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theredbaron

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29-Aug-2005
Last activity
6-Jan-2016
Posts
1,283

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Post
#247768
Topic
Worst movies ever.
Time
Originally posted by: ricarleite
New Police Story is ridiculous if compared with the other "Police Story" films, or even other Hong Kong Jackie Chan films, but... it's waaaay better than his american ones. Tuxedo? Medallion?


Nah, sorry, I found New Police Story to be absolutely intolerable. Woefully long, totally overwrought, and a very poorly concieved Asian film that thought it could get by simply 'looking' like a Hollywood film.

But check out Nero sometime. If you think ROTS was a tragic failure (as in, failure to evoke a tragedy), it's gold compared to this.
Post
#247753
Topic
MOVED THREAD
Time
I'm a Christian, and I think what the Pope said, although highly inflammatory in approach perhaps, was fairly accurate, insofar as he said that the Prophet Mohammed didn't really teach anything new. What he did do was take a godless (or polytheist or demonist), violent, and chaotic people and actually made them a God-fearing (or Allah-fearing, if you must), moral, and organised society. Which is no mean feat by anyone's standards.

Calling this or that religion "fucked up" based on the actions of that religion's adherents (or more significantly, professed adherents) is a very dangerous thing. If this is so, then every religion is "fucked up", because I am certain that someone, somewhere, at some point in history, has perpertrated utterly heinous crimes against their fellow man in the name of every religion on the face of the planet. How many people in America profess to be Christians? Now, how many of those people actually attend church regularly, pray, or even read their Bible, let alone live by it? I would estimate perhaps 10%, but it's not really something you can quantify. All I am saying is that a lot of people profess to follow this or that religion, but it is another matter entirely as to whether they faithfully follow the tenets/morals/practices of that belief system. The religions of the world have brought some glorious ideas to our attention throughout history, and to judge any of these religions by the people trying (or more especially, not trying) to live by them, rather than the ideals themselves, do not do these ideas/religions justice.

In a nutshell, what I am saying is that each religion should be judged on its own merits, not on the merits (or lack thereof) of its followers. Human beings can never do justice to an ideal.
Post
#247609
Topic
Hiatus
Time
Originally posted by: Ingo Sucks
Starting today, I am taking a hiatus from movies, everything but Star Wars. The reason for this is because I have autism and become easily offended. And the fact is, there's just too many movies out there that are offensive to me. And all my bad memories nowadays are coming from movies. So I decided, I need a break. No more movies, for I don't know how long. I'll still watch Star Wars, because it helped me fight a lot of these bad memories, and has only a few parts that offend me. I'll still come here to talk with you guys about Star Wars, but as of today, for an unknown amount of time, I won't be watching any more movies.

However, I still play video games, because as you know, I love games more than movies. You can catch me on Planet Quake discussing my favorite game of all time.

-UPDATE-
I know I made a thread about this before, but no one answered it and it faded away. But I really mean this, and I need you to feel sympathy for me. Tonight, a bad memory from a very bad movie crippled me so bad I couldn't even function properly. So until further notice, I need to stay as far away from movies as possible. Star Wars is all right, but other than that, movies have offended and upset me one too many times. And don't tell me to get back into them, because I won't.


FINALLY, an explanation!
Post
#242991
Topic
Secret CIA prisons
Time
Here's some background on David Hicks:

David Hicks, an Adelaide man, was captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan in early December 2001 while travelling with Taliban soldiers who were defending their territory from the Northern Alliance. David's father, Terry, said his son seemed unaware of the September 11 attacks and extremely doubtful of their authenticity when they spoke on a mobile phone a few days after the American bombing campaign had begun.

Since David's capture he has been handed over to the Americans who have moved him to Cuba and the infamous Camp X-ray. He remains there uncharged after numerous interrogations by both American and Australian government military officers and/or officials. He was detained in a small cage for more than five months, and was transferred to a small "shed type" prison cell about the middle of 2002. There is a bed, no chair and no window. The lights are on twenty four hours a day. He has only two fifteen minute exercise periods a week where he is walked shackled between two guards. He is forced to wear an overall type uniform whether it is forty-three degrees Centigrade (over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit) or less.

In a recent letter (early 2003) he wrote about an operation - the nature of this was not disclosed - where he was in hospital and was treated like a human being for three days. After this he was given a chair to sit on for three days.

