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#21

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Barrister - Today at 12:18:36 PM

If anyone finds any reallt good reports of what's happening I encourage you to post it in The Back Room.

Unless you think some of our members are Russian sleeper agents.

#22

Off the Record / Re: Property prices thread

Last post by Barrister - Today at 12:17:16 PM

Couldn't find an exact match, but this one is pretty close and prepared by the same people (CREA) so it's mostly doing an apples-to-apples comparison.  Unfortunately this one only goes back 10 years.

#23

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 12:14:09 PM

Official muscovite channels are saying all Ukrainian attacks have been repulsed with heavy enemy casualties. So don't be surprised if the vatnik lines completely collapse in the next few days. 

Positioning themselves to blame others for defeat when the offensive does start?

#24

Off the Record / Re: The China Thread

Last post by grumbler - Today at 12:12:51 PM

34 years ago, absolutely nothing happened in Tiananmen Square (Official Wikipedia page for the place lists nothing for 1989).
There is however, a detailed page about the incident.

The TS wiki pages includes, in a summary of key events occurring in the square, "the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 after the death of Hu Yaobang, which was suppressed in a military crackdown" with a link to the wiki article "1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre."

#25

Off the Record / Re: Property prices thread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 12:11:19 PM

Just for fun I looked up Edmonton housing prices.

As you can see there was a pretty steep increase from 2000 to 2008, with prices roughly tripling in that time.

But really prices have been remarkably stable ever since.  I know I bought my house in 2011 and it's worth about the same now as when I bought it.  There was a bit of an upward blip the last couple of years (almost certainly covid-related) but that's come down again.

Is it because Alberta's economy has been steady, but no big oil booms over the last dozen years?  Or because we're still pretty good at building houses (Edmonton is in the middle of the prairie and lots of available land still)?  Because I know if you look at other major cities in Canada prices have been steadily increasing this entire time.

My guess is that the same graph for Vancouver would be a steep dip in 08 with increases year over year after 2009.  I would also guess that is because Vancouver has been infamous for the amount of time it takes to get new developments approved and, significantly, for the developers who could afford to do so, it made sense to keep land back for future development. 

In a relatively stable price environment it does not make much economic sense for developers to hold onto undeveloped land.

#26

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by Legbiter - Today at 12:09:33 PM

Official muscovite channels are saying all Ukrainian attacks have been repulsed with heavy enemy casualties. So don't be surprised if the vatnik lines completely collapse in the next few days. 

#27

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Savonarola - Today at 12:07:42 PM

Once Upon a Time in America (1982)

I didn't realize that young Deborah was Jennifer Connelly; even as a child actor she had quite a career.

I had forgotten how brutal the (second) rape scene was; it especially seems that way since it comes after the films two funniest scenes - the baby switching caper and the uhm... line up scene where Tuesday Weld tries to identify her assailant. 

I thought James Wood had a good point about his character's fate; even if that wasn't his character that jumped into the garbage truck, you still know what happens to him.  (Much like Jimmy Hoffa, even if you don't know the details, you know what happened to him.)

This is a great movie; but also a difficult movie (and, I think, ultimately a rewarding movie).  None of the major characters are likable; it has a really slow pace; and there's so much ambiguity that the viewer is forced to draw his own conclusions (what was Noodles doing for 35 years?  did the 1960s scenes happen at all or was it all an opium fueled dream?)  I think those all work out in the films favor, but it requires work by the viewer.

The costuming and sets are extraordinary and, while I prefer "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", Ennio Morricone delivers a great score.

The films greatest flaw is, despite being a film about Jewish mobsters and Unions, it's set in New York rather than Detroit.   

#28

Off the Record / Re: The Old Geezer's Thread.

Last post by grumbler - Today at 12:03:29 PM

Made the mistake of saying in a supermarket, "do I need to give you a chit for that", for a free item I had, the young lad had never heard of a chit, I think he initially thought I was swearing at him

Nobody gives a chit.

#29

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 11:56:06 AM

please be good...

JMS had complete creative control, so it should be good other than the pedestrian dialogue he seems stuck with.

Yeah. I remember thinbking years ago that the perfect show would be JMS coming up with plot and overall direction while Joss Whedon handle'd scripting.

It is possible that you were thinking that because I made a post to that effect here.

 

I was going to say, that thought seems familiar, just could not place where I had heard it before 

#30

Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...

Last post by mongers - Today at 11:40:20 AM

400 US troops with M2 Bradleys and Abraham tanks now conducting training exercises with the Finnish Karelia brigade near the Russian border: beautiful.

Careful they don't accidently saunter over and retake Karelia or something.

Leggy here's the link to the yesterdays news report: