[Off-Topic] Community Chat Thread

[Jemolk]

@Jemolk yeah basically. A Lefty streamer I watch said it was really badly written so I was curious to pass my own judgement. Initially, despite the silly characterisation and blatant propagandising, I was still mostly enjoying it, but it's really getting on my nerves at this point with how repetitive and boring it is. It might be the most overindulgent book I've ever read.

That makes sense. It gets really, really bad, though. As some others have said, the worst is yet to come.

What do you mean "that spoilered scene"? That's one of many. Because every scene must be repeated over, and over, and over.

Look, it's been over a decade. I've forgotten the specifics of what exactly happens in that book, and for the most part, I consider that a good thing.

Do kids really get assigned this? That's gotta qualify as child abuse.

It was definitely the worst book I was assigned, by far. There were plenty of others that I would not have read, given the choice, but this is the only one I had to read that I believe should not exist at all. Though I believe Rand's previous book, The Fountainhead, which was also assigned to some classes, was reportedly even worse.

[toctheyounger]

It was definitely the worst book I was assigned, by far. There were plenty of others that I would not have read, given the choice, but this is the only one I had to read that I believe should not exist at all. Though I believe Rand's previous book, The Fountainhead, which was also assigned to some classes, was reportedly even worse.

I dodged these through high school somehow. Don't even remember seeing any other classes having been assigned it. The worst I've had is The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. It's nowhere near as pretentious, but it is fairly bleak and depressing. I wouldn't read it again, but I don't regret it as much as I would with Rand, seemingly. I hit some pretty good highs, though, I was absolutely delighted to study Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett in my graduating year.

[Lifeless]

The people I knew who read Rand in school were all pseudo intellectuals with poor social skills. Not super cool like me playing Magic and running World of Darkness campaigns that were not at all cringe. Not one bit.

[toctheyounger]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere she was in the midst of a speed addiction while writing those books, for what that's worth. Like I say, I haven't read them, but perhaps it explains some things.

[TheGildedGoose]

The people I knew who read Rand in school were all pseudo intellectuals with poor social skills. Not super cool like me playing Magic and running World of Darkness campaigns that were not at all cringe. Not one bit.

Why do you feel the need to passively defend Any Rand?

[tstorm823]

The people I knew who read Rand in school were all pseudo intellectuals with poor social skills. Not super cool like me playing Magic and running World of Darkness campaigns that were not at all cringe. Not one bit.

Why do you feel the need to passively defend Any Rand?

That's a bit of a non-sequitur. Looks like perfectly innocent self-deprecation to me.

[TheGildedGoose]

That's a bit of a non-sequitur. Looks like perfectly innocent self-deprecation to me.

I know, I wanted to be dramatic.

[tstorm823]

That's a bit of a non-sequitur. Looks like perfectly innocent self-deprecation to me.

I know, I wanted to be dramatic.

I'd say that was a success then, lol.

[Lifeless]

I'm just here for lighthearted nonsense either way. On that note this make me laugh. 2 guys bust out their MTG decks at a metal concert:

https://metalinjection.net/news/frozen- ... o6d-RltdaU

[Hermes_]

I just got home from being at the hospital for a mental health break (No I didn't read Atlas shrugged before I went in lol). I feel much better and ready to face the challenges ahead.

[Hermes_]

Fun historical fact for this date 3 Nov 1941: The Japanese Fleet receives Top-Secret Order No. 1, ordering the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Mayala, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines, which would bring the United States into World War II.

[RxPhantom]

Well, I feel like enough time has passed, and I want to say what everyone is thinking:

I'm glad Jimmy Buffet's dead.

[Dunadain]

Well, I feel like enough time has passed, and I want to say what everyone is thinking:

I'm glad Jimmy Buffet's dead.

What did Jimmy Buffett do? I tried googling "Jimmy Buffett controversy" and all that popped up was several instances of illegal drug use and a couple people being angry at him for throwing some shade at Donald Trump. Wanting someone to die over either of those things seems like a big yikes to me, but I assume there's something else I don't know about?

[TheGildedGoose]

... but I assume there's something else I don't know about?

One assumes Phantom is anti-margarita and cheeseburgers I guess.

[Dunadain]

To be clear, I'm an avid Jimmy Buffett music hater.

But I've got no reason to wish his death, I might not like his music, but I'm not happy he died.

[Lifeless]

I can't really muster up what I would call hatred for Jimmy, but I've never been fond of his music or the people who oddly decide to tie their identity to it. My dad is a fan so I can also say I've eaten an official cheeseburger in paradise. It was good but not terribly memorable.

[duducrash]

Lmao he for sure looks like someone who dads love

[Guardman]

Not to get too argumentative (because I am 90% sure that the post was bait) Jimmy Buffett was one of my favorite songwriters. And his songs could always make me feel better after hard day. Plus Captain and the Kid always makes me cry as it reminds me of my grandpa.

He is the only concert I've gone to. I was in college at Marquette and as an early birthday present my parents bought me and my roommate tickets to his concert in Appleton, WI. It was a great venue (you literally lay a towel on the grass on the side of a hill) and got a nice contact high just from being there. Plus the guy in front of us in line to get was wearing a bucket hat and had an inflated sex doll strapped to his back. It was a great show, where I had a ton of fun, and one of my favorite memories.