Presently, it seems that the Australian government officials have been trying to "persuade" David to confess to some crimes in order to be repatriated to his homeland. This is despite comments by Victoria Clarke, Pentagon spokesperson, in February of 2002 stating that all prisoners in Cuba were only the "rats and mice" of the Taliban and would possibly never be charged with any crime. (This includes the man said to be over one hundred years old who was sent home to Afghanistan in the last few months.) Furthermore American officers from the camp have visited Afghanistan and asked those in command to stop sending these unimportant prisoners to the camp and to concentrate on bigger fish - if and when they capture them.

David has not been charged with any crime in Australia. He has not been charged with any crime in Afghanistan. He is detained without charge, without trial and without access to family or consular assistance.

This intolerable situation has gone on long enough and we would welcome your support. Our group provides some press releases to depict the situation as it really is, and, not as some of the more tabloid type media has portrayed it. We are also raising funds to pay for David's return to Australia and his legal fees, estimated to be $5mill. Contributions can be sent to Fair Go For David, PO Box 634, PROSPECT EAST SA 5082.

Fair Go for David seeks that:

* David Hicks be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions
* The law of Habeas Corpus be applied to David Hicks
* David Hicks be repatriated to Australia and given a fair civil trial, if charged with any crime/s
* Any other Australians in a similar situation to David Hicks be entitled to the same rights
Post
#242989
Topic
Secret CIA prisons
Time
Originally posted by: starkiller
So, you'd suggest we allow them the benefits of the US justice system that they would seek to destroy? That's allowing them to exploit another part of our society that they view as a weakness.

Returning to a previous item, I found an article online, put up 2 weeks after 9/11:
If pigs could fly ...
Posted: September 27, 2001
1:00 a.m. Eastern

WASHINGTON – Pigs, hogs, swine, porkers, barrows, trotters. When Americans aren't eating them – hot dogs, bologna, spareribs, pig's knuckles, ham, bacon, pork chops – they're adoring them on TV or the big screen. Hollywood has transformed the stinky, snorty critters into lovable pink-bellied icons known affectionately to all of us as "Porky Pig," "Arnold" or "Babe."

In short, most Americans love pigs.

But to Muslims, they are just stinky, snorty critters, the quintessence of uncleanliness.

Indeed, Muslims are forbidden to eat pork by the Koran, their holy book. To knowingly eat pork is to commit an act of sin which could jeopardize their ascension to Paradise.

It's not just meat they have to be careful about eating. They also have to check that cheeses and yogurts – even cake frosting – don't contain "unclean" byproducts such as pork lard.

When traveling on American jetliners, orthodox Muslims typically order vegetarian meals to avoid the chance encounter with one of Arnold Ziffel's relatives. On Arabic airliners, they ask for a "blessed" meat called halal. Such non-pork meat has been drained of blood during the slaughtering and butchering process. The Koran forbids the consumption of animal blood (which makes pig's blood virtually radioactive, an observation our military might find useful, as I'll explain further on).

So averse to pigs are Islamic fundamentalists, that even coming in contact with them – or any part of them, such as their hide – means defiling themselves. It's not a sin to touch, say, a pigskin football, but if they do, they are advised to wash their hands immediately.

Pig-fat products are on the list of items Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia has declared to be against the sharia, the ruling clerics' interpretation of Islamic law.

So, you see, pigs are to Islamic terrorists – such as Osama bin Laden and his henchmen – what kryptonite is to Superman, or what garlic is to Dracula.

Take Mohamed Atta, for example.

The suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11 hijackers was so careful not to eat pork fat that he scraped the frosting from cakes. Here was a man more afraid of eating a hint of pork in a dessert than flying a jet full speed into a skyscraper.

See where I'm going with this?

Few in Washington want to admit it, but these Islamic fanatics have baited us into a holy war. And like it or not, we'll have to use their religion against them to win.

Psychological warfare

U.S. forces should start by dropping leaflets over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, warning residents, in their native Persian tongue, that we've enlisted Afghani moles to contaminate their water supplies with pig's blood.

The propaganda would also warn that American soldiers have greased their bullets with pork fat. We could tell them, while we're at it, that we've ordered special pigskin-lined fatigues for this mission.

At night, we could bombard bin Laden's camps with recordings of hog-snorting. If he and his fellow terrorists won't come out of their caves, send pen-loads of trotters in to nuzzle them.

Can't find bin Laden? Force-feed Taliban clerics pork rinds until they give up his location. If that doesn't work, air-lift pigs into their homes.

In the meantime, airlines could reupholster plane seats with pigskin, and cover cockpit yokes with the "unclean" hide to repel future Islamic hijackers. For insurance, serve passengers bacon bits instead of peanuts.

If their religion is driving them to hate Americans, and rewarding them to kill our people, then it's hardly indecent to use their faith against them to protect us.

Hit them where it hurts. They hit us where it hurts – and they're already planning to do it again.

