (don't worry about the mass thing I can't imagine being 90kg/200 lbs and 20cm tall. If you can't put the mass aside then you're pretty much done.So put aside the problem with retention of  mass, particularly if you want to recover to a 200cm 200lb person.

It's important here to mix the Metric and Imperial as maths is so much easier than inches and ounces. And I'm that old that I can pounds and not grams.  And isn't it convenient 100cm and 200lbs. That's cm a lb.  If only I was a chistmas/thanksgiving Turkey how much would I be worth.

Even this thinking is keeping me awake so I shy away and move on.

So now I'm 20cm tall.

The bed I'm on is 100cm tall, with the mattress and everything. Thats a half a body tall right, I'm 200cm tall, keep up. Anyway I'm now 20cm tall.  So the Bed is 5 times my body height.

That's like the 2nd floor in an apartment high isn't it? To get off the bed I have to decent 5 times my height, instead of .5.

I'm 10cm tall, this is now 20 times by height, that's the equivalent of 40 meters (131 feet) in the air.

I'm 1cm tall, 200 times my height above the carpet, in the bedroom, on the second floor (first floor depends on the country you live in), I need a parachute to get off the bed, of I should have planned it better.

1 mm tall. I nearly gave up the maths,

I gave up the maths.

I don't know about this being so small I can see the gaps in atomic structure.

Smaller, and then I call through the cotton threads, it's an awful long drop to the mattress, and then smaller I fall through that, if I get through that there is that huge gap betwixt the bed frame and the carpet...  This wasn't my best plan.

1. Size.

Right I sorted out a better place to 'shrink'

Smaller and smaller, no falling anywhere, it's all a bit safe.

Smaller and smaller what could go wrong

Oh wait I know, at some point my new shrunk fixed lungs are smaller than an oxygen, I can't breathe.

The end.

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5 Beers to go to get to #500

I have a couple of beers in mind, and in the fridge that I should consider as the landmark #500 beer, of no real on other than it's #500.  500 individual beers that I've drunk at home, in bottles or cans, sometimes in a fill-your-own, but always at home. I should get out more.



500 is a big number, and it's here that I begin to realise that I've put a bit of effort into what essentially is a hobby blog. I've only brought beers that are available in shops, even if sometimes they might have been limited release and difficult to get, and occasionally to keep it real commercial non-craft beers that are popular or well known, I'm not a total beer snob, and definitely not an expert.

I've only ever had 3 beers given to me by either the brewer or importer in that number, and so this isn't a call for sponsorship, or consideration for sponsorship, although I will take free beer in return for writing about it in my own way.

I'm looking for help though in getting to that number and whilst I have two beers that I'm considering as the #500 I'm soliciting suggestions.

The beers I have as part of the final 5 (to get me to 500) are;

1. Epic Coffee and Fig Stout - 2014 version. Only that I've had this on tap a few times since it's launch and might be biased as it's very good, I also have a 2013 bottle, I could do a comparative?

1. Rogue Double Chocolate Stout. This has been in the fridge for a few weeks.

3. Unibroue La Fin du Monde. I have this in the fridge too.

But I really am looking for ideas on what I might do to get to the 500 mark, and am looking for some suggestions or recommends, bearing in mind that although we get a fair amount of the good beer here in New Zealand there are some things that just don't make it here, like Russian River Pliny the Elder, for instance, and I don't recall seeing any Cigar city beers either.

I'll take all suggestions and I'll make a best effort to obtain the beer suggested, and if it's not in the final 5 I'm sure it'll be in the next 5. Don't hold back, if nothing else it's a way of sharing your own favourites that I might get a chance to like to.

Inaugural New World Beer and Cider Awards

I got sent a press release, which of course means I've made it as a blogger right?

"I’m just getting in touch to share the results from the first ever New World Beer & Cider Awards, announced today, if you might be interested for your blog? The New World Wine Awards have been running for 12 years, but this is the first time New World have run a beer and cider awards."

Awards and recognition are good things, and the list includes some interesting choices that highlight the quality of the beer being produced locally.

New World are a supermarket chain and are reasonably well respected and the awards carry some kudos and gravitas, as well as opportunity for the winners.

The winners are listed as below  or click here  for the webpage directly, and I've linked to where I've drunk and written about them at some time, although I can say that the Ciders aside I've had all of them except the Epic Pale and Wigram Muncher Dunkel which I can remedy

• Apple & Pear Cider - Zeffer Cider Co. Red Apple Cider


• Fruit & Flavoured Cider - Old Mout Cider Feijoa & Cider


• Fruit, Flavoured & Speciality Beer - Garage Project VPA: Venusian Pale Ale


• International Lager - Singha Premium Lager


• IPA & APA - Liberty Brewing Co Yakima Monster


• Lower Strength Beer - Tuatara ITI APA


• NZ Lager - Steinlager Classic


• Pale Ale - Epic Pale Ale


• Pilsner - Galbraith’s Special Edition Pilsner Czech style


• Speciality Ale - Bach Brewing Duskrider Red IPA


• Speciality Lager - Wigram Brewing Co. Munchner Dunkel


• Stout & Porter - Three Boys Oyster Stout


• Strong Ale - Renaissance Brewing Company Stonecutter Scotch Ale


• Wheat - Mac’s Great White Cloudy Wheat Beer

The press release: Inaugural New World Beer & Cider Awards results announced

The results of the inaugural New World Beer & Cider Awards, which celebrate the diversity and high standard of beer and cider available from around New Zealand and overseas, have been announced today.