Also, while not as good as the Cheeseburger in Paradise in Maui which tragically burned down in the wildfires, the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant that used to be near my house when I was in high school was a favorite place of my family if we wanted to go out to eat for a Saturday family dinner. It was a lot of fun. Had great music (if you like Jimmy Buffett). And the burgers were some of the best burgers I've had from a chain restaurant.

[TheGildedGoose]

I did not expect this level of Jimmy Buffett discourse on a Magic: the Gathering forum.

Not to get too argumentative (because I am 90% sure that the post was bait) Jimmy Buffett was one of my favorite songwriters. And his songs could always make me feel better after hard day. Plus Captain and the Kid always makes me cry as it reminds me of my grandpa.

He is the only concert I've gone to. I was in college at Marquette and as an early birthday present my parents bought me and my roommate tickets to his concert in Appleton, WI. It was a great venue (you literally lay a towel on the grass on the side of a hill) and got a nice contact high just from being there. Plus the guy in front of us in line to get was wearing a bucket hat and had an inflated sex doll strapped to his back. It was a great show, where I had a ton of fun, and one of my favorite memories.

Also, while not as good as the Cheeseburger in Paradise in Maui which tragically burned down in the wildfires, the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant that used to be near my house when I was in high school was a favorite place of my family if we wanted to go out to eat for a Saturday family dinner. It was a lot of fun. Had great music (if you like Jimmy Buffett). And the burgers were some of the best burgers I've had from a chain restaurant.

This is such an incredibly wholesome post.

[Hermes_]

Today is the first birthday I will have without my mom

[duducrash]

Happy Birthday @Hermes_ . I was really close with my grandma and in june I had a first birthday without her too. It was really hard. I'm wishing you have/had a great day and that yo are able to find joy remembering the good times you had.

[toctheyounger]

Happy birthday Hermes, hope you had a good one despite the absence. It's not the same as in person, I know, but so long as you have fond memories with you she's never really gone for good. That's how I've always seen it.

___

In other news I'm back on my horror film binge bs, and man the quality is very mixed in this particular field. I'm generally really only interested in very good films as the lowest level of what I want to see, but that's incredibly narrow. For modern day films, almost anything you would want to watch is directed by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, and while they've got some hits (the first Conjuring is pretty excellent), there's so, so many that are just quantity over quality. Their formula, be it in the Saw franchise, which I generally dislike, or the more spiritual avenues, gets very standard very quickly. Recent hits that have been really good are Colour out of Space (a Nic Cage film in which he doesn't go over the top bombastic for once, and a very good quality Lovecraft adaptation which doesn't happen often) and Barbarian (this one I liked, but not quite as much as everyone else seems to).

The classics are really where it's at though - I find myself rewatching The Thing from 1982 a ton, the movie is damn near perfect. There should be a One Night Ultimate Werewolf game based on it, it's a supernatural whodunnit with wild practical effects that are still top of the field 40 years later, and a soundtrack from a master of the field that's moody and atmospheric. As well as that, The Exorcist is just an amazing film. Whether it's shocking to you or not, offends religious sensibilities or not, it's well plotted and acted, and stands on it's own well as a good story with plenty of layers over and above the good vs evil dichotomy. I've seen it before being a parent and after, and it definitely hits different now. Between these two and Ari Aster's two first films, these are what I keep coming back to for comfort watches, which I guess is a weird thing to say about this genre in particular, but there we are I guess.

I really want to see more of John Carpenter's films, and Event Horizon next. I've also heard really good things about X and Pearl respectively, as well as The Lighthouse, Green Room, the original of Suspiria, and Possession, but all of these I'm having trouble tracking them down through legal sources. I don't like to pirate unless I absolutely have to, but we'll see I guess. I'm less than a week away from baby two, so I'll have considerably less time on my hands shortly anyway.

edit - I'm well aware this is all apropos of nothing, but I have to tell somebody my feelings about these films, my wife isn't into the genre at all, so you all have to just take it. Sorry not sorry.

[RxPhantom]

I used to see a lot of live music before my daughter was born. Now, I think I may be ready for my first post-pandemic* show. One of my favorite bands is coming in support of a new record, and I really want to go. The idea of indoor crowds still makes me a little uneasy.

*The pandemic isn't actually over, but you know what I mean.

And on the Jimmy Buffet stuff, it was just a throwaway comment that I thought was funny.

[TheGildedGoose]

I used to see a lot of live music before my daughter was born. Now, I think I may be ready for my first post-pandemic* show. One of my favorite bands is coming in support of a new record, and I really want to go.

What band?

[materpillar]

I really want to see more of John Carpenter's films, and Event Horizon next. I've also heard really good things about X and Pearl respectively, as well as The Lighthouse, Green Room, the original of Suspiria, and Possession, but all of these I'm having trouble tracking them down through legal sources. I don't like to pirate unless I absolutely have to, but we'll see I guess. I'm less than a week away from baby two, so I'll have considerably less time on my hands shortly anyway

Not sure exactly how well this advice translates to New Zealand but the libraries in my area of the US have an absolutely massive selection of movies and you can order in movies that they don't have. I find them to be an excellent source of media for me.