Posts by rustynomad28

Dear urbanraven16 and everyone else willing to lend a hand...

To put it bluntly, I have made a complete mess of things.
I decided to get behind the wheel after having a beer and drove back home to Chicago. And then, naturally, here they come right behind me; I thought to myself, perhaps I should just pull into this little side street so they might continue on their way without incident. However, they followed me, and the lights on their patrol vehicle began flashing. Almost simultaneously—perhaps even within the same nanosecond, as I pulled over the moment I realized they were pursuing me—I came to a halt in front of a driveway entrance. It wasn't strictly legal, though I certainly wasn't blocking the flow of traffic, but I shut off the engine and sat there.
An officer stepped out, knocked on my window, and requested my documentation, which I provided.
He asked if I would submit to a breathalyzer test, and I declined.
He informed me that the fine would be $2000 under the new Traffic Safety Act.
I attempted to appeal to his sense of reason and asked for some understanding, but he was unmoved.
The officer filled out a form and handed it to me along with my documents. As I reached only for my papers, avoiding the slip itself, he simply tucked the citation into my vehicle.
I should clarify that I did not sign anything; I merely surrendered the identification requested of me.
On the document, in addition to noting my refusal, there is a remark stating that I smelled strongly of alcohol, despite the fact that I never once exited the vehicle. In my estimation, this is nothing more than his subjective interpretation, and quite frankly, it was entirely inappropriate for him to include.
I left the car where it stood—though I did move it to a legal spot about thirty minutes later—and finished the journey home on foot.

I am feeling somewhat lost... I am currently unemployed, and the weight of this situation feels quite overwhelming.

I would truly appreciate any legal insights you might offer regarding how I might minimize the penalty. To those who might wish to lecture me: please spare me the moralizing, as I am already fully aware of my error. Thank you.

My questions are as follows:
Do these official vehicles—I am not entirely certain, as it didn't seem to be an interceptor, just a standard cruiser—possess cameras that could prove I was actively driving? My argument would be that I was parked, whether legally or not, and therefore there was no justification for a sobriety test. I am perfectly willing to pay a parking ticket if necessary... hmm...
And regarding the new Traffic Safety Act, I don't even want to consider the statute of limitations because I doubt I have a chance there... or do I?

Is there any hope for me at all?

American action
😉

Who exactly is taking aim at punk?

We are strictly targeting the Fat President—that ultra-fast, slimy pop sensation.

Punk rock is the ultimate truth. The Fat President is absolute garbage.

dustyscout53 said:Personally, I’ve always found that there isn't a better opening sequence than Once Upon a Time in the Wild West. 😍

That is precisely what I was intending to write myself, though you have certainly beaten me to the punch; I suppose I shall just bold my own sentiment then.

That band is absolute garbage.

I find myself contemplating the nature of discourse within these digital halls, much like one might observe the slow, steady movement of tectonic plates shifting beneath the vast expanse of the American Midwest. There is a certain gravity to our interactions, a weight that demands a more measured approach than the frantic, disjointed outbursts one typically encounters in the modern social media landscape. I have always believed that true understanding requires a certain patience—a willingness to sit with an idea, to let it breathe, and to examine its contours before passing judgment. It is quite similar to how one might appreciate the complex, layered compositions found in classic American cinema, where the tension builds not through rapid cuts, but through a deliberate, almost agonizingly beautiful accumulation of atmosphere. One cannot simply rush toward a conclusion; one must inhabit the space between the question and the answer. As stated by:
To my mind, the final installment of Apocalypse Now stands in stark contrast to its predecessor, which I have always found to be somewhat overextended in its pacing. However, one cannot deny that the conclusion remains truly profound. 🙏 The sheer brutality of that brand’s aesthetic—those absolute savages hacking away at some cow while The Doors play "The End" in the background—it’s just relentless. And then you get to that damn scene right after the killing, when he finally steps outside into the light... it stays with you.

🙂
Well... honestly... just... wow.

I must admit, I find myself quite overcome with emotion whenever I revisit that particular scene from *American Beauty*—you know, the one where she’s standing there by the window with the plastic bag fluttering in the breeze. It truly leaves me feeling rather breathless.

🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Full Metal Jacket

And honestly, it isn't even up for debate.

😎

Pure garbage. Honestly, who even cares...

It’s all quite trivial, really.

At the first concert, you find yourself caught off guard, perhaps even breaking into an unexpected smile.
By the second concert, you’re mostly just yawning, though you manage to persevere until the final note.
By the third concert, you find yourself heading home right after the third song.

I suspect this entire phase will burn itself out rather quickly.

Walter Garcia53 said:but even if Oliver were telling offensive jokes about them, they would still target him.

Golden State Warriors
The notion that Oliver tells derogatory jokes simply isn't accurate, and frankly, you don't actually have an answer to refute that.

I am not entirely convinced that Americans would flock to fill an arena just to film a production of Evening School in Ljubljana, especially when compared to the Chorba situation, which is really nothing more than a harmless bit of fun.

If I were in that position, I might actually consider...

....just dropping a bombshell.

I must admit, my familiarity with that particular program is somewhat limited, though I have heard quite a few favorable reports suggesting it is actually rather excellent...

Scott Lee7 said:http://www.toonboom.com/downloads/ Is this the one we're looking for?

No, actually, that's just the standard Toon Boom site offering their trial version, though I certainly appreciate the gesture nonetheless.

Scott Lee7,

Do you happen to know where I might be able to pick up a copy of Quote : Disney here in the States?

Adam Palmer2 said:Look, if you're planning on hand-drawing everything, scanning it all, and then painstakingly layering frame by frame just to mimic an animation style, you're going to be at it forever. You might want to try something more streamlined, perhaps using SwishMax or even Photoshop/Counter-Strike 2.

No, I am certainly not suggesting "layering things to make them look like an animation." I work in the animation industry, and this is my actual profession.

I find myself growing somewhat frustrated here, as you are attempting to instruct me on how to perform my own job. While I do appreciate the good intentions behind your desire to simplify my workflow, the most helpful thing you could actually do for me is to provide information on where I can pick up Quote : Disney
or perhaps some unofficial version of it that won't cost me a hundred bucks.

As much as I value your effort, I have absolutely no interest in receiving advice regarding the capabilities or limitations of Adobe Flash or Photoshop.

I believe I was quite explicit regarding my requirements. Adobe Flash simply isn't what I am looking for.

ruggedorca26 said:I handle the entire workflow within Adobe Flash.

So, you’re just scanning hand-drawn sketches and tossing them straight into Adobe Flash?

Doesn't that seem like an incredibly tedious way to work?

I find myself somewhat perplexed by the nature of the question. What sort of smileys are we discussing here?

I am certainly not referring to any trivial web animations, such as tiny icons, digital emojis, or those little avatars you see on social media.

My focus is strictly on the art of feature filmmaking and the specialized software used for processing hand-drawn illustrations—essentially the entire workflow of composing individual drawings into frames, assembling those frames into coherent sequences, and finally layering in the ambient soundscapes and audio effects.