“As well as recognising the rapidly growing local beer and cider market, the New World Beer & Cider Awards were established this year to help make the decision process a little easier for consumers,” says Chair of Judges Neil Miller, who was recently named Beer Writer of the Year at the Brewers’ Guild of New Zealand Awards.

“Having that medal sticker on award-winning beer and cider in-store means people can try different styles with confidence that the brew is going to be a great example of its type.”

Recently, over two days in Wellington, a team of 12 industry leaders blind-tasted 351 beers and ciders from 56 breweries. Medals were awarded to the top scorers and resulted in 14 Best in Class, 32 Gold, 45 Silver and 77 Bronze winners.

“I was incredibly impressed by not only the number, but the standard of entries from both new entrants and established players from all parts of the country and overseas,” says Neil Miller.

Each beverage was assessed against the style guide using the 50-point scoring system by a panel of four judges. The experienced and well respected judges included Kelly Ryan, Kieran Haslett-Moore, Stephanie Coutts, Joseph Wood, Hadyn Green, Mike Neilson, Colin Mallon, Greig McGill, Matt Warner, Jono Galuszka, Stephen Plowman and Shane Morley, with Craig Bowen as competition advisor.

The New World Beer & Cider Awards’ key point of difference from other competitions is that each of the 14 Best in Class brews must have 3,600 litres available around the time of results announcement, in order to ensure there is enough stock for New World customers nationwide. Even with this benchmark in place, Neil Miller believes the winning brews will sell out fast.

“Many of the winners are smaller, independent breweries from off the beaten track, which means that people will have to get in quick if they want to try some for themselves.”

All Best in Class brews are distributed and promoted in New World’s 136 supermarkets nationwide from 10 November, with full competition results available at newworld.co.nz/beerandcider.

“We’re now seeing more and more New Zealanders appreciating a great quality beer or cider just as much as they do a glass of wine. It’s fantastic that we can provided a competition much like our long-running New World Wine Awards to recognise and reward this growing sector,” says Steve Anderson, Managing Director, New World.

ENDS

Labour and Socialism - lurch left.

I don't vote Labour or left wing. Never have. Doesn't mean that I can't have an opinion on what might make me vote for them though, or ideas that might appeal to a broader range of people that may bring them back to power.

Alone. Not in some cockamamie coalition of "we're all left wing therefore a vote for anyone one of us works" way, that ends in tears of disappointment and compromise.

Good socialism, don't get distracted by dolphins, or oil drilling, they fall in to place when you have the minds of the people .

Don't get me wrong they are important but they'll fall into place when people have security, and a future to look forward to.

Idea one:

• Promise to build state houses, say in blocks of 20 - 50. Make the local councils free up the land that they are banking or planning to sell off for profit.


• Approach local or national business and ask them to be on board a community project, this will swing the right-wing business for profit business in behind an altruistic effort - good for them, good for the economy, good for the people.


• Build sensible housing, of course terrace or row housing,  because modern and spacious can be achieved with modern methods.


• Appoint a community guardian or caretaker.


• Make them small communities, perhaps include growing plots for vegetables etc.


• Make sure that the busses stop at the end of the street, and do so regularly. .


• Make sure that community services people visit regularly.


• Make sure you deal with people who want to to buck the system and not join in.


• Make the tenancy reviewable and renewable by review, up or down, you might have to move house. In a mixed occupancy community this shouldn't be a problem.


• Part of the rental payable could be placed in non-fee bearing but interest bearing accounts in trust as statutory saving to get people out of state and into own home ownerships


• Run this policy in conjunction with and parallel to kiwi-build.

Idea two: KiwiSaver from birth. And now I'm winging it on the financials, of course, but it's an idea.

• From birth the government contributes $1 per week into a fee-free kiwi-saver account.


• The $1 increases to $2 in year 2, $3 in year three and so on.


• For year 16 this is a contribution of 832, and in a non-interest bearing account would therefore be $7,072.  Not being a financial wiz I have no ice how this would work under a compound or interest bearing account. I would image than it would be more then $7,072.


• The contribution amount could be adjusted as required to make sense in a changing economic environment. If the kiwisaver contribution amount changes then the contribution amount to kid-kiwisaver should change. Pointless ending up in 16 years with enough money to buy a cup of coffee.


• Funds would be available for either education fees, or home-ownership.


