AnthonyB's recent activity
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Comment on What is a highly regarded/critically acclaimed movie that you do not like/understand the appeal? in ~movies
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Comment on Writers Guild calls first strike in fifteen years in ~movies
AnthonyB New to NBC this Summer: TikTok Compilations! I remember when Conan went back on air during the last strike and passed the time by having a producer time how long he could spin his wedding ring on...SNL will be cutting their season early, as well as Late Night Talk Shows.
New to NBC this Summer: TikTok Compilations!
I remember when Conan went back on air during the last strike and passed the time by having a producer time how long he could spin his wedding ring on his desk. Here's a clip for anyone interested.
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Comment on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | Official trailer in ~movies
AnthonyB Ok. I get that it's 2023, IP is king, and any beloved franchise is bound to make hundreds of millions regardless of the quality of the film. I can live with another half-baked Indiana Jones movie...Ok. I get that it's 2023, IP is king, and any beloved franchise is bound to make hundreds of millions regardless of the quality of the film. I can live with another half-baked Indiana Jones movie where the old man goes on one last adventure. I can suspend my disbelief enough to accept the premise of a time machine, just like I did with the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail or whatever. What I don't get is the bizarre obsession with putting this old man through increasingly impossible stunts.
My dad is 61 and can barely shoot a basketball without having to lie down on the floor for the rest of the day, and you're telling me that Indiana Jones - the guy who jumped around in pits and caves well into his 40s - is gonna be riding around on horses, jumping between moving tuktuks, and skydiving at the ripe old age of 80? Get the fuck outta here. Why can't he be the dignified old guy calling the shots from the sidelines while the young whippersnapper does all the heavy lifting? This is like seeing the movie Interstellar but with Michael Caine playing Matthew McConaughey's part. You think anyone would buy that old bastard flying around on spaceships, running away from 1,000-foot waves, or fighting Matt Damon? Of course not, because it would be ridiculous. So what are we doing here?
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Comment on The day Windows died in ~tech
AnthonyB Sorry friend, the algorithm knows. It might be a tough pill to swallow, but deep down you are a person that likes twerking videos. I don't know if you're like me and never vote, like, share, or...Sorry friend, the algorithm knows. It might be a tough pill to swallow, but deep down you are a person that likes twerking videos. I don't know if you're like me and never vote, like, share, or save anything, but that can be a huge difference maker. Whenever I use TikTok or IG reels, they always end up defaulting to thirst trap videos until I really start saving, following, and liking things.
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Comment on Super Bowl LVII Thread in ~sports
AnthonyB I can't remember my login credentials for ESPN+ and I don't have time to hunt for them right now, so unfortunately I can't read his full justification for this spicy take, but c'mon man. This is...I can't remember my login credentials for ESPN+ and I don't have time to hunt for them right now, so unfortunately I can't read his full justification for this spicy take, but c'mon man. This is some straight up unfiltered NFL propaganda by ESPN. Sure, it was an exciting game, but you can't call it the GOAT when the majority of reactions to the game are people complaining about a ticky tack penalty that ultimately handed the game to the chiefs.
It probably would have been a strong contender for GOAT had the refs done what they had been doing for decades and only call the most clear-cut violations late in the game, but for the second week in a row, a late penalty determined the outcome. It's a problem the NFL has created for itself in it's pursuit for higher scoring games.
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Comment on My one year temporary ban lifted a few days ago in ~talk
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Comment on The Presidents of the United States of America - Lump (Live on 2 Meter Sessions, 1996) in ~music
AnthonyB I went through a little phase with this band a few years back. For the longest time I was only familiar Peaches and Lump, but their debut album is legitimately good.I went through a little phase with this band a few years back. For the longest time I was only familiar Peaches and Lump, but their debut album is legitimately good.
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Comment on Your failures in 2022 in ~talk
AnthonyB Here's something that might take the sting out of it. Back in October 2012, I decided it might be fun to buy some drugs online. So I went through all the trouble of setting up the tor browser,...Here's something that might take the sting out of it. Back in October 2012, I decided it might be fun to buy some drugs online. So I went through all the trouble of setting up the tor browser, creating a crypto wallet, and buying Bitcoin with cash through an ATM a few miles away from my house. I know that might not sound like much to people on this site, but for a computer illiterate moron like me, I felt like I was cracking the Zodiac killers code or something. Anyway, I ended up spending about 200 bucks on Bitcoin but got cold feet before I bought anything and ended up setting aside a post-it note with my wallet info for a rainy day. I know I managed to bring it with me on one move in 2013 because I have a distinct memory of setting it in a box full of odds and ends with sentimental value, but I ended up moving 4-5 more times before someone told me about the value of Bitcoin in early 2018. I searched and searched for months, but never found the box or the post-it and the laptop I had used was long gone.
