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THE US SOCCER TEAM LOSES IN THE GOLD CUP FINAL–AGAIN

Posted on by Posted in Sports

Despite leading 2-0 early on, our guys could just not maintain it, losing to Mexico 4-2. Clearly, Mexico had the better team, although one wonders how they would have done if they were not allowed to replace five players who were kicked off for drug violations, earlier in the tournament.  A rare example of FIFA largesse.

Adding insult to injury—even if this was hardly unexpected—the Rose Bowl crowd was overwhelmingly pro-Mexico. Less well known is that the title ceremony was conducted in Spanish.  This was rightly called a ” f—–g disgrace” by US goalie Tim Howard.

I would add that the current state of US soccer merits the same description.

THE BANNER SUPPLY SETTLEMENT

Posted on by Posted in Current Events

For those of you following the Chinese drywall mess, the Banner settlement is simply the latest scam to come down the pike.

Execrable plaintiff’s lawyer Arnold Levin is in charge here, and predictably, the attorneys are set up to get millions, while the affected homeowners might get a few thousand—and that assumes that they can obtain all the necessary documentation to prove their case.  Naturally, such documentary compliance is all at the homeowners’ expense.

It is a testimony to the peculiarities of the human mind that class action lawsuits exist at all. Evidently, the victimized public gets sufficient succor by seeing the defendant “suffer,” even though they themselves will get no meaningful recovery. The idea is to build the class as big as possible to garner the maximum settlement, assuring big attorney’s fees, and at the same time securing nothing for the plaintiffs.

Ironically, the only class action that ever benefited the plaintiffs involved Blockbuster Video, which settled, and changed its late fee policies. And that exception proves the rule that class action litigation, including the Banner settlement, is a total crock.

US SOCCER TEAM FINALLY GETS IT DONE

Posted on by Posted in Sports

Playing well for the very first time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, our team scored a solid 2-0 victory over Jamaica.   The Reggae Boyz definitely had some weapons, though, with goalie Donovan Ricketts and speedster attackers Dane Richards and Luton Shelton.

Has the US side finally gotten into its groove?  That’s why they have the games…

Let’s see how they progress.

WEINER’S WIFE PREGNANT? I’LL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT

Posted on by Posted in Current Events

The very convenient announcement, by “unnamed sources” that his wife is pregnant, came out on the heels of further revelations and more sordid details about the congressman. As such, this has all the earmarks of a Clintonesque spin strategy.

My take is that she is not pregnant at all, but this is instead a bid to garner some sympathy for him. After all, who would be callous enough to question her? Except “she”—his wife—did not make the announcement, did she? Moreover, if he is still in trouble a month from now, the next stratagem will be to claim a tragic miscarriage, caused no doubt by all this harassment from the media and Weiner’s political foes.

Also working in Weiner’s favor is the fierce New York attitude whereby they won’t have “their guy” removed by outside (hick) forces.

Given that Weiner has no marketable skills whatsoever, save a possibility as some sort of low rent lobbyist, he is desperately trying to cling to that paycheck. Absent that, supporting his Forest Hills lifestyle will not be possible, unless he can dictate some sinecure position as a condition of his resignation.

THE ANTHONY WEINER SCANDAL

Posted on by Posted in Current Events

The jokes are easy to come by, but once the excitement dies down, we are forced to take stock of the state of the US Congress. Whether or not this moron gets reelected, or even gets to serve out his term, pales in comparison to the continuing travesty that is our federal government.

Is there even any point in recounting the number of degenerates who have held public office for decades? And, we might ask, what about the ones who are clever or lucky enough not to be caught?

In the meantime, this country as we know it is rapidly going down the tubes—your tax dollars at work. The incompetence and fecklessness have always been there, but license to be lewd and lascivious is a relatively new phenomenon.

