smiles134's recent activity
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Comment on Lords of War | Official teaser in ~movies
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Comment on 2026 United States midterm elections megathread in ~society
smiles134 Link ParentPaxton is genuinely one of the worst candidates for a statewide office anywhere ever. He was impeached by his own party over his misconduct in office, has run a horrible campaign propped up by the...Paxton is genuinely one of the worst candidates for a statewide office anywhere ever. He was impeached by his own party over his misconduct in office, has run a horrible campaign propped up by the world's least likable person and is supported by the most unpopular president of all time. I've seen more than one comment from lifelong Texas Republicans who are going out to vote for Talarico simply in opposition to Paxton.
Here's a quote from the NYT:
Rey Gonzales, a 62-year-old Republican living in Houston, said that he had been troubled by the allegations that led to Mr. Paxton’s impeachment and by reports that he had been unfaithful in his marriage. Mr. Gonzales, who says he voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 and 2020 but did not vote in 2024, says he plans to support Mr. Talarico purely out of dislike for Mr. Paxton. When asked what he liked about Mr. Talarico, his answer was succinct: “Nothing.”
Of all the races playing out today, I would be most shocked by Paxton winning.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Link ParentI have finished Baldur's Gate once and started two other campaigns (with others) that ended in Act 1. I have 117 hours in the game, per steam. DOS2 I'm on my first playthrough and am just about to...I have finished Baldur's Gate once and started two other campaigns (with others) that ended in Act 1. I have 117 hours in the game, per steam.
DOS2 I'm on my first playthrough and am just about to start the final mission in the game (I believe) and I'm at 114 hours.
There are definitely things I didn't do in Baldur's Gate because I hit the level cap and decided I didn't need to do more exploration, and there are also things I haven't done in DOS2 because the reward was gear I didn't need and not XP. I think content wise the games are pretty similar—as in there's just so much to do, but I think story wise, Baldur's Gate has the edge. I recommend it! But it is long.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
smiles134 Linka little over 100 hours into Divinity: Original Sin 2 and I'm so close to the end I can smell it. Unfortunately I think that still means like 10 games of gameplay. I've very much enjoyed the game...a little over 100 hours into Divinity: Original Sin 2 and I'm so close to the end I can smell it. Unfortunately I think that still means like 10 games of gameplay. I've very much enjoyed the game but I'm running on fumes trying to get across the finish line. I went into this weekend thinking I'd be hitting the credits by last night but I didn't make nearly as much progress as I'd hoped (and I played for about 8 or 10 hours).
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Comment on Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey Season 1 in ~games.tabletop
smiles134 Link ParentNot yet but it's soon! Possibly next, I don't remember off the top of my head.Not yet but it's soon! Possibly next, I don't remember off the top of my head.
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Comment on Dimension 20: A Starstruck Odyssey Season 1 in ~games.tabletop
smiles134 LinkI'm working my way through D20 seasons chronologically — just watched ep. 1 of the first Dungeons and Drag Queens, so I'm a little more than halfway through, I think. A Starstruck Odyssey has been...I'm working my way through D20 seasons chronologically — just watched ep. 1 of the first Dungeons and Drag Queens, so I'm a little more than halfway through, I think. A Starstruck Odyssey has been my favorite Intrepid Heroes campaign, I think. Excited about a sequel!
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Comment on Maybe there was an egg cartel after all in ~food
smiles134 Link ParentOf course they are, considering they spent the entire run up to the election harping about the price of eggs, only for Trump to get into office and claim prices were fine and not his problem.The U.S. Department of Justice has been very quiet about a slap-on-the-wrist proposed settlement.
Of course they are, considering they spent the entire run up to the election harping about the price of eggs, only for Trump to get into office and claim prices were fine and not his problem.
