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starkiller

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7-Nov-2003
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7-Mar-2008
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1,479

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Post
#67554
Topic
Posting stories here
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67554/action/topic#67554
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
I was hoping to get Jay's word, since he seems to be the forum boss around here.

Starkiller, why didn't you post it?
Well, the last time I mentioned having written it, I got this kind of "OMG, I cannot believe he would do something that stupid/silly" type reaction (or at least, it seemed that way to me).

Tell you what, I'll post the first chapter. If people want more, I'll provide more.

Chapter 1: The Truth is realized

“Operator, could you please get me the Pentagon? No, don’t worry about the charges. Yes, I’ll wait.”

I had been watching the local news. There had been the usual stories about corruption, sports, bad weather, and a murder. But today something was different. The anchors didn’t make much of the report. A number of triangular objects had been detected by United States satellites. The report said the size was not determinable, but I could not believe that. One very grainy image had been released to the public. I was looking at it on the TV. No other information was released.

My jaw was sitting in my lap. Could it be true? Could it really be? Was I seeing what I thought I was seeing? It had to be. There was no mistaking that shape. It was a shape that would forever be ingrained in my mind.

My first reaction was to call the Pentagon. I had to let someone know what I knew.

It took a while to get through, but I was finally successful.
“Hello, this is the Pentagon phone system. If you know the number of the office you wish to access…”
Darn it. I got the stupid phone system. I waited on the line for 10 minutes waiting for a human to pickup.
“Hello, this is the Pentagon switchboard. How many I help you?” a human voice on the other end said.
I responded, “Hello. I was just watching the local news, and I saw a report on a grainy image taken of some objects located out in space. I might have some crucial information concerning these shapes. I am sorry to say that I do not know who I need to speak to about this.”
“Well, if you will let me put you on hold, I will see if I can rout your call where it needs to go.”
Before I could say anything, I was on hold and listening to the usual easy listening. I stayed there for about 15 minutes. It was then that I finally got some response.
“Hello, office of General David Johnson, can I help you?” A male voice came through.
I repeated. “Yes, hello. As I was telling your switchboard operator, I was watching the local news, and I saw a report on a grainy image taken of some objects located out in space. I might have some crucial information concerning these shapes.”
“And what information might that be?” The man asked with a slightly indignant tone in his voice.
“Now, please don’t hang up on my as soon as I say this, because it will sound very strange, but I know exactly what ships those are, and where they come from.” I paused.

“Those are Imperator-class Star Destroyers, one of the most powerful warships of the Galactic Empire.”

As I finished, there was a strange silent on the other end. Had I been cut off? Did I sound THAT crazy? There was no dial-tone, so I didn’t think I had been hung up on. Then I heard the voice on the other end.
“Ooooookkkkaaaaaayyyy. Sir, how would you know that?” the voice was very patronizing.
“Well, I shouldn’t say I’m sure about it. But the general outline of the ship fits.” I replied.
“Well sir, tell you what. I’m going to hang up now, and I’ll take your idea under advisement and inform the general.”
“Wait, just a second. Before you hang up, let me add one last thing. These ships, they are approximately 1600M long and if I’m right about these ships, we are all in deep trouble.” I ended and waited.
There was another prolonged pause. Very prolonged. As before, I knew I was still connected, because again there was no dial-tone.
“Ahhh, sir. I’ve been advised to ask you for some additional informati…”
“What, you mean I’m right?” I interrupted.
“I’m sorry, I can’t say anything about it, but if you would give me some more information, it would be very helpful.”
This was getting annoying. I wanted to help, but government secrecy was getting in the way.
“Look, without knowing more information, I can’t give you any information that would be importance. You’ve got my number on your caller ID if you change your mind.”
At that I hung up.
Post
#67309
Topic
Info Wanted: Bonus Material not offered by the major bootleggers
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67309/action/topic#67309
Time
In the mid-80s, PBS played a Nova special about Special Effects. We've got it on BETA, and when my dad has the chance, he said he'd transfer it to DVD for me (gotta love having that Phillips DVD burner/DVR).

There was also a special, pre-ROTJ..."From Star Wars to Jedi" I think. I've got a really bad copy of that too. I'm going to have that transferred as well...if I can find the tape I have it on.
Post
#67297
Topic
Posting stories here
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67297/action/topic#67297
Time
It seems to me that if there is a limit, its on the number of characters, not words (for database reasons).

And if there is a limit, its not imposed over the text box used for entering messages. I pasted a 122,000 character Fan Fiction I wrote into this, and it pasted the whole thing.

