Sophia Thomas7 said:Over on Apple, an emoji-only post counts for 10 points, though that doesn't apply to the chat room.
Correct me if I'm tripping.
I appreciate the quick response... I wasn't actually referring to the chat threads—those are essentially just dumping grounds for spam anyway—but rather to the standard discussion threads. Even there, posts that contain nothing but emojis tend to cause issues... And one more thing... are moderators permitted to submit posts composed entirely of emojis? If they aren't, who should I report them to? 😁
I’m curious about the rules regarding posts consisting entirely of emojis... specifically, is it permissible to post nothing but smiley faces without a single letter? If that isn't against the rules, why isn't there a penalty for it? If my memory serves me correctly, red cards used to be handed out for that kind of thing. Or am I misremembering? 🙄
Had a near miss with a snake again today! 🙂 I was driving through rural Kansas when, out of nowhere, I spotted a snake slithering right across the road... caught it at the very last second since I was making good time. It looked like some kind of black snake with white spots or stripes, maybe twenty centimeters long... what really caught me off guard was how fast it was moving. I had no idea snakes could move that quickly...
I haven’t run over or even laid a finger on an animal, 🙂
Every now and then I’ll spot a snake crossing the road, but I usually catch them in time... so I just tap the brakes and wait for them to clear the path...
As for dead animals, I’ve seen hundreds of them just lying there on the asphalt... you always see a high number out near the suburbs of Chicago... people tend to speed through those stretches, and since there’s a massive public park right nearby, it really shouldn't come as any surprise how many end up caught under tires...
I'm still sitting on the fence regarding tickets myself... I've been debating whether it's worth the trip. I've caught their shows three times now, and honestly, they deliver every single time. 🙂It's just a shame the weather forecast looks so miserable...
I have to admit, I’m feeling pretty let down by this one... I really expected a lot more given that Sofia Coppola is at the helm. The subject matter itself is incredibly compelling, especially since it’s based on true events, but watching it felt like an exercise in monotony; I kept getting the sensation that we were just cycling through the same scenes over and over again. 🙂 The acting misses the mark, and frankly, the script is just as weak. All things considered, this film is easily bottom-of-the-barrel for this year's releases. 👎
The internet is accessible to everyone and used by almost everyone, yet somehow people still hesitate to actually utilize it when they truly need to...
The concept of what actually defines a zombie has shifted significantly over the decades through various mediums—movies, television, comics, video games, and beyond—leaving the definition a point of heated debate among enthusiasts. Both director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland maintain that the film does indeed portray zombies, albeit through a lens we haven't quite seen before. As Boyle noted, "I feel there was respect for the genre, but I hope that we freshened it up in some way" (Production notes for 28 Weeks Later, available here). Keeping that in mind, "The Infected" aren't your typical 'zombies' from Haitian folklore, the classic walking corpses from old Hollywood horror flicks, or even those George A. Romero-styled reanimated bodies hunting for flesh. Instead, they function as mindless drones operating in swarms rather than as isolated individuals. They don't eat, talk, reason, or formulate plans; they simply react via raw, primal instinct, which, in that specific regard, makes them feel very much like traditional zombies.
I couldn't bear the wait until next week, so I ended up catching a midnight screening 😎 based on the trailers, I was expecting a hit, and honestly, it delivered... in my book, this is easily the best film of the year. I’ve always been a sucker for that era of American gangster lore—huge fan of Boardwalk Empire, 😁 if I'm being honest. My only real hesitation was the fact that Nick Cave handled the screenplay, but the narrative structure turned out to be incredibly tight. It’s definitely heavy on the violence, featuring some pretty visceral, brutal scenes, but the atmosphere is impeccable; you truly feel transported back to the early 20th century. The whole thing is based on the true story of the Bondurant brothers. Tom Hardy is nothing short of brilliant as Forrest Bondurant 🙏 and Shia LaBeouf delivers an equally stellar performance. As for Guy Pearce, he gave what I consider a career-defining performance playing the ruthless Deputy Sheriff Charlie Rakes. My only real gripe is that I wish Gary Oldman had more screen time, because every single moment he's on camera is gold—especially during that opening shootout 😁 all in all, the film is superb, and I highly recommend giving it a watch...
p.s. these midnight premieres are a godsend... sure, it's late, but having an empty theater to yourself allows you to actually sink into the movie without distractions...
