ValentineXavier
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Posts posted by ValentineXavier
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> {quote:title=SansFin wrote:}{quote}It is the citric and phosphoric acid which does that. Lemonade will also have the same effect.
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Of course, but you don't have to tell the kids that. It's sugary sodas you want to discourage them from drinking...
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> {quote:title=OtisCriblecoblis wrote:}{quote}
> Why would anybody from a country call themselves by the name of the
> continent? I call myself an American because that's the country I'm from,
I'm from The United States of America, aka the USA. Everyone native to the western hemisphere is an American. I realize that those of us in the USA have tried to appropriate the name "American" for ourselves, but that doesn't make it accurate, or right.
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> {quote:title=johnbabe wrote:}{quote}WELL, IF THE LIST IS CORRECT, GARBO HAS NOT BEEN STAR OF THE MONTH FOR 7 YEARS!
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> IT IS TIME FOR HER RETURN!
She vants to be alone. Can't you heed her wish?
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> {quote:title=Dargo wrote:}{quote}
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> And sooooo, once again I'll ask...Where did this whole idea spring up that callin' someone a "Yank" was or might be considered pejorative nomenclature??? ?:|
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> I'VE never thought it was!
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> (...well, except for how it was originated by the British Red Coats during the American Revolution, but THAT was YEARS ago, and since that time I've always thought Americans have been proud to hold that moniker!)
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I agree, but some southerners might disagree.
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Well, I suspended my disbelief for the invisibility. But the Prof. being stupid was, well, stupid, and hard to believe. Great cast, yes! It even had Mrs. Hudson in it!
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I've made it clear I'm not a sports fan. But, if I were, given that they show more commercial breaks than game, I couldn't take watching them straight. I would set my DVR to record the game, then start watching from the beginning about half way through the game. That way, you can FF through all the ordinary commercials, and catch up to real-time just before the game is over.
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> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote}
> A Yanqui would specifically be everyone living in the US. Sometimes they call us Gringos. Sometimes it's polite and sometimes it's not. The best way to get along in Latin America as a tourist is to grin a lot. If they call you a Yanqui or a Gringo, just grin and look foolish. They like that and will respect you for they. NEVER try to act superior. They hate that. Let them know that you think they are superior, and they will love you for it.
And, if they call you a "Gabacho," make yourself scarce.
The best thing to do in any foreign country is to treat the people with respect, as equals, and don't be demanding. In all the Latin American countries I have been in, it is much better to be sympatico than macho.
Once, when taking a local flight from Merida, Mexico, to Cozumel, I had way more luggage/weight than allowed on a local flight, including a bicycle. The guy ahead of me at the airline desk was just overweight with his one bag, that was legal on an international flight. He was hollering and cussing at the clerk about having to pay more. When it was my turn, I said to the clerk, in Spanish, that it must be awful to have to put up with that stuff all day. Well, I had more pieces, and more weight, but I was only charged about 1/10 of what the guy in front of me was charged. I don't know if I was undercharged, he was over charged, or a bit of both, but I was grateful! Attitude counts.
And Fred, I completely agree with your statement about the use of the word "Americans." I've delivered that lecture myself.
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Certainly a minor film, but I enjoyed it well enough. Charlie Ruggles did steal the show. My major problem was with a couple of plot devices.
We have a professor who won't listen to anyone, when they are trying to tell him something important, repeatedly.
And, because he doesn't want anyone but John Howard to see her, he has Virginia strip outside, in the rain. The only other person who would have seen her was the butler. What would that matter? Any fool, even a professor, would realize that the most convincing demonstration of her invisibility would be to have the fully dressed and veiled Virginia present herself to Howard, then strip in front of him.
Both of those plot devices seemed really stupid to me. But, it's just a light comedy, so I still enjoyed it.
Edited by: ValentineXavier on Feb 5, 2012 9:54 PM
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I see that Edna May Oliver is in purple. Does that mean she was an independent?
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I just recalled that I went to HS with a kid named Joel Beebe, and he pronounced in bee-bee.
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> {quote:title=filmlover wrote:}{quote}Hi, Valentine,
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> While it is true an Oppo still costs $400+, it should be pointed out that most excellent Blu players sell for less than $100 now. You don't want to scare those away who think that Blu players are still several hundred. And you can even get some that are 3D ready if you ever get a 3DTV for aout $130-175.
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> My personal recommendation are Sony players.
No, I definitely didn't mean to scare 2847 away. They said that they already had access to s Sony Playstation, for BD playback, so they don't really have to buy anything, to play BDs.
I described the Oppo as a reference grade player, indicating that it wasn't an economy player, and did say IF you can afford $499. Perhaps I should have added that there are plenty of decent players for much lower prices. One thing about the Oppo is that its upscaling is far superior to cheaper (and many more expensive) players. So, one's collection of DVDs will look much better on the Oppo.
I don't have 3DTV yet, but agree that passive systems are the way to go. I'd bet that the demo film you saw was *Deep Sea 3D*, narrated by Johnny Depp - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424942/ That was the first 3D film I saw when our local multiplex went 3D, and it is still one of the very best 3D films I have seen. I was afraid the seaweed was going to tickle my nose!
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I doubt it. They probably don't leave their clothes lying on the floor at night.
