Posts by rustywalker42

Sure, but there are plenty of people out there who can barely string a sentence together. It’s not "world-class," it's just sloppy.

The errors jump out so much they basically ruin the whole headline. There are other mistakes too, but why even bother listing them?

Jacob Foster11 said:The subforum mods handle the decisions after checking in with the admins and owners. Can't go into all the nitty-gritty details—not allowed—but it's all for the good of the site. We've hit a point where there are just too many posts; the server can't handle it anymore. That's why we need a cleanup. Mostly, old locked chat threads are getting nuked permanently. There might be exceptions here and there. Could also involve stuff like clearing out old listings on the Marketplace and so on...

Anyway, this cleanup is going to take a while. Deleting massive amounts of data puts a huge strain on the server, so they can't really do it during the day. It’s slow work. Some of you probably saw the maintenance notice around 2 AM...

Hold up, why not just migrate to a faster server? Look, I don't know the math behind their database needs or whatever, but isn't this just delaying the inevitable? What happens when you hit this breaking point again? Hopefully, you won't start deleting threads that aren't even chat threads.

I’m totally on board with the comment left under the YouTube video in the first post.

Seriously, I can't stop rewatching this trailer. You can tell it's a Sofia Coppola project from the very first frame. She has a unique cinematic style.

Sam Ramos85 said:My father-in-law works for the US Army Corps of Engineers, and I was just talking to him yesterday about how they totally dropped the ball recently near Pittsburgh, and now they're messing up again around Washington, D.C.

He tells me there’s absolutely no money in the US Army Corps of Engineers because all those fees people pay to them aren't actually managed by the agency itself—the Republic of America government holds onto all those funds. They basically just release enough to cover payroll, and when it comes to actual equipment, fuel, shovels, or sandbags, they're left begging for scraps. Then, once a disaster actually hits, they finally trickle out some cash so they can scramble to buy stuff from suppliers at the last minute...

He said that right now, they've only got 22,000 sandbags sitting in the warehouse, when according to the rules, they should have something like 250,000 bags ready to go at any given time, day or night.

The guy goes out there to measure water levels, and he can calculate exactly how much fuel they should be burning on a monthly basis, yet he can't even finish inspecting all the channels and tributaries because they're forced to cut corners on fuel, tires, and routine maintenance...
And don't even get me started on the excavators that sit broken down for months. When the floods actually happen, the US Army Corps of Engineers just gets a blessing from the government to rent heavy machinery from private companies at astronomical prices, simply because their own gear is busted.

Like what happened recently in Brod County during the flooding; everything was handled by a firm called Brod County run by that Republican, Prati Cosica,🙏 who, by the way, does contract work for the US Army Corps of Engineers all the time and bills the state for his services.

Honestly, it's the classic story for state-owned companies here, and unfortunately, it's all perfectly legal. Under the guise of "budget cuts," the state refuses to fund their own infrastructure. Instead, they hire local contractors—who happen to be buddies with the political elite—to do the exact jobs the state agency should be doing themselves. It's how they keep the machines running without actually owning them.

briskpuma23 said:Why did I even bother writing all this? Because of these clueless commenters who think some PDF policy document somehow reflects what American society actually thinks. It doesn't! It has zero connection to reality. Don't let them dictate the conversation to you. Try talking about stuff that's actually happening. Maybe then we'll get past three pages before someone starts bringing up fascists versus communists—or at least the FBI and those old-school nostalgia junkies.

Wait, are you joking right now? This entire subforum is basically a leftist echo chamber. You can see it in the moderators and in the general vibe of the posts.

Have you even been lurking here for the last few years, or did you just swoop in, drop a couple of threads, and decide you've got some mediocre opinion worth sharing?

Bottom line? The movie is great. What I love most is how grounded it feels.

Exactly what he said—this isn't some cheesy romance.

