Recent posts

#41

Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2025

Last post by Josephus - January 16, 2025, 07:16:25 PM

How did I completely miss Inland Emoire, his last film? Just heard about it today.

#42

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Valmy - January 16, 2025, 06:34:25 PM

If I get a digital ID to see porn it might reflect badly on my social credit score. 

#43

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Barrister - January 16, 2025, 05:24:35 PM

The duck one is only one I skipped.

It was my favourite of the season so far.

#44

Off the Record / Re: 🐐

Last post by Barrister - January 16, 2025, 05:23:42 PM

I'll pitch in to discuss the GOAT film career.

Wilt Chamberlain: Conan the Destroyer
MJ: Space Jam
LeBron: Space Jam 2
Kareem Abdul Jabbar: Airplane!, Game of Death (and a bunch of cameos).

Kareem carries this one comfortably.

Kobe won an Oscar 

That's a good response!

#45

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - January 16, 2025, 05:14:19 PM

I think this is on the way everywhere - I remember talking about it with Jake. There are similar provisions in the Digital Services Act in Europe - different member states are taking different approaches and timelines (I think Italy and Spain are furthest along) but there's a monthly review at EU level.

I think it's going to happen everywhere - and I support Australia's social media ban for under 16s which will require age-gating and some form of digital ID.

we're all going to be China sooner or later

#46

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by garbon - January 16, 2025, 04:50:13 PM

The duck one is only one I skipped.

#47

Off the Record / Re: 🐐

Last post by Maladict - January 16, 2025, 04:44:12 PM

I'll pitch in to discuss the GOAT film career.

Wilt Chamberlain: Conan the Destroyer
MJ: Space Jam
LeBron: Space Jam 2
Kareem Abdul Jabbar: Airplane!, Game of Death (and a bunch of cameos).

Kareem carries this one comfortably.

Kobe won an Oscar 

#48

Off the Record / Re: TV/Movies Megathread

Last post by Barrister - January 16, 2025, 04:42:04 PM

Slowly watching Season Three of Marvel's Animated What If...?

Got to "What if... Howard the Duck got hitched"

Spoilers to follow

It's a follow up from Season One's "Party Thor" episode, which very briefly we see Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis (played and voiced by Kat Dennings) hook up briefly.

Well now - they're married, and have a child (well, err, an egg) together.  Various other-worldly beings think the child (err, egg) is of immense value so there's no end of shenanigans as the new parents try to get their egg back.

It's amusing because they seemingly try to ram as many different characters from different movies into the episode, in almost a "mad, mad, mad, mad, world" style.  You have Fury and SHEILD (with agent Coulson), the Grandmaster, Loki, Yondu, Malekith, Kaecilius, Zeus, Thanos plus more I really can't remember (and I had to google some of these names to begin with).

It was pretty goofy, and kind of fun.  I liked it.  To give you a taste of the kind of humour in this one, Nick Fury keeps calling Darcy "Mrs The Duck".

Kid ultimately hatches and saves the day, and likely to show up again in another episode.

#49

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by mongers - January 16, 2025, 04:31:33 PM

Not a real moan, but will I ever get my head around UK rail ticket pricing?

Example, I can get a day return ticket* to Cardiff, down to about 25 quid if I split the ticket, and I guess that's not so bad considering how much an on the day return to London cost me. 

But alternatively I can buy a ticket that allows me 8 returns to Cardiff** or further during a 15 day period for just £68 with a rail card.


* Advanced tickets that save any noticeable amount of money are few and far between hereabouts.
** You can actually go a bit further on these tickets, out in to Deveon or up into the Midlands from here.

#50

Off the Record / Re: [Canada] Canadian Politics...

Last post by viper37 - January 16, 2025, 04:28:51 PM

I think that's far too narrow a definition.

I've frequently mentioned Power Corp/Desmarais family.  I don't think they go back anywhere near that far - at least in terms of power and wealth.

Which is why just because you're incredibly smart and coming from a small town doesn't mean you can't join the "Laurentian elite".  The "Laurentian elite' welcome you in because you're smart and talented - you just then have to adopt a certain set of values and beliefs.  They then can assist you in various pursuits of wealth and power.

The elder Desmarais, now dead, bought a Federal government company for 1$ that he turned into his first "gold mine".

But his family was involved in Ontario politics, his grandfather founded the city of Noëlville, his brothers were involved in Federal politics and in business before him.

He bought his near bankrupt father's company for 1$, and while I can't find the reference now (it seems to have been scrubbed from Wikipedia), I'm certain he was granted exclusive contracts for his buslines by the Ontario government, with his family connections.  He then bought other bus lines in Ottawa and Quebec.

His real money from his stock swap with Power Corporation, founded in 1925 by Arthur J. Nestbitt  and Peter A.T. Thompson. Nesbitt founded his own stock brocking firm, later acquired by BMO.


So... you can definitely trace the roots of his wealth to old money and influential family politics.  He worked hard, but he had the right connections.

Yes - but the Act of Union which merged Upper and Lower Canada was in 1840.  That's still generations earlier.

I'm not saying that the Desmarais don't go back a long long time though - just not 1840s (as far as I know).

Well, they're not alone in the Laurentian Elite, and I said it dated to the formation of Canada, sometimes earlier up to the Act of Union.  I haven't checked each and everyone of these rich families.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentian_elite