mishan

Anyone watched Godless? Saw the first ep, wasn't in a mindspace for it, but it looked pretty intriguing. Western. Opinions?

22 minutes ago, Bassist4 said:

THIS ISNT A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT THING ITS THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO CONTROL US

I'm confused. How is the government geting out of internet regulation an attempt by the government to control you? Or have I misread your meaning?

1 hour ago, Padme said:

 In the U.S. they vote for a President and members of Congress. But nobody votes for the FBI chief. Well in the EU and in the UK you have a similar situation. So you elected people and it is their job to designate a high rank government agencies chief.  The EU is a democracy because there is an European Parliament a and you vote for MEP.

The difference is that the FBI director doesn't get to make laws. The EU bureaucracy does get to make laws. And it's a bit far removed to see it as a democratic process.

47 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

Politics and society is not like cooking, though, you won't see perfect dishes and flawless meals, it is just trying to make it as good as possible for everyone. If you expect perfection, then you will be endlessly disappointed, and that just foments indifference, apathy and even animosity towards the system. Hence Trump. 

Back to that thing about EU. It's a huge thing, it affects many aspects of our societies. Some will suffer, some will benefit. Those that suffer will be opposed, those that benefit will be in favor. That is how it is, and how we expect it to be. It's democracy, typically vote selfishly. But to condemn EU as a whole based on isolated effects on sub-industries, instead of looking at the overall effect, the net effect, it might have on individual countries and Europe in total, is a bit disingenuous. I don't think any political system, alliance or major structural change, will result in everybody being better off. It doesn't work that way. 

I know the world isn't perfect. I'm far from utopian. How do you reckon the EU is a democracy? Did you elect those folks in Brussels? Can you vote them out of office?

No? But it's okay that they make the rules for you, even though they've never even been to where you live?

On 12/8/2017 at 5:19 AM, SoulMonster said:

Yes, and then there are those people who try to look at what is the best for everybody by taking a broader perspective instead of focusing narrowly on one group isolated. It might be that the EU has been bad for England's fishing industry -- although this seems to be disputed -- but if it has been sufficiently good for other parts of England, so that the net effect is positive, then they will unselfishly have to be in favor. Because what matters to them is the majority, and not small niche groups and individuals.

People keep saying things to the effect that to make an omelette you have to break some eggs. Seen lots of broken eggs, yet to see an omelette.

And we back to socialism is bad because when the collective is everything, the individual is nothing. Countries are made up of individual people, identity politics be damned.

On 11/29/2017 at 2:10 PM, dontdamnmeuyi2015 said:

Watched the Supergirl, Arrow, the Flash and CD legends shows because it was a 4 way cross over.

Wentworth Miller has re-joined the  CD legends, so I will be watching this show again. I love him and Dominic Purcell together. So cool.

 

So much better than the Justice League movie. For real.

Riverdale is lots of fun.

1 hour ago, DieselDaisy said:

Some tragedies! Between six-nine million tragedies is the best guess!

 

When I was at university, they were still coming across pits where bodies were buried. I doubt they'll ever find them all.

10 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

It has not and nor will it.  The precepts of it were quite case specific to a certain day and time.  Now while I do think there is a great deal of value to extract from it, difficult not to really, its come to form some of the language we use when discussing economics and politics, its not a functional or workable theory because it doesn't account for greed, and thats the defining characteristic of the human race.  Greed, wanting to get ahead, no one really wants equality, not like that, it's not natural.

I don't think Marx was an idiot, nor do I think he was evil. And greed isn't the problem, at least not anymore than it is in any other kind of society. The problem, as we have graphically seen, is that when the collective means everything, an individual life means nothing. Hence the hundred million and more dead under communism, you know, for 'pragmatic' reasons. Attempts to bring health, wealth, and happiness to all by governments inevitably lead to totalitarianism. And it will inevitably fail, because life doesn't work like that.

I'm not against social welfare, I don't fancy seeing people die of exposure, starvation, or lack of medical care, we need a social safety net. But even that needs massive redesign.

Communism - not going to help. Not for anyone.

I quite liked it, too. And I hope there'll be a next season. The heyy and handjob recreation had me in stitches.

American Vandal on Netflix. Mockumentary/satire of true crime shows, I can't believe they did such a good job of it. Funny, quite engaging, drama's there - and whodunit?

But if it was being caused by human-created climate change, wouldn't the US have been pounded by severe hurricanes a lot in the years preceding this year? What makes this year different?

Haven't seen Ironfist or Defenders. Got bored of Luke Cage in the first episode, so I never went back. Loved Daredevil, and Punisher might be fun. Really liked Jessica Jones, too, partly because I'm a David Tennant fan.

My current superhero passion is the Tick. They've done a great job with the new series, such as it is - only six episodes out, another six supposed to be coming in January. Worth a watch, especially if you're suffering from a surfeit of superheroes.

It may all be a dream. Audrey's? Coop's?

I get it in a way. The world is broken. Maybe irreparably (all the weird tense sound effects instead of music). And the people are broken, too. You can tell by some of the intentional leaden acting, like in the first few episodes. There's no heart to it anymore.

And maybe it just can't be fixed.

Also, did you catch the flashbacks to mask = possession that Lynch has used before in the series when the eyeless woman turned out to be Diane?

I can't say I enjoyed it, because mostly I didn't, not for eighteen hours of purgatory. But I do think it was what Lynch wanted to do. I wish Mark Frost had had more say in it, might've reined in Lynch's self-indulgence a bit and given us more story. The loss of Coop (as Coop) was noted. And missed.

If you're American you can get the first two episodes free here: http://start.att.net/exclusive/audience/mr-mercedes/episodes

The rest of us have to resort to 'indirect means'.

The TV show on audience/direct tv, Mr Mercedes. With Brendan Gleeson as the lead. It may well be the winner of King adaptations this year. If you're American, the first two eps are on the direct tv site for free, the other two out so far, and for those of us in other countries - thar be pirates.

Very much worth a watch, and the soundtrack is killer, too.

Has anyone else seen Mr Mercedes? Just started watching it, great cast, great soundtrack. It looks to be an actually good Stephen King dramatisation.

16 hours ago, Len Cnut said:

I cant get behind that I'm afraid.  And you do more for people like thats cause by censoring them.  Its not like curious parties cant get the information because you wont let them across the border, the same people that would've turned up to his gigs can just google the cunt...so what then, start banning websites?  Or books?  Or some clever dick who is a citizen can just start doing the mans work for him.  Supressing free speech achieves nothing.

Actually it does achieve something. The persons being denied free speech can become sort of martyrs/victims to their cause, and that gains them sympathy, which often gains them followers. Which is why free speech is an excellent principle to keep around. Especially if said speakers are loony-toons. They can be rebutted. That's the other good part about free speech.

The Tick is back. Yes!

The Wynonna Earp season finale was amazing.

The Flash was a LOT of fun last night, surprising considering how the season has gone so far. I'm happy. Also liking Jane the Virgin.

Ancient and medieval astrology. Sun-signs I can't help you with. How people predicted plagues, revolutions, and economics by Jupiter-Saturn cycles, ingresses, and eclipses or those horaries Sahl ibn Bishr was doing at 2:30 am in Bagdhad all those centuries ago - I'm your guy. This has become marginally, marginally more acceptable in some parts of academia, but it's still pretty weird.  Unrepentant.

Winonna Earp. A low-budget Canadian western that starts a bit slow, but if you're a fan of Buffy or Supernatural, give it a shot.

Your Political Compass

Economic Left/Right: 0.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.62

About where I expected to be. Am I an aberration here?

Crazyhead looks like it could be pretty good....