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Messages - F-14 Ace

Pages: 1 2 3 ... 139
1
Silver Screen / Re: Mufasa: The Lion King
« on: August 13, 2024, 09:53:24 PM »
Nah Disney is dead to me.  I'm not giving them any more of my money. 

2
Gamers Zone / Re: Whatcha playin'?
« on: August 06, 2024, 04:39:24 AM »
I'm playing through Bioshock Infinite for the first time since 2013.  Unfortunately I find that a lot of my issues with it when it first released still stand.  Gorgeous game with fun gameplay but the story is a convoluted mess and it doesn't really feel like a Bioshock game. 

3
Sound Off! / Re: What are you listening to?
« on: January 23, 2024, 05:09:06 AM »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD2_T1Ad0uY

Beautiful music. Especially the part that starts at 2:25.

4
Gamers Zone / Re: Whatcha playin'?
« on: January 12, 2024, 05:18:23 PM »
I recently finished Spider-Man 2.  Gotta say, it was a huge letdown from the previous games. 

Currently playing Jedi: Survivor.

5
Gamers Zone / Re: Hogwarts Legacy
« on: December 25, 2023, 12:39:56 AM »
I'm gonna bump this because no one has mentioned it.  I started playing the game about a month ago and it's been a long, long time since I played a game that was this much fun.  It took me back to my childhood and I had the dumbest grin on my face the whole time.  The story wasn't anything particularly special, but it wasn't bad either.  The combat and gameplay work well and the unforgivable curses were an unexpected surprise.  I think Sebastian's missions were the best part, story wise.  I( really enjoy flying around on my hippogriff and the graphorn was a lot more fun than I thought it would be for a ground mount.  All in all, a great game.  I

6
History Section / Scary and Incredible Tornado Videos
« on: December 19, 2023, 05:42:44 AM »
I've been binge-reading/watching stuff about tornadoes lately.  During the upcoming holidays I'm thinking of doing a full list of tornadoes that I personally consider to be the scariest for one reason or another.  Anyway, here's a brief list of some of the tornadoes I would be covering on that list.

The Hackleburg, Alabama EF-5
The single deadliest tornado from the April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak.  It was so powerful that it ripped the roof off of an underground storm shelter, tore asphalt from roads, and stripped tiles from the floors of homes it destroyed.  It is one of the most violent tornadoes ever recorded.  The green sky and sheer ugliness of the tornado just make it scarier.  This video was filmed at the Limestone County Correctional Facility.  Fortunately for the people filming, the tornado just narrowly missed their position. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOSG-P1EjfU

1991 Andover, Kansas F-5
The video shone here depicts the tornado as it strikes McConnell Air Force Base as an F-3.  The tornado narrowly missed a squadron of B-1 bombers that were parked on the tarmac.  Two of the bombers were reportedly loaded with live nuclear weapons at the time.  The tornado would ultimately intensify into an F-5 and devastate Andover, Kansas. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QK0VA_P83A

2022 Andover, Kansas EF-3
Andover is once again struck by a tornado, though this one was far less devastating.  Regardless, it's an intimidating sight just the same.    It was a very photogenic tornado.  Fortunately there were no fatalities associated with this particular tornado. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBB_yOXU4QA

The 2007 Greensburg, Kansas EF-5
The first tornado to receive an EF-5 rating.  This massive nocturnal tornado was 1.7 miles wide with windspeeds of just of around 205 mph. The supercell responsible for this tornado would go on to spawn three additional violent tornadoes, including an EF-3 that was 2.2 miles wide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoYyeXybTnw

Speaking of nocturnal tornadoes...

The 2021 Mayfield, Kentucky EF-4
This tornado was arguably an EF-5 but that's a discussion for another time.  The Mayfield tornado was an incredibly powerful and violent tornado.  The video shows the tornado around the time it struck Bremen, where it was at near EF-5 intensity, 1.5 miles wide with wind speeds of almost 200 mph!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTQEg_UEiKk

The 2015 Rochelle-Fairdale EF-4
Another possible EF-5 contender, this tornado has peak windspeeds estimated at 200 mph, just one mph shy of the EF-5 rating!  This terrifying video, filmed oy Clem Schultz, shows the tornado barreling down on his home in Fairdale, Illinois.  The tornado was at EF-3 intensity at the time of filming.  Miraculously, Schults survived the tornado.  Sadly, his wife and a family friend were not so fortunate, being the tornado's only two fatalities. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0c27Twu__o

The 2011 Joplin EF-5
This tornado was an absolute monster.  It was the single deadliest tornado since the 1950s and remains the costliest in US history.  This video is particularly harrowing as the tornado goes from a few wisps beneath a rotating wall cloud to a full wedge in a matter of seconds.  The speed at which the tornado developed and intensified is just insane.  It was heavily rainwrapped as it hit Joplin, making it almost invisible.  This led to many people in the storm's path not taking it seriously, which likely contributed to the catastrophic loss of life from this tornado.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka8z6xYIQY0

7
Silver Screen / Re: Ahsoka
« on: September 21, 2023, 02:29:35 PM »
Quote from: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on September 19, 2023, 06:17:52 PM
Quote from: aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato) on September 19, 2023, 06:17:52 PM
I dunno, I'm starting to think new Star Wars just isn't for me. I keep finding the writing really weak, especially if legacy characters are involved, and Ahsoka is no exception. I really wish they'd stop splitting their storylines up between shows, I keep being confused and then a friend says "oh yeah, that changed in episode 5 of the Boba Fett show". I mean, the Season 2 finale of Mandalorian and the Season 3 premiere are so disjointed that they literally don't function as a cohesive narrative going from one to the other back to back. (I can't really go into detail without spoiling, but they are flagrantly contradictory.)

