mbassoc2003 wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread: The only thing I didn't expect was the odd reseller selling fake/real nazi memorabelia, and even then it didn't offend. its just not something we could sell openly here in the UK.

I don't think that is at all true.  My father collected WWII militaria with a particular focus on the Luftwaffe.  I remember it being widely and openly traded.

bbarsh wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Competitive sport is not performance art.

Oh sorry, I meant interpretive dance. Professional football is an interpretive dance, representing one strong man's physical love for another strong man.

Plaag wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:Professional football is more a dance off

There we have it, a final ruling!

I saw Iron Man 3 with my son last night.  It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, and just good fun overall.  I saw it in 2D and have heard it is the recommended format.  You want to hang around all the way through the credits to see a brief scene afterward.

The movie overall was a bit of a blur, with some definite twists and turns.  The bad guy is bad, there's some funny zingers, Gwyneth Paltrow looks good, Robert Downey Jr. is witty, and there's some solid acting along the way.  On the negative side, there are some things that don't quite mesh with logic if given a moment's review and an Iron Man connoisseur could find plenty to quibble about.  But the theater was nearly full and most everyone clapped at the end, which seems to be rarer these days and truly a hearty endorsement.

The main thing I appreciate about this movie is that it makes comics cooler.  It makes my comic collection more valuable and appreciated.  And movies like this only help to further the cause of movie makers making more comic book movies.  I heard on CNN, which reduces its validity, that some 20 comic book-related movies will come out over the next year.  If true, that's astounding.  The more, the merrier.  I for one am hoping comic book love goes viral.  

Finally, today is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!  In the immortal words of Duke Nukem, "Come get some!!!"  

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I saw Iron Man 3 with my son last night.  It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, and just good fun overall.  I saw it in 2D and have heard it is the recommended format.  You want to hang around all the way through the credits to see a brief scene afterward.

Agreed... much better than IM2, but not as good as IM1. And I saw it in 3D, which was not worth it... 2D would have been just fine...

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The movie overall was a bit of a blur, with some definite twists and turns.  The bad guy is bad, there's some funny zingers, Gwyneth Paltrow looks good, Robert Downey Jr. is witty, and there's some solid acting along the way.  On the negative side, there are some things that don't quite mesh with logic if given a moment's review and an Iron Man connoisseur could find plenty to quibble about.  But the theater was nearly full and most everyone clapped at the end, which seems to be rarer these days and truly a hearty endorsement.

Gwyneth Paltrow looks fantastic!  

If there was one thing about the movie I didn't care for, is that the movie felt... "choppy?"... something in the pacing of the movie didn't feel right...

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The main thing I appreciate about this movie is that it makes comics cooler.  It makes my comic collection more valuable and appreciated.  And movies like this only help to further the cause of movie makers making more comic book movies.  I heard on CNN, which reduces its validity, that some 20 comic book-related movies will come out over the next year.  If true, that's astounding.  The more, the merrier.  I for one am hoping comic book love goes viral.  

Get your Iron Man comics slabbed and boarded. $$$$$

billygalaxy wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:
The main thing I appreciate about this movie is that it makes comics cooler.  It makes my comic collection more valuable and appreciated.  And movies like this only help to further the cause of movie makers making more comic book movies.  I heard on CNN, which reduces its validity, that some 20 comic book-related movies will come out over the next year.  If true, that's astounding.  The more, the merrier.  I for one am hoping comic book love goes viral.  

Maybe someday even D&D comics will be worth something...

There's a little problem with that.  They aren't very good.  

However, they are in good company.  The Marvel Star Wars comics aren't very good either.  

benjoshua wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I saw Iron Man 3 with my son last night.  It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, and just good fun overall.  I saw it in 2D and have heard it is the recommended format.  ...

 

For my mind 2D is way better. having tried a few I hate going to see movies in the weird glasses. Also, I don't like the way 3D films are shot to emphasise people and things leaping "out" of the screen (yes Hobbit, I am looking at you). I predict that like last time, 3D will be long gone in a few years  

mbassoc2003 wrote in Former Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The more we see about the 'police action' in the media over here, the more it looks like martial law. What's the difference? That's real third word oppression shit that's going on. For once I'm glad only the bad guys in the UK have guns. I wouldn't want my town or city to be placed under martial law while the police went looking for a kid with a gun. We had a nutter here a year ago who shot a cop and then went native in the woods. He managed to evade the cops for a week or so, and they had helicopters with night vision and thermal imaging and stuff, and they drafted in Ray Mears of all people to 'track him down'. For the most part it was just tittilation TV. But if they'd locked down the north of England with 7000 armed response personnel complete with ATCs and mobile command centres, that would really be taking the piss. I don't think the UK has as many armed police as the average US town, and most have never even drawn their weapons outside of training exercises. The UK just feels safer without the guns and government control of the public.

