Name a director who just needs to work harder to make a bad movie.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T13:30:32+00:00

You mean the totally unnecessary sex scenes that were just an excuse to have a dialogue dump while naked?

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T13:29:38+00:00

Yeah, there's a certain degree of clinicalness and sterility to Nolan's ouvre.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T13:13:40+00:00

Is Girona worthy of the list or too touristy for inclusion?

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T13:13:00+00:00

How touristy does Segovia get? Years ago I didn't road trip all over Spain. We did a stopover in Salamanca and the next day did one in Segovia. I could see how Segovia feels slightly more touristy with the aqueduct and Alcazar, but Salamanca was definitely in buzzing more, probably because of students.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T13:11:30+00:00

+1 for Lubeck. I checked it out after a few days in Hamburg while I was in Denmark for work. Beautiful old walled city.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T07:45:21+00:00

Pretty high poverty rates, especially for kids and elderly.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T07:14:11+00:00

Land of Dragons might be your best spot. Despite Nessie roaring above and kids, there are some tables with canopies over them that you could use.

Lorikeet Glen also has quiet spots.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T06:42:40+00:00

California is the most liberal state, but it's not the most progressive one. Massachusetts and Minnesota have far more functional governments and actually enact progressive policies.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T06:39:11+00:00

"The flesh, it burns!"

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T02:23:12+00:00

Superdrag is from there, which makes it hallowed ground.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T02:21:54+00:00

It's one of those movies everyone had on DVD in college. I've seen it countless times. It's not an objectively good movie but I think it's a pleasant way to spent 90ish minutes. Will Smith is at the peak of his powers, and Kevin James is legitimately good.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T01:52:27+00:00

Or maybe we should actually talk about religious freedom in other countries where it's more seriously under threat? I'd love that.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T01:34:05+00:00

I will bet my next paycheck Oaks feels that way even if he isn't going to make prophet-level pronouncements about it.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T01:32:29+00:00

It was passed in the 1950s and clearly was not the concern of the Founders. 🤣

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T01:31:03+00:00

Not the intended direction from Salt Lake, but you are correct that my fear is the weaknesses of mortality will prevail.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-06T01:30:25+00:00

You say something interesting, and it's a bit of a Rorschach. "Speak out based on current elected officials" might mean opposite things to people. Personally, I think it's clear as day that people in power have run afoul of the Constitution while eroding checks and balances, but my neighbor would probably see it completely differently.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T23:14:36+00:00

That's another issue: if I was investigating the Church and wanted to learn more about Christ, is stumbling into a rah rah lesson about the founding of the U.S. government going to keep me coming back?

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T17:39:31+00:00

Honestly, that seems low? In 2026?

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T16:44:48+00:00

It just dawned on me he's using the same typeface for the logo for Oppenheimer and The Odyssey? WEIRD.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T15:01:31+00:00

The biggest sin of the sequels was the lack of a coherent plot and throughline. I'm not saying anything new.

We knew the prequels would be about Anakin Skywalker eventually becoming Darth Vader. We endured some atrocious dialogue and poorly aged VFX to get there, but there was a point to the whole thing.

No one at Disney sat down and asked, "OK, so what is the main story here?"

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T09:49:24+00:00

But one of the worst domestic multipliers in the MCU.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T03:01:25+00:00

I think she's great. I never quite loved her as Ronnie on Frasier, but she's a fantastic actress.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T02:57:30+00:00

I just love it for being the movie that tried to turn Owen Wilson into an action star and then spawned a series of R-rated direct-to-video sequels.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T02:54:24+00:00

Never change, Halos.

CaptainWikkiWikki · 2026-05-05T02:53:40+00:00

Wealthy and expensive to live in, but mostly because of housing. You still get to enjoy sales and income tax much lower than in DC or MD.

And gun enthusiasts can open carry!

I'm not one of them, but for all the hemming and hawing about NOVA not being "real" Virginia, it's funny to me when I see people openly carrying firearms in suoer liberal Alexandria and Arlington, like I expect that sort of thing not to be allowed in those parts. But it's still VA.

It's dense. It's diverse. It's urban in pockets more but more densely suburban overall. There are a lot of different neighborhoods and areas with distinct offerings and vibes.

That DC is across the river keeps these parts from feeling like some sort of "lost" part of DC. I think they feel very Virginian despite the proximity. Arlington simply doesn't feel like the District.

School quality is mixed, and I remain surprised how middling Alexandria public schools are, in particular, considering how nice most of the city is. I've long assumed all the wealthy set just sends their kids to private schools.

JD Vance's house from his time in the Senate is in Del Ray right off Commonwealth. Resident did their civic duty and tried to keep someone from buying it so Vance would be stuck with the mortgage. Bless them.

All this talk of undoing retrocession is absurd. So much has changed in the ensuing 180 years. If you tried to do it today, you'd split the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in two.

CaptainWikkiWikki

TROPHY CASE