Posts by frozenbadger32

What a voice, and honestly, just her whole presence—so unique and absolutely stunning...

I think I’ll just sit back, put her and David Bowie on, and let a few tears fall... 🙂

I finally revisited this one recently, after what feels like forever. When I first sat down to watch it back in the early 2000s, I was absolutely floored by it, so I found myself wondering how it would land now that I've actually grown up a bit 😁 and I have to say, it has aged beautifully; it’s still an incredible piece of filmmaking. It remains my absolute favorite from Kevin Smith. There is something so Authentic about it, both in its emotional depth and the way the plot unfolds. Honestly, I had almost forgotten just how charming and genuinely good this movie is.

Anthony Hill5 said:The only fundamental difference this time is that back then, the population had no concept of a better way of life.

Modern Russians have become accustomed to buying furniture from Ikea, purchasing Samsung devices and iPhones, traveling abroad, shopping online, and sharing their lives on Instagram and TikTok. All of that is about to vanish.

I do not expect to see any meaningful change in leadership either, but such is the reality of the situation. A nation ultimately gets the government it deserves.

Personally, I’m holding out hope for change, though I realize nothing of substance happens overnight.

Since the vast majority of the population lives west of the Ural Mountains, you have two or three generations who have grown accustomed to a Westernized lifestyle; they aren't going to take these sanctions lightly, and perhaps that realization—that there actually *is* a better way to live—might play a role. Unlike in the past, they actually know what they're missing, they travel, and they have the internet, which makes living in total ignorance nearly impossible.

I follow a few illustrators on Instagram, hailing from Moscow and Pittsburgh respectively, and since they still have access, every single one of them has posted something against the war in Ukraine. One even pointed out that her grandfather didn't fight in WWII against the Nazis just so they could end up being the aggressors against another country today; so, at the very least, a segment of the younger, urban population isn't swallowing Putin's fairy tales.

Michael Nelson said:There is absolutely no way it was aired because I watched every single episode live as they came out, so skipping one was never an option for me.
Out of the recent ones, the absolute standout for me is when Chigliak is guarding the house from Morris and starts acting just like him. 😁.

It definitely aired; we aren't hallucinating here.

We all caught it at home once it hit streaming, since they decided to slot it as the final episode of season five. You likely missed it because they were messing with the broadcast schedule—they suddenly started airing episodes on Fridays in January for a few weeks before switching back to the usual Monday through Thursday lineup.

Joseph Clark37 said:They are really the only EU members showing any actual backbone right now, unlike those weak leaders over in Western Europe...

But then again, why would anyone be surprised? These countries know all too well what it feels like to live under the thumb of Mother Russia, and they certainly haven't forgotten how "charming" life was back during the days of the Eastern Bloc.

EDUT: My mistake, I got mixed up—it wasn't Shofar, it was actually Dinner AT Seven thirty. Since that's the first episode of season six, I'm assuming they'll end up showing the full run anyway.

I don't think they actually are, because last night's episode was originally supposed to be the big Season 5 finale, but they couldn't wrap up production in time. So, they just tossed it into the start of Season 6 and aired it as the sixth episode instead. I suspect when they do reruns, they'll probably slot it back into its original intended position.

If tonight turns out to be that Shofar so good episode, then we can assume the order is moving forward as planned.

Thanks, I really appreciate all the effort and the level of detail you put into this 👍 especially those reminders about Kostadinov’s absolute gems (I had honestly forgotten how much he used to get under my skin, but this brought it all back)

graniteotter6 said:Not really. The Stevensons aren't exactly known for their longevity, and she tends to "kill off" her boyfriends. It follows a certain logic, doesn't it?

To be fair, there was an episode early on where Chris was crushing on Maggie—it was almost bordering on creepy—but it seems like the writers just completely dropped that thread later on.

I guess I never looked at it from that angle, considering how little chance they had of actually lasting.🤣

But whatever, I’ve always been a total sucker for the JoelMaggie dynamic, 😍 and honestly, I don't think we would have ever reached this point if Rob Morrow had stayed on through the end of the season.

Raymond Wood77 said:It was boring back then and it’s just as dull now.😁
Some actors in the series managed to turn it into a stepping stone, while for others, it was probably the absolute peak of their careers.

Maybe I should respond with that one line from the show where Joel complains to Leonard about being bored in Cicely:

"You're bored because you're boring"

No hard feelings, but your comment really brought that scene right back to mind, didn't it?

frozenhawk44 said:Back when I first watched it in the mid-90s, it was my absolute favorite, much like when it was being rerun back in 2002. Watching it again now, it has moved beyond just being a favorite; I truly appreciate it on a deeper level.
With everything going on in the world today, watching this feels almost like therapy.

