jademoose6 said:The reality is that most political insiders are busy collecting massive salaries from state-owned corporations, federal agencies, and various departments. We even see members of the US Congress voting against pay cuts for high-ranking officials today. That entire system needs a serious overhaul and thorough vetting.☕
Go ahead, pick me then. I’ll be sure to slash everyone's salary, starting with yours. 😬 My bad, I meant myself. 😁
Honestly, I think if we ever actually pull off this whole "vetting" thing, we're already way behind schedule. There aren't many real-world examples of people like Petra Kvitova or similar figures doing it here in the States.
Petrova is still young, and if he doesn't get corrupted by the machine, there might actually be hope that he could lead some new generation of politicians who are actually democratic and honest.🙂
jademoose6 said:At the end of the day—after all—isn't there already a layer of oversight in place? We have the US Federal Government and the Secretary of Homeland Security watching over the Department of Justice, don't we?☕ But the Department of Justice isn't really the issue here—is it? Take a look at what’s unfolding right now over in Canada—quite a situation, wouldn't you say? That’s exactly why we need the National Guard—to make sure we don't end up seeing those tragic scenes of violence and destruction like the ones from Canada?
I mean, honestly, how can you even ask what the Department of Justice has to do with these protests? It’s almost funny. 🤷 Look, we’ve all seen it happen time and time again—the courts and the Department of Justice aren't exactly these independent pillars of justice; they’re pretty much just extensions of whatever political agenda is running the show at the moment. Honestly, if they try to spin up some new version of the National Guard under these conditions, it’s going to be the exact same story. Just more tools for the people in power to play with.
Can someone please walk me through why anyone thinks pushing for lustration is actually useful at this stage in our lives? 🤷
I mean, let's be real—most of those old-school party officials are either six feet under or tucked away in some high-end retirement home. Honestly, what’s the point of all that extra work? It feels like a massive waste of both money and time, if you ask me.
The movie was killer. A little twisted, sure, but it works perfectly. I had a blast watching it.
Potential spoiler It’s those tiny little details that really get me—the stuff you have to piece together. Like that part where he’s watching some lesbian porn and this Black guy walks into the frame, and he just looks so visibly frustrated that he flips the channel. Then, when you hit that final scene at the checkout counter and see him spot his friend and that woman, everything finally clicks and you realize exactly why he reacted like that.🤣
@Jamie Turner80 Or maybe those agencies over in Japan or France—or whatever other regulatory bodies handle drug approvals—just got cozy with the big pharma lobbyists 🤷 Or maybe they're all just out in the woods somewhere 🤷
Honestly, it’s hit or miss. In some places, the "alternative" route is actually better, and in others, it’s total nonsense. And really, like you said, we should probably just let people try something else if their first option isn't cutting it
frozengull94 said:This movie deserves an Oscar nomination... It’s a heavy-hitting drama about life itself...
And then, honestly, it’s just depressing. You finish watching a film like this, you come to this sub-forum, to this specific thread, only to run straight into posts by this self-proclaimed "expert" around here, Nicholas Watson, who clearly hasn't even seen the damn thing... It’s actually hard to even find the words to respond to the nonsense he's spewing...
Anyway, getting back to the movie—personally, I feel like the lead actor looks a bit too "calculated" in his attempt to nail the role. It feels like maybe he lost a few too many pounds just for the part. He definitely put in that Oscar-bait effort, though...
I watched the movie and I'm standing by every single word I wrote☕
The movie is great; Matthew McConaughey and Leto are at an Oscar level. Honestly, I think they both could take home a trophy. It does a killer job showing the struggle of one guy against the system and all the stigmas surrounding the disease, especially during those early days when the "epidemic" was first breaking out.
There’s just no contest here. Bourne is miles ahead. Honestly, even the first Mission: Impossible felt pretty mediocre to me, like the plot didn't really pull any surprises out of its hat ☕ I mean, if I'm being totally honest, I only caught the Bourne movies as they were coming out, so I haven't quite wrapped my head around the full story yet. I'll probably have to sit down and binge them all at once. Obviously, I'm skipping the fourth one because I have zero intention of ever watching it. Anything that goes that far over the top is just ☕
Since we’re already talking about Sly, look, I’m not exactly his biggest fan or anything, but I have to admit that First Blood is actually one of the better war dramas out there—especially when you consider how it tackles that whole "what happens after you come home from the service" vibe.
Well, color me surprised. I had no idea you guys were such experts on the subject, clearly I've been kept in the dark here.
What I’m trying to get at is, even with all that technical knowledge about transmission rates, would any of us actually risk ourselves when the math shows such tiny probabilities? I haven't actually sat down to watch the movie yet, so can someone catch me up on the timeline? Are we talking about the early days when HIV was first exploding, or is this set during more recent history?
Look, I know this stuff way better than you do, and trust me, I’ve dealt with far more people living with HIV or hepatitis than you ever have. I once even had to deal with an addict who was carrying both, someone who'd sliced themselves up on broken glass—but obviously, I was being incredibly, extremely careful about it. Everything you're saying right now is just complete and utter nonsense. 😉
So, one of my buddies actually got bitten by some homeless guy who was carrying Hepatitis C. Apparently, he’s got this specific "strain" that people claim isn't even contagious—like it just stays trapped in the host and can't jump to anyone else. He’s been getting sent in for checkups every couple of months and has to deal with regular injections, though let's be clear, we aren't talking about tetanus shots here.
Basically, that whole "it's not transmissible" line is total garbage. You really want to be the lucky idiot who proves that rule wrong?
Look, I’m saying I’d wash the damn thing right in front of you and hand it over myself. My point was really just responding to that observation about how people react to those living with the disease—how there’s this toxic stigma where folks actually recoil in fear, even though it’s physically impossible to catch it from them like that.
Morgan Scott8 said:He really nailed the role. I thought the movie was great because it felt grounded—it gives you a pretty raw look at what life is actually like for someone living with AIDS. It covers everything from that initial realization and acceptance to the fight for survival, through the physical toll of the disease and down to the very end. In that sense, it’s actually quite educational; it subtly dismantles a lot of those outdated stigmas people still hold today through specific scenes and examples. For instance, it addresses the myth that it only affects certain communities, or the irrational fear about catching it through saliva.
The weaker link was probably Jennifer Garner, though I suppose it's hard to say exactly what she could have done differently within the scope of her part. Since the film is based on a true story, I appreciated that they didn't try to "Hollywood-ize" the antagonist into some misunderstood hero. He’s just who he is. A product of his surroundings and genetics, but at his core, he’s a decent human being.
Just one thing I gotta ask, though. If someone stirred up a glass of water with an AIDS or Hepatitis C patient's residue in it and set it in front of you, would you actually take a sip? Would you really take that risk?
This one is definitely hitting my watchlist just because of Matthew McConaughey.
I'm not sure if anyone else here has brought up American Hustle yet,
honestly, the 😁trailer and the actual movie are two completely different beasts, so thank god it was a decent enough 🙏trailer , but the film itself? Absolute masterpiece.