Our final installment of our holiday movie series is upon us. We will resume our regular scheduled programming next week. I will not apologize, but I can only offer my thoughts and prayers.
This is my review of Tombstone Brewing Black Moriah Imperial Stout:
Ah New Years. Why is is so hard to find New Years movies? Is it because its right after Xmas when everyone is done with festive movies? Maybe. This one at least stars the delightful Billy Crystal. Not to be confused with Bill Kristol, who should be be forced to nail his own penis to the floor in between waterboard sessions.
When Harry Met Sally begins at the University of Chicago…wait a minute…this is a Rob Reiner film? Suddenly I’m confused.
Harry (the delightful Billy Crystal) at the beginning of the movie was dating one of Sally’s (a Meg Ryan equally delightful for other reasons in 1988) friends, which leads to them ride sharing to New York after graduation. There was a lot of talking involved as podcasts were not yet invented. One subject of conversation was whether or not men and women can be friends. Harry rejects the notion of friendship between men and women due to the obvious …squishy part …issue. Sally however disagrees. After they arrive in New York Harry makes a pass at Sally, is rejected, and arrested for sexual harassment… Okay fine this was the 80’s, and it was a better time, so they both agree to never see each other again.
Amidst dating and breaking up with others, attempting to be friends and failing, they engage in multiple encounters between each other throughout the 80’s. In 1987 they meet by chance at a bookstore, catch up and agree to be friends. After an attempt to set up a double date between each other’s friends, they find their friends were unexpectedly attracted to each other. Later they unintentionally copulate when Harry was called to be a shoulder to cry on after Sally finds out her ex was getting married. Finally on New Year’s Eve, Harry was inspired by America’s favorite Nosferatu, Dick Clark, and runs down Sally at a party. He goes full simp mode. Was it justifiable to go full simp mode for 1988 Meg Ryan? You decide. In the end, Harry and Sally agree they can no longer be friends, as they were married 3 months later. A full 12 years after they first met.
Can this movie be made again? Hell no. Harry would be branded a stalker today, and would likely be in prison. He could otherwise make a decent living recording a weekly free market economics podcast had he decided not to pursue Sally. Besides, if the Whatever Podcast is to be believed Sally’s body count is way too high and men no longer like dating women due to the ongoing culture war.
On the subject of men and women being friends: its complicated. At first glance the answer is plainly no. Men typically don’t pursue women purely for friendships so chances are good initially an ulterior motive was at hand even if there are common interests. The part it gets complicated is why are you only friends? It could be a preexisting attachment, disagreement in fundamental values, being located 1000 miles away, or simple fear keeping one from crossing a line in what is an otherwise valuable friendship. This is ultimately up to both friends to decide. I do want to stress crossing the line does involve some amount of courage as being rejected often means ending everything. Does it need to be so? No. I for one would argue life is too short and it is more valuable in knowing with certainty a friend isn’t a coward. If that’s truly the case, a coward wouldn’t be able to handle rejection—so there’s nothing to lose. As opposed to letting the question linger for years while watching shitty RomComs on New Year’s Eve and putting bets on Polymarket over whether or not Dick Clark will catch fire after chaining him to a post to expose him to the sunrise.
I’ve only ever see him at night, on New Year’s Eve. I have yet to hear a better explanation for Dick Clark other than him being undead.
Let it be known, this is not intended as a pass on Mojeaux, but I did think the name was funny. This beer is indeed an attempt at Russian River’s Old Rasputin. Is it a good attempt at recreating something good? Yes, actually. Would I recommend this over the aforementioned Old Rasputin? No. As it turns out this brewery is in southern AZ and somewhat difficult to find even here in Phoenix so really its easier to just find Old Rasputin. Tombstone Brewing Black Moriah Imperial Stout: 4.0/5
I never had Old Rasputin either?
Are you real?
I’ve never had it either.
Not my wheelhouse.
We are all Tulpas.
Are you real?
This, seriously.
I love the Russian River sours.
Imperial stouts are not me thing.
I’ve never even heard of it, but of course I don’t drink carbonated beverages at all.
kinnath and I share tastes in beer.
One cake, Two shots, three glasses of wine, and gallons of water?
(poisoned, poisoned, revolver, revolver, and drowned)
Delicious.
Total Wine is your friend if you want to try it.
“I’ve only ever see him at night, on New Year’s Eve. I have yet to hear a better explanation for Dick Clark other than him being undead.”
