Jason Bourne Again

Jason Bourne still doesn’t know who he is, but he knows more about himself than he did at the conclusion of the last film.  Unfortunately, the fifth film didn’t quite live up to the first three.  I don’t include the fourth film because Damon wasn’t in it and I didn’t see it.

As you probably know, Damon plays Jason Bourne, AKA David Webb, who was a CIA operative gone rogue after failing to successfully carry out an earlier mission.  In the last film, Pamela Landy, a covert operations specialist tasked with capturing Bourne ended up exposing corrupt agency leadership and operations that had seriously gone afoul of the law.  In Jason Bourne, the new film, Heather Lee, played by Alicia Vikander, assumes the role of bringing in Bourne after a CIA computer hack exposes his whereabouts. The hack introduces an old character, former CIA agent Nicki Parsons, who had gone rogue to help Bourne elude captors in a previous film.  In her reprised role as a hacker, she wants to obtain and leak the special operations files that include a new endeavor even more disturbing than Treadstone.  However, the leak is thwarted and the rest of the movie plot focuses on the pursuit of Bourne.

One of the problems with the film was Vikander in the role of Heather Lee.  She came off as being an ambitious Millenial without any clear ethical standards.  She may have turned on the CIA, but it appeared she played her cards close to the vest.  It is not obvious whether she was trying to help Bourne or simply further her own career, though she did do him a solid (saved his life) by taking out the assassination happy CIA Director played by the elder Tommy Lee Jones.  While this would appear to be evidence that she was on Bourne’s side, in the end, she told another operative that she would bring Bourne in our have him taken down, which Bourne had cleverly recorded and used as justification for not turning himself in and working with the CIA, that Heather Lee had claimed was now free of all the corrupt agents and assets.  I’m not saying Vikander isn’t a good actress, but I am saying that I did not like the ambivalence of her character.  It was as if she too were a rogue agent who like Bourne had lost her memory.  The expression on her face throughout was one of stoicism and regret.

Like Heather Lee, Jason Bourne is as stoic as ever owing to his amnesia but continues to piece together more about his life as he obtains information little by little.  And while it might be easy to sympathize with the Jason Bourne character, one cannot overlook the fact that he is a trained assassin and has killed countless people, most in self-defense, and seems to have no regrets.  He also doesn’t seem to care about the ethics or lack of them of the various covert operations of which he had been associated and the evil ones that he now knows are in the works.  His modus operandi is self-preservation, not freedom, ethics, or patriotism.  And as such, it seems that Heather Lee and Jason Bourne are cut from the same cloth and are equally sketchy but more likable the rest of the CIA characters in the film.

Every Bourne flick has a memorable car chase and this latest film was no exception except that the action was not nearly as dramatic or suspenseful as the first three films.  Ok, the armored car driven by a rogue asset rolling over and smashing into cars was cool, but the black Dodge Challenger that Bourne appropriates can barely be seen in the night shots.  And besides, I’d rather have seen him in another Mini or a Smart Car or a Las Vegas police cruiser.  The chase scenes are more like futuristic computer animations with quick scene shifts and odd camera angles that obscure the clarity of the action.  Also, the action takes place in several cities – London, Athens, DC, Berlin, Las Vegas and Reykjavik, but I did not feel the sense of place as in previous films.  There are several shots of buildings and streets that only gave me the vague impression of place.  The filmmakers did the best job with Las Vegas, showing the skyline, and taking the moviegoer along on the car chase scenes through the strip.

The film was just ok.  It is not going to win any awards or get the ravest of reviews, but it is worth going to see on the big screen.  And yes, the film ends where a 6th version could easily and logically begin.  Jason Bourne lives to be bourne again.

