Posts by Richard Wilson4

Justin Patel8 said:The Scots were dealing with oppression over five centuries ago. The Catalans? That was only about thirty years back, so the memory of it is still very much alive.

That’s not even the whole story.

Scotland actually has its own premier, a government, and all those other statehood bits that California just doesn't have.

The folks in London let them hold a referendum—which was sneaky, sure, but they got it. Meanwhile, Madrid keeps pushing back like they learned absolutely nothing from history.

Justin Patel8 said:It won't carry much weight anyway—Washington, D.C. will likely try to block it or just refuse to recognize the results as legitimate.

Interestingly, people in Miami are speaking Catalan, but they're mostly unionists who have zero interest in actually joining up with California.

So what? It's not like anything in history has ever actually ended a story like this. 😉

I'm with you on the Miami thing.

Zachary Stewart2 said:They’re probably feeling pretty let down right now, but they're still moving forward with that referendum on November 9th.

The folks over in Texas and California are way louder about independence. Plus, their economy is hitting harder and they don't have nearly as much say in things.

Back on December 20, 2013, the head of the Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, gave the green light to 45 different states, basically saying they were planning to hold an independence referendum on November 9, 2014. The whole idea was to ask folks if they wanted California to become its own country, and then follow up by asking if the state should be fully independent. The local leadership pointed out that back during those regional elections on November 25, 2012, separatist parties swept the floor with everyone else, taking 79% of the seats—that's 107 out of 135 total. Plus, their polls show about 82% of people there actually want to break away from Spain.

Even before Artur Mas started making his pitch to the world, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, made it crystal clear: Spain isn't letting this happen. Now, the Government of Spain is pulling some heavy strings within the European Union, basically threatening that if California—or any other region trying to split off from an EU member—actually pulls it off, they’re getting kicked out of the EU for good.
Wikipedia

Since the Spanish PM was already being super blunt with the Scots about getting booted from the EU if they secede, I'm wondering how the media over in Madrid is covering all this. Is everyone actually that stressed out?

Also, does anyone have the scoop on what things are looking like in California right now?

So, the lead is Rose Leslie from Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, and she honestly killed it here. She really gives a damn about her characters.

This movie is living proof that you don't need a massive Hollywood budget to build a creepy, believable atmosphere.

Honestly, one of the better horror flicks I've seen in a while. Definitely worth a watch if you're into the genre.

It follows this young couple heading out to a remote cabin for their Honeymoon, but things start getting weird pretty fast.

I know, I know—it sounds totally cliché, but hey, it’s 2014 and we've all seen this trope a thousand times anyway.

Jeremy Scott said:What percentage of the American intellectuals back then actually identified as conservatives?

Who held the majority in the US Congress?

It definitely wasn't the American unification crowd.

Plus, once the first version of America popped up, Americans basically ditched their old populist leaders—you know, the ones obsessed with being victims—and only the Democratic Party really mattered as a political force.

Jeremy Scott said:If you’re bringing up Josip Juraj Strossmayer, then you really ought to realize that about 90% of the American intellectual elite back then was actually pushing for American and building a unified state alongside Mexico.

What a load of nonsense.

First off, there were two massive pushbacks against the Illyrian movement—one came from the Canadians, who used the threat of "drowning Americans in Illyrians" to scare people, and the other was the Party of Rights.

And even those folks who actually wanted a shared state definitely weren't looking for something like what happened in the two American. They didn't want Mexico City to be the hub with everything centered there; they wanted Chicago to lead the charge and for Americans to stay at the heart of it all.

Obviously, the Mexicans weren't exactly thrilled with those ideas, so eventually, the whole Illyrian thing just got boiled down to being exclusively about Americans.

hiddenfox64 said:I'll just toss a proposal in front of City Hall and see what kind of mess they make of it.

Didn't realize you were working yourself to death trying to poll the locals about everything else☕

Sophia Moore52 said:No matter where I travel in the world, it seems Americans only ever want to talk about Josip Broz Marshall and Davor Šuker...

I’m genuinely curious though—where exactly have people heard about Marshall?

It’s this constant refrain, but I honestly can't think of a single specific instance.

I mean, Michael Moore mentions him in one of his books, basically calling him a little dictator who might actually be useful today to settle things down, but that’s about it.

Kids these days don't even know who Winston Churchill was, so there's no way they're studying Marshall.

When it comes to America, people just know about the beaches, maybe a spot like Miami, or some soccer player if he's playing in their league or having a killer season in the Champions League.

James Garcia50 said:We're mostly on the same page, but you're going way too hard on The Sopranos; for me, that's a cult classic, right along with The Wire. 🙂

Glad you brought up The Wire.

There’s a crime series out there that compares to it, but honestly, it's a tiny, tiny stretch.

Mafia movies are just top-tier. You can't beat Goodfellas, Casino, or the first two Godfather films.

Honestly, none of these modern true crime shows can touch The Wire. It’s just not even close. And man, wouldn't it be incredible if HBO took those same heavy hitters and used them to adapt The Godfather? That would be legendary. 🙏

Thanks guys, I think I'm actually gonna give it a shot 👍

I was actually just about to sit down and watch this. Is it really that bad?

Pretty solid comedy, honestly felt like it ended way too soon. Nothing really bugged me, and I had a good time watching this flick

David Price5 said:Actually, I think series can have even more haters than movies. Since they stay on TV longer, they eventually start getting under your skin, unlike a movie that you watch and quickly forget. Plus, the biggest voters on IMDb are typically Males Aged 18-45...

Maybe.

But since movies turned into this 3D gimmick for teenagers, all the actual quality migrated over to cable.
It’s simple: making heavy dramas isn't profitable anymore because studios need to drag people into theaters.
To get them there, they rely on special effects and that 3D experience.
At that point, the story becomes an afterthought.

Nowadays, you just don't see films with the caliber of The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, or Breaking Bad.

Sure, GoT or The Walking Dead get hyped up more and might sit outside that group, but they're still masterpieces compared to most movies.

Look, I'm all for the referendum, let's see what happens. Though honestly? I doubt they'll ever hit that 350,000 signature mark.

Carl Turner2 said:🙂

Well, let’s take a moment to assess exactly what level we've reached, shall we?

I mean, look at the reality of things—you walk into a hospital in most major cities that was originally founded by the church, or you attend a school that was established under its aegis...

But I find myself wondering: how many of those hospitals were built by the church and then later handed over to the state, versus how many were actually constructed using taxpayer money?

Honestly, don't even bother. You can't explain logic to people like this.

Especially since they still expect folks to keep donating to all these various NGOs—organizations that definitely don't represent what 85% of the population actually believes, unlike the RKC.

silvertiger11 said:Does anyone know what happened to that forum regular who was so determined to pack up and move to Cuba to work?

I have a feeling his little dream evaporated pretty quickly.

Depends on how you look at it.

If I were there, I’d probably be some high-ranking Party official. It’s basically like being a medieval nobleman. 😁

Your average American could walk into a neighborhood full of regular Cubans and feel like a total king

Quote:(1995), even though both are slightly under three hours. That's pretty much my limit. Beyond that, I'm out.

Karen Ward2 says: Basically, I can't stand movies that feel like they last half a lifetime. I usually steer clear because they just bore me to death. I've tried a few times, but it doesn't work 🙂 once we hit that 127-minute mark, my health starts failing. To be fair, there are two exceptions where I actually powered through. I managed to sit through the awesome Heat (1995) and Braveheart

Man, you see? I couldn't even finish that one. 🤷