Pretty sure he is actually dead.
THATS WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO THINK
I’d say Trading Places qualifies as both an Xmas and a NYE movie. We just showed it to the boys for our Xmas viewing.
But which holiday is it best suited for?
My hypothesis is NYE, and I’ll bet you a dollar.
I will take your bet
Heheh, I did great in pork bellies this year, so you’re on.
Strange Days is a New Year’s movie.
And a very good one at that.
I love that movie so much, and hate that it was set in 1999.
Later they unintentionally copulate when Harry was called to be a shoulder to cry on after Sally finds out her ex was getting married.
“Unintentionally”.
Would I recommend this over the aforementioned Old Rasputin? No.
So have both.
Which is what I’d do.
Sure, sure, it just happened. Could happen to anybody. It was an accident, right? You tripped, fell on the floor and accidentally stuck your dick into [her]
Billy Crystal?
Nyet.
The name is familiar but I can’t place him. Must have been on something that I never saw..
Are you mostly dead?
You’re confusing him with Bill Kristol. I do it all the time.
They’re both terrible in their own way.
One of then was in Soap. That’s the better of the two.
“Unintentionally”.
Negligent discharge?
I still cannot process the US invading a sovereign country and capturing its duly elected president.
While I sort of admire the audacity, this is not going to be a good precedent.
We’ve been doing regime change since 1776
One of his charges is, “owning a machine gun”. How in the hell can someone in a foreign country be held for an American law?
Bad precedent indeed.
I believe the various forms of “Conspiracy” and RICO laws make eveyr member of the organization guilty of the crimes of any member in furtherance of the conspiratoral/organizational goals
Every one of us should be able to be changed with that.
It’s in common use.
As CIC doesn’t Trump own or control a couple machine guns?
Hope they don’t put Maduro in Epstein’s old cell, that one has a bad reputation, know what I mean?
One could argue the precedent goes back to at least Noriega.
Not that I like the precedent.
Why, we did the exact same thing in 1989. Panama is better for it.
23 American military killed in Panama, in the Noriega roundup. Noriega does 20 years hard time, 23 families are still living the hard time.
Africa calls… Lots to do there
I don’t believe Biden was “duly elected” in 2020 let alone this guy, ever.
Right with you Rhy.
Do Keir Starmer next.
Lula Silva
600K new people vote no.
“Starmer’s my friend”
And yet we complain when the EU-weenies interfere in European elections.
[cue up the Witcher “fuck” clip]
“Capturing its duly elected president”
Maduro effectively banned the opposition candidate and then refused to report the vote anywhere. Many countries including Bidenistan did not accept Maduro’s claimed victory.
This is my take. He was elected like Biden was elected in 2020, and how he would have been elected again had CO and others had their way with banning Trump from the ballot.
“Duly elected” isn’t really accurate, is it?
I was with you up to “duly elected.”
I predict Maduro will retire to a life of quiet luxury in Brazil.
He is now more likely to be in the cell next to Luigi. Good.
If we’re toppling socialist leaders of South American countries, Brazil should be next.
Giving Bolsonaro a hard-on?
I spent over two years in Brazil just before and during Lula’s first term. While I absolutley despise the fucking cunt, I don’t think that would be a good idea at all. Maduro on the other hand is a different situation and I think this is going to be a highly positive thing medium to long term.
What does Hakeem Jeffries say?
“We had to do it because it’s a war,” he added.
Do we have dramatic Hollywood grade footage of Trump in the War Room calling the shots?
I can’t believe the whole thing didn’t leak out to the media in great detail.
One thing Hegseth has done well is run a very tight lipped operation(s). Maybe kicking out reporters from the Pentagon was the key
It’s good he learned from the last time.
He was probably playing golf.
Over 25 years ago when Chavez actually legitimately won his first election in Vinny Z, I told the commies I was in class with at Berkeley that the country was about to go into a steep decline and that free elections would be a thing of the past. They, scoffed of course, it was going to be a free prosperous and equal country. Poverty would be vanquished and Yanqui imperialismo crushed under the Bolivarian revolution. So happy to finally see that fuckface taken out in what looks like a pretty much bloodless coup d’etat. Let’s see what happens now, but I am calling it even more significant than Soloeimani getting sent to his 72 virgins. Xi just sent his special envoy there yesterday, I imagine this is no coincidence.