Would it have posted?? I don't know.
Post
#67263
Topic
Changes in 2004 DVDs
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67263/action/topic#67263
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Lord Peeler
Quote
Originally posted by: drcrawn
But i tell you what, there were boos when the credits rolled after Episode One...I bet nobody booed ROTJ....


I saw TPM 10 times in the theater. Not once did anybody boo.

In fact, the first four times I saw it everybody cheered wildly. The rest of the times there were applause.

And do I really need to remind you that TPM took in more money than ESB and ROTJ?
You're not adjusting for inflation.
Adjusting puts ESB at $555.7 million, ROTJ at $533.2 million and TPM at $484.5 million.
Adjusting also puts ANH at over 1 billion, second only to Gone with the Wind.

The Movie Times: Top Grossing Films of All Time in the U.S. Adjusted for Inflation
Post
#67226
Topic
NFL
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67226/action/topic#67226
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Warbler
And Starkiller, I didn't call Rush a racist, I called him a jerk and a moron I stick by that.
I'm sorry I made you think I was directing my comments towards you. I was really replying to the same comment you were, but I quoted your message, not the original.

Post
#67077
Topic
Anakin's ghost?!?!?!
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67077/action/topic#67077
Time
swine,

No one has really given you the "official" explanation. While I do not support or even like the change, I will explain what Lucasfilm has come out to say about it.

Anakin's "real death" was when he became Darth Vader, not when he was redeemed on the DS2. When his ghost appears through the Force at the end of ROTJ, its showing him as he was when he had his "real death."
Post
#67049
Topic
NFL
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67049/action/topic#67049
Time
Quote
He most certainly was. His whole point was based on the color of his skin.
Making a statement based on the color of one's skin does not immediately constitute racism.
Quote
from dictionary.com:
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
Limbaugh's statement was that he felt the national media was showing favoritism towards McNabb (because of his race), that he was overrated.

What exactly about his statement was "racist"?
- The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback can do well...- Rush is saying that the media is overhyping a QB (any QB) because there are not many black QBs in the NFL. That doesn't sound racist towards blacks. This could be viewed as a perosnal opinion of the media, not of McNabb.

- There's a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team.- This sounds like it could be a simple statement of fact that could be applied to ANY QB.

Looking at the numbers in that Slate article, I'd say that it was a reasonable assessment to say that the defense was the strength of that team.
But, it has been McNabb that is able to garner the majority of the attention, right?
Post
#67023
Topic
NFL
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/67023/action/topic#67023
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Warbler
Quote
Originally posted by: cardaway
Go Eagles. If the Seahawks don't make it, I'd love to see McNabb be the Super Bowl MVP. So much for Limbaugh's racist trashing of him huh. LOL


Limbaugh's a jerk and a loser!
1. That was a year ago, let it go.
2. Limbaugh was not using 'racist trash talk'.
Quote
McNabb, he said, is "overrated ... what we have here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback can do well—black coaches and black quarterbacks doing well."
"There's a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of his team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."
He's accusing the media of hyping the abilities of McNabb.
I heard the clip plenty of times.
Slate Article from October 2003

Its like the media when they talk about the Yankees. Anyone here recall the buzz that was started when my Cleveland Indians gave the Yankees a whipping they will never forget?? I didn't stop hear abut it for at least a week, maybe a week and a half.
If the Indians had done the same to...I don't know, the Kansas City Royals or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, I can assure you we would have heard much less about it. It certainly wouldn't have had a 2-page spread/analysis in The Sporting News.
Post
#66972
Topic
You'd think they'd clean this up - the unfixed issues of the 2004 OT SE DVD release...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/66972/action/topic#66972
Time
I have to pop my DVD into my real player (not my PC) again to figure out exactly where I spotted this trouble.
On my PC, I couldn't find it.

I spotted it during the escape from the Death Star (Chapter 36, I think). One TIE fighter flies past the Falcon (towards the camera I think), and half the screen is filled with greenish-black space, instead of blackish-black space.
Post
#66958
Topic
lifestyles of the rich and insane
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/66958/action/topic#66958
Time
In all fairness, you cannot compare what has happened to Michael Jackson and what will eventually happen to Britney Spears to GL.

Lucas' madness is derived from what appears to me to be megalomania. He has tremendous power over what we see in Star Wars, and he's pushing our tolerance for his changes.

Now, in the case of Michael Jackson (and this could happen to Britney as well), the problem is not power.
He had no childhood. He was singing and dancing with the Jackson 5 when he was, what, under 10.
From what I've heard, his father, in particular, worked the entire family very hard to make them famous. Michael never got to "grow up". As a result, he's living out his childhood now, and its getting him in trouble.