As even the most clueless libertine must realize by now, these current events are a direct result of giving Bill Clinton a free pass. Let me clear here: The issue was not that he was fooling around with Monica Lewinsky, the issue was that he felt completely comfortable having oral sex in the Oval Office of the White House.

When all decorum is gone, what more can we expect?

Oh yes, we’ll be sure to hear the mantra: “If his wife forgives him, who are we to condemn him?” The problem is that the offense was not just against his wife, who is likely part of a “business arrangement” marriage, anyway. The offense was against our country and our traditions, which are rapidly disappearing.

The real joke is on us, only it’s not funny at all.

THE “FALL” OF JOHN EDWARDS

Posted on by Posted in Current Events, Politics

Now that the former senator and vice-presidential candidate has been indicted, any number of articles are appearing in the mainstream media chronicling his so-called “fall from grace.” As if…

One wonders what is worse:   Gushing over active politicians, or writing elegies over what might have been. While this sort of hero worship is not absolutely limited to the Left, they have pretty much cornered the market on glorifying deeply flawed, if not outright scummy characters.

Thus, the Right may tend to overpraise Ronald Reagan—who did raise taxes six out of the eight years he was in office—but leave it to our Leftie friends to wax eloquent on lowlifes such as Teddy Kennedy, Eliot Spitzer, and yes…John Edwards.

Clueless journos are describing his “brilliant” legal career, which in reality was nothing more than a grand expression of being a scumbag plaintiff’s lawyer, winning a series of very questionable medical malpractice cases. They also detail his recent lies, and try to reconcile these with various pro-family platitudes, uttered during his political speeches.

Let me try to reconcile this.  He lied recently and he lied then! That was easy.

He didn’t “fall” at all. He just got caught.

UNTHINKABLE (2010) RETROSPECTIVE

Posted on by Posted in Movies

Unthinkable Here’s a rare high quality direct-to-DVD entry, that features a strong cast, and an extremely compelling story.  The DVD offers two versions, but the “extended” version has the most satisfying story, and is thus reviewed in this column.

After a somewhat leisurely opening, the pic outlines its premise:  A mentally-tough former Army explosives expert, originally named Steven Arthur Younger (Michael Sheen) but who now calls himself Yusuf Atta Mohamed, has released a video claiming that he has set three nuclear devices to detonate within three days.  The video shows realistic-looking bombs at three separate locations, and they are described as being within large urban areas of the United States.  Interestingly, Younger has allowed himself to be captured, and is brought to a secret facility.

FBI counter-terrorism agent Helen Brody (Carrie-Anne Moss)—whose activities are shown in the prologue—assumes that she will head up the interrogation, but is surprised to discover that the military is in charge, and the lead interrogator will be shadowy CIA contractor “H” (Samuel L. Jackson).  H’s methods involve torture, and of course, Brody objects with the conventional wisdom that torture is ineffective.

H grimly replies:  “So that’s why it’s been used for all of human history,” and forges ahead, setting up a sort of good cop/bad cop scenario with himself and Brody.

For her part, Brody thinks she is onto something by trying to convince Younger that they don’t believe the devices are real, and he should give up one of them to prove himself genuine.  But Younger stalls and withstands the torture, only saying that tomorrow (Thursday) something will happen.  Indeed.  By a ruse, he gets a group of agents, including Brody, to a rooftop, where they inadvertently set off and observe an explosion (albeit not of a nuclear device) that kills 53 people.

Given the very real possibility that the lives of tens of millions of people are at stake, Brody’s overriding concern for the Geneva Convention and the constitutional rights of Younger seem a tad misplaced.  It is only after this warning blast that she realizes that he is serious, and that this is not a training exercise, in which her measured responses (and her gender) would earn her quick promotions in the Bureau.

If you had any sympathy for her character, it is now surely lost.  Brody is revealed to be a soulless by-the-book functionary, whose further words will drive this point home even more so.

At this, H kicks it up a notch.  Younger’s wife and kids have been brought into the interrogation center.  His wife undergoes brutal treatment, while he is forced to watch.  Maybe Younger will crack.