Trump Leading in Louisiana Purchase States

And this just might be his strategy, but it’s a risky one and provides the narrowest path to a victory or a tie.  Drumpf needs to win all 15 of the states that were part of the original  Louisiana purchase: Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico.  Currently, he’s winning in 11 of the 14, trailing only in Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico, but trailing pretty badly in the last 3. Even if he were to win all 15, which is highly unlikely, he’d only get 125 electoral votes.  To get to a tie, he’d have to win PA and OH, AND the ENTIRE south, less VA, including, significantly, Florida and North Carolina where he’s behind and that ONLY gets him to 269.  To win outright, he’d have to flip a blue state and I think ME is the only realistic possibility.  If he’s as rich as he says, he might even try to purchase ME, but we won’t know just how wealthy he is until he releases his tax returns, and that ain’t happening.  But never mind ME, for Trump, a tie is as good as a win. If he has 269, so too would Hillary and the election would be decided by the House where the Republicans have an edge. As Napoleon might have said, se la vie.

When In New Orleans

I finally made it to New Orleans. I only wish I could have stayed a little longer; a week was not long enough to do all the things I wanted to do.  If you are considering traveling to New Orleans, I have some suggestions for you based on my recent experience there.

Don’t consider – just go.  There’s no reason not to.  It’s plenty affordable.  It’s never cold.  Sure it rains some and can be steaming hot, but there’s plenty of indoor AC and cold drinks to be had everywhere you go.  There are tons of things to do and you don’t need a car to get around.  You can even take a bus from the airport for 2 dollars.

Go because New Orleans is one of the most culturally unique and interesting cities in the U.S. It is thought to be the birthplace of jazz which can be traced back to the influence of African slaves from different countries whose religious practices and community rituals prominently featured music on Sundays in the form of drumming, strumming, dancing, and singing.  It is a city that was colonized by the French and Spanish, apparent in the street names and architecture, and finally annexed by the Americans after President Jefferson acquired it from Napoleon as part of the Louisiana Purchase.  It is a city that initially showed promise but yielded little for the French and Spanish by way of riches.  New Orleans had no gold, silver or even decent pearls.  It did have a lot of flammable cypress trees that helped burn the city down twice and it had terrible outbreaks of yellow fever.  It only became economically valuable when they realized the area could produce sugar and cotton. What can be seen in today’s New Orleans are the remnants of its complicated society – the taverns frequented by drunken sailors, a “red light” district for pleasure seekers, fine and distinctive dining, hotels once frequented by the southern leisure class, and of course, the music clubs which cultivated original American music. And it is a town still recovering from the Katrina disaster, and may never fully.  It is a town with no hills or elevation of measure that is sadly sinking and may break apart from the mainland.  Support it as much as you can while it is still habitable.  New Orleans is a national treasure.

On a lighter note, when you go to NOLA, don’t try to stay right in the French Quarter.  You can stay a few blocks outside the quarter, say on Iberville St. which would probably also be cheaper.  We stayed at the reasonably priced Courtyard Marriott, a few blocks from the madness and noise of Bourbon St.

When you go to NO, walk around the French Quarter during the day, but avoid it at night unless you like to be among drunken tourists walking around with punch bowls and bong-like devices filled with what looks like transmission fluid and anti-freeze.  The bars all serve pretty much the same expensive and watered down drinks and typical bar food.  There are some notable exceptions which include the Napolean House Cafe and Bar on Chartres St.  Try the classic Pimm’s Cup cocktail with a muffuletta sandwich.  Also, try a cocktail at the Hotel Monteleone at the rotating carousel bar.  If you dare to try an Absinthe based drink, the Absinthe House is the place to go, though be prepared to shell out 20 bucks for the privilege.

When you go, check out Preservation Hall at 726 St. Peter St. for live jazz by the house band.  It’s 15 bucks a pop with shows at 8, 9 and 10.  Get there by 7 pm to stand in line if you want a seat. You can buy a ticket on-line for a guaranteed seat, but it’ll cost you double.  Be aware that there’s no bathroom there and no drinks or food are sold or allowed in so eat, drink, and pee beforehand.   Preservation Hall is a hole in the wall, with no AC, but the music is fantastic and the experience is about as intimate and satisfying as it gets.

