Quigley Down Under 1990

 Good adventure flick.  Tom Selleck plays Mathew Quigley. American tough guy from the Wild West who goes to Australia to show the natives how things are done.  He is tougher, faster on the draw, a better shot, and cooler than any of the Australian locals.  Wonderful score.  Alan Rickman plays the villain ranch owner Marston.  He does a great job, looks mean and nasty all the way thru.  Laura San Giacomo plays Crazy Cora, who starts out just causing trouble for Quigley but by the end of the movie they are in love and engaged.  She does good too.  Wonderful scenes of a big three masted schooner with a good wind in her sails and a bone in her teeth headed into Adelaide.  Other good scenes on the way out to Marston's ranch of an eight ox team pulling a huge wagon past really dramatic scenery.  

   A good watch.  It's been a long time since Hollywood made a flick this cool. 

CDC calls racism a public health matter

 Racism is a problem, no doubt about it. It is an unpleasant way of looking at things, a belief that your race is better than other races, and you are entitled to special treatment, and those other races can be dumped on.  

CDC was on TV today calling racism a public health matter.  I don't go along with that.  Racism is not something that medical science can cure.  No vaccination, no clever drugs, no surgery can deal with it.  Racism is a moral problem, and/or a political problem.  It is a failure of our deepest beliefs such as "all men are created equal" .  

CDC ought to concentrate on curing disease.  Dealing with racism is a matter for our religious communities, and our politicians.  

Sorry to hear of Prince Phillip's death at 99

 He married into the British royal family.  He supported Britain all the way.  He supported the family he married into all the way.  As royal consort he attended innumerable functions, he visited all over the world, he worked hard.  We ought to admire the British royal family for the support and good feeling they have drawn out of us Americans.  For example, during the Falklands crisis, when the Americans did not want to offend every Spaniard in all of South America, the Brits were able to get air to air refueling support, satellite intel, and a general helpful attitude from the Yankees, partly, perhaps largely, because of the glamour and pizzaz shown by the Royals.  Stuff like that is worth the relatively minor expense of operating the royal family.  The royals cost less than an aircraft carrier or an infantry division and they can be very effective.  

   Phillip did his duty, all the way, and we will miss him. 

Biden on Gun Control

 Biden was on TV this morning pushing his gun control ideas.  He opened by talking about "ghost guns" by which we think he means home made guns that lack serial numbers.  The makers have not filled out the pounds and pounds of paperwork imposed upon gun manufacturers.  I don't think this is a serious issue.  I never heard of anyone having a home made gun and using it for crime.  This will be a PITA for the few hobbyists that actually make guns as a hobby, but I cannot imagine it doing anything to reduce "gun violence".  

   Then he went on to a measure to outlaw pistols with add on stocks.  He would reclassify these as "short barreled rifles", and regulate them as harshly as machine guns, in effect banning them.  

Finally he is publishing a model "red flag" law which states could adopt if they cared to.  "Red Flag" laws allow anyone, wives, ex-wives, live in girl friends, and just about anyone else to petition a judge to have the cops confiscate someone' guns because he might be a danger to himself or to others.  I am not in favor.  If  we really believe someone is a danger to himself or to others, we ought to involuntarily commit them to a mental hospital for treatment. 

George Floyd Trial

 A lotta talk about just what Floyd died of.  He had been doing fentanyl.  Had a history of heart problems.  The Chauvin defense is claiming that one or more of these killed Floyd.  And Chauvin's putting his boot to Floyd's neck, while Floyd was handcuffed, flat on the ground, underneath a police cruiser, had nothing to do with it.  I think that treatment would terrify me, or any other sentient being.  And terror makes the adrenaline come quicker, the heart beat faster.  Could have aggravated any one of those other conditions to the point of death.  

Another way of looking at the case.  If someone dies when your client has his boot on the victim's throat,  your client is guilty of killing the victim.  Lawyers can pull down billable hours quibbling over whether it was man slaughter, or some brand of murder up to murder 1, but the plain fact is, Chauvin killed Floyd.

The Untouchables 1987

 Chicago of Al Capone’s time.  Gung ho Treasury agent, Elliot Ness. played by Keviin Costner,  sent to Chicago to take out Capone,  and Malone, old Chicago beat cop, played by Sean Connery.  After a failed raid, Malone straightens Ness out and they begin to score against Capone.  Cool scene where a shipment (many truckloads) of Canadian booze is met by Capone’s people, driving nice limousines and bringing money, meet at the Canadian border.  Elliot and Malone’s people shoot down Capone’s people so hard core than a Canadian officer calls them out on it.  To which Ness replies, “We are from Chicago.”.  The 1930’s interiors, wood trim, wall paper, kitchen stoves, and other stuff looked just like it did in my childhood.  Some good lines like “Bring a knife to a gun fight” from Malone as he pulls a sawed off 12 gauge out of his Victrola to take down a Capone assassin.   Robert De Niro plays a nasty and murderous Al Capone.  A good watch.

 

Craig Valdez is running for US House of Representatives.