supposebly

This member of Gen X is rolling her eyes. I could not care less about movies based on toys.

The problem I have with raising children is that they grow up and become teenagers. I like small children, not infants, though. But raising them to the point they hate you or at least become real people? Hell no. I had a time (maybe 6 months) in my thirties where I almost seriously considered having one. I'm so grateful that I didn't.

I agree this is the part to focus on. People who matter are the ones who don't make you cry. 🤞 that you find a wonderful job soon!

People watch this for more than the insane stunts? The scripts and plots and characters have always been, say we say, pedestrian fluff, old-fashioned, and one-dimensional place holders, there to hang off things, fly, fall, joke, serving as decoration around Tom Cruise running and doing his best to eventually die or get injured permanently while jumping off something while making these. A bit like cartoons but with real people. I never thought of these of more than devices to move the action forward. Every attempt that possibly could have been interpreted as adding a layer, just elicited an eyeroll or laughter for me. I like the above posted video but it feels someone is taking them way more seriously than they have any right to be. Like James Bond movies, I rarely remember what happens. The McGuffin that's the list, the key, the key to the list, the list for the key, the codes for the key or the list, whatever. I'll probably see it eventually when it streams but I never expect anything else in those. In the end these are very traditional simple action movies with a white male hero who vaguely has the typical characteristics, bending "the rules", protective with women, and always right in the end.

I grew up in the 80s and I've never seen this movie, it sounds just awful.

Well, it IS a pod person! 😉

Actually, it can. What I found is that its performance gets better with the quality and specificity of the prompt. If I add "and give examples", it does and the examples are to the point (I quoted the output here). They aren't all that great but they got better when I ask for specific examples from storylines. But this is getting quite off-topic. I invite everyone to try it out, it's fun, a bit unnerving at times, but overall interesting to get a sense where things might be going, and what the limits are at the moment. Again, keep in mind, this free version doesn't use information more recent than up to 2018, I think, and is limited in length for its output.

I asked ChatGPT to tell people on a message board why NCIS is a terrible show. Warning: This is a AI generated text. If I read this post, I would think this is a very reasonable person that I wouldn't mind seeing on the "Unpopular Opinions" thread. It's a bit overly cheerful for my tastes but overall, not a problem. I also asked it to write me a script that would work as a CSI Las Vegas episode. Keep in mind, the free version has limits on length. Again: what follows is created by ChatGPT. It's not great, it has Grissom and Langston in the same episode, huge chunks are missing, and Grissom's final sentence is completely awful and out of character. But the scenes themselves could be in any CSI episode.

I've been hoping but I'm not too sure. There is discussion about AI writing my student's term papers, possibly whole theses, apparently, an AI has written a Beatles song that one of the Beatles (I can't remember which one) deemed quite good. I can tell you that student essays are already written by AI and they are very very hard to distinguish from work by humans except they are often better than my students' writing 😉. And considering the templatic and boring output of certain types of TV such as procedurals, I have no problem imagining that they could be written by a bot.

I'm so sorry for your loss, @AgentRXS. She looks like she had a wonderful life with you.

Zac Efron is starting to remind me of a young Kevin Kline. Early-mid 90s.

There is ignorant and then there is refusing to believe facts because they think they know better. Better than science and better than the person who actually has said boobs. It takes mansplaining to a whole new level. Such a waste of space and time, that one.

I hope she dumped him.

What the others suggested. Are later albums on vinyl? Garbage, perhaps? Enya? Evanescence? Jem? Jewel? Tori Amos. Kate Bush. Marla Glen. Madonna? Nina Simone. Donna Summer. Patti Smith. Tina Turner. Stevie Nicks. Portishead. Just digging through my albeit digital collection.

Isn't that what these movies do? For most of them, spies got replaced without much comment. I have to admit, they are a guilty pleasure for me. Guilty for all kinds of reasons. I haven't seen it yet and won't go to the theater for it but eventually, I will watch it. They are the only action movies I enjoy. I'm so sick of all the CG and superhero franchises.

That was me for about 5 years. I got really heavy periods every 3 weeks or so. What bugs me in retrospect is that I even had Iron deficiency and my doctor never once mentioned that it could be perimenopause. Thank God my period now comes only every 3-4 months. I get momentary hot flashes though. Not bad just for a few seconds.

I went to a Catholic school for girls in Germany. Our uniforms were skinny jeans, Adidas Allround high-tops (with white socks over the pants), and jeans jackets. It was the 80s, don't judge! We had a sort of dress code though. No miniskirts and no tank tops. Sleeves of any length, and skirts/pants needed to cover the knees.

I've enjoyed reading the discussion quite a lot, thank you. I haven't watched the show yet but saw a playthrough of the game a few years ago. I wasn't planning on watching it since I actually had nightmares about the fungi-zombies and that clicker sound. And I have quite some trichophobia, which didn't help. Based on what I'm reading here and on youtube clips, it seems there is a lot less of that, so I might go and watch it some time this winter, I think. If a show creates this much interesting discussion, it seems worth the occasional gross-out moment. A few comments (I'm pretty much spoiled about the showat this point). While the doctors and Marlene not only take away Ellie's choice, so does Joel. Not by lying, but by killing the apparently last doctors who still have the education and knowledge to possibly figure this out. At least doctors they can reach. Another thing that occurred to me while reading the discussions, Joel not only takes away the option for Ellie to save the world, he also takes away from all the other daughters in the world to maybe grow up somewhere that's not quite so dangerous. All the while, the chances of Ellie getting killed in this nightmare of a world are pretty high. It sounds like the writing was a bit of a letdown for this final conundrum. I felt a bit like that when the game was over, too. But in the end, Joel doesn't care. "Find someone else" really tells me that even if Ellie had chosen to die, even if there had been a conversation, if he had the chance, he would have tried to get her out of there with or without collateral damage. I often wondered if the end of the game would have been more interesting if the player had to choose among different options and then see the consequences of that choice. For the show, I think it would have been interesting and helpful to have the show follow Marlene from Boston to SLC and flesh out her character. Maybe one episode that traces her trip and elaborates more on what the plan actually is. Spend some time and thinking on what the plan actually is. From what I'm reading, the way she and the fireflies are written, they don't seem to make much sense or are utterly incompetent.

I only started having these visceral reactions to animals getting killed or injured on TV since I got my own two cats a few years ago. Ever since, I noticed, I'm having a lot more issues in that area. Although I always cringed when horses would fall down. I always worried about them breaking something. It takes me right out of a show/movie. As to this part of the show, it's the one I like the least. It has too many elements where the suspension of disbelief doesn't work for me anymore. And, as also mentioned, the cliché of the pedophile/preacher with a cult of cannibals who monologues. Just too much.

I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like it's already quite advanced. Maye it's time to make that decision to get some help without his input. There must be services where someone comes to the house and helps with things. Or at least have someone there for a few hours so you can take a break and leave the house. I don't have experience with this but I hope you can get some help. Sounds like you need it. And maybe unplug the appliances over night?

Humor is important. I like self-deprecating humor unless it's a Chandleresque need to cover up insecurities. Making fun of other people in public, not so funny. There is always a time and a place.

Some people have no filter and will volunteer all kinds of things to strangers. I find this happening especially when traveling. It's possible it's just easer to do that with strangers since you'll never see them again. Or they have kept it inside for such a long time, the first somewhat friendly face will open those floodgates.

That's just funny. If all he talks about is women's ass and tits, maybe, he should bring something meaningful to the table? Just a thought. He doesn't seem to recognize the irony.

This has become my ideal birthday since around the time I turned 40. Replace dog with cats and that's me.

Mornings with Fox and Scully in the summer.