When you go, also go to Frenchmen St. for Jazz or Blues.  It’s a bit of a walk from the heart of the French Quarter, and I wouldn’t recommend that you try, but you could take a bus, cab or trolley to get closer.  Or if you are a Millenial, you could take an Uber or Lyft.  We took a bus. We went to a place called Bamboulas.  No cover. Tremendous music.  Spacious.  Airy.  Good appetizers.  Try the fried okra.  Seriously.  Jazz and Okra.  You can’t beat it.

When you go, eat at the Ruby Slipper on Canal St. for breakfast, but be prepared to wait. The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant on St. Peter St. near Preservation Hall also has a good breakfast.  For coffee and beignets,  go to Cafe Du Monde if you must but to be honest, our beignets were not as fresh as we would have liked.  We each got a batch of three – and in each of the batches, one beignet was fresh and doughy, and the others were crunchy and seemed old like they had been sitting out all morning under a heat lamp.  We ordered a third batch and had the same result; consistent, but disappointing.  The coffee was good and we bought a couple of cans of it to bring home. For lunch, try Domiciles for po-boys.  It’s a bit of a hike Uptown to Annunciation St. but you can make it out there by bus or trolley.  Worth the hike.  Try the hot sausage or the roast beef versions.  Also for lunch, eat at Coops on Decatur St.   Great gumbo, and jambalaya at ridiculously cheap prices.  Try the Coop’s Taste plate with an Abita beer.  For dinner, well, we only went out for dinner once because our lunches filled us up for the day but when we did, we tried Deanies Seafood on or near Iberville St.  I had the crawfish etouffee and it was to die for.  Finally, for dessert, head to Southern Candymakers at 334 Decatur St. for pralines. We sampled quite a few from different places and found the ones from Southern Candymakers to be superior.

When you go, go to the WWII museum on Magazine St.  It’s intense and the exhibits are well-designed and configured and cover both theaters of the war.  It’s pricey – 24 and 34 if you opt for the Tom Hanks 40 minute introductory movie.  We didn’t do the movie, but many people recommend it. If you don’t mind spending the extra dough and the extra time, go for it.  Don’t miss the Boeing exhibit to see a Flying Fortress, and  a P-51 up close hanging from the ceiling.

After the museum, walk over to the Cochon Butcher for lunch at 930 Tchoupitoulas St.  A little pricey, but good meat and a big selection of wine and whiskey.  Good desserts too.

Another nice museum is NOMA, easily accessible on the Trolley which you pick up on Canal St. It’s not a huge museum but had tasteful exhibits.  The outdoor sculptures on the side of the museum are interesting and the stroll around the garden is pleasant.

All the locals we met were friendly, helpful, and quite open to talking.  Maybe that’s southern hospitality, or maybe it’s that I am not used to friendliness in the Northeast where I live. NOLA, I’m going to miss you.  Hope to be back soon.

Despite Muggings, Rio Is Safe

Ryan Lochte and some fellow swimmers were robbed at gunpoint after a night out of celebrating.  Lochte’s description of what happened sounded like a script from a crime drama.  Having been to Rio, I am not surprised that it happened, but it likely didn’t happen on the strip but in some other part of Rio not so heavily policed.  For the most part, from my own experience, I would describe Rio as a city, not unlike NYC, that is safe during the day and fairly safe at night when common sense practices are followed. Not that the swimmers didn’t follow common sense, in fact, they did the right thing by traveling in a group and taking a taxi, but unfortunately, they may have been targeted or watched and followed.  The details are not fully known – for example, it is not clear whether their taxi was an official taxi, an Uber or some other ride-sharing  operation.  But in any case, I would guess that a Brazilian driver would know not to stop for a car unless it was reasonably clear that it was a police operation or that not stopping would result in being shot.  Lochte said there were no lights, so I am assuming it was a car that pulled them over or pulled up to them in traffic and not a situation where they were in stop-and-go traffic and some guys with badges walked up to the taxi out of nowhere.