Sorry, I know I'm supposed to be talking about Ahsoka. I only watched the pilot, but the new Sith pair were the most generic villains I've seen in years. Protagonists make moronic decisions to keep the plot moving, the morals are paper-thin (after seeing Andor spend its whole season analyzing the nuanced nature of loyalty, bureaucracy, propaganda, raised values, and the complexity of human motivations and mentality, seeing Ahsoka try their hand with "How can they still be loyal to the Empire?" "It's not loyalty...it's greed" was like pivoting from F. Scott Fitzgerald to a 5th-grade remedial essay.) I also didn't watch Rebels back in the day so any references or plots carried forward from that show mean nothing to me.

This show was kinda the final straw, I'm probably not going to watch any new Star Wars stuff going forward unless there's a very generous factor in its favor.

Baylan and Shin aren't Sith.  They actually have complex motivations and histories that are expanded upon in the later episodes.  Frankly, I wish they, along with Thrawn, had been the villains of the sequel trilogy.  They're among the most interesting and complex characters we've gotten from Disney Star Wars.  Baylan in particular reminds me a lot of Count Dooku.  The villains in this show make the First Order look like a bunch of chumps.  At this point, I'm more invested in them than the heroes of the show. 

8
Nothing after Toy Story 3 is canon as far as I'm concerned.

9
Silver Screen / Re: Star Wars: Andor
« on: November 25, 2022, 04:24:27 PM »
My thoughts on Star Wars content from the last decade:  And this is gonna contain spoilers so be warned. 

Clone Wars: Some episodes were hit or miss, but overall the quality was incredible.  This show made me love characters that I couldn't stand in the Prequel Trilogy.  Of particular note are the "Mortis" arch, the "Order 66" arc, the return of a certain sith lord, the "Mandalor" arc and the last few episodes of Season 7.

Rebels: While a lot more "kid friendly" and lighthearted, this was still a good show.  I particularly loved Kana Jarrus and his character development.  He's become one of my favorite Jedi characters.

The Bad Batch: I love this shows.  It shows an atypical family who still very much think of each other as family.  While it can be goofy at times, it still has a lot of heart and the members of the Bad Batch all have a lot of personality.  I look forward to Season 2 in January.

The Mandalorian: This is some of the best live-action content we've gotten from Disney.  The relationship between Din and Grogu is amazing and heartwarming and the show has a lot of good action and set pieces.  Of particular note is the episode "The Believer".  Bill Burr, despite being a controversial comedian, gave a heartfelt performance as a traumatized war veteran haunted by his past that added a great deal of depth to his character.  I just wish Ahsoka had been given a better introduction in the show.  I watched it with my dad and had to explain who Ahsoka was. 

The Book of Boba Fett: Ironically, the show I was looking forward to the most turned out to be the least good.  While I didn't hate the show, and even enjoyed a lot of it, it was a hot mess.  Boba being relegated to a side character in his own series didn't help either.  It wasn't bad.  It just wasn't very good.

Obi Wan Kenobi: Another one I was hyped for only to be let down by.  Again, there were aspects of the show I really liked, and it was great to see Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christenson reprise their roles, but this show could have been SOOO much better.  I classic waste of wasted potential.  It feels more like a fan film than an actual canon entry. 

The Sequel Trilogy: What sequel trilogy?

Rogue One: This is hands-down the best Star Wars movie we've gotten from Disney.  K2 is the best droid in any Star Wars movie, the movie's theme of sacrifice and hope, and one of the best Darth Vader scenes ever, make this a worthy entry in the Star Wars lore. 

Solo: I don't feel like this movie deserves the hate that it gets.  While it may be the prequel no one asked for, it was still a decent movie.  I feel like a lot of the flak it got was backdraft from "The Last Jedi".  It certainly isn't great, but it's not horrible and I had fun watching it. 

This all brings us to Andor:  I'm just gonna come out and say it.  This is the best Star Wars work we've gotten from Disney in terms of quality.  Yes, it even surpasses "The Mandalorian".  This show doesn't rely on fan service.  We don't need space wizards with laser swords for this show to work and that's why it's special. 

As I previously stated, this probably isn't a show that children would enjoy, but it's very mature and well-crafted nature put it right up there with "Game of Thrones" imo.  Of note is the lack of filler.  Even "The Mandalorian" had filler episodes.  Every episode of "Andor" is important to the overall plot. 

While the show is slow-paced and has a lot of talking (which is still quite good) there are also some big payoffs.  The Aldhani heist, prison break and Ferrix riot were all great action scenes. 

