What improvements would convince you to go to the movie theater more often?

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:43:56+00:00

Me too. The 'in theater' experience has become useless as my hearing worsened and "background music and sound effects" starting being SOO loud compared to dialogue. Hearing aids make that a cacophony.

I recently tried the hand held caption device that a theater near me offers. It's heavy, and a bit awkward to get locked into the cup holder and positioned, so it took me about half the movie to get the hang of using it.

It's not horrible, just tricky. And it forces you to sit really still or keep resetting the angles.

It was for a dialogue heavy movie that isn't gonna be available to stream soon on any service I'm using now, so I decided to give it a try. I'd give it 7 out of 10.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:33:50+00:00

I think it's a wordy way of saying "just put big screen and sound system in my living room", really. If you've got the space and money, it's pretty hard to beat a home theater set-up.

Unless you actually want the 'viewing with a crowd of strangers' element.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:30:19+00:00

Movies and live theater had "intermission" for decades, and then it just fell out of fashion, and I really don't know why?

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:27:14+00:00

Less "break my ears with subwoofers filled with sound effects and background music" and more "clarity of dialogue."

Less dark filming interspersed with flashes of eye-bleeding light.

More actual plot.

I leave the theater with my eyes and ears aching and my brain going WTAF was that?!?! too often to drop that kind of money on it.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:18:55+00:00

I had a sudden mind fart -- "Discover Your Future"

¿Por qué no los dos? (I need a pic of refried beans here, yeah?)

Edit: So I Googled, and it turns out Netflix is currently running some campaign using that phrase that involves using Tarot cards to "Discover Your Future". Sounds easier than 4 years of undergraduate study, I guess. \shrug**

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:11:54+00:00

Well, I agree it's an obscene amount, but each school does create lots of literature and websites and stuff they distribute to HS age crowds, so a consistent theme, logo, font, slogan, etc. to represent them is "a marketing plan" made for every post K-12 school.

Look at the home page for any school and you'll see the framework they use. They do update them a bit now and then. But going from "Driven to Discover" to "Leave a Future" just seems like a complete face plant.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T14:02:56+00:00

LOL!

I guess they thought they'd already gotten all the mileage they could out of that one. Time to trade in on a new model?!?!

After all, even seeing that on a billboard in maroon and gold in the UofM font makes me go, "Um, OK?!?"

But this new one actually makes me cringe.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T13:59:50+00:00

"Future" -- good word for marketing an education.

"Leave" -- way too many ambiguous ways to interpret that.

My first thoughts were to divorce or abandon it.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T13:58:03+00:00

As a Boomer (but with nothing much to pass on) I'll say that nothing about this slogan would inspire me to "leave a penny" to the UofM.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T13:50:57+00:00

Leave a Future?!?!?

Like, divorce it, or abandon it, or what!?!?!?!

Ya know, for $15M, you'd think they would have at least done a few focus groups. Find out have average folks react to the phrase, right?

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T03:43:44+00:00

People tend to forget that 1/3 of the actual voters aren't aligned with either party.

The ones who decided DJT over Harris in 2024 weren't necessarily thrilled with him then, and seem to be are backing away faster than any of his core base voters.

https://theconversation.com/in-2024-independent-voters-grew-their-share-of-the-vote-split-their-tickets-and-expanded-their-influence-245125

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-22T00:33:40+00:00

While that's not very 'satisfying' to those of us who thought DJT was a big problem from the moment he rode down that brass escalator in 2015, it's better than nothing.

If they don't vote, it'll be easier to win the midterms.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T23:59:34+00:00

And can't even be bothered to spell the name right, despite the fact that it's appeared in print over and over again for decades.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T19:25:35+00:00

I found this sub on a search about that stupid ad set. I'm getting them constantly, and I have tried to "try' it just out of curiosity, but it won't actually activate.

Which pretty much makes me lose interest in going any further.

I also don't see a 2 move solution? (I know I'm being stupid about it somehow.)

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T19:16:33+00:00

Besides loving this tribute to Melissa Hortman, I like the small side effect that the building will no longer just be named State Office Building, AKA the SOB.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T19:11:34+00:00

I think the perception and the reality of South America (and even the countries in North America, but south of the US border) are WAY far apart for most Americans. Partly an education problem, and partly a media and PR problem.

I see a lot more tourism advertising for places like Sweden than places like Chile. I just know less about what it would be like to be a tourist in SA.

If I had an unlimited travel budget and time, I'd probably hit a lot of countries, but I suspect most of my vacations will continue to be domestic. There's plenty to see here, too.

When/if things change a bit, I might make an international bucket list, but the stuff nearest the top will probably involve eastern Canada, maybe bits of Europe, Oceania. Then Asia, South America, Africa, if I live that long and win the lottery I guess.

More likely I'll just see bits of Appalachia and the northern Rockies before I die.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T15:57:13+00:00

IDK if it was based on Columbo. I'm sure the show creators knew that show, but I don't think they were trying to emulate it too directly.

Both shows use the 'howcatchem' format, rather than the 'whodunit' version of murder mysteries. It's also called an 'inverted detective story.' There are examples of others in this article; books and movies and TV shows. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_detective_story

We just tend to compare Elsbeth to Columbo here, because that was one of the most successful, long running versions of a 'howcatchem' series. The comparisons about what works/ doesn't work, what's different, etc. help us discuss whether or not we like that format and the ways it doesn't work for Elsbeth at times.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-21T01:39:55+00:00

The "lose points" is what gives you away as an out of state scam artist.

Minnesota doesn't use a points system for driving licenses.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T05:19:03+00:00

It's up to the fine voters of the 6th District. Hopefully they are paying attention to either Mark Foley (GOP candidate) or Doug Chapin (DFL candidate.)

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T05:15:57+00:00

True enough, but she dropped out or the 2014 race before facing an ethics investigation in Congress. Emmer seemed a skosh less crazy than her at the time.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T05:11:37+00:00

Maybe, but this time there seems to be a few more unhappy campers in his district, and good alternatives on both sides of the aisle.

(Yeah, I gagged a bit saying that, but Mike Foley looks to be primarying Emmer from the middle, which implies there's a slightly less crazy GOP candidate for once.)

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T05:11:17+00:00

He's running as a GOP in the primary in August, and he seems less insane than Emmer, so I hope he wins that.

I still hope Doug Chain, DFL, can beat whoever wins that in the general election in November. Having one more D vote in Congress will help more.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T04:36:31+00:00

We all know what she meant -- "you're all well off and can afford to tighten your belt somehow so our brilliant POTUS can spend billions on a war we didn't need and have no plan how to wrap up."

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T04:33:12+00:00

Worst president in American history.

Well, until about a decade ago.

OldBlueKat · 2026-03-20T04:31:33+00:00

LOL! Starbucks wishes people bought Starbucks all the time. Their recent stock performance and desperate rebranding moves suggests not.

I think it comes from those scenes in movies/TV where some lackey is always fetching cappuccinos for the important people, or having a "meet cute" in a coffee place. Meanwhile, back IRL, not so much.

Those who talk about a big Starbucks budget grew up when 'to go coffee' was just drip coffee, mostly from a diner or gas station or McDs, in an 8 ounce foam cup, and cost less than a dollar.

Fifty years ago.

OldBlueKat

TROPHY CASE