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Comment on How Los Angeles Dodgers' three-peat hopes ended with NLCS loss to Milwaukee Brewers in ~sports.baseball
smiles134 LinkI have been a lifelong Brewers fan. My dad is from Wisconsin, and we moved to the Milwaukee area when I was 7. I saw Geoff Jenkins destroy his ankle at third base in person and was inconsolable. I...I have been a lifelong Brewers fan. My dad is from Wisconsin, and we moved to the Milwaukee area when I was 7. I saw Geoff Jenkins destroy his ankle at third base in person and was inconsolable. I watched Russell Branyan hit a ball almost 500 feet. I was there when Randy Johnson hit the lone HR of his career (against us). I was there when Shawn Marcum hit a grand slam as a pitcher! (in a game that we'd go on to lose). I watched us trade away Richie Sexson—I watched us bring up Rickie Weeks, and Prince Fielder, and Ryan Braun. These guys were the guys when I was a kid. I watched CC Sabathia throw a no hitter in Pittsburgh, no matter what MLB has to say about that.
I remember dancing around my basement with my dad in 2005 when we finally finally avoided a losing season by getting 81 wins. That felt like, for a long time, as good as it was going to get. We had glimpses of success—2008, just making it to the playoffs was a miracle. Then 2011, with Nyjer Morgan's walkoff. And again in 2018, when we finally were right on the cusp... just to get knocked out in game 7 by the Dodgers.
I really cannot overstate what this series, this season, has felt like. I want to win a World Series, finally, for Milwaukee, but man, just making it this far.
I called my dad last night as soon as Chourio caught the last out, and he said, "Hey, guess what, we're going to the World Series."
I cried.
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Comment on Oh, Sleeper - The Pitch (2013) in ~music
smiles134 LinkOh yeah I'm always here for some Oh, Sleeper. They're probably the most underrated metalcore band from that era. I have a pic of me with Micah at Warped Tour sometime around 2011/2012, and I...Oh yeah I'm always here for some Oh, Sleeper. They're probably the most underrated metalcore band from that era. I have a pic of me with Micah at Warped Tour sometime around 2011/2012, and I caught a drumstick from Zac at that show too.
"Hush Yael" rules, Son of the Morning rules, When I Am God rules.
And to be clear, Children of Fire also rules but "Hush Yael" is such a good song it deserved special mention.
I think the EP and album that came after Children of Fire weren't as good but I will 100% buy tickets to see them whenever they come back around where I'm at.
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Comment on Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin returning for ‘Sicario 3’. Padraic McKinley to direct Steven Knight’s screenplay. in ~movies
smiles134 LinkNot sure if I'm interested without Villeneuve or Sheridan attached.Not sure if I'm interested without Villeneuve or Sheridan attached.
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Comment on Jon Watts is our ‘Star Wars: Episode X’ director in ~movies
smiles134 Link ParentI basically had this same conversation elsewhere with the same examples, and even the same context as the convo started in response to this announcement. For me, Andor is a terrific example of the...I basically had this same conversation elsewhere with the same examples, and even the same context as the convo started in response to this announcement.
For me, Andor is a terrific example of the kind of story that could be told in Star Wars -- yeah, the story itself isn't star wars centric, and is mostly using the universe as backdrop, but that's the point for me. It's telling a great story in that world, and it doesn't have to be focused on jedi and sith.
Conversely, I didn't bother watching The Acolyte because I'd already been worn down by the number and quality of shows that had been released in quick succession. It just became too much with diminishing returns.
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Comment on Comerica Park will be renamed to Fifth Third Park starting in 2027 in ~sports.baseball
smiles134 Link ParentWait you like KFC Yum! Arena? Genuinely haven't heard anyone say they liked that one before lolWait you like KFC Yum! Arena?
Genuinely haven't heard anyone say they liked that one before lol
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Comment on The doomsday cult inside OpenAI in ~tech
smiles134 Link ParentIf they sincerely believed the technology they were in charge of could one day bring about the end of humanity, the move is not to beg someone else to put guardrails in, it's to stop fucking...If they sincerely believed the technology they were in charge of could one day bring about the end of humanity, the move is not to beg someone else to put guardrails in, it's to stop fucking building the technology.
These people are not motivated by anything but profit.
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Comment on What are the genuinely worst films of all time? in ~movies
smiles134 Link ParentOh yeah this is a a big stinker. I love a noir but what in the fuck was the ending of this movie.Oh yeah this is a a big stinker. I love a noir but what in the fuck was the ending of this movie.
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Comment on [SOLVED] Hunting for a movie in ~movies
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
smiles134 LinkI watched a lot of movies in August -- I think the most movies in a month this year for me. A couple rewatches (The Big Short and Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse). Biggest duds: Mission...I watched a lot of movies in August -- I think the most movies in a month this year for me. A couple rewatches (The Big Short and Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse).