You know, I almost didn't sit down to type this, as you are SO far off from reality that it almost seems impossible to discuss anything with you, but I've always been a sucker so here goes. First of all, here's a link for you:

Martial law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In a nutshell, and I quote, "Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis." While the National Guard assisted in the operations, they technically aren't military. Due to the Posse Comitatus Act, Posse Comitatus Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia I quote " It does not apply to the National Guard under state authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within its home state or in an adjacent state if invited by that state's governor." Boom. So, your assertion of "martial law" is completely incorrect.

What they did was ASK people to stay indoors. That's it. Oh no!!! Our freedoms were curtailed!! No, they weren't, because we CHOSE to comply and the good people of Boston were willing to do what they could to help catch these people. There are no substantiated cases of illegal search and seizure. The homeowners allowed the National Guard or Police to enter their homes. Nobody's door was busted down without a warrant.

Under martial law, there are hard curfews, like say Germany occupying a country during WW2. They KILLED anybody out past curfew. THAT'S martial law.

And you know, you may be right. The UK may be safer, feel safer, whatever. That's cool, you guys get down with your bad selves. You think OUR government controls the public? Let's go over some UK government control real fast that I found with some quick Googling:

"Extreme pornography" seems to be illegal in the UK. Go look it up to see what they classify, but, it's certainly government control.

There was ALL SORTS of censorship concerning that thing with Ireland. You know the one I mean. Gotta make all that illegal for sure.

From Wikipedia, we get this awesome stuff that is ILLEGAL " However there is a broad sweep of exceptions including threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior intending or likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress or cause a breach of the peace (which has been used to prohibit racist speech targeted at individuals),[79][80][81] sending another any article which is indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause distress or anxiety,[82][83] incitement,[84] incitement to racial hatred,[85] incitement to religious hatred, incitement to terrorism including encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications,[84][86] glorifying terrorism,[87][88] collection or possession of a document or record containing information likely to be of use to a terrorist,[89][90] treason including imagining the death of the monarch,[91][92][93] sedition,[91] obscenity,[94] indecency including corruption of public morals and outraging public decency,[95] defamation,[96] prior restraint, restrictions on court reporting including names of victims and evidence and prejudicing or interfering with court proceedings,[97][98] prohibition of post-trial interviews with jurors,[98] scandalising the court by criticising or murmuring judges,[98][99] time, manner, and place restrictions,[100] harassment, privileged communications, trade secrets, classified material, copyright, patents, military conduct, and limitations on commercial speech such as advertising."

So, it's illegal to say something that is insulting. LOL. In fact, when I went to London last year, there was a huge story about a person on the subway who said that N word that offends black people, yeah, they got arrested. PUT IN JAIL. Freedom of speech? Not in the UK. So, again, our government is the controlling one, eh? It says it is illegal to imagine the death of the monarch? WOW. I can't criticize a judge? Hmmm. When I was on a bus tour through the city, they mentioned something about people who come to a public park to speak out against the government, but they can ONLY do it on Sunday....if they do it on a Tuesday, they get arrested and thrown in jail. Cool. Glad I live in the US where I can say damn near anything I want, on every day of the week!!

Let's just simmer down about "my country is the best" and "we're so safe". We all live where we live. You're never going to know what it's like to live here, because you don't. Same for me. I DO know we, as a country, threw off the yoke of an oppressive monarchy, and then bailed them out of a SERIOUS situation what, 165 years later? Try being a little more grateful. "

Zen

I've always known this, in my heart....

Pearl Cantrell, 105-Year-Old Woman, Says Bacon Is Key To Longevity

A 105-year-old Texas woman who worked a life of physical labor and mothered seven children revealed the secret to her longevity: bacon.

"I love bacon, I eat it everyday," Pearl Cantrell told NBC affiliate KRBC when asked the secret to living so long. "I don't feel as old as I am, that's all I can say," Cantrell added.

Cantrell, who lives in central Texas and still dances, also told KRBC that her 105th birthday party was a three-day affair with more than 200 guests.

When Oscar Mayer found out about Cantrell's love of bacon, it sent one of its iconic Wienermobiles to make a bacon delivery to Cantrell's home.

Mike B.