Anyway, mine is just one story in a sea of others - many of them much worse. Don't beat yourself up.
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Comment on Sold a story: How teaching kids to read went so wrong in ~humanities
AnthonyB When I taught English in China we did both simultaneously. Kids would learn about 1,000 words as sight words before mastering the letters of the alphabet and phonics and it worked surprisingly...When I taught English in China we did both simultaneously. Kids would learn about 1,000 words as sight words before mastering the letters of the alphabet and phonics and it worked surprisingly well. I'm not sure if the success was mostly due to teaching practices, income, culture, or something else, but its a night and day difference between my former students in China and my current students in the US.
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Comment on Elden Ring - and Bill Clinton - win Game of the Year in ~games
AnthonyB This story gets much weirder when you dig into the backstory of the kid which includes a political YouTube channel that covered the 2019 Hong Kong protests, a semi-viral NBA protest, and an...This story gets much weirder when you dig into the backstory of the kid which includes a political YouTube channel that covered the 2019 Hong Kong protests, a semi-viral NBA protest, and an interview with Infowars.
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Comment on What are your less-traditional Christmas songs? in ~music
AnthonyB Damn, I never realized that was a Christmas song but now that I think about it, the bells in the beginning take on a whole new meaning.Damn, I never realized that was a Christmas song but now that I think about it, the bells in the beginning take on a whole new meaning.
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Comment on Kanye West praises Hitler, Nazis in openly antisemitic rant: 'I like Hitler' in ~music
AnthonyB That's American politics for you. We spend a lot of time talking about polarization which leads to the false impression that most people fall neatly into onto one side of the aisle. That might be...I'm honestly not sure how to characterize this guy's politics (even more cynically: I'm not sure he knows),
That's American politics for you. We spend a lot of time talking about polarization which leads to the false impression that most people fall neatly into onto one side of the aisle. That might be somewhat true for regular voters and/or people that closely follow politics, but the majority of people in the US don't pay much attention to what's going on and have a bizarre mishmash of conflicting views, like
KanyeYe. Take any extreme or ridiculous view on any random issue and you'll probably find that 30% of Americans believe it. -
Comment on RIP Gallagher, 1946-2022 in ~misc
AnthonyB He was iconic in his time, that's for sure. But man, he fell off in a bad way, which surprisingly isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia article. His interview with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast is...He was iconic in his time, that's for sure. But man, he fell off in a bad way, which surprisingly isn't mentioned in the Wikipedia article. His interview with Marc Maron on the WTF podcast is pretty telling. Here's a link to the biggest moment where they discuss Gallagher's later material which is...well...not great.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
AnthonyB I had to fly for about 8 hours the other day so I got to catch up on a couple movies during my flights. First was Everything Everywhere All at Once which was fantastic. It combined three of my...I had to fly for about 8 hours the other day so I got to catch up on a couple movies during my flights.
First was Everything Everywhere All at Once which was fantastic. It combined three of my favorite movie/TV things: multiverse stuff, the struggle to find meaning in life, and A24 films. Some of the quirkiness and sound effects were a bit over the top for me, but overall I like how it didn't take itself too seriously.
The second was Fall which is that movie about two climbers that get stuck on an old TV tower. It's straight out of the Open Water or 127 Hours genre which makes for a perfect airplane movie. It's not going to win any awards, and it has a few lame/predictable elements, but good damn my palms were pretty sweaty throughout the movie.