Biggest duds:
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Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning. Just, what the fuck was this movie. The first, like, hour of the movie is incomprehensible with random intercuts of scenes from previous movies because I guess they had no faith that the audience would remember anything at all. It eventually settles into a rhythm but never tells a very interesting story. I lost track of how many characters gush to Tom Cruise how awesome and good he is.
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White Noise. I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. I love Adam Driver, and Tim Meadows was fantastic. I enjoyed the academia scenes the most (as someone who went to grad school thinking I wanted to be a professor but decided I really did not want to work in that environment). But the dialogue just didn't work for me. It works far better on the page than it does actually spoken aloud. There's a great scene that I swear could've been cut from a National Lampoon's Vacation movie, but overall I felt like it just missed the mark.
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The Sheep Detectives. Honestly I did like this movie but I had a lot of people talk it up to me as being very moving, and it just felt like a very standard family movie to me.
Movies I greatly enjoyed:
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Anatomy of a Fall. This was a long movie but very good. The actor who played the kid was great, the scene with the dog was extremely distressing, and I loved that you never really know what happened. The whole movie is about where we look for answers when the truth is uncertain, so that worked for me. I love legal dramas, and holy shit the French legal system seems fucked?
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Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. This felt like a movie they just don't make much of anymore. Very fun, extremely weird. Sam Rockwell was great.
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Everything Everywhere All at Once. What a weird and incredibly profound movie. Blows my mind that this was taken seriously enough to win Best Picture. I mean the central conceit is a metaphor about an everything bagel and there are weaponized dildos. Wild.
Others:
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Manhunter. I've been working my way through Michael Mann's oeuvre. My wife hated this but I liked it as a progenitor to things like Criminal Minds. Not my favorite of his movies, but I enjoyed it.
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Quiz Lady. Solid, funny movie. Awkwafina and Sandra Oh had great chemistry. I definitely just threw this on in the background cause I learned it was written by the sister of a jeopardy contestant who's run earlier this year was very impressive.
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Windfall. I hadn't heard of this movie until I was randomly scrolling through Netflix. I immediately clocked it as a COVID movie (small cast, single setting, etc.). I liked it if I thought of it as a stage production, it's fine as a movie. People seemed to really hate it online though lol
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Donnie Brasco. I forgot Johnny Depp had a part of his career where he was just a normal guy, pre Jack Sparrow. I guess same with Al Pacino, who's much more subdued here. I thought it was funny that the movie ended and my wife turned to me and asked what the name of the movie was lol
Ope, edit to add Backdraft. Kurt Russell rules, that is all.
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Comment on What made that wedding that you attended particularly memorable? in ~life
smiles134 Link ParentYeah my wife and I compare the DJ at every wedding to ours and no one even comes close. A good DJ makes all the difference for the reception imoYeah my wife and I compare the DJ at every wedding to ours and no one even comes close. A good DJ makes all the difference for the reception imo
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Comment on What made that wedding that you attended particularly memorable? in ~life
smiles134 LinkMy wife and I hired the DJ who did my sister's wedding because we thought he was great. He was the 2nd most expensive part of the day (behind the venue) but was absolutely worth it. He coordinated...My wife and I hired the DJ who did my sister's wedding because we thought he was great. He was the 2nd most expensive part of the day (behind the venue) but was absolutely worth it. He coordinated with all of our vendors, MC'd the whole evening (obviously), met with us several times before the wedding to find out what we definitely wanted to do/didn't want to do, what kind of music to play, coordinated a trivia game so our guests weren't clinking glasses to get us to kiss all night, got facts about all of our bridal party so he could roast everyone during the grand march. It was great, 100% would hire him again
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Comment on How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’ in ~science
smiles134 Link ParentWe've had ten+ years to watch Trump's public behavior. I would hardly call this an impulsive reaction.We've had ten+ years to watch Trump's public behavior. I would hardly call this an impulsive reaction.
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Comment on How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’ in ~science
smiles134 Link ParentYou can hate him for being a fascist while also identifying the fact that his personality traits align with the topic of this post.You can hate him for being a fascist while also identifying the fact that his personality traits align with the topic of this post.
Have you seen the original?