However, we won’t find out.  Amazingly, those in charge object to this treatment of an “innocent,” even though she and the children were caught trying to leave the country, so she is definitely aware of the bombing plot.

With time running out, and H worried that Younger may never talk, he has to move to interrogation techniques that are “Unthinkable.”

 

***SPOILERS AND OTHER COMMENTS***

The “unthinkable” technique will involve mock torture of the kids, in an effort to get Younger to crack.  But even in the face of a nuclear catastrophe this—astonishingly—is not permitted. Exhibiting dementia far in excess of whatever H may have, Brody says “We can’t do this. Let the bombs go off.”

Strange talk inasmuch as H has figured out that there is a fourth bomb, and even though Younger finally does give up the three locations—after his wife is surprisingly slain by H—he clams up regarding the fourth. The fourth bomb was put in as a kind of “safety” held in reserve if he did succumb to the interrogation.

Tellingly, though, the bureaucrats are loathe to acknowledge this, even while some of them privately believe it.  H tells Younger that he has won, and the childless careerist  Brody comforts the two children she has supposedly saved.

Meanwhile, the government’s bomb squad deactivates the three devices, including the one in Los Angeles, where all the film’s action has taken place.

While the LA crew exchanges high fives, the camera slowly pans to a wall, behind which is the fourth nuclear device!  We watch the digital timer count down 4…3…2…1, as we fade out.

Although slightly far-fetched in premise, the reaction of the bureaucrats is all too credible, and makes one wonder about Homeland Security.

 

EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT HEALTH CARE…

Posted on by Posted in Health Care, Politics

A quote, once attributed to Mark Twain, stated:  Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.  Scholars now credit this to his friend, Charles Dudley Warner.

An update to this observation could be “Everybody talks about health care, but nobody does anything about it.”

Before you beat me over the head with Obamacare, please realize that AT BEST, all his “comprehensive” reform bill does is to tweak insurance–and not in a particularly useful way, considering how many billions it will cost.    Notably, and as one has sadly come to expect from a major program designed by government policy wonks,  Obamacare adds thousands of bureaucrats, but not a single new doctor.

I invite you to read some of my Health News Digest columns on this issue…
 
 

 

It is high time for Americans to realize that judged on the basis of outcomes–which is really the only way to judge health care–our system is by no means the “best in the world.”

But, to fully appreciate this, consider that if the government is going to get so involved in health care, this means a lot more than what is better termed “disease care.”  For one thing, the Feds could do a whole lot more about obesity by simply increasing ag subsides and fruits and vegetables, rather than concentrating virtually all of it on corn and soybeans.

You say “That’s not health care?”  Au contraire. That WOULD be health care.  Unfortunately,  all that anyone ever seems to talk about is disease care and health insurance reform.

HANNA

Posted on by Posted in Movies

HannaTeen phenom Saoirse Ronan delivers a super performance in the title role, as helmer Joe Wright offers us some art house sensibilities, along with the action. The story could have been better, but for a popcorn movie, it does work quite well.

As the pic opens, Hanna, living with her father Erik (Eric Bana) off the grid in northern Finland, has just taken down a reindeer, with an arrow. As the animal lies dying she says “I just missed your heart,” but then pulls out a handgun and shoots it. Apparently, the two of them have lived in isolation for all of her 16 years, although he has done a pretty good of homeschooling her, and not just about the usual things.

Hanna is skilled in weaponry and hand-to-hand combat, and Erik—a former CIA operative in hiding—tests her relentlessly. He has taught her that some day, there will be people coming to kill her, and she must be ready. He knows that the two of them cannot stay in hiding forever. When the time to get out of hiding does come, they must go their separate ways, but plan to meet up in Berlin.

Hanna has to decide when she is ready, and by actuating a homing device, will broadcast her location to her pursuers, thus putting us into the international chase that dominates most of the film. The main baddie is CIA operative Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), and exactly why she is so desperate to find the father and daughter is wisely not revealed until the end.

