Foot in mouth syndrome

Late last week following a post by Andy Cairney on his Inver and Dinne stone trip and efforts Andy took a little offence at two main comments of mine.

First was my mentioning Laine Snook (there's a youtube vid) being 4th and not Andy. In fact Ironmind today reported Andy was No 6. IRONMIND REPORT That speaks a little on a lack of research. But as checking google proves weights quoted can vary by some margin (300 to 250 when in fact it seems 265-268 is correct). So either ignoring one lifter (a comment about Laine not locking out properly was made) or just being handed the wrong info means two steps down the ladder.

I then suggested, not aiming intentionally at Andy although to be fair it seemed that way, that athletes to come who might attempt to lift these manhood stones - could they please not drop them. The Inver is, I am told, Granite and thus quite hard but a quick look reveals that the Dinnie stones have, between them, lost 51lbs over the years!! In an online thread in which Andy raised some points with me (ie: that I took the shine off a nice day - more on that in a mo) I argued that to give those who follow the same chance to lift the same weight and thus be the equal, if successful, of those that went before we need to take more care that we do not damage this important historical items.

Regarding taking the shine off, as it were: To be fair to Andy and others (inc myself) who have made something, we hope, of a special lift we do offer ourselves up for comment. I have had questions asked by those with no practical knowledge at all of what I was doing on a more than one of my CoC 4 closes. I had the same on the one hand lifts and so on. I was asked, and did ask for myself, if the 195-kilo stone Andy recently shouldered had been weighed as such or guessed (the usual lads sitting around after a workout chat type of thing we have when it came up last weekend). By being, effectively, out in front and making a name for ourselves we are targets for doubting Thomas's. I suppose it's that little bit more annoying when the persom questioning isn't some know-fuck-all Chav but someone who lifts and knows as much as you. By asking 'what about Laine?' I was told 'not a proper lock out' but I don't think there any actual 'rules' as such. I think, without checking it's 'get it overhead' and that's it.

But, again to be fair, it can and does feel like the shine is being taken off by such comments and so I'll say here what I said elsewhere, Regardless of what I asked, Andy is still to be congratulated. 4th or 6th... It's still a short list. Now don't break it you hear :)