Killer soundtrack, too. Honestly, I have zero complaints about this one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gossamer_Albatross

Maria Barnes said:I don't know how much this matters and I want to find out. (The Great Lakes dried up too, so it's not exactly a catastrophe—except Canada doesn't have a coastline.) But at first glance, it seems important enough to push back against anyone trying to downplay the whole thing.

Look at the big picture here. We’re talking about losing a massive saltwater basin—a major hub for the fishing industry—and that’s going to mess with the local climate too. It’ll get even drier, and eventually, the whole area is just going to be covered in desert sand. All of this carries heavy long-term social and economic consequences for the region. It's an inevitable disaster unless someone decides to dump billions into a rescue project. But let's be real: who actually wants to do that? There's zero financial incentive, at least nothing significant. So, is it doomed? I'm 99% sure it is. Money runs the world, after all.

Quincy:

The Mediterranean Sea disappeared too, so it’s hardly a tragedy—except that Canada doesn't have a coast.

The Mediterranean Sea vanished about 600,000 years ago—well, what was left of it, anyway. Modern humans weren't even a thought back then. You want to blame people? Don't. This was pure geology, not human activity. Simple as that.

Look, at first glance, this seems important enough that I need to say something. I can't just sit here while people try to downplay the whole situation.

I’m not being dismissive; I’m calling out hypocrisy. You read about this today, or maybe yesterday when it first broke, but I’ve been reading about this same nonsense for years and nothing ever changes. You’ll forget this in a few days. I won't. That's the whole point. The problem is that most people don't actually think about it. They read a headline, get outraged, and then move on by tomorrow. I don't blame them—modern life basically trains us to believe there are more pressing issues to obsess over, like who Ante Gotovac is dating right now. It’s a caricature, sure, but I’m not far from the truth.

Maria Barnes said:I'd argue it all comes down to the media. If the press decides to hammer on a disaster, they can wake up the public. Once the public is awake, they can pressure politicians, donors, and activists to actually act. If nobody knows about it, nothing happens. I noticed today that plenty of outlets are covering this—even Ban Ki-Moon was involved. Clearly, there's a push starting. People are paying attention.

I don't know how much weight this carries. But if it matters—if we're talking about an ecological disaster—then we need to shout about it. Inform people. Mobilize them. Why is this happening? Can it be stopped? At what cost? Is this a local issue or a global one that could hit our own backyard too? Anything but sitting around shrugging and calling it "old news." This issue is arguably more critical than the Swine Flu scare (look at how the media successfully mobilized the world over a manufactured crisis just to rake in funding). Here, the problem is right in front of our eyes.

Bottom line: spread the word and pass on the facts. 🙂

No, they're just going through the motions. When has anything concrete actually been done regarding any issue when we talk about the UN and its agencies?

I don't know how important it is. But if it matters—if they're calling it an ecological disaster—then people need to be talking about it, informing the public, mobilizing them. Why is it disappearing?

You don't even know what's going on, yet you're foaming at the mouth about how nothing is being done.🙂

The deal is, back in the day in the former Soviet Republic of Uzbekistan, the Amudarya and Syr Darya rivers were diverted into a massive canal system to irrigate cotton fields for the industry. Since the lake lost its water source, the logical result followed: it dried up.
Besides, it's all right there on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea

Can it be prevented? How? (How much money?) Is this a local or a global issue—could something similar happen in our neck of the woods? Anything but shrugging your shoulders and saying it's "old news." This problem is definitely more significant than swine flu (just look at how the world was successfully mobilized by the media over a made-up problem to pull in cash). Here, the problem is plain as day.

It can't happen here. For one, we don't have projects like that, those kinds of rivers, or a landscape that's that water-scarce. Plus, in the States, irrigation is used on maybe 0.8% of arable land. The only potential danger of that scale would be a 250-year-old project like the Danube-Sava Canal, which has its own thread on this forum.
To prevent this or restore the Aral Sea, you'd have to destroy Uzbekistan's cotton industry—which is one of the biggest in the world—and dump billions upon billions of dollars into returning the rivers to their original beds so they could supply the Aral Sea again.
What else do you want to know? I'm planning on visiting, so if I go, I'll post a travelogue here.😉

Maria Barnes said:Look, you shouldn't have made that comment. Yeah, they identified the biggest environmental disaster out there, but what's the point of talking about it? We’re sinking. Who actually cares? Why bother trying when people just get suffocated for attempting to make a difference? Raising awareness... what good does it do?