What a massive waste of time... I was actually interested enough to give it a fair shot, but I ended up nodding off halfway through. It feels like the studio is just desperately trying to milk the fame Atkinson built up with Mr. Bean, but they're going to end up destroying his legacy by churning out these mindless, repetitive sequels. This kind of flick is clearly designed for an audience that doesn't want to think, which explains why these low-brow comedies always seem to be massive hits across the Midwest. Honestly, the more nonsensical the plot and the more shallow the characters, the better it seems to perform at the box office. 😬
Honestly, this sequel is perfectly fine when you consider the absolute train wrecks we usually get in modern cinema. Sure, if you have a high IQ, the plot is painfully predictable, but you can still have a good laugh regardless. My personal highlight has to be Mike Tyson at the very end when he starts singing. 🤣
Dennis Lee87 said:I find myself staring at this headline regarding T-Mobile US and their apparent refusal to respect a legal ruling, and I can’t help but feel a sense of weary déjà vu. It seems we are once again witnessing a massive corporate entity deciding that the rules simply don't apply when they become inconvenient to the bottom line. It’s a classic maneuver: ignore the mandate, wait for the inevitable fallout, and then deploy a fleet of high-priced lawyers to argue that the decision was flawed to begin with. One would think that after several such instances, there might be a shred of institutional respect left, but clearly, my expectations were misplaced. It reminds me of a time back in Chicago when I dealt with a major telecommunications provider over a billing error; they treated the entire concept of accountability like a suggestion rather than a requirement. At this point, it feels less like an oversight and more like a calculated strategy of defiance.
Does anything here seem off to you? 😁 Politicians seem to possess a singular, almost specialized talent for dismantling everything that actually works; frankly, they lack the basic competence required for anything else. Perhaps this serves as a moment for some genuine reflection before you head to the polls next time.
I'm heading out to the festival. It would be a genuine shame to miss an event of this magnitude, provided the weather decides to cooperate this time around—unlike that mess we dealt with last year. 🙂
I caught this the other day... Ray Stevenson delivered a powerhouse performance; I particularly appreciated how he portrayed the mounting pressure of those debts 😁 the cast is incredibly solid as well... while I was secretly hoping for a slightly more impactful film, all things considered, it’s unlikely to be a disappointment...
They’re perfectly fine, I suppose... It’s true their production quality isn't exactly world-class, but at least they actually bother to promote American sports whenever possible... If those hacks over at PBS put half as much effort into their coverage, maybe we wouldn't be stuck with such mediocre sports programming on public television...
They’ve inked a five-year deal with UNICEF, set to kick off this summer... It’s all very touching to play the humanitarian hero, but when you're staring down a $582 million debt, you don't exactly get to be picky about sponsors. Especially not when lucrative contracts like this $218 million windfall are on the table. Then there’s that leaked bit of info about how the Qatar Foundation is bankrolling some radical cleric who actively promotes terrorism, violence against women, and blatant antisemitism 😁 quite the glowing endorsement for Barca 🙄
All things considered, it was a solid festival experience. Billy Idol has clearly aged out of his prime—that old spark just isn't there anymore. Massive Attack was nothing to write home about, though LCD Soundsystem was surprisingly impressive. As for Pendulum, they were easily the biggest surprise of the weekend; I found myself enjoying them more than expected. Honestly, I think I'll be spinning The Flaming Lips much more often from now on. But if you ask me, the absolute highlight had to be Skindred 🙏 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CylFpBvK-ZsI managed to grab some footage, and it actually turned out quite well, despite the crushing crowds 😁 The organization was seamless, and they certainly didn't run low on beer 😁
It was honestly so dull I actually drifted off halfway through... just a mediocre flick with a plot you could see coming from a mile away. The script was pretty weak, too. In my opinion, this is easily Clint Eastwood's worst outing. His biggest blunder was definitely casting Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela; the performance just didn't land, which felt like a fundamental error in casting choice right out of the gate.
It’s honestly pathetic how Max TV handles their broadcasts, constantly encrypting half the programming when you just want to watch the race... I suppose we should just be grateful we have high-speed internet to bail them out. 🙂
shadowstag10 said:Is there any way to catch Qualifying 1 live on DirecTV, or am I stuck hunting down a stream?
It’s on DirecTV, unfortunately... though honestly, you might be better off finding a decent stream and watching it in peace without the commercial interruptions.