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> {quote:title=calvinnme wrote:}{quote}I have a theory on this problem of pan and scan versions that occasionally pop up on TCM. Note that if the title is on pressed DVD or is not the property of TCM's parent company, Warner Brothers, that the film will be shown in the original aspect ratio. However, if the film is slated for or has already been added to the Warner Archive, you'll get pan and scan every time:
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> The DI
> -30-
> Green Slime
> Susan Slept Here
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> These are ones that come to my mind that are not 1.33:1 yet are televised on TCM that way. This is a business decision by WB because they know full well that if you can make a DVD-R for under a dollar why should you pay them 20 bucks for a cheap burn job that will only last a couple of years and then quit working...if it ever worked in the first place.
Not sure about the others, but *The Green Slime* is an MGM film. It was available on DVD in its OAR of 2.35:1 for a few years. Then in 2010, it was "remastered" and released, by MGM, at 1.78:1. Both are commercially pressed discs, not burned.
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> {quote:title=Sepiatone wrote:}{quote}Valentine, sounds like you're a "Cerf-er"!
> Sepiatone
Nah, I'm just a pun gent.
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> {quote:title=finance wrote:}{quote}Shotgun shack? The only time I ever heard that term was in the Talking Heads' "Once in a Limetime"-----------"You may find yourself living in a shotgun shack".
Just to add a couple of things to Fred's description of a shotgun house, the reason for the name is that in a prototypical shotgun house, when you open the front door, you can see the back door. Thus, if both doors were open, you could shoot a shotgun in the front door, and the shot would go out the back door.
They weren't always on long, narrow lots. The one I lived in wasn't. They were very simple, and cheap to build. The simplest might not have any actual rooms, maybe just a couple of dividing walls, or just completely open. The fanciest would have a long front-to-back hall down the middle, and a couple of rooms on each side of the hall.
I don't quibble at all with David Byrne's use of "shotgun shack," he was using it as an extreme, which was emphasized with that particular usage.
And, Miss W. of course I knew your piece was meant to be humorous, and it was.
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There is a Civil War era fiddle tune called Soldier's Joy, about morphine:
>Gimme some of that Soldier?s Joy, you know what I mean
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>I don?t want to hurt no more my leg is turnin? green
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It's one of my favorite films, and I think, Bogie's best performance. But, when I think of a "Bogart film," *The Big Sleep* is my favorite. His character in that is somewhat more... simpatico.
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Well, my nitpick was meant in fun. I lived in a shotgun house in Oklahoma City when I was 5. I probably lived in one in Morgan City, and Corpus Christi, but I was too young to remember. I think I remember living in one in Midland, Texas, when I was 4, before we moved into a duplex.
Hope you enjoyed *Red Tails*. Sounds like a great film. I'd like to see it.
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I never miss the Super Bowl. I never watch it, but I don't miss it in the least.
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> {quote:title=FredCDobbs wrote:}{quote}
> My lifeboat story is a metaphor...
To paraphrase Will Rodgers, 'I never metaphor I didn't like.'
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> {quote:title=2847 wrote:}{quote}Why should I buy Blu Ray Discs? Example, I have The Adventures of Robin Hood remaster Dvd from a few years back. Do I really need a Blu Ray version? Same applies to many of my other favorites.Money of course is an issue. I don't have a Blu Ray player, but can use my sons Playstation 3 as one.Note I am the only one in the family that buys DVDS. I like the old films. New films we just rent them, or get it off our cable. Thanks!
Blu-ray is undeniably superior to DVD, but the real answer to your question depends on your tastes, viewing environment, and your equipment. Obviously, if you don't have an HDTV, you would see little, if any difference. If you have a small HDTV, and sit far away from it, you wouldn't see any difference. If you have a large HDTV, and sit relatively close to it, you will see a world of difference, with a 1080p Blu-ray disc.
So, if you have a HDTV of say, 50" or larger, and don't sit more than 10' away, Blu-ray is worth having. If this is the case, when you buy something new, buy it in Blu-ray. Don't feel you have to replace your whole collection, but maybe buy Blu-ray discs of a few of your very favorites, if the BD releases get good reviews.
If you can buy a really good Blu-ray player, they will do really good upscaling of DVDs, making them look better than they do on other equipment. If you have $499 to spend on a reference quality Blu-Ray player, that is as good or better than players costing far more, you would be amazed at how good your SD DVDs can look, and your Blu-ray discs would also be stunning, assuming you have a large HDTV. If one can afford it, here's the player I recommend:
http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-93/blu-ray-BDP-93-Features.aspx
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It was either TCM or AMC, that showed the Playhouse 90 version, years ago. I agree that Palance was great in it, but I think Quinn was quite good too.
I do wish TCM would show as much of Playhouse 90 as is available. I enjoyed TCM showing Screen Directors Playhouse, and Playhouse 90 is way better than that.
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I'll second those, and add a few more:
*Pete Kelly's Blues*
*Three Days of the Condor*
*Gloria*
*Never on Sunday*
*Breaker Morant*
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I have heard the name of undersea explorer William Beebe pronounced bee-bee.
It must be Full-Screen night on TCM
in General Discussions
Posted
Interesting. Amazon says it's available as a MGM release, from 2010.