And nobody could miss today's news about Brad and Angelina. They aren't. Arrived in San Francisco. 🙄

I’d say this belongs in the World section. The world around me.)

Anderson, I’ve been following this case for years. I know exactly why I said what I said.
Of the two countries bordering the Aral Sea, only one actually decided to save what little is left. The other one? They just don't have the cash. Apparently, the project is too expensive and takes way too long.
Sure, raising awareness is fine, but what does it actually achieve? Every few years, we get the same headline while the lake—well, at least the part doomed to die—just keeps disappearing.
So, since you're so eager to offer suggestions, tell me: what exactly would you do?

That’s an old story. No clue why we're even bringing it up now.🤷

The government over in Uzbekistan completely gave up on the lake because they’re broke. Only the Kazakh side actually put in some effort, so you can see minor improvements there, but it’s nothing significant. That whole Uzbek section? It's basically doomed.
It’s just classic bullshit that happens when people try to play God with nature. The outcome was obvious from the start, though I honestly have no idea why they even went down that path. Unless, of course, they decided the textile industry was somehow more important than food security.
Who knows what those Soviet engineers were actually thinking.🤷

That is pure stupidity at its finest.

If someone can't handle sitting through a three-hour movie in one go, then why even bother? Just stick to TV shows. You know, those little 20 to 45-minute bursts that won't leave you feeling exhausted.

Charles Fox10 said:So, in your view, that comment doesn't warrant a strike? 😕 It's not that they don't know; they just can't decide on the right terminology.

If you really want to dig into this, you'd probably get hit with something from the Custom Workshop category, like "inappropriate conduct on the forum" or some other excuse, but the penalty would be the same.

PS—why are we debating a strike from a year ago? Besides, isn't this off-topic anyway?

Honestly? No. Not because they don't deserve it, but because nobody else gets a red card for talking like that.

And if you’re still obsessed with this? Fine. You could get flagged by the Custom shop for something like "inappropriate conduct" on the forum or whatever other excuse they pull out of their hat—but the bottom line wouldn't change. The amount stays exactly the same.

500 points? Please. You’re being totally biased.

Seriously? We’re still arguing over year-old cardboard? Is that really what we're doing now? And besides, isn't this totally off-topic anyway?

It’s not off-topic. We’re talking about a former cabinet member here—it actually hits the nail right on the head. I don't get why people think this is off-topic?

Charles Fox10 said:Ask the moderator why they flagged you. If you actually want my take, you’d likely get the same result from me.

Fine, here’s your answer:

Neither he knows why he gave it to me, nor does the admin.

And why would you give it to me? I already know why—because you're biased. And being biased? That's definitely not what a moderator is supposed to be.

Charles Fox10 said:And honestly, why would they even care about my complaint?
Are these people sacred cows that we aren't allowed to criticize or have opinions about?
Or are you suggesting we should bring back verbal assault as a standard practice?

Good question.

Why did I get flagged for 500 points and hate speech here?

Nicole Nelson772 said:Well, they aren't, which is exactly why I decided to bold certain parts. I guess that makes sense. 😛

Well, if you’re really going to insist, here goes:

