Posts by brightheron64

Robin Jones2 said:I am watching the fallout from the sheer incompetence and stupidity displayed by Škaričić at the nursing home.

It brings to mind how the Republican Party loyalists on this forum constantly spout their tired mantras about "Democratic Party failures."

Where are those Republican Party champions now? I’m waiting for them to weigh in on this supposed Republican expert in social services.

Meanwhile, our highly trained professionals are forced to flee to the European Union just to change diapers for the elderly.

🙂 And Andrej Plenković is just washing his hands of the whole thing.

Look, you don't actually need a Republican Party membership card to become a nursing home director, you know... 🙄

Residents at the San Francisco nursing home aren't just dealing with an infection, they're actually going hungry:

It’s the absolute worst-case scenario—the coronavirus has breached the walls of the local nursing home. Over on Main Street, panic has officially set in...

While everyone waits for the dust to settle and for an official statement from the director, Ivan Škaričić, who still needs to explain why the very first symptom of this new virus—a fever—was ignored for ten whole days among our most vulnerable citizens, even more alarming issues are starting to surface.

- Most residents are under contract for housing and just one meal a day, lunch. But by banning all visitors, those living in the apartment-style units have been backed into a corner; they were offered extra meals at the facility—which, of course, would come with an added fee—while any outside food deliveries were strictly prohibited, even though hygiene supplies were allowed through. When they refused to pay these extra meal costs, they reached out to the American Red Cross, only to find out that the facility had also blocked them from delivering food. By implementing these rules, the residents have been left starving, according to a woman from San Francisco whose mother and mother-in-law are currently staying at the facility.

I mean, what do you expect from a seasoned Republican Party operative... pure incompetence is practically guaranteed. 🤦

The only way Kovač can hope for a win here is if Andrej Plenković somehow tests positive for COVID...

Carol Newman2 said:THE FIRST DEFENSE FROM THE YOUNG REPUBLICAN MAYOR REGARDING HER HOUSING SCANDAL—A MESS THAT COULD END HER POLITICAL CAREER—IS SENDING SHOCKWAVES THROUGH THE ENTIRE COUNTRY: "I am merely a victim of political retaliation! Besides, finding an apartment in Washington, D.C. without living near someone famous is nearly impossible..."

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I actually found myself tearing up reading about the tragic and burdensome fate of this young Republican woman... It’s giving me major Boško buha vibes during peacetime... 🍿

Kujundžić Škorić: Petra, you aren't made of stone!

There it is—clear evidence that Kujundžić is just a short-sighted politician who can't see past his own narrow interests, which means Škorić would probably be out of a job if it weren't for the Republican Party...

Of course he’s going to side with the candidate who actually looks like a winner. ☕

Jeremy Sanchez4 said:The absolute best joke from this whole campaign has gotta be Plenković's slogan: BRAVE! 😂

Why call it a joke? Because it’s really just a warning that the Republican Party is going to start digging even deeper into the treasury...

The USA is becoming like the Aral Sea...

urbanrider8 said:Exclusive Scoop: A high-ranking Republican Party official just landed a seat on the Amtrak board right before retirement, and he’s already cooked up a brilliant little scheme to pull his son into a paycheck alongside him.
To make sure his kid gets the job without anyone being able to point a finger, he followed every single rule in the book, even checking in with the Conflict of Interest Commission to ensure everything looked perfectly legitimate.

It honestly feels like there's no limit to what they can get away with, because at this point, they really just do whatever they want.

Unbelievable. A true American political miracle. ☕

P.S.
We keep searching for rock bottom, hoping we might finally hit it so we can start swimming back toward the surface... but unfortunately, in the world of the Republican Party, there is no bottom.

If you ever wanted a perfect description of the Republican Party's internal circus, just look at what Škorić had to say.

Man, life must be tough when your wartime nickname is budaletina...

As a standalone piece of cinema, this movie is solid. Really quite good...

When it comes to historical accuracy, though, it’s riddled with errors—honestly, even by Hollywood standards, it's a bit much. There’s something frustrating about watching a period piece where you can't actually learn anything because the film keeps feeding you misinformation. It would have been much more effective if they had just framed the whole thing as pure fiction, perhaps telling a story about some obscure leader in a completely made-up land...