As for Britney...I don't know much about her. She was on Disney (Mouseketeer, right?), then she started singing. She's had more of a childhood than Jackson has had, but I'd have to say not much more.

Sam Lu,
Nice signature.
Post
#66750
Topic
You'd think they'd clean this up - the unfixed issues of the 2004 OT SE DVD release...
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/66750/action/topic#66750
Time

Have you ever sat down and watched a Battlestar Galactica, and seen the space around ships look different from the space everywhere else? It has to do with the combining of elements, masking, or something (I’m not any kind of film expert, so I don’t know how you’d describe it…I just have a rudimentary idea of how it works).

For years, I never noticed these on Star Wars. In fact, its on the SE versions that I first noticed it, and since 1997 when the SE came out, I’ve only noticed it a couple times.

But now, with the detail of these new DVDs, its actually painfully easy to see. Why couldn’t they clean this kind of stuff up?

Post
#65713
Topic
Country Differences
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/65713/action/topic#65713
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Bossk
Quote
Originally posted by: starkiller
(I also remember one where they talked about the 1988 election. They wanted to know who you'd vote for. Not knowing anything about politics...I picked Jesse Jackson.)


It was YOU! You're the one that gave him his one and only vote (even if it wasn't legitimate)! You're the reason he keeps wanting to run election after election! He feels that if he can just get that one vote it will all be worthwhile! AHHHHH!!!!!

JK
Trust me, joking or not, I regret even mentioning the whole thing. I now understand what a power and money hungry exploiter that man is.
But let's not start into that kind of discussion.

Dayv,
There are hot chicks everywhere. Its getting to know them that is the problem...for most.

Post
#65551
Topic
Country Differences
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/65551/action/topic#65551
Time
I've seen lime-green before.
Long, long time ago, when I was in 2nd, maybe 3rd grade, our school would get these 4 page things for us to do. I wish I could remember the name.
On the front, and in the middle (it was really 1 piece of paper folded in half) they had current events stories. Then, on the back there were questions/games about the stories.
I want to say the name was Weekly Reader...but that might be something else.

Anyways, I remember one talking about making lime-green the standard color for fire trucks. It would be a stronger standout, visually, than the classic red.

(I also remember one where they talked about the 1988 election. They wanted to know who you'd vote for. Not knowing anything about politics...I picked Jesse Jackson.)
Post
#65539
Topic
Country Differences
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/65539/action/topic#65539
Time
In Cleveland, OH, our fire hydrants are dark red/brown and above ground. That are the classic 3 plug style.

Our firemen use classic red trucks.

Our cops wear all black uniforms and drive white-with-some-black Crown Vics.
(In fact, most of the cities fleet of vehicles is made up of Fords. We've got at least a couple Ford planst in the immediate area).

The temperature can get into the mid-90s (don't think we've hit 100 for quite a while) in the summer, and has dropped well into the single digits in the winter (then you add windchill for -15 to -20). Where I live, snow isn't too bad, but about 20 miles to the east, they usually get completely hammered. Its a lovely thing we call Lake-Effect. Any storm coming out of the Northwest runs across Lake Erie, gathering moisture. It just so happens that the east side of Cleveland lies on one of the widest parts of the lake (in a NE to SW direction), so they often get 2-3 times more snow than us.
Post
#65259
Topic
Cleveland Plain Dealer News Article- 9/19/04
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/65259/action/topic#65259
Time
from http://www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/living/1095499953103810.xml?lxfer

Stop messing around with our 'Star Wars'
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Right after Luke Sky walker and Obi-Wan Kenobi meet Han Solo, in the cantina scene in the original "Star Wars" movie, Solo is held at gunpoint by a bounty-hunting alien named Greedo. Greedo, who works for gangster Jabba the Hutt, says he's looked forward to killing Solo for a long time.

Solo, played by Harrison Ford, draws his blaster under the table and fires before Greedo can get off a shot. Goodbye, Greedo.

This is close to a pre-emptive strike. It establishes Solo as a dangerous guy who should not be messed with - maybe even a bad guy. It is also important to the movie because, if Solo were killed, he would not be able to rescue Princess Leia, battle the Empire and become a certified good guy.

But filmmaker George Lucas had second thoughts about shooting first and asking questions later.

In the "Special Edition" director's cut of "Star Wars" that was released to theaters and on video in 1997, Lucas digitally altered the scene to have Greedo shoot first, and somehow miss, at point-blank range.

This may seem like a small thing, but it means a lot to "Star Wars" fans. An artist's first instinct is usually the best one. Making Solo's survival a matter of luck and self-defense takes something away from the character, not to mention the atmosphere of danger. It changes the picture, and not for the better.

Now, fans find, Lucas has done it again.

