What's the latest in people's lives?

[sunnyside]

Huh. Here you buy alcohol in an "off-license" or standard shop like a supermarket. You can buy pretty much any type of alcohol anywhere that sells alcohol, subject only to the range they choose to stock.

Typically you'll buy beer in a four pack of cans but there are also six packs, twelve packs, and larger. Can size also varies. You can't usually find kegs in shops, least I don't recall ever seeing any.

Hmmm. Out of curiosity do you have anything like our states with their different laws? Perhaps Wales and Scotland being very different? You have to take any "over here in America" statements with the awareness that there's a distinct chance that statement only applies to a given state or even city. For example back in Iowa (where I grew up) things were much more free flowing and all types of alcohol were more or less available everywhere. I'm sure licensing was involved, but the process must be cheap and easy enough that it's worth it for every gas station and mom and pop anything store to be like your "off license" with at least a small selection of beers, wines, and spirits. Elsewhere in the country I've heard of being able to get both your alcohol and your ammunition from the same drive through window (I forget where, but I'm going to guess Texas).

[sunnyside]

Close but no coconut. 21, going on 40 mentally, so my parents are fond of reminding me.

on that note, how times have changed. Once the makeup wearing little emo teen and now...

Wow. It's strange seeing you with both eyes visible, to say nothing of the sweater!

Do you feel like you're in a happier place now emotionally?

[Reliant121]

Everyone knows Reindeer christmas Sweaters are the bees knees, especially when going for sushi I would say so. Much more content and comfortable with who I am.
Also It's bloody terrifying how similar I am to my old man.

In response to Sunny, to a degree there are national differences. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have a devolved national government that has varying degrees of power over some elements of the national policy. Scotland has slightly different tax rules I believe, they have different regulations about when shops can/can't be open. Each has slightly different public holidays, the Welsh have Welsh language road signs...that sort of thing. Most major laws are, however, centrally applied and it's relatively small stuff that's devolved to the national governments (Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and the NI Assembly/Stormont power-sharing agreement).

[Angharrad]

Don't I know. Anyone want to try and recap the last 6.25 years?

Well for one thing I'm 3 years older.

[Bryan Moore]

Yeah, I think I took your other 3.25 years :-p

[Mikey]

OK, my international friends - I have to say I really, really tried to get behind watching the sevens in the Olympics. I'm sorry - yes, the play is non-stop unlike American football. That is, I'm afraid, the only positive I can take away from it. It is true that rugby players don't wear pads... but it is also true that every single hit I've seen (save two) would qualify as a weak missed tackle in the NFL. Of the two that were real hits, one was an accidental skull-to-skull contact, and the other was delivered by a - wait for it - professional American football player. And that one was called for being too rough. The thing that really made it tough for me to watch, though, was the complete lack of strategy. Most of the time, both men's and women's rugby displayed the tactics of a 6-year-old children's soccer match. Is there a significant difference in gameplay between the things to which you guys refer as "League" and "Union?"

[Teaos]

7s isn't real rugby. Union has more strategy and tends to allow for rougher play, league is faster paced and 7s is for people with adhd.

[Mikey]

Is that why some folks were saying that the NZ sevens team shouldn't call itself the All-Blacks? And is there any international Union or League play?

[Teaos]

Yeah pretty much, I don't know why it's in the olymics, appart from having full rugby would take to long to play the tournament.

[Mikey]

How many men to a side in full rugby?

[Captain Seafort]

15 in Union, 13 in League.

[Mikey]

15 in Union, 13 in League.

Same size field (pitch, ground, IDK the proper terminology) as in sevens?! Rugby Union games must be like watching a can of sardines.

[Teaos]

With the teams split forwards and backs it's not to bad, and a lot of the point of the game is breaking through the wall of bodies.

[Bryan Moore]

I'd Rochey still with us?

[sunnyside]

OK, my international friends - I have to say I really, really tried to get behind watching the sevens in the Olympics. I'm sorry - yes, the play is non-stop unlike American football. That is, I'm afraid, the only positive I can take away from it. It is true that rugby players don't wear pads... but it is also true that every single hit I've seen (save two) would qualify as a weak missed tackle in the NFL. Of the two that were real hits, one was an accidental skull-to-skull contact, and the other was delivered by a - wait for it - professional American football player. And that one was called for being too rough. The thing that really made it tough for me to watch, though, was the complete lack of strategy. Most of the time, both men's and women's rugby displayed the tactics of a 6-year-old children's soccer match. Is there a significant difference in gameplay between the things to which you guys refer as "League" and "Union?"

Yeah, after years of hype I was disappointed when I finally got to watch Rugby. It rather reminded me of powderpuff football.

That said is there something one needs to know to appreciate Rugby? For example one of the things I appreciate and enjoy about American gridiron football is watching the strategy of the plays. However if one didn't know the sport, they might think that the players just set up where they want to and every play the receivers just run around randomly hoping to catch a pass. However everyone is set up in very specific positions based on the coaches, and for the offence the plays are planned out to the point that the recievers start with a specific foot forward so that a specific foot will be forward at the time when they make their cut.