Modern Vespa

Don't get me started on Disney!!

No, please, The floor is yours but yes they ruined Star Wars.

The movie Jules.
Ben Kingsley

O.S

Not Sexy Beast ?

You always make me laugh Bill! Personal experiences with the (Devil) Disney conglomerate have turned me sour. I'd rather not be a negative bastard and get banned from MV. It's cool if other people dig it, just not for me. MV is my utopia. I have many great relationships with the people here including you. Disney isn't even in the ball park. Mike drop.🙂

I think that you've just pointed out the pickle that Disney has found itself in.

It's aimed its product at a very narrow demographic and then wonders why no one is going to see its movies.

I'm good with allegories and clever metaphors but I don't want to be beaten around the head with messaging when I'm munching on my popcorn because that's just patronising.

If the last 3 Star Wars movies aren't specifically about the emasculation of Men then I don't know what they are. Well, apart from crap of course.

Can I also point out that little Adam Driver looks like Harrison Ford or Carrie Fisher.

I'll never forget the first movie I saw in a theater. I was invited by a friend and his parents to see Empire Strikes Back. Blew me away. The new stuff can't compare in my book.

I agree. I just feel that it's a shameful way to treat a once popular Franchise.

You've got to look at the Star Wars movies in the right perspective. Most franchises get one good movie, one acceptable sequel, a disappointing third installment, and after that if they can still get more entries made it's just a string of disappointments. At least Star Wars cranked out 3 really entertaining movies before it all went to shit.

Just like the Matrix.

Sir, I salute you.

People who use the term "virtue signaling" unironically are in fact themselves signaling a virtue, of sorts. A really vile one, at that.

Proceed with caution, gentleman. And you especially, Bill.

Rogue One and Andor were fantastic.

The prequels predated the Mouse I think? They were awful but my kids love them.

We're watching Caravan of Courage tonight.

We got a nice red sky tonight down here. Missed the last cycle so was probably 2002 I saw it last.

Ghost's "Rite Here Rite Now" plays june 20 and 22 (only) in theaters worldwide i do believe.

Got my ticket squared. Solo trip, missus isn't a big fan of theirs. Hoping for good weather so I can just scoot down.

Rouge One benefited from the deft direction of Gareth Edwards which is why it succeeded and Solo didn't.

Disney with regards to Star Wars kind of reminds me of an Artist who is still under contract to the Record Company but has run out ideas and so it's releasing any old Box Set just to keep the punters buying the product but they have clearly run out of ideas.

The Acolyte is laughable. Ahsoka was empty trash and the Mandalorian should have ended after Season 2 for obvious reasons.

A while back in this thread, I posted about a guitar I put together for my 20yr old neighbor. He is very special and a walking encyclopedia of music trivia. Recently he started taking guitar lessons at our local School of Rock. His parents sent me this picture yesterday of their band practicing for their upcoming gig.

That is Luke in the middle with the partscaster I built for him.

What is this 'cash' thing?

A beautiful sunny, warm, top-down drive into town for a deluxe crap-load breakfast at Burger King..."with extra carbs and 'upsized' gluten, please!"

This single origin Yemen Mokha Matari I roasted is delightfully cheering me up. Just this side of Vienna roast gives complex flavors of cocoa and molasses with a tiny note of sweet dried fruit. I only drink coffee on the weekends or on trips so having a cup is more of an experience for me.

Jesus. I'm on 8 a day.

You wouldn't be able to put up with me on that much coffee! You'd have to put me down like a rabid dog.🤣

Everyone needs a hobby OK ?

My wife and I both drink coffee until well past noon. Besides, I paid a silly amount of money for my automatic espresso machine; I'm putting that bitch to work!

(and to keep it on topic, my first cup is cheering me up right now...)

Moms! Happy Mother's Day to all the great ones out there!

Seeing a 3.5 foot Bull Snake on the road today in Badlands National Park always cheers me up...
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The big Bison bulls in Badlands National Park were almost free of their winter coats...always a cheerful sight.

I took my Miata out for a drive today.

There was no destination when I got into the car and threw the roof back.

But as I was driving north I remembered that it was my first Mother's Day without mine.

So I pointed the little car to the Jacksonville National Cemetery, where we laid both parent's to rest last year.

I found their shared headstone, had my thankful thoughts and drove home.

I miss her.

Happy Mother's Day, all you moms out there.

Bill

Yeah, it's kind of rough, isn't it? I think I kept myself so busy I didn't let myself think much.

I try and ignore it but do facilitate my kids to spoil their mum.

I'm happy today because my team are running the national conference this week. The hard work is done, I've done my opening, session chairing and my invited speaker (kids friends mom is a professor and world expert in a peripheral field) was amazing. Now I can relax and bask in my teams awesomeness for a few days.

New rear rubber is cheering me up

Imma need to do that soon.

But also with 13" upgrade. Spose a rabaconda is a good idea too....

Didn't know what it was. Googled it. Way too expensive €550. I take the wheel off myself and carry it to the tire store with a new tire in my other hand (only a few stops on the train and a few mins walk at each end). They charge AU$15 to put the new tire on the rim.

On the Star Wars topic ...

I - like many of us here - are of the generation that saw the genesis of the franchise. It was unexpected and fantastic. I saw the first (Episode IV before it was IV) at a drive in double feature with "Logan's Run".

I've seen the movies, even the trash I-III and they all had their merits, despite Jar-Jar.

When "Force Awakens" came out, I was hopeful. "Rogue One" was well done and a nice tie in to the story. "Last Jedi" was ok, with caveats. And I will probably never see that last installment. For that, I'm sad. But I saw the direction it was headed. People were not wrong with their criticisms. The thing about SW is it's like Tolkien ... there IS canon, and to try fitting other elements in as a money grab at the expense of fans of canon is to essentially pee on everything leading up to it. I mention Tolkien because, as a fan, I'd like to kick Peter Jackson right in the stones and what I've seen them do to the story for the latest incarnation makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

I was leery about "Rise of Skywalker" for a lot of reasons, and then I saw this :



That decided it for me.

I think this picture said it best :

It's 100 here if you don't pay their ridiculously inflated prices for the tires. If you do that it's "only" 75.

Either way with two scoots (possibly a third in a few weeks) and a couple friends who ride as well, it makes long term sense for us.

nope

I'm curious: How many kms did you get on the old tyres?

Driving myself today, only on 4 wheels still,
first time since surgery in March. Yay!

Finally finished the Murphy bed (wall bed). No, I didn't follow the instructions, this was done with a budget - it all came under $500. Who knew 8x4s of 3/4" plywood were $90 before taxes and a quart of paint cost $29...

I am extremely interested in as many details as you'd care to share about this....am likely to be installing one in our next house when we move west.

also i'm very delighted with the resurgence of AMC and Gamestop stonk prices today.

i mean it's all fluff and they'll drop again but i think we ride the wave whilst we can and enjoy the gains.

not that i have much in either, most of my portfolio is S&P based because i'm a boring lil chicken.

but hey enjoying the prospect of it paying for a proper bespoke suit at least.