Tuesday, he will release the "Star Wars Trilogy," a much-awaited set that makes "Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" available for the first time on DVD. It's good value, by most accounts, because it also includes a documentary by Ken Burns, featurettes and commentaries.

But fans are buzzing that Lucas again has tinkered with the cantina scene, this time to have Solo ducking awkwardly as he and Greedo fire at the same time.

Also, according to previews, Lucas digitally changes the ghost of Anakin Skywalker seen at the end of "Return of the Jedi." He removes Sebastian Shaw - whose face is seen when Luke removes Darth Vader's coal scuttle mask - and substitutes Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin in "Attack of the Clones," the fifth "Star Wars" film, and in "Revenge of the Sith," due out in May.

The idea, supposedly, is to show Anakin-turned-Vader reverting to his "true self" of younger days. But that ignores the character's ultimate redemption. And it raises the question of why Lucas doesn't also replace the spirit of Obi-Wan, played by Alec Guinness, with the younger version played by Ewan McGregor.

Not that anyone wants him to. Lucas has made other, smaller changes for the DVD set, altering a few voices and faces. If he touches the cantina scene again, fans are worried he'll have Solo leading a memorial service for Greedo or phoning 9-1-1.

"We understand 'Star Wars' was made in 1977," one fan said. "It was state of the art then. But it's his need to keep tinkering and adding things, just because he can, that bothers us. And what upsets us most is that we don't have a choice - you can't get the original versions anymore unless you bought them before they were taken off the market or taped them off television. He's asking us to un-remember what we remember. It's like revisionist history."

It's like watching "The Godfather" and suddenly seeing Michael Corleone shooting Sollozzo in the restaurant in self-defense. Or seeing Sonny keel over from a heart attack.

Millions loved the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Lucas, tweaking for perfection, ends up diminishing it - and reminding us how technically superior and cinematically inferior the second trilogy has been.

He could tinker with them - maybe getting rid of Jar Jar Binks - but he has said he is ready to move on. He has other movies he wants to make, including a fourth "Indiana Jones" picture.

When it comes to "Star Wars," he ought to remember what Sean Connery says to save Harrison Ford, when Ford grasps madly for the Holy Grail at the end of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

He says, "Let it go."
Post
#64241
Topic
Kerry Lied
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/64241/action/topic#64241
Time
Quote
who hired his advisors? I can't beleive that a better President would have gone in there with such little proof. And I can't accept that the President isn't reponsible at least in part for the mess. And again he came off looking like a moron. And proof that he really wasn't going to war for oil please.
Well, George Tenet was put in charge of the CIA by Bill Clinton, if I recall. Bush felt he didn't need to make a change.
And, if this war was really about Oil...Bush could have signed an executive order to drill in the Anwar region of Alaska.
Bingo, dependancy on foreign oil reduced.
Quote
please name the countries that are in Iraq with us(other than England). And we did not work the U.N. We need to try harder somtimes we need to compromise somtimes. We need to stop this go it alone approach. More effort should have been made to cooperate with U.N. to resolve the Iraq crissis

First, I believe I made a tiny slip. There are not 80+ "in" Iraq, but there are 80+ as members of the Coalition. Not all of them have troops in Iraq. Some are providing support behind the scenes.
From memory: Italy, Poland, Spain (until mid-March) Japan, South Korea, Australia (England)
From an unofficial website: ...its easier to post the URL: Coalition of the Willing
From a 1+ year old BBC article: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
Quote
the point is, not enough effort was gone into to catch him. And even though there have been no attacks on US soil since 9-11, There still have been attacks, innocent people have died . And how long before another attack is carried off here? And I know they are still find Nazi guards, but the point is athought some are still free, that have atleast been put out of business. Can you say the same for the terrorists groups?
No, I cannot. But the task of rooting out terrorists is far harder than attacking Germany.
When WW2, we knew that Germans were in Paris, Berlin, Warsaw and Salzburg. It took us just under 4 years of brute-force, face-to-face (essentially) fighting to end the German threat.
With this war, we do not know where the enemy is. They could be in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran or living next door. The threat is far more hidden from view. If it was like Germany, this war would already be over.
If you have some special gift of divination that can find the terrorists, I'm sure the military would appreciate the help.
Quote
not exactly understanding what you meant here, please explain more clearly.
Let me use another example. It something I recall hearing people discuss last year.

You pull into a gas station. Gas is $1.02 per gallon. You fill up.
2 weeks later, you need more gas. WTF!!! Gas is up to $1.20 per gallon. Oh well, you need the gas, so you pay it.
Another 2 weeks. Gas is now $1.13 per gallon. You are now happy, because gas isn't $1.20 anymore.
But gas is still 11 cents higher than it was 4 weeks ago.
Gas now hovers around that $1.13 area. I've just been punked by the gas companies.