• Start this for all children regardless of age and at the level of contribution appropriate.  People might complain they're disadvantaged, but that's the wrong view, they're being advantaged by the policy, and sure significant numbers might not achieve any benefit in the first decade. It's long term thinking


• Roll KidKiwiSaver into KiwiSaver if you start work and don't take the money for education, it's shouldn't be considers a grant or money available at 17 or 18 to get your party on, the money is only invisible in education, housing, or continued investment in Kiwisaver

I own my own house, I don't have children that would benefit under the KidKiwiSaver idea. My thoughts then are that if you can get people thinking about people, and all people thinking about the growth of the economy then this must be good for the proposing government in the short and long-term. The injection of money into the economy has to be good too. I'll agree that this will not solve any house pricing issues as that of course is a sliding bar, supply and demand, but Kiwi-Build addresses affordable housing, right? They're just ideas, not very good ideas possibly, but ideas that I'd be happy to support and vote for.

4:06 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Meditation on sleeping.

Two things.  Being small which I'll get to another day

the second though a dream snippet, which is what I want to write down.

.. The laughing man declares that he's figured it out, and he can do it. There is no indication that the laughing man in under duress or particular strain.  There appears to be some kind of family tree on a large monitor, some of the dots on the tree wink out and fade, the tree withers and re-arranges.

The man looks at the big screen again.  Laughs. 

He's erased someone from history, from ever being, and that has changed his circumstance.

It's not clear if he's happy or not.  

It might be later, it might not be the same man, zoom out the monitor, more dots wink out and fade, swathes of them, a voice says we learnt to go further back in time than just the living.

There are a few hundred people left huddled in a large room, poorly dressed, looking at a large monitor, wondering, waiting. ...

4:05 am and the clock goes tick-tick-tick Musings

Having, sort of, got my head around the speed of light thing, but perhaps not, the next part is the travelling to a new planet or star, somehow.

These are the current questions I muse on as I meditate myself to sleep.

How many of you are there on this journey?

If speed of light travel, or near to s-o-l travel is  possible that would still mean that something 2 light years away would take 2 years to get to? Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf about 4.24 light-years from the Sun, that's a 9 year round trip?

Could be nothing there when you got there.

It's the Word Cup (24)

The Final

The final post, the final game.

Germany v Argentina

After all the goals, the drama, the tension and even the dull bits it's down to this.  The advantage of not having to go to work means I've seen every minute of every game, I don't think I'm going to miss it so much, although the English Premier League starts soon, and that means I get to watch Crystal Palace on a regular basis.

Germany appear to be favourites, having had a day extra of rest, and not having to have played two hours of football, and of course having put a few past the last team they played will make them confident. I picked them 2+ goals.

It's the World Cup (23)

The Playoff for 3rd and 4th. That peculiar game that neither team would rather play, in any tournament

Festival football, or a dour affair that'll peter out and meander on. Not a lot to pick between these two though.

Brazil line up 4-3-3, the Netherlands 5-3-2

It's the World Cup (22)

Semi Final #2

The Netherlands v Argentina

South American pride, and they are the favourites with the bookmakers, after yesterday nothing is certain really in the beautiful game.

It's the World Cup (21)

Semi-Final Day # 1

Germany v Brazil

Brazil at home, sight favourites

Germany #1 in the FIFA rankings

It's the World Cup (20)

Second side of the draw, the  round of 8.

I'm sure everyone expects Argentina and Netherlands to progress from this and they both seem to be favrouites. Costa Rica are rank outsiders at the bookmakers.

It's the World Cup (19)

Quarter Finals Time.

The winners in these two matches get to square off in the semi-final.

Brazil and Germany for me in the virtual picking comp.

I'd also pick the France-Germany game as being the one with the more attractive football, the Brazil Colombia game the one with the passion and dramatics.

The one with the 'award'

Award, pronounced awkward. - Welcome to the the "Very inspiring Blogger Award"

I'm pleased people visit my musings and ramblings, and I enjoy the feedback and interactions I have on here of course.

So I was surprised and at the same time miffed when I got a comment that I'd been listed, as part of the rules, for the VIB to pass on the baton, as it were.

It's the World Cup (18)

The Knockout round! Round 4 of 4

Winners in these two matches get to face off in the next round.

Switzerland possibly the best outside bet and Belgium should be the goods.

[caption id="attachment_8815" align="aligncenter" width="218"] Something from Twitter[/caption]

It's the World Cup (17)

The Knockout round! Round 3

Winners in these two matches get to face off in the next round.  I'm going to say that France and Germany have to be favourites. Can't see these going to extra time either.

It's the World Cup (16)

The Knockout round! Round 2

Winners in these two matches get to face off in the next round. No draws it's a winner takes it all.  I'm tempted by the Netherlands and Greece today. Bookmakers have Costa Rica in mind though... based on my 50/50 results so far....

I think I'm right in saying that in the 2nd game neither team have made this stage previously and so therefore are defiantly in unchartered waters after this.