It all seems a bit odd, but where it happened clearly matters.  If they were in a high risk crime area, maybe the driver knew that their lives were in danger and that he had no choice but to stop or be shot.  We don’t know what the driver did; whether he tried to calm the theives or advise the guys to do whatever they were being told to do.  It may turn out that the driver helped in some way to save their lives. But we may never know.

Does that mean don’t go to Rio or don’t take a taxi if you are already there.  No.  When I was there, I took city buses everywhere, which was quite an adventure and a taxi service to and from the airport.  But I also had some local intelligence from a Rio resident and friend with whom we stayed.  She rode the buses with us and set up the taxi rides from services she knows and trusts.  We went out alone at night around Copocabana, (without our friend) but walked around in well lit areas and did not stray.  We never dressed flashy or flaunted cash and jewelry.  Not to say that the swimmers did.  We actually went out of our way not to stand out – to blend.  We even spoke mostly Spanish (we don’t speak Portuguese) so as not to be mistaken for rich and naive Americans who may not know that you can haggle over anything, even that trinket on the beach.  We took many excursions during the day and felt perfectly safe.  We even took a local bus through the favelas.  Frankly, I was more concerned about misquitoes than criminals.

Admittedly, it is more difficult for Olympic athletes not to stand out, especially Ryan Lochte who is internationally known and who REALLY stands out in a crowd.  He absolutely did the right thing by ultimately not resisting the thieves but had me worried as he described his initial refusal to go down as ordered.  And according to his description, he actually never went down, and responded finally with “whatever” as he put his hands up. He really is lucky not to have been injured or worse.  Thankfully, all the guys are ok.  And as terrible as the stick up was, Rio is ok too.  In fact, it’s a great place to visit and as safe as any other big city in Latin America or the U.S. Michael Phelps concurred when he mentioned that he had been to Brazil many times and has never felt unsafe.

 

 

Olympic Medals Made Of Chocolate

What if those medals all the Olympians win were made of chocolate?  The gold medal would be made of the highest quality chocolate from Switzerland.  The silver medal, perhaps, would be of Belgian extract, although the Italian’s might take issue.  The bronze, well, nobody wants a bronze and so it wold have to be made of a common American chocolate, something like a Hershey’s Kiss, you know, a kiss for a good try, or the unheralded and quite delicious Zero bar, which apparently it still being manufactured, though it’s hard to find where I live.

Were this to come to fruition in the 2020 Toyko games, athletes would no longer have to pretend to take a bite out of their medals; in fact, they could peel off the foil and eat their medals right on the podium stand.

Steeplechase Reimagined

Here’s the thing – the Steeplechase race needs a modern twist.  Jumping over a hurdle into a pool of water is so not very challenging. It’s time for an overhaul of the event. So here are some suggestions for a new course that will surely make the steeplechase the hottest event at the summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Ok, jumping into a pool of water is pretty cool, I have to admit, but what if, right before the water pit, runners had to jump through a ring of fire?  The water would help them cool off. Now the running and hurdling are fine, but quite boring if I’m being honest, so why not have the runners also run backwards for 100 meters?  It’s harder than it looks, but fun, ask any runner. Now, the high hurdle is really not a very big deal, so why not up the stakes and require an actual high jump, followed by a triple jump and a broad jump along the way.  Of course, all the runners would be motivated to chase a gold-plated electronic steeple whizzing around the track, not unlike the bone greyhounds chase at the the races.

Are you with me?

League of Their Own Olympians

 

Photo by Ribbie (2014) atop Forte Duque de Caxias in Rio

 

In these Rio Olympic games, some stories of domination are being written. In this segment called “In a League of their Own” from the Olympic desk of Ribbie’s weblog, Ribbie comments on the competition.   Ribbie was last in Rio during the 2014 World Cup, so the reporting is almost live.