They're not afraid of death. However, they are afraid of pigs. Send in the porkers, lock them out of Paradise, and watch them surrender.



Ah, that's some pretty twisted logic you've got there, buddy. So you think anyone who needs to be tried in the court of law has respect for the US justice system? Should we deny those charged with murder, rape, or theft a proper hearing because they obviously have no respect for the judicial system? Or at least if they've been wrongly accused, they'll have no respect for the system anymore...Do you think a 'terrorist' (read: Australian that travelled alongside the Taliban) is motivated by the US judicial system in particular or perhaps US foreign policy, or maybe even religion? Sorry dude, but that's just fucked up. To assume that one of my countrymen seeks to exploit your judicial system or even the destruction of it in particular, and then to surmise that this is a legitimate reason to deny him a fair trial in any court is bullshit. Bottom line is this: David Hicks is being tortured in a political and legal grey area by people who are unaware of his rights as a human being, and he should be tried either in an American court and put in a US jail if convicted (if that be to the US's satisfaction), or brought back to Australia to be tried by our own judicial system.
Post
#242982
Topic
Comics Fans
Time
Originally posted by: Han Solo VS Indiana Jones
Originally posted by: theredbaron
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Next up on my 'buy' list of collections is probably Superman: Birthright.

Either that, or the next collection of Top Ten if I can find it.


It's definitely worth it, man. Birthright *should* have been the new Superman movie. An all-encompassing, definitive retelling of the Superman myth.


It probably would have suited it's uber young lead better.


Oh, absolutely. Tom Welling could have done it, even.
Post
#242980
Topic
Congratulations, Atlantis.
Time
Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
On only reading the title, I was wondering if someone found proof of existance of the lost city of Atlantis. Way to keep up with the times, me!


I have to admit, my first thought was something along the lines of Aquaman (this coming from the guy who misread the acronym 'GL' as standing for 'Green Lantern' for the first time nary a week ago).
Post
#242573
Topic
Secret CIA prisons
Time
Originally posted by: starkiller
First:
I seem to be in a minority in this thread, because if it saves lives to torture prisoners (within reason) for information, I consider that ample justification. Khalid Shiek-Mohammad (hope I spelled that all right) is obviously still alive if he was transferred to Guantanamo during the past week, which is a lot better than he deserves for being the "mastermind" behind 3000+ deaths on 9/11.

Second:
I am beginning to become annoyed by the idea that the US, in this particular conflict against terrorism, must be above using certain tactics. This is a double edge sword...
In a society where they use stoning, removal of hands and a great variety of methods we would consider barbaric, they see us as being weak for not using similar methods.
However, if we do resort to their methods, the US government, in the eyes of its own people, become no better than the terrorists, but we may actually cast fear into the hearts of our enemies.
As I said before, if it saves lives (particularly of our people and our allies), I can be more forgiving of the governments actions. I'm not saying break the rules of the Geneva Convention, I'm saying don't give into the fringe 10% of the population that are basically hippies wanting to be relevant again.

Third:
I know it is mearly an urban legend, but I continue to remember the story of Pershing when he was in charge of the Phillippines. The story about him executing muslim criminals with pigs-blood stained bullets and burying them in pits with the bodies of the same pigs.
Islam enstills fears upon its followers, just like any other religion. I believe it should be fair game to take advantage of those fears.


The US shouldn't be holding ANYONE in Guantanamo Bay. The only reason the US holds its POWs, terrorists, etc. there is so that they don't have to abide by US law in dealing with their prisoners.
Post
#242572
Topic
Comics Fans
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Next up on my 'buy' list of collections is probably Superman: Birthright.

Either that, or the next collection of Top Ten if I can find it.


It's definitely worth it, man. Birthright *should* have been the new Superman movie. An all-encompassing, definitive retelling of the Superman myth.
Post
#242437
Topic
Rankings
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Wait... So if there is no future tense, how do you express future actions in Japanese?


Well, you use nouns like 'tomorrow', 'future', etc. at the beginning of the sentence - it's just with the verbs, the best you can do is suggest a future action, I guess you could say.

e.g. "Tomorrow it will probably be sunny." "ashita, hare deshoo."
Post
#242333
Topic
Rankings
Time
Originally posted by: ricarleite
Originally posted by: theredbaron
'Deshoo' is the future tense of the verb, meaning 'it will probably be'.


Hmnnn not quite. I wouldn't specify it as being a future tense. Technically, there is no future tense in japanese.


It pretty much is, you know, that's why I phrased it as 'it will probably be' - they use 'deshoo' in the weather forecasts. "It will probably be sunny".

