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#31

Off the Record / Re: Facebook Follies of Friend...

Last post by grumbler - November 08, 2025, 05:48:16 PM

Gerrymandering is one thing - it's kind of how the US has been rolling for a while I think. Unless the current attempts are of a new magnitude?

I don't think that we have had between-census gerrymandering (bar a few cases forced by lawsuits) before. No president of the US has ever before demanded that members of his party redistrict their states because the president was terrified of the potential results of a midterm. Trump absolutely will be impeached if the Democrats regain control of the House.

The thing I'm concerned about is systematic voter disenfranchisement, messing with voting machines, and brazen fraud. Will the Trumpists attempt something obvious? Will the US stand for it?

That's the bigger question. I could easily see FBI agents seizing voting machines due to "suspicions of fraud." The backlash would be ferocious, but the MAGAts wouldn't care so long as the Republicans retained control of the House.

#32

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by grumbler - November 08, 2025, 05:41:21 PM

Battleship era firing control computers are cool.

Indeed, and they came early.  Ford (not that Ford) fire control computers came out in 1917. The British had a complete system (directors, rangefinders, computers, gun laying instructions) by war's end.

#33

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Josquius - November 08, 2025, 05:13:13 PM

Fantastic Four First Steps.

Decent.
The big thing that shines through is that it's interesting it has so many vibes in common with the new superman film.
From different studios but both going against norms for superhero films and going back to the proper vintage "that won't work on film" silliness.
I wonder what's with this. Was one in production first and the other followed or is it just where our culture has got?
Either way big vibes of the old thing where you commonly used to get 2 films on the same topic at the same time.

Anyway.
This one.... Yeah. Not perfect. Lacks development in many places. Lots of places it could have, should have, done better. The silver surfer, especially the human torch relationship.... It feels heavily cut.
Speaking of the torch. Man does this film show he's the main guy of the team. And just how useless Reed is in terms of powers.

I like how the film just jumps straight into these guys being superstars and goes from there. Vintage 60s feel is good too.

I was kind of spoiled before seeing the film.... But differently. And spoilers. Thought they would fail to save the world and end up in the prime universe.
Again wonder if this was intentional misdirection.

I do think the film really highlights thoughts ive had for a while that the marvel cinematic universe sucks.
Avengers should be a special one off once in a blue moon bit of fan service. Not a tent pole, central to how the universe works

#34

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by grumbler - November 08, 2025, 05:08:12 PM

I don't have Yi's patience to turn the other cheek perpetually.  Zoupa has cussed me out unprovoked repeatedly, to the point that I don't engage in any kind of discourse with him anymore, but I indulged to respond in kind just this one time.  I don't consider it bullying, because for one it was a single post by a single poster, not a campaign of harassment by a clique.

You know what would help, though?  If you directed these kinds of posts at the posters you agree with.  You've had a few opportunities just in the last day in this thread, but it was only my post where you decided to talk about the tone.  Or is your stance that cussing out people is fine, as long as it's done by people who don't speak out against it?

There's always the issue that we have different expectations of different posters. We expect the emo kids to be emo, so their emo posts don't surprise or seem worthy of constant condemnation for being constantly emo.

For what it's worth, I thought that you made an excellent jab that obviously hit the bullseye.  We don't agree on a lot, but we agree on that.

#35

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by grumbler - November 08, 2025, 05:02:27 PM

Does the US have any plans to end its breach of Article 1 of the NATO treaty?

Trump only violates Article 1 because it is there.  If Article 1 required threats, he'd refuse to utter them.

#36

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by garbon - November 08, 2025, 04:59:07 PM

Midnight Club is only 1 season, I believe.

#37

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by garbon - November 08, 2025, 04:57:46 PM

You don't often make good points, but when you finally do, you hit it right on the nose.

This post does not seem to live up to the standard of discourse you like to hold other posters to.

I mean, it was kind of funny but it was also the kind of personal attack you frame as bullying when directed at posters you agree with.

I don't have Yi's patience to turn the other cheek perpetually.  Zoupa has cussed me out unprovoked repeatedly, to the point that I don't engage in any kind of discourse with him anymore, but I indulged to respond in kind just this one time.  I don't consider it bullying, because for one it was a single post by a single poster, not a campaign of harassment by a clique.

You know what would help, though?  If you directed these kinds of posts at the posters you agree with.  You've had a few opportunities just in the last day in this thread, but it was only my post where you decided to talk about the tone.  Or is your stance that cussing out people is fine, as long as it's done by people who don't speak out against it?

Moan fucking moan

#38

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by DGuller - November 08, 2025, 04:56:31 PM

You don't often make good points, but when you finally do, you hit it right on the nose.

This post does not seem to live up to the standard of discourse you like to hold other posters to.

I mean, it was kind of funny but it was also the kind of personal attack you frame as bullying when directed at posters you agree with.

I don't have Yi's patience to turn the other cheek perpetually.  Zoupa has cussed me out unprovoked repeatedly, to the point that I don't engage in any kind of discourse with him anymore, but I indulged to respond in kind just this one time.  I don't consider it bullying, because for one it was a single post by a single poster, not a campaign of harassment by a clique.

You know what would help, though?  If you directed these kinds of posts at the posters you agree with.  You've had a few opportunities just in the last day in this thread, but it was only my post where you decided to talk about the tone.  Or is your stance that cussing out people is fine, as long as it's done by people who don't speak out against it?

#39

Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic

Last post by The Brain - November 08, 2025, 04:56:12 PM

Things I didn't know I wanted to see today: WWII training film for bomber crews on how to avoid flak fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGVrWi-_GUI

One thing I never realized until fairly recently is the extent to which computers were already used in the field during WW2.  I knew about Alan Turing's bombes, but I never realized that even back then many types of guns were already firing somewhere because that's where a computer pointed them after doing some calculations.

Battleship era firing control computers are cool.

#40

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by The Brain - November 08, 2025, 04:50:56 PM

The Midnight Club, S1. I liked it, I think it's very well made.

Frankenstein. Not a good movie, I might finish it later but it wasn't interesting enough to finish in one sitting. Apart from severe general blandness, my biggest objection is that they make Frankenstein a simple Reanimator who assembles pre-owned body parts. The whole point of the book is that Frankenstein creates life, and that the Creature confronts his Creator. Book Frankenstein uses body parts in his R&D to understand how the body works, but he doesn't use them for production.