I’m right there with you—I remember catching it during elementary school when it first aired and being hooked instantly, though I was far too young at the time to fully grasp its depth or appreciate it properly. It has always been one of my favorites, but after my third viewing, I can confidently say it’s my all-time favorite because it is simply peerless.

It is intelligent, treating its characters as real human beings with genuine flaws and virtues rather than tropes, and it resists every tired cliché. It manages to be utterly engaging without relying on frantic big-city pacing, gratuitous violence, excessive melodrama, or the hyper-sexualization that seems to be a prerequisite for television production these days. The show is fundamentally human and warm; it offers hope while tackling serious themes and heavy emotions, yet it never descends into cheap sentimentality. It really does serve as a sort of therapy.

My only real gripe is the sixth season; once Fleischman leaves, the magic starts to fade significantly. I also find it a shame that Maggie and Joel's story didn't reach a happy conclusion. Wouldn't it have been better to leave their ending more open-ended, letting us decide for ourselves if they eventually found happiness together? Forcing her together with Chris at the end felt incredibly contrived, as if the writers were just worried about leaving her alone—it felt like a lazy way to wrap up the finale.

I did a little reading on the production, and honestly, the first three seasons are perfection, whereas the fourth starts to slip (largely due to the inclusion of the tedious Mike for nearly ten episodes, which felt out of place in a series filled with such rich, multi-dimensional characters). The fifth season is okay, but the sixth left me disappointed. After the fourth season, the creators, brand and Falsey, moved on, and David Chase took over for the fifth and sixth seasons—though he never quite seemed to settle in and appeared quite eager to wrap things up. Rob Morrow left partly to pursue a film career, but also due to frustration; his character never progressed beyond that same gritty persona pining for New York City, and apparently, his creative suggestions weren't being heard. It’s a somewhat complex backstory, to say the least.

Despite all that, this remains a masterpiece, and it will be incredibly difficult to produce something this good ever again, let alone surpass it.

northernangler8 said:I honestly feel like The Big Lebowski doesn't resonate with women nearly as much as it does with men. I tried watching it once, though I don't think I even made it through the whole thing. It isn't a bad movie by any means, but I found it a bit tedious, even while the guys around me were absolutely losing it laughing.

As a woman, I actually thought it was fantastic, and several other women have recommended it to me; I was laughing my head off right along with everyone else. It might not be the absolute pinnacle of work from The Coen Brothers, but it’s easily my favorite. To this day, I still crack up at that part where she asks the cop if he has any Leads on who swiped her car, and then he starts rambling about Leads?🤣

Dennis Hall41 said:I suppose a much smaller issue would be an old man getting tangled up with a girl thirty years his junior, but I guess that's just the way things were back then.

Personally, I suspect we'll reach a point where we've binged so many movies and series that some elderly guy finding a young woman will just feel incredibly stale and boring. I don't think I have the patience for those kinds of scenarios anymore either.

By the way, Lost in Translation is one of those rare films that I simply couldn't finish; every single time I try, I end up nodding off halfway through, so I've just given up on it.

And then there's that 80s hit, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which I went into thinking would be some lighthearted comedy—I generally love those 80s comedies, probably just some lingering childhood nostalgia—but I couldn't even make it past twenty minutes before boredom set in. I truly don't understand how it achieved such cult status. 🤔

Thanks 👍

Good evening.

I’m currently on the hunt for a new monitor since my trusty old Dell finally decided to call it quits after twelve years of service. I’m leaning toward staying within the Dell ecosystem because I have them set up both at home and in the office, and I’ve grown quite fond of their consistency. My workload involves a heavy amount of time spent in Photoshop and Illustrator, so high-end gaming specs aren't really a priority for me.

I’ve narrowed it down to two 24-inch models—I don't really want to go any larger than that—one being the P2421D from 2020, and the other the U2419H from 2018. Both fit comfortably within my budget (under $667).

The pricing is fairly similar, though the P model is slightly more expensive, which I assume is just because it’s a newer release. Now, generally speaking, isn't the UltraSharp line supposed to be superior to the Professional line? Yet, when I look at the side-by-side specifications, aside from maybe some connectivity options, I can't see how this U model is actually better; in fact, the P model seems to outperform it in terms of both resolution and brightness. It leaves me wondering, though, because shouldn't an UltraSharp offer a sharper image and better contrast than a Professional model? Just because one looks better on paper doesn't necessarily mean it translates to real-world performance, does it?

I was wondering if anyone here might have some insight or advice on which of these two would be the smarter investment.