The show really delves into the totalitarian nature of the Empire and the consequences it has for the common citizen.  We see Cassian being arrested by a power-tripping stormtrooper just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for which he is basically sentenced to a lifetime of slavery in a penal colony. 

Nemik's manifesto about freedom being a pure ideal and how attempts to stifle it naturally lead to rebellion, and totalitarian regimes being fragile rings true even in real life.  As do Cassian's words about how "power doesn't panic".  I could point out any number of examples of that in real life but I'm not going to. 

Maarva's recorded speech at her funeral was powerful and moving.  As was the riot that followed.  Brasso clocking an Imperial in the head with the brick made from Maarva's ashes was both awesome and hilarious, as was the Time Grappler Sparta-punting a stormtrooper off his tower. 

I feel like Disney didn't expect Andor to be successful, so they kept their hands off of it and as a result we got a much more sincere product without the executive meddling.  I eagerly look forward to season 2.

10
Silver Screen / Re: Star Wars: Andor
« on: November 23, 2022, 04:13:48 PM »
That was freaking epic!  This is the kind of Star Wars content we need.  Take note, Disney!  This and "Tales of the Jedi". 

11
Silver Screen / Re: Star Wars: Andor
« on: November 23, 2022, 01:59:55 AM »
Season finale is coming up here soon.

12
The Fridge / What type of heater do you prefer?
« on: November 22, 2022, 05:34:20 AM »
Just something I was wondering about.  I spent all last winter trying to heat my little office with a small ceramic heater and while it worked nice, it was noisy and once it cut off, the room quickly grew cold again. 

Then I discovered the joy of oil-filled radiator heaters.  I have 3 in my house now that I use to heat the rooms I spend the most time in: my office, game room, and bedroom.  They're from 3 different brands but all seem to work pretty good at quickly heating a room.  Oil-filled radiator heaters heat oil using an internal heating element and the oil flows through the coils and radiates heat out into the surrounding air via convection. 

The cons: 
Oil filled heaters take a while to heat up and to heat a space.

They tend to be rather expensive to buy up front compared to other heater types.


The pros:
Oil filled heaters are very energy efficient.  Once they heat up to the desired temperature, they shut off and only turn on again to quickly reheat the oil.  They're very budget-friendly to run.

The oil holds heat for a long time, meaning that temperatures in the room stay consistent. 

These heaters have no fan, so they're virtually silent. 


13
Silver Screen / Re: Star Wars: Andor
« on: November 19, 2022, 12:32:44 PM »
Also I heard the season finale is gonna be nearly an hour long.

14
Silver Screen / Star Wars: Andor
« on: November 19, 2022, 05:13:05 AM »
I figured I'd start a thread for this show.  I'll be perfectly honest.  Though I liked Rogue One (probably the best Star Wars movie Disney has done), I didn't think Cassian Andor was an interesting enough character to carry his own show.  So when I heard that he was getting a series, I kinda just rolled my eyes.  I had no interest whatsoever in watching this show, and it had been out for several weeks before I got bored one night and started watching it. 

Holy crap was I wrong to underestimate this show!  Though the show started off kinda slow, it's actually a decent sci-fi political thriller.  It switches between several points of view, has a very dark and gritty feel to it, and is a very mature show.  This is probably not a show that children would enjoy but I'm eating it up!  It's right up there with "The Mandalorian" in terms of quality!  The writing is good, the acting is good, the characters are well-written, the special effects and set pieces are all really well done.  All in all, it's a very good show.  I highly recommend it. 

15
Visual Art / Re: My Commissioned Artwork
« on: November 13, 2022, 03:25:44 PM »
Another commission I got from Arven92 featuring Windstrider and his son looking out over Grand Teton National Park.  Windstrider always gave off "Mufasa" vibes, hence the Lion King inspired picture.
 

16
Gamers Zone / Re: Favorite video game and why
« on: September 30, 2022, 06:10:47 AM »
Red Read Redemption2.  Fantastic characters, a compelling story, an amazing game world, tons of content, collectibles, and side quests, and the best video game protagonist of all time.  Arthur Morgan's tale of redemption is probably one of the best stories told through a video game.  Also, drinking with Lenny...  Nuff said. 

17
Silver Screen / Re: A Winnie the Pooh Indie Slasher Movie Coming
« on: September 01, 2022, 04:58:24 AM »
I don't need my childhood to be raped by this.  How is this even being made?  I thought Disney owned the movie rights.

18
Silver Screen / Re: A Winnie the Pooh Indie Slasher Movie Coming
« on: July 16, 2022, 12:26:26 PM »
Doubt I'll ever watch it.  Now, a Barney slasher film I might watch just out of morbid curiosity, but I'v no desire to see this.

19
Starday Wishes / Re: Happy birthday F-14 Ace
« on: July 13, 2022, 04:53:40 AM »
I totally missed my own birthday.  Meh. 

20
1988 Theatrical Release / Re: Should have Petrie died?
« on: June 29, 2022, 03:44:10 PM »
I don't get this weird obsession with killing off members of the gang that this fandom has.  I stopped reading fanfiction for pretty much that same reason. 

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