So, what we really have here is the thrill of the chase, which takes us from Finland to Morocco, to Spain, and on to Germany. The narrative alternates between Erik and Hanna, but Hanna’s journey is far more interesting.

In Morocco she hooks up with a British family off on an extended vacation, and gets her first lesson in social interaction. Meanwhile, Marissa is pulling out all the stops to find—and terminate—Hanna and Erik.

After the CIA goons are unsuccessful, Marissa lines up a trio of rent-a-thugs, led by Isaacs (Tom Hollander)—a laughably flamboyant Eurotrash stereotype, replete with bleached blond hair. Ultimately, though, it will all play out in Berlin, in a curious fairytale setting.

***SPOILERS AND OTHER COMMENTS***

Although setting off the homing device is necessary to drive the plot, one wonders why the father/daughter team could not have just left their Arctic digs without immediately revealing their location.

It would have helped to include a bit more backstory as to just why the “build the perfect warrior” project that created Hanna had to be stopped, with such extreme prejudice.

While Erik’s German accent makes some sense, Marissa’s southern drawl is more than silly. And why her obsession with dental hygiene and sensible shoes?

As always, Hollywood’s fixation on the CIA as being some sort of evil, all-powerful institution is so far off the mark as to be quite amusing in itself.

The touchy-feely Brit family occupies a lot of screen time, but creates some good moments.

I did enjoy the fine flamenco performance, that—along with the fairytale setting in Berlin and the study of feminine psychology—distinguishes this movie from typical action fare.

THE LINCOLN LAWYER

Posted on by Posted in Movies

The Lincoln LawyerWell-paced legal thriller, with slightly over-the-top characters. The top critics have looked with favor on this one, although the few that disagree object to the plot clichés, and seem to think that the real world of criminal defense can’t get this sleazy. Unfortunately, it can and it does.

As the pic opens, defense attorney Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is heading toward a court appearance, and is stopped by bail bondsman Val Valenzuela (John Leguizamo), who gives him a lead on a potential new client. Haller tends to his business at the court, and rushes over to see the new client, a spoiled rich kid named Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillipe), who is accused of the rape and attempted murder of one Reggie Campo (Margarita Levieva).

Roulet swears he is innocent, and says that he is just being set up by Campo, who sees a big payday in her future. Taking Roulet at his word, Haller puts his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) on the job. It doesn’t take long for Levin to find out that Campo is a prostitute. What’s more, he obtains what he thinks is an advanced copy of the DA’s file, to get a jump on what the other side has.

At first, it all looks good for Roulet, but evidence soon appears that starts to raise some big doubts. He might even be connected to another case that Haller is working on. The plot twists start piling on, as we head toward resolution. Saying much more would ruin the movie for you.

A number of good character actors besides Macy are used here, including Bryan Cranston, Marisa Tomei, and Frances Fisher—albeit too sparingly. My guess is that the producers are trying to create a franchise, and if they keep doing what they did here, it works for me.

***SPOILERS AND OTHER COMMENTS***

It’s nice how Haller discovers the similarities between the Campo assault and another case he worked on. Still, how did his ace investigator Levin miss what will be shown to be important details in the earlier case?

A device is used whereby Haller’s car is tracked with the greatest of ease by a motorcycle gang, that is apparently a big repeat client of his. This is cute and all, but defies logic. How can they possibly know where he is going, any time they need him?

We get it. Roulet is a scumbag. But, why is his mother so supportive of him? A couple of scenes of backstory would have helped. The implication is that he was supportive of her after her (otherwise unreported) rape, but who knows?

Overall, the story would have been improved by having the Roulet character be somewhat less obviously EEE-VILLE. Likewise, a later reveal of his guilt would have built up the suspense better than two or three false endings in which we are led to focus on how justice will finally be done.