'Ikimashoo' or 'ikkoo' means 'let us go', which technically is a future action.

They might not teach this stuff in Japanese lessons but I didn't learn this stuff in my Japanese lessons - I learnt it from living there and using the language.
Post
#242135
Topic
Secret CIA prisons
Time
All I know is that America has been detaining one of OUR people in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for almost half a decade now - Hicks, for fighting alongside Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan - and have not even given him a trial. The Australian Government has been lobbying for years to have him brought to trial EVEN in America (preferably in Australia, but we have tried both to no avail). Yet they insist on keeping him in a legal and political grey area so that we don't know what's happening to him, and so that they can do whatever they want with him.

A criminal he *may* be, but he is OUR criminal, and it is for OUR judicial system (or at least A judicial system) to decide.
Post
#242132
Topic
Comics Fans
Time
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
Considering that I already own everything that's been made Absolute so far except Sandman and DKSA, they don't really interest me. I know it's all big and pretty with supporting details, but it's also, as you said, a lot of $$.


Yeah, same.

I read DK2 a few months back, and boy am I glad I only borrowed it. Such a huge disappointment on so many levels. It almost pissed me off just reading it.
Post
#242130
Topic
Comics Fans
Time
At the moment I'm still trying to get hold of some Batman trades, but so many of them are out of print!

To bide my time, I am reading through John Byrne's run on Superman in the Man of Steel volumes. If I run out of those by the time my Batman orders come in, I may have to start on Sandman (it's inevitable, but I know that once I start, I won't be able to stop).
Post
#242127
Topic
General Batman Talk
Time
And here I was thinking it was a joke about a DC exec called Bob Shreck, just like Jeph Loeb named a corrupt police official after himself in The Long Halloween!

I've always thought that Batman Returns was a brilliant movie, for many of the reasons listed above. I don't think I've ever been able to articulate it in so much detail, so thanks for posting it. In fact, I think it tipped the balance for me as to what my favourite Bat-film is. Previously it was:

1. Batman
2. Batman Returns
3. Batman Begins

But now I think I'm going to have to switch the first two...again. My two favourite scenes: Catwoman's "birth" scene and Penguin's "funeral" scene.

This is something I wrote about BR about a year and a half ago:

I digress from my novel-writing (perhaps permanently) to discuss something which I feel is very important: the genius of Tim Burton in telling the Batman story. While I'm sure that anyone with half a brain could point out that the camp and parody of the last two Batman films were what made them so sub-standard, I am yet to see anyone appreciate the depth of what Burton has achieved in the original and Batman Returns.

So let me spell it out to you. Batman and his antagonists are one in the same. Why else would he find these villains so disarming? They have all been dealt bad cards in life, and in the case of Batman and Penguin in particular, they have both lost their families. The only difference is that they respond to their troubled pasts in different ways. In the case of villains like Penguin, they respond by taking revenge on the society that created them. Batman's "revenge" is in preventing scenarios like his from ever happening again - keeping society free from the kinds of scum that killed his parents. When they put their masks on (whether that be literal or not) they enact a kind of mania whereby the person becomes their ultimate or extreme version of self. Batman is the culmination of everything that Bruce Wayne can be - resourceful, inventive and strong. Catwoman was everything that Selena Kyle wanted to be but did not have the guts to be - assertive, strong, powerful and sexy. They all have a kind of split personality whereby their alter-egos do everything that they alone wouldn't have the strength to do. Bruce Wayne, Jack, Oswald Cobblepot, Selena Kyle: all of their masks were forged in grief to respond to the world which grieved them. Like schizophrenics that become their hallucinations to solve their problems (think of how Morton Rainey becomes Shooter in 'Secret Window'). That is not to say that they don't try to cope within their normal human means - Oswald tries to find acceptance in society, but it rejected him just as his parents did at birth; Bruce and Selena try to find love without revealing their dark sides - only to find that their relationship with society and other people is dysfunctional, and that their dark sides are an integral part of who they are. It is for this reason that I feel (and I believe the audience is supposed to feel) such an overwhelming sense of pity when Penguin dies - it was society's fault that his life was wasted, because society created the monster that he was.

On an aside, it is awesome to watch Selena Kyle transform into Catwoman. She ransacks her own apartment (and anyone who's anyone knows that the state of someone's room is the state of their mind), spraypainting her clothes and her doll house, shreds her soft toys in the insinkerator (a symbol of her loss of innocence), and knocks the 'O' and 'T' out of the neon sign in her bedroom (which used to spell out 'HELLO THERE'). The catwoman silhouette stands in the doorway, 'HELL HERE' sign illuminated behind her.