With dramas like *Insider*, *Vera Drake*, *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days*, or even those films by Iñárritu, I really find myself drawn to that sense of distance. It’s that sort of "cold," composed, almost objective way they handle heavy themes. Most movies just drown you in a pile of cheap sentimentality, but these don't. They stay steady. It’s similar to what I felt watching *Aspen*—or maybe it was *Mean Creek*, since we're already talking about rivers and corpses. I guess I just prefer that restraint. 🙂I find myself quite fascinated by how the landscape plays such a vital role in films featuring Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney. It’s done so subtly, you know? Not at all overbearing. In the thriller genre, I think movies like Fargo, Simple Plan, and Transsiberian do this perfectly—though, I suppose, I missed mentioning those others along with many others I've seen. When it comes to dramas, I might add the Rijeka memory by the brilliant nostalgic Robert Redford, or perhaps Into the Wild starring Sean Penn. Then there are the Shyamalan films. They possess this eerie, emotional—often rather sad—atmosphere that he just executes so well, I guess. Out of everything I have watched, chronicle one escape captures that feeling of being trapped better than anything else. And then there is The Vanishing, which has this sort of mystical, drunken quality to it... it works so well, really.
Out of that horror list I put together, I’d have to single out Rosemary's Baby. In my opinion—and I could be wrong here—it might just be the film with the absolute best atmosphere ever made. I'd also add Psycho to that mix. It’s a gamble, really; it could potentially be a disaster, but there is something about the Bates house that just jumps out from the rest of the picture. It creates this sense of unease in the viewer that stays with you. Moving over to historical films, Gladiator is simply irreplaceable. I think it’s because they took an "old" genre and successfully injected it with a modern spirit and approach, all while being incredibly rich in detail. Actually, I should probably add Master and Warrior to that category as well. Peter Weir managed to capture life on a ship like nobody else ever has. As for gangster movies, I don't think there's much left to say about The Godfather, since everyone already knows the story. But Miller's Crossing? To me, that is stylistically the best gangster film ever made. It might even be one of the most stylistically perfect films in existence. I guess that's just how I see it.
I don't even feel the need to comment on action movies like *Leon* or *Man on Fire*. They are just so indescribably good. It’s funny, because I find that superhero or sci-fi flicks often have a really solid atmosphere, but then they lack any actual plot. No, I think the perfect marriage of those two essential elements—plot and vibe—really happened with *Blade Runner* (and *Alien*, which I completely forgot to mention!!!). Then you have *Gattaca* and *Sunshine*, which are such poetic and intelligent pieces of sci-fi. Even *all for love* fits into that strange little subgenre of artful sci-fi drama. And then there is Nolan's first *Batman*, where everything just hits that perfect ratio... I guess.
When it comes to comedies, I’d say Fellini’s *Amarcord* definitely captures the most beautiful atmosphere—though I suppose *Love Actually* creates such a wonderful mood, too. I guess I just have a massive soft spot for stories told through a child's perspective; there’s an honesty to it that feels so raw. In this case, they really nailed it. As for crime dramas, I’d have to single out *The Brothers* as a standout. It has this incredibly unpredictable, gritty atmosphere regarding the fight against crime, paired with some truly solid character development. Plus, the *brothers* have a few artistic sequences that are so well-done they almost convince you that the whole drug-fueled party scene is actually cool. Maybe that's just me, though.
When it comes to war movies, I guess what matters most to me is that psychological deep dive into the characters, paired with some truly incredible cinematography. For me, *Rescue Dawn* just hits that atmospheric sweet spot better than most. But, you know, I have to mention *Redacted* and *All Quiet on the Western Front* too—they’re both just phenomenal at capturing that specific, heavy atmosphere of stress and total helplessness, showing how war acts as this fertile ground for criminals to emerge. And then there's Terrence Malick's *The Thin Red Line*, which I almost completely forgot about, but honestly, that film is more like a poem than a story. Even if we step outside of war into pure drama, movies like *The New World* or *Fitzcarraldo* are essential. You just need to see them, experience them, and let yourself get lost in them... I suppose.
When it comes to kids' movies or animation, I have to give the edge to the Goonies. I guess it’s because that whole vibe just reminds me of being a kid, back when everything felt a bit brighter. Even America seemed better then—it felt like a place filled with decent folks, big houses, grand adventures, and incredibly brave people. As for animation, "Finding Nemo" and "Ratatouille" always cheer me up, but I still find myself drawn to that specific, irreplaceable magic found in those old Disney classics. It’s almost like trying to replicate the taste of McDonald's; some people might not care for it, but everyone recognizes that flavor immediately 🙂