Men and women being friends.
I am captain oblivious and have had five female friends as an adult.
Turns out they all had a thing for me.
Dated one.
Turned down one.
Married one.
Haven’t talked to one since I married the other one.
So if you are oblivious as I am you can think you have female friends, for a while.
What happened to the fifth one?
Just in case the whole marriage thing doesn’t work out.
(I keed! I keed!)
She just kinda faded away.
Lost all contact when FB banned me but she was kind of a ‘hey how are you doing?’ once a year kind of associate at that point anyway.
The one I turned down died in a car crash in early 2010 so there was no more awkwardness after that.
🙁
Hopefully NKY folks don’t get swayed by the rabid wing of MAGA cause those folks all think Massie of all people is the ‘traitor’ on X.
What’s NKY?
Northen Kentucky, Massie’s disctrict
Indeed. I disagree with Massie on both this and the Epstein thing, but I think he (and Rand) are by far the best Congress critters and I really hope he gets another term.
As far as the fedgov goes the house races are as local as it gets. The northern Kentucky people seem to have an independant streak and I’d imagine he’ll be just fine.
Lots of Cincinnati folk are invading though…
200 Cigarettes. Perfect New Years movie.
And Old Rasputin is from North Coast (who also do Scrimshaw pils), not Russian River. Russian River is known for barrel aged sours and IPAs, not stouts.
Casey is a far superior actor than his brother. Love that movie.
I vaguely remember seeing it in the theater and never again. It didn’t seem to make much of an impression on me.
Huh, I guess you got me there.
I’ve made much worse mistakes in my life. There’s quite a few breweries out their known for their stouts, not the least of which is Three Floyds. Locally, Blackout from Great Lakes is the big one.
200 Cigarettes. Perfect New Years movie.
I don’t think I have ever seen it. Is Goldie Hawn’s daughter in it?
Potentially, it’s got a long cast list. No where to stream it (legally), but at least it looks like it’s still in print and available for purchase at a reasonable price (at B&N). It’s up there with Empire Records and Swingers for the forgotten movies that shaped, if not my generation, at least my local window into it.
Its a wide window Neph.
Swingers was a hell of a movie.
Swingers was heavily quoted in my circle.
So UCS, as a case in point about non-corrupt and utterly stupid election results, I give you the AOC primary victory in 2018.
Just under 17,000 votes in the primary put her in as the Dem in the general election, which she won in a landslide with just over 110K votes. In a district with a population of over 700K (and however many eligible voters that translates to). It was an insurgency against a lazy Dem establishment as far as the primary goes, and clearly the district would elect Hitler as long as he was the Democrat candidate. [Joe Crowley after losing the Dem nomination ran in the general under a 3rd party and finished below the Republican.]
I still cannot process the US invading a sovereign country and capturing its duly elected president.
I’d say there’s a 99.992% chance it’s a pre-packaged deal, with the appropriate interested parties notified. Somebody will take him into exile.
A priss like Sally wouldn’t fake an orgasm in public. Not sober and at lunch anyway.
Not economically feasible
Against that backdrop, Volkswagen is drawing a hard line. According to VW brand CEO Thomas Schäfer, small gas-powered cars simply don’t pencil out anymore. Speaking with Auto Motor und Sport, Schäfer said models in the B-segment—think the Polo—are headed for an all-electric future. “The future in this segment is electric,” he said.
The problem isn’t consumer demand so much as math. Engineering a new internal-combustion car to meet upcoming emissions standards would be prohibitively expensive, Schäfer argued. Those costs would ultimately be passed on to buyers, pushing prices high enough that small cars would lose their main advantage: affordability.
Electric cars are the obvious solution once the EU has taxed and regulated the internal combustion engine into oblivion.
How will they tax the fuel to pay for the trains now?
upcoming emissions standards
Time for revolution.
Every kid should learn how to drive in a four-banger with four on the floor.
I drove a Polo (gas, manual): it was fun.
He seems unwilling to call out EU regulations for making it impossible to produce an ICE powered small car.
Germany is like ten minutes away from complete industrial collapse on the stupid “green” altar. They are stubbornly holding on to the fantasy like grim death but when reality finally reasserts itself this guy will turn on a dime right along with it.
I’m not signing off on sticking our dicks into Venezuela, but it’s funny watching the same sorts of people who cheered on, say, Obama’s “smart” power in Libya bitch and moan about what actually seems to have been a pretty impressive military operation to dispose of a piece of shit commie dictator in Latin America.