Thanks in advance!

Robin Jones2 said:The only logical conclusion is that their voters are either those who have already profited from them or those who are simply waiting for their turn at the trough.

Then there are the older generation, those who have lost their way and either lack the capacity or the desire to think critically for themselves.

+ and let's not forget those who blindly believe that equating the Republican Party and Franjo Harmon with being a true patriot is the only way to live; if you support anyone else, they assume you’re fundamentally against the country and somehow hate it. Unfortunately, I personally know enough people who operate with that exact mindset, which explains why they vote the way they do.

What really eats at me more than the Republican Party is the collective mindset of Americans in general—if you could somehow dissolve the Republican Party tomorrow and ban every single one of its members from ever touching politics again, we’d still be stuck with this same cultural programming. Most people wouldn't see a thing wrong with the systemic theft, the rigged bidding processes, the blatant cronyism, or the outright corruption, because let's be honest, if the opportunity presented itself, most would jump at the chance to pull the exact same stunts just to land a cushy position.

Sure, there is a theoretical possibility that these people might eventually lose power once the next election rolls around, but I fail to see how the American psyche is ever going to actually shift, which is why I don't possess even a shred of optimism for this country.

restlesscanyon52 said:Are these people seriously this oblivious, or are they just so incredibly self-absorbed and selfish that they can’t see the forest for the trees? Like, honestly—it is way more important right now to actually focus on fixing how we handle healthcare and every other mess the USA is currently drowning in than it is to obsess over their little political choices. 👎

Honestly, I’m looking at this and I can hardly believe my eyes. It’s genuinely surreal. We are staring down the barrel of an economic meltdown that’s going to hit us incredibly hard and fast, yet here they are, just wandering around the country like nothing is happening. Does anyone actually care about their internal party elections right now? Seriously, who gives a damn about their little power struggles when the entire economy is about to go off the rails?

Either they decide to lay low and stop making those idiotic TV appearances, or they take a month or two off entirely to actually focus on cleaning up the current mess.

Idiots.😵

Is this really what the European Union is recommending now?

At yesterday’s summit, the leaders of the European Union decided to pull out all the stops by promising to take "all necessary measures" to soften the economic blow of the pandemic. We’re talking about everything from greenlighting massive state aid packages for corporations to establishing a whopping $25 billion investment fund. Is this enough to actually stabilize things, or are we just throwing money at a problem that refuses to go away?

And here we are, left with nothing but some vague teasers from Marić about a meeting that might happen sometime in the next few days.

Sarah Scott18 said:We plan approximately 140-170 people. For the Forest, the stage seems okay for a group that size, but I've never actually been there, so I don't know what people think of the food. I've been looking at other spots like Bloom and Bolero, and they seem pretty decent. Any venue outside of Miami is a no-go for us.

For a group that size, the indoor space should be more than adequate. I haven't personally attended a wedding there—I only ever stepped foot in the banquet hall during a different event 🙂—but a few people I know have mentioned they were quite satisfied, assuming you find secondhand accounts worth anything at all.

As for Bolero, I was there a few years back and had a great time; both the food and the service were top-tier. My only real gripe would be the exterior, as the building itself lacks a bit of curb appeal and doesn't have much of a surrounding landscape, but then again, that's entirely a matter of personal taste.

Her most recent album serves as the ultimate testament to her talent—even if her vocals only hit about 50% of what we heard on The Whitney. That said, it’s still that unmistakable voice, and honestly, it feels more convincing than anything from the start of her career because she sings with such raw emotion and authenticity now. She's clearly matured, regardless of how much her vocal cords took a beating due to her turbulent lifestyle. It’s a tragedy, a genuine tragedy... if she had just managed to claw her way out of that addiction hell, don't you think she could have recorded her absolute masterpiece, regardless of the state of her voice?

Kyle Campbell3 said:Man, I really hope luck strikes me like that too. Speaking of fate, 😁 while we're on the subject, I’ve been thinking about catering options. I haven't attended a wedding with shared catering yet, but it seems much more manageable given that I don't have any extra space out front of my house... though we're still looking at a guest list of about 300 people.

I actually just dealt with a setup like that this past weekend, and honestly, I can tell you it's a total game-changer. Trying to cram everyone into individual houses has always been my absolute nightmare; nobody can move, people are constantly bumping into each other, and the whole thing just turns into pure chaos... unless, of course, someone owns a massive estate with enough acreage for everyone to spread out. But this way, everyone gathers easily, the caterers handle all the food and drinks, and you aren't stuck spending the next three days cleaning up after the party 🙂is over. It's pure bliss!