Honestly, if you ask me, this year’s schedule should at least prioritize religion for my youngest child during first period! 🎉

wiredseal7 said:The US is looking at a half-billion dollar bill right out of the gate just to move production back home.

That $9 billion figure for Turkey is just the *projected revenue* over the life of the F-35 program—not necessarily lost money, provided we actually repurpose that workforce and those factories for something else down the line.

Honestly, I think the real sting will be the F-35 units they likely already paid for but now won't see. I highly doubt the US government is planning on issuing any refunds.

Well, if an S-400 costs about half as much as a Patriot, they've essentially saved a massive fortune right there.

Given that the Turkish industry has gained some pretty incredible high-level expertise through the F-35 program—even if they never officially mention it—if Russia starts offering them joint development or production deals for the S-400 (or maybe even the S-500) which seems to be selling like hotcakes, and then throws in a pitch for some Sukhoi Su-xx aircraft... the Turks could actually turn a significant profit from all of this...

You know that feeling when you're just scrolling through channels out of pure boredom, sipping your morning coffee, and you settle on something feeling totally skeptical about the whole premise and this American found footage flick...

... and then, before you even realize what's happening, you find yourself completely glued to the screen, unable to look away... 👍

Tyler Ruiz502 said:Honestly, you guys are reaching total extremes here. Even a casual believer would still go through with the baptism for their kids...

In my household (as of right now), it’s a clean sweep—5 to 0 in favor of atheism. 😁

School hasn't been much of an issue, though we did have a bit of wandering through the hallways in those early years, but everything eventually smoothed out, especially since the religious education classes seemed to lose steam more and more with every passing school year...

Richard Perez3 said:It’s basically just a "just in case" thing.
I’m siding with the extremists on this one—zero baptisms for us.

And even today, my daughter-in-law is constantly breathing down my neck about it (even though her own daughter has explicitly declared herself an atheist). She tries here and there, attempting to plant seeds of doubt with little anecdotes or trying to nudge them toward "re-evaluating their stances," but those naughty little atheists just 🙄 and 😵

We've actually had some pretty heated arguments over the kids' births, including actual "threats" along the lines of, "I'll just sneak them into a church and get them baptized behind your backs!"... And all we can do is just 🤣🤣🤣

rowdypanther12 said:So, is there some kind of Hell that atheists actually believe in? 😂

To be perfectly honest, I’d almost be happy if Hell truly existed... I might find things a little uncomfortable myself given my own views and stances 😁, but the mere thought of a massive crowd of "devout believers"—you know, the typical American political, business, and religious elite—simmering in pitch is a level of justice worth enduring...

Kate Harris3 said:Good grief. For nearly thirty years now, it's been easier to just coast through whatever religious education they assign you here in America. Being a "lazy atheist" and swimming against the current is actually the harder path. 😬

Don't even get me started on that... Just look at those three who weren't even baptized... 😁

Mark Cruz402 said:To give you some context regarding my little one’s school experience—since he was a first grader this year—the setup was as follows: religious education classes were held for two hours a week during school hours, plus an additional two hours every other week at the local parish led by a nun, on top of attending Sunday Mass.
The parents expressed their frustrations over those extra two hours at the church. They argued that kids are already spread incredibly thin with schoolwork and various extracurricular activities after the bell rings.

The priest’s response was quite firm: he maintained that once we make the decision for our children to receive their First Communion, there is a certain level of sacrifice required to truly learn the faith. He insisted that classroom instruction alone isn't sufficient to grasp the depth of religion, which is why these supplemental church sessions were implemented alongside the school curriculum.

There are actually two students in my son's class who attend the religious education offered at school but opted out of the church-based sessions. As a result, they weren't permitted to participate in the First Communion ceremony.
Meanwhile, the entire class remains enrolled in the school-based religious studies.

Well, I suppose eternal life and bliss are things you have to earn somehow, right? You really have to accept the rules of the game once you decide to play it...
It’s much easier to just be a lazy atheist and grab a one-way ticket to Hell, all while hoping that it doesn't actually exist...

