Tuesday Open Thread

annunc
The Annunciation by Caravaggio

68 comments to Tuesday Open Thread

  • Scott M.

    “My soul doth magnify the Lord,and my spirit rejoices in God my savior…”-Luke 1:46-47(The Magnificat)

  • @ Lars – Yesterday you said >>>I was thinking of movies in general. We may have seen few SF films with this theme (though “Silent Running” comes to mind, and somebody someplace mentioned “Enemy Mine”), but it’s been almost universal in other Hollywood fare since the 70s. It’s hardly an innovation just to flip the meme to a different genre. That’s all I’m sayin’.<<<

    Actually, despite the crappy Joan Baez music, I really like Silent Running. It's one of the few movies where the spaceship *feels* like a ship, and not just a set. I also like all the stuff about how he attempts to build a friendship with the 'bots, but of course it's a dead end because they are, after all, just machines. And of course you've hot a hippieshit environmentalist who's kills people to get his ideas across, which, I think, serves as a warning to us all. Granted, he's supposed to be the hero, but I don't feel I need to be dictated to by producers about what I can and can't take from a movie. If I got something different from it than Doug Trumbul intended, that's Doug Trumbul's fault, isn't it? Bruce Dern makes him pretty ambiguous, particularly in the scene where he just sort of breaks down over killing them.

    Interestingly, the original script for the movie had *no* ecological aspects to it. The original plot had the captain of the Valley Forge realizing he was going to be retired, and his ship scrapped, so he fakes a crisis to get the crew to leave, then steals the ship. The rest of the movie was him running from the authorities, and then he detects an unknown signal that he eventually realises is an alien ship, so he's desparately trying to get to that before the authorities get to him. He loads the 'bots into an escape shuttle, but can't get to it before the authorities blow him up. The shuttle makes it to the alien ship, however, and the robots don't know what else to do, so one of them pulls out a "Family Photo" of the captain and the three bots, and the movie ended there.

    Interesting how a story changes from inception to execution, huh?

    Also, I saw "Enemy Mine" in the theater with a marine when it first came out, and neither of us felt it to be anti-American at all.

    • David Marcoe

      Also, I saw “Enemy Mine” in the theater with a marine when it first came out, and neither of us felt it to be anti-American at all.

      I really liked that movie. Bleeding heart in spades, but it’s a character piece.

  • Oh, for crap’s sake: I posted a comment on here to Lars an hour or so ago. Can someone please dig it up?

  • Veruckt

    I need campaign slogan help. Here is my early choice:

    “Tennesse Leading the Way.”

    This comes from my state centered political philosophy and a lot of the common sense political reforms I’m pushing for. What do you think?

    While not an actual contender my best friend says I should go with William Wallace’s line from Braveheart “I’m going to pick a fight.”

    • My favorite slogan ever was from Kinky Friedman (he’s a liberal freak but funny).

      “Why the hell not?”

      I also liked another line from Braveheart. Something like “God will protect us, but you’re f***ed” Which, by the way, should be a motto of some branch of the Armed Forces.

      I’ll quit screwing around Veruckt and let you get some real help now.

    • Rufus

      I like your friend’s suggestion. I know next to nothing about running for office, but in my mind you either go big, or go home. All in.

      Outlaw posted a speech about two weeks ago from a former military man running for office in Texas. Williams? Wilson? Did you see that post? That’s what I want to see. I want to see an honest politician unafraid to talk about what’s wrong and demonstrating the honesty and fortitude to work for me to fix it. Since you are campaigning on the state level I recommend a message of fighting the Feds for what rightfully belongs to Tennesse.

      How about a 10th Amendment platform? “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

    • How ’bout – “Finally, a politician who’s in it, for you.”

      • Rufus

        Veruckt, I agree. As often as sensible I’d mention that you know you will be working for them. You are asking them to hire you and you will work for them, not the other way around.

      • Veruckt

        I’m nervous about the similarity to McCain’s “Country First”. This is an extremely Conservative district and his campaign was not viewed very favorably here since most view him as a RINO.

        Rufus,

        Fear not. There will be much brutal honesty and very, very direct talk from me during the campaign simply because it’s rooted deep in my personality and I’m too lazy to try and change it to impress anyone. I’m very much of the “rub some dirt on it” mentality so there will be some unusually frank language and hard solutions put forward. As I’m telling people it’s time Americans take a “big boy pill” and stop allowing themselves to be run over by an out of control Federal Government and a spend happy state government.

        We will be videotaping all my campaign stumping and what not which I will post at my camapign site and here as well if you fine folks need the amusement.