It’s colonialism!
It’s empire!
Dead brown people!
Yea, fuck you you fucking hypocritical fucks.
It shouldn’t be happening unless there’s a real concrete fucking plan in place to transition the country to its next phase. That may exist at least on paper. I’d imagine they are in charge with someone in that country who they want to take over. Even then, it’s really not our fucking place but it’s the real world and geopolitics so…libertarian puritanism kind of means jack all.
I just don’t want to hear it from *those* cunts right now, OK?
How fed up if at all were the Venezuelan people? If they’re really happy to see him go the trouble will be contained and if not this was a bad move no matter who we put in there. Bombing a country and installing a puppet doesn’t play well anywhere, least of all South America.
Im assuming expats are, as videos emerge, extremely happy. Those still in country? Probably not so much at least not openly.
Based on the the actual results of the last election, I bet the locals are happy to see Maduro gone. That doesn’t necessarily mean they are happy with how it happened.
A priss like Sally wouldn’t fake an orgasm in public.
Would she even know how?
With very specific tweaks, perhaps, as with her meals.
Oh this is just great.
Trump says US ‘not afraid of boots on the ground’ in Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro capture
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort as he provided new details on the stunning military operation.”
The money shot- Later, Trump added, “We’re going to have [a] presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil.”
At least it isnt yellow cake?
The ghost of Woodrow Wilson smiles.
And TR.
I detect the distinct odor of nation building.
Hard pass.
Just put the chick who won the Nobel in charge, send back all the Venezuelan asylumistas, and call it a day.
And there you go. Time for the people cheerleading this to pull their kids out of college and drive them down to the local Army recruiter.
When discussing career possibilities with Tres Jr a couple of years ago, this is precisely military wasnt an option
Despite claims that EV demand is cooling, European data suggests otherwise. Through October, electric vehicles accounted for 16.4% of EU sales, up from 13.2% a year earlier. Broader regional figures tell a similar story. If VW’s bet pays off, its new generation of affordable EVs could accelerate that trend—and make the demise of the small gas car in Europe feel less like an ending and more like a handoff.
How do we suppose the market would look absent heavyhanded government “nudges”?
With subsidized (by China) Chinese autos!
I love this flick. It’s really, really good. I imagine ’round here, ‘dems fightin’ words. I also love Love Actually, which I *know* lit a few people up when I said it last time. Both are examples of a ‘Perfect Film,’ which has a few qualifiers in Ev’s Rulebook.
Kurt Vonnegut has a fun list of rules when writing a short story. The first one is “Don’t waste the reader’s time.” Harry + Sally doesn’t. The two have great ‘chemistry’ in this one, so well-done on the actors, so special thanks to the author for not giving them shit lines to read in a shit story. (Stories don’t need to be complicated to be Big.)
Cheers to you, sir.
Hugh Grant dancing. 🤦🏻♀️ He agrees.
+ Divine Brown
The first one is “Don’t waste the reader’s time.” Harry + Sally doesn’t
All of Meathead’s films are like that. To his credit.
For the dog lovers
Kurt Vonnegut has a fun list of rules when writing a short story. The first one is “Don’t waste the reader’s time.”
I find myself, more often than not, muttering “Get to the fucking point” by the time I’m three paragraphs into a news story. Longwinded “literary” preening drives me bananas.
OMG yes
Bombed Yemen, Iran, Venezuela… not looking good. I wonder what other nine countries Trump will bomb, if he keeps up the same pace. Cuba might be next.
I guess the Bay of Pigs incident has faded from collective memory.
Here’s a Soviet documentary in English about US imperialism south of the border:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GH09AddWIA
I didn’t notice any false statements in it.
Cuba’s a good bet on the next one, Rubio’s had had a hardon for the Cuban regime for quite a while. Them or maybe Denmark.
Stalin said every nation imposes its own system as far as its armies can reach. I have a hard arguing with that, though it’d be more accurate if he had said “tries to impose” instead.
When Yanukovych was forced to flee, that was not the end of Ukraine’s woes. Libya, Iraq, and Zimbabwe had a similar turn of events.
So long as the US has huge military, presidents will be tempted to use it in stupid ways. MYOB (mind you own business) is solid and oft ignored advice.
Blah blah blah, entangling alliances, yada yada military industrial complex.