p.s. (as for dramas with the best atmosphere)—fantasy dramas like "The Fall" and "Pan's Labyrinth" have such incredible atmospheres, just bursting with imaginative scenes. For more classic dramas, there's "Baltimore Story" and "Stand by Me," which are just overflowing with nostalgia for simpler times (assuming they actually existed, I suppose). Then there’s Moodysson's "Together," which makes you kind of want to go live in an American commune from thirty years ago; that warmth and sense of friendship just really grabs you... oh, and I should probably mention "Witness," which I honestly think belongs in my top five films from the 80s. That magical atmosphere once Ford reaches the Amish community is just something else. It's irreplaceable.

Anyway, I think that covers enough 😉

Well, bravo. Now that's an answer.👍

Nicole Nelson772 said:Oh boy, there are just so many...

Drama: "The Insider", "Vera Drake", "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days", an Iñárritu masterpiece , "Together", "Pan's Labyrinth", "The Cell", "The Fall", "Witness", "Jindabyne", "New World", "All for Love", "After Wedding", "Story from Baltimore", "Stand by Me"

Horror: "Rosemary's Baby", "The Exorcist", "Irradiation", "The Spy"

Thriller: "Sixth Sense", "Unbreakable", "Chronicle", "Disappearance"

Historical: "Gladiator", "Braveheart"

Comedy: "Amarcord", "Little Miss Sunshine", "Juno", "The Mite", "Death on a Funeral", "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", "Some Hot Love", "True Love"

Crime: The "The Godfather" trilogy, "Miller's Crossing", "Good Boy", "American Gangster", "Blood Brothers"

War: "Saving Private Ryan", "Full Metal Jacket", "Dawn Escape", "Final Fall", "Redacted", "War Victim"

Action: "Faithful Danny", "Man on Fire", "Taken", "Leon", "Deadly Weapon", "Die Hard"

SF / Hero : "Blade Runner", "The Matrix", "Gattaca", "Sunshine", "Batman Begins"

Kids and Animation: "The Goonies", "Mulan", "Finding Nemo", "Ratatouille", "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "The Little Mermaid", "The Society Follows the Knot" and one more that isn't quite a kid's movie, "Son of Rambow"

And so on, and so forth...

Hmm, atmosphere. 🙂 You could have at least mentioned why you liked *one* of them so much. Right now we just have this massive list and zero clue what actually clicked for you.
And I highly doubt they're ALL equally great.

I actually explained my reasoning, so I'd appreciate it if everyone else would be a bit more descriptive too.

gentlefalcon2 said:The Bourne Identity

Explain yourself.

Sansan said:page 24

Can a moderator just merge these?

Yeah, okay, let me add one thing: please actually include your reasons. Don't just drop a movie title and leave it at that—tell us why it’s actually your favorite.

So, based on the title, which movie do you guys think has the absolute best atmosphere?

For me, the undisputed king is Assault on Precinct 13. The original, obviously—let's not even touch that remake garbage.

That intro starts with that iconic melody, showing the gang prepping their revenge, then those shots of the city at dawn, the deserted streets, all set to Carpenter’s minimalist score (those 🙏 synths). The day flies by, we see the sunset, and you just *know* something terrible is coming. You don't know what, but you feel it. Then night falls.
Everyone's heading toward that old police station waiting to be shut down...

What I love is the slow burn of the whole thing. There's hardly any dialogue among the gang members; they just want blood.

And I can't forget to mention that, personally, the best melody in the entire film is when Ethan Bishop, the cop, walks into the 13th precinct. It's so melancholic, so simple—it's perfect.

Killer stuff!🙏

It's insane how good a movie can be shot with such a tiny budget. Nowadays, when studios dump tens of millions of dollars into movies, you rarely see anything even remotely close to this. Just goes to show, money isn't everything.

Who are your favorites?