Michelle Doyle88 said:This is such a fascinating topic to dive into. My mind immediately jumped to classics like the marketplace, hair, and life is beautiful...
Personally, White Oleander really struck a chord with me back in my teenage years, though I feel like it lost some of its emotional weight as I got older.

There are a few others whose titles have slipped my mind for the moment, but I’ll definitely give them more thought. These kinds of films just completely unnerve you; they peel back the layers of human nature and force you into this intense state of self-reflection...
Oh, wait, one just came back to me—Panov's Labyrinth.

Panov's Labyrinth is definitely an essential pick.

Since we are exploring the depths of the psyche, I would also throw radiation, Misery, and Shutter Island into the mix...

Grace Sanders24 said:It feels quite similar to that original French film about the man in the wheelchair being cared for by the Black gentleman, which I believe was remade by Americans just last year...🍿

When you sit down to compare *The Upside* with its predecessor, *The Intouchables*, you really start to weigh the nuances of how different cultures approach that same heartfelt story... It’s fascinating to see how the American version tries to find its own rhythm while staying true to the spirit of the original, even if the vibes feel just a little bit different once you get into the thick of it... One feels perhaps more polished for a domestic audience, whereas the other has that raw, unmistakable energy that made the first one such a global phenomenon... It makes you wonder if any remake can ever truly capture that lightning in a bottle...

I honestly can't wrap my head around why anyone would even consider watching it... I had such an absolute blast with the original that I don't see any reason to go and ruin that perfect experience for myself...

Jacob Alvarez said:It feels like just your typical Hollywood remake of a great foreign film, lacking that original spark...

Honestly, movies like that only really land with people who haven't seen the original masterpiece or those who just can't be bothered to follow along with subtitles...

And then people actually try to use the Box Office as some kind of benchmark for quality... 🤦

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)...
The estimated budget is sitting right around $3.5 million...
The Opening Weekend USA brought in $5,208 back on August 28, 2016, during its initial Limited Release...
The opening weekend numbers just hit the books for the September 16, 2016, release, showing a domestic gross of $49,284... which certainly leaves a lot to be desired if we're looking at the broader trajectory...
The total worldwide gross has officially climbed to $904,496...

If you haven’t had a chance to sit down with Taken yet, I really can't recommend it enough... It’s one of those rare films where you just feel completely swept up in the tension, especially with Liam Neeson leading the charge through such a gritty, visceral landscape... There is something about his presence that just anchors the whole experience, making the stakes feel incredibly heavy and real... It isn't just another action flick; it has this raw, driving energy that keeps you leaning in, wondering exactly how far he’ll go to get justice... Truly a standout piece of filmmaking that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll...
The opening weekend numbers for the wide release on February 10, 2019, have finally come in, showing a domestic start of $11,030,233... which feels like a pretty solid foundation to build upon as we move forward...
The domestic box office numbers just trickled in for April 18, 2019, and we’re looking at a total of $32,138,862 across the States... quite an interesting start for the weekend, I must say...
As of April 18, 2019, the cumulative Worldwide Gross has officially climbed to $59,213,931...

It just popped back into my mind, and now I can't stop thinking about Unthinkable from 2010, where you have Samuel L. Jackson playing an investigator who uses some pretty intense interrogation tactics on a terrorist to get information...

Honestly, that whole story just stayed with me for two full days straight...

Here’s a take from a film critic based out of Seattle:

The silence was practically screaming when the credits rolled on “Our Mother.” The audience was just... stunned, sitting there motionless in the theater for quite a while after the screen went dark, everyone still gripping their armrests. You don't run into a scene like that very often in American cinemas. And honestly, an art house piece as intense as “Incendies” isn't exactly something you see playing at your local multiplex every single week.

I think that might be the perfect way to define what we mean when we call something a "heavy film."

Well, I really stepped in it this time...

I started by watching the original—A Walk Among the Tombstones—and then decided to check this version out.

Man, the original was just so much better, and I’m honestly making a vow to myself right now that this is the very last time I attempt to sit through some Hollywood remake of a great European film...