Now, instead of the price of gas, let's say we're talking about what the general public will tolerate in the media.
Horror before 1945 was The Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula. Practically no blood, gore or language and some violence.
Horror since 1980 is Nightmare on Elm Street, Jason, Freddy vs Jason, Child's Play, etc. Plenty of blood, gore, language and general violence.

People push the envelop, then someone has to push a little farther. Eventually, what the first people did to push the envelop is acceptable and commonplace. Its been a slow evolution.

I view the places this "envelop pushing" is going to be crude, harmful, unneccessary and not representative of the US general population.
However, you may view the same material to be perfectly harmless.
Its all a matter of perspective and remembering what things were like in the past.

I hope I'm adequately showing you what I meant this time.

Quote
Finally we can expect terrists attacks untill we get leadership that nows how to effectively deal with. Bush doesn't. Will Kerry? we'll see, I am ready to give him the chance.
Kerry gives me the impression that he'd invite Osama over to the White House for milk and cookies to discuss some sort of arrangement to "end" the war, not unike how Clinton payed off North Korea to "stop its nuclear testing".
Kerry hasn't shown me anything that says he can do things in the war on terror any better than Bush.
Someone mentioned the environment. What, specifically, were you thinking of that Bush did that was anti-environment? With the War and the economy, blah, blah, blah, I haven't heard a thing on the environment for a long, long time.

Really quickly, I also wanted to speak quickly to Switch Radic.
Yes, debates might not change people's minds, but debate can allow people who have not made up their minds to view both sides of an issue and make a more educated opinion.
There really is no need to leave the originaltrilogy.com forums. If you are uninterested and turned off by the non-Star Wars debate, to be quite honest, you don't need to open the Off Topic forum.
Stick to the General Discussion or Theatrical vs. Special Edition forums. We all confine our political discussions, when we have them, here.
Please stay and discuss SW topics with us.
Post
#64169
Topic
scifi.com ScifiWire Poll
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/64169/action/topic#64169
Time
scifi.com has a poll going about the SW trilogy at the following address:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/
Quote

The new DVD set of the original three Star Wars movies adds Hayden Christensen at the end and makes a few other changes. Which version of the movies do you like best?

Current Results:
The original '70s and '80s releases.
The 1997 "special editions."
The 2004 DVD versions.
Star Wars? Give me Trek.


Currently, the vote is...
55% for originals
12% for 1997s
18% for DVD versions
14% for Star Trek

Number of votes is 5926.
Post
#64120
Topic
Kerry Lied
Link
https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/64120/action/topic#64120
Time
Quote
Originally posted by: Warbler
how bout the Iraq war, starkiller? the one he mishandled. The one where he celebrated on that ship that the war was over? How high has the death toll gone since then? The where he originally said we were going to war because Saddam had WMDs? Where are the WMDs? How about the fact that a good portion of the world hates us because of Bush's policies. We need to work with the world not against it. You say Bush will be stronger on terrorists. It's 3 years since 9-11 and Bin Ladin is still at large, and terrorist are still planning and carrying out attacks. Doesn't sound like he's strong on terror to me. Maybe he's too busy trying to ban gay marriages. Bush is too strongly connected with the Religous right of the GOP. I think Bush and the GOP is out of touch with todays America. I think it's time for a regime change.
Iraq War is part of the War on Terror, even Kerry has admitted that point in speeches on TV (look for tape from the day that the 1000 dead number was announced), so I semi-touched on it above.

- Did he celebrate too soon? Yes, I'll give you that.
- I'm honestly quite sick of the WMD discussion. He said what he was told by his advisors.
If you had been told all your life that grass was purple, can we fault you for not knowing any better, or those that gave you the info.
- We gave the world a chance to work with us. A lot of countries (80+ being in Iraq) took the chance. France, Germany and Russia did not. France has never been very fond of the US, and is trying to assert itself to take some control power in the EU.
- No, we haven't gotten bin Laden. But you know what, they're still finding Nazi concentration camp guards and putting them on trial.
- How many of those attacks have been inside the US, or even in US territories?
- You consider the GOP out of touch with America. Well, perhaps its just your perception of what America has become.
Glass half empty, or half full?
If I fill the glass, then take a sip from it, are you looking at how much I filled it or how much more there is now than there was when it was half full/empty?
Nowadays we expect things like terrorist threats, 'wardrobe malfunctions', political mudslinging, excessive movie violence. What is wrong with wanting to return to the times before we expected it all?