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Comment on James Gunn and Peter Safran named co-chairmen and CEOs of DC Studios in ~movies
AnthonyB It's going to be really interesting to see what Zaslav's legacy is 10 years from now. It seems like every move he makes is to just copy whatever the most successful version is doing. CNN's ratings...It's going to be really interesting to see what Zaslav's legacy is 10 years from now. It seems like every move he makes is to just copy whatever the most successful version is doing. CNN's ratings are down? Play to a more conservative base, that's what Fox does. HBO Max doesn't have enough subscribers? Bring in more low-brow content like Netflix. DC films are a joke? Get the guys from Marvel. Maybe it will all work and he'll bring in huge amounts of money while adding to our collective brain rot, or he'll have three shittier versions of things that are already kind of shitty. I suppose those two outcomes aren't mutually exclusive, but sooner or later people are going to be hungry for something new and that doesn't seem to be the direction Warner Bros is going.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB Aside from BCS and Mr. Robot, Euphoria is one that comes to mind. It's much more of a mood than the other shows, but overall it's really well done.Aside from BCS and Mr. Robot, Euphoria is one that comes to mind. It's much more of a mood than the other shows, but overall it's really well done.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB +1 for Mr. Robot. Every episode had at least one "wow" shot. And then there's that crazy episode in season three which is one of the only non-episodic TV show episodes that I'll go back and watch...+1 for Mr. Robot. Every episode had at least one "wow" shot. And then there's that crazy episode in season three which is one of the only non-episodic TV show episodes that I'll go back and watch without a full series/season rewatch.
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Comment on Britney Spears posts 22-minute audio addressing conservatorship in ~music
AnthonyB That Dirty Money episode is largely based/influenced by this New Yorker article. If I recall correctly, the author of the article made an appearance in the episode. The situation regarding...That Dirty Money episode is largely based/influenced by this New Yorker article. If I recall correctly, the author of the article made an appearance in the episode.
The situation regarding predatory conservatorships in the US is maddening, and the people who prey on the elderly are absolute scumbags. It's a system that has been rife with abuse for years, yet it continues to go unchecked. I don't know enough about the law to tell if it is an unfortunate consequence that can't really be fixed, or another sign of our decaying institutions and our inability to fix them. Maybe it's time to reread that article, but I know it will just get me worked up.
On a more personal note, my grandfather passed away a few years ago, leaving a fairly large sum of money behind to his wife. Now that she is getting to the age where her mental faculties are beginning to decline, she's been getting calls from these pieces of shit almost every week. It doesn't matter how many times she or someone from my family says no, they keep coming back. There really aren't enough words for me to describe how much I despise these people. I mean it's one thing to be a scam caller living thousands of miles away in India trying to score a couple hundred bucks off some confused old lady. It's terrible in its own right, but that's peanuts compared to the people who will drive over to someone's house and look them in the eye and smile as they take every last penny.
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Comment on The Biden-Harris administration's student debt relief plan in ~finance
AnthonyB Huh. I saw some figures going around related to right wing pundits who frequently criticize "government handouts" but I didn't realize how extensive this database was until your comment. Turns out...Huh. I saw some figures going around related to right wing pundits who frequently criticize "government handouts" but I didn't realize how extensive this database was until your comment.
Turns out the restaurant I work for took $1.2m from this program in order to cover payroll. I need to do a little more digging because I didn't start until 2021, but on the surface this seems like bullshit. This is one of the stingiest places I've ever worked at in terms of hours and pay, and it's also one of the most successful places I've ever worked at, so seeing that figure definitely raised my eyebrows.
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Comment on TV Tuesdays Free Talk in ~tv
AnthonyB About 14 years ago, I was sitting in my freshman dorm room scrolling around on iTunes and came across an interesting looking show about a chemistry teacher who cooks meth, played by none other...About 14 years ago, I was sitting in my freshman dorm room scrolling around on iTunes and came across an interesting looking show about a chemistry teacher who cooks meth, played by none other than Tim Whatley/the dad from Malcom in the Middle. Halfway through the first episode, I realized I had stumbled across something incredible. For years, I begged people to watch this phenomenal show called Breaking Bad, and if it weren't for Netflix, most people would have missed it.
Last night, Breaking Bad's prequel/sequel, Better Call Saul, finished its final season with a brilliant episode that was just as good as any Breaking Bad episode. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone else who watched it. I feel like I did back in 2009/2010 when no one knew about Breaking Bad, except this time people know what it is and all the episodes are already available on Netflix. Enough with this chicanery. If you are reading this and haven't seen Better Call Saul, do yourself a favor and start watching as soon as possible. It's more of a slow burn, similar to Mad Men or The Wire, but it really picks up in later seasons and adds so much more depth to the Breaking Bad story. Not to mention, it has some of the best story telling and acting performances I have ever seen.
As silly as it sounds, I feel sad that I am not going to spend any more time in the seedy underworld of Albuquerque. I'm in my mid-30s and these shows have been around for my entire adult life. Still, I'm glad I got to watch it all unfold week to week and I'm looking forward to when more people get around to watching it.
That's quite a take. If I may ask, why do you feel that way about the film? Are you aware of Spielberg's intentions for making it, or some of the projects he established during filming?