    • Okay, a couple more slogans:
      “Tennessee Proud”
      “Take Pride in Tennessee”
      “The future of Tennessee”
      “A new dawn in Tennessee”
      “Standing tall for Tennessee”
      “Take a stand for Tennessee”
      “Tennessee freedom”

  • Stephanie

    OK we are nearing to going to the airport. Already a 17 minmute delay getting into CrapobamahareIhateit airport.

    • Rufus

      I’ve been in just about every major airport in the world, and I know few as well as O’Hare and yet I still dread using O’Hare. O’Hare is truly a mess.

  • I think an eagle is eating that lady.

    • Wow – never thought I’d see that happen! Good for him indeed.

      I wonder if he’ll ever apologize for screwing the Shah and reigniting Islamic zealots in the Middle East.

      Probably too much to ask for…

  • @ David – It’s been like 15 years or more since I’ve seen it, so I’ve probably forgotten something, but I don’t recall either of us thinking that at the time. Man stranded with an enemy begins makes peace with him out of a sense of pragmatism, then takes care of the enemy’s son when the enemy dies. All in the best tradition of “An officer and an gentleman.”

    As I recall – and my memory on the subject is not crystal clear – wasn’t it pirates that took the boy? Not the military or American corporations or whatever? So, yeah, Davidge goes AWOL later on, but he does it to save the kid, which is a higher calling in the best tradition of John Wayne.

  • David Marcoe

    It’s bleeding heart in the broad sense of “give peace a chance” and making some general commentary, but you’re about the story. It doesn’t try to villainize either side; the conflict only serves as a backdrop.

  • Stephanie

    Listening to Rome on the radio. The tongue bath over Obama in the replayed
    interview with skinnys bro in law. Gag! My ears have violated.

  • A 3D welcome to the NROers that linked on over! We’re glad you’re here…take off your shoes, put up your feet, and stay awhile!

  • Stephanie

    Ok at airport. Made through tsa. What a bunch of bs. There is a drunk guy
    here at the restaurant yelling at his wife. Bet they are on our flight.

  • Stephanie

    And guess what? They are. Oh joy.

  • dr. zoon

    the comments rss feed for this site doesn’t go very deep :-/ … has the recession affected our bandwidth?

  • Veruckt

    Is it just me or do these lyrics for Walking In a Winter Wonderland sound a bit…I don’t know…dirty.

    He’ll say: Are you married?
    We’ll say: No man,
    But you can do the job
    When you’re in town.

    That song has never made any sense to me.

    • Veruckt: The song refers to a quaint, pre-modern custom by which couples did not have sex with one another before marriage. “Doing the job” referred to a marriage ceremony, ordinarily performed by a clergyman, such as “Parson Brown.”

    • Rufus

      Lacy things, the wife is missin’
      Didn’t ask, her permission
      I’m wearin’ her clothes
      Her silk pantyhose
      Walkin’ ’round in women’s underwear

      In the store, there’s a teddy
      Little straps, like spaghetti
      It holds me so tight
      Like handcuffs at night
      Walkin’ ’round in women’s underwear

      In the office there’s a guy named Melvin,
      He pretends that I am Murphy Brown
      He’ll say, “Are you ready?” I’ll say, “Whoa Man!”
      “Let’s wait until our wives are out of town!”

      Later on, if you wanna
      We can dress, like Madonna
      Put on some eyeshade
      And join the parade
      Walkin’ ’round in women’s underwear.

  • Kit

    Welcome Visitors from NRO.

    We have many good things here: Floyd the International Law professor, Rich the Science Guy, Eric the Classic Rock and Roll Fan and Radio Free Threedonia Co-Host/Moderator, Mike the Connecticut Little Rascal, Outlaw13 the American Soldier, Wankette the Midwestern Middle-Easterner, and Rufus the . . . uh . . . guy who shot an elephant in his pajamas, how it got into his pajamas he will never know. (Seriously, what DOES he do?)

    But Beware of Floyd’s Man-Boobs!!! They can KILL!

    Hey, Rich, I also like having “Edit” access. Careful, Kit. Just ask Scott M. — EP

  • The College Widow

    I’ve been far to busy and away from home the past week to spend much time here at my beloved Threedonia. I miss you guys! Hope all is well and everyone is ready for Christmas!

    And I love Carvaggio! Thanks for posting the painting, Floyd!

  • Stephanie

    I hate Ohare. yes we are still here.

  • Scott M.

    Yeah,Stephanie,they should rename it O’Hell

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