The USA men’s basketball team is in a league of their own, and is expected to win Gold again. The league of their own, of course, is called the NBA.  And while other national teams sport NBA players, team USA’s roster is made up of ONLY NBA players.  Same is true of Team USA on the women’s side – an all WNBA roster.  The women have won 42 consecutive Olympic basketball games, or is it 43?  They are 58-3 all time winning Gold in the last 2 games.  The men have won 14 of 18 Olympic Golds since 1936.  Seems unfair that professional players play teams comprised of, well, in most cases, other professional players from far less competitive leagues, right?  In their first games, the NBA All-Stars beat China by 57 points and the WNBA stars beat Senegal, Africa’s best team, by 65 points. Don’t get me wrong, I like seeing these games; the lack of competition make the NBA/WNBA players seem even better than they really are, to be honest.  I don’t care for the lopsided scores; however, which must be somewhat of an embarrassment to the other teams, though to be fair, Olympians DO like playing against the best.  That said, the Olympics should be about fair competition, in my judgement, which is why I favor a return to a competiton of amateurs only.

Chinese Diving.  Wu Minxia has won more Gold medals in diving than any other Olympic diver in history and is the oldest diver, at 30, ever to win a Gold medal.  She’s still got the golden touch  and is the gold standard in the diving world.

Team USA in women’s gymnastics is in a league of their own.  They could be the best gymnastic’s team the world has ever seen.  In the team competition, they’ve left the other nations behind in the qualifying round, way behind. Simone Biles could win multiple Gold medals in the team competition, all-around and in some of the individual events, possibly as many as 5.  The others have a chance at Gold in their individual events when not up against Biles.

Beach Volleyball – the native California Kerri Walsh with partner Mysti May-Treanor won 3 consecutive Gold medals for the USA and is back for a fourth with a new partner, April Ross.  The towering 6’2″ Walsh is in a league of her own.

Team USA soccer, or football, if you like.  The USA women’s team has won Gold in the last three Summer Olympics and look to be on their way to successfully defending their title.  With the dominant captain Carli Lloyd scoring at will, team USA is clearly in a league of their own.

USA Swimming.  Michael Phelps, whose maiden wins date back to 2004, is STILL swimming and STILL winning in the pool. He’s won so many medals, he’s lost track.  Ask him.  I bet he won’t know how many he has, most of them Gold too. Mr. Phelps is undubitably in a league all his own.

The USA has been fortunate enough to have the great sisters Serena and Venus Williams represent, who have been playing in a league of their own winning 4 Gold Medals in Olympic competition. They could repeat as doubles champs.

Others leagues of their own include Italian Fencers, German and Slovakian  Canoeists, and Danish Rowers.  And the dominant French handballers, in a sport about as silly, but not quite as silly as Water Polo, where Hungary has traditionally dominated, look to be the team to beat.

Some “sports” are not Olympic

The summer Olympics have begun in Rio where it is technically winter.  And as I watch the games, I am struck for the first time by all the sporting events that shouldn’t be in the Olympics in my judgement.  If you take issue with my commentary, know that it is somewhat tongue in check…somewhat.

• Archery – pretty cool to watch.  It might have been one of the original Greek events, so it’s in.
• Badminton – seriously?  It’s a picnic game!  If badminton is in, croquet should be too.
• Basketball – of course. Too bad there’s no longer a U.S. U.S.S.R rivalry. I’d like to see Brazil do well.  Whatever happened to Oscar, or is it Oskar? He was like the Oscar Robertson of team Brasil back in the day.  And while I love watching basketball in the games, it somehow doesn’t seem fair for NBA and WNBA players to play.  I thought the Olympics were supposed to be for amateur athletes.
• Beach Volleyball – definitely, especially in a place like Rio.
• Boxing – hell yes. Those leather helmets are classic and keep the fighters’ head on straight…literally.
• Canoe slalom and sprint- wtf?  Sailing, fine.  Rowing, ok.  Canoeing (is that how you spell it?) That’s something you do on a vacation.  Not a sport.
• BMX and Mountain cycling – nope.  That’s for the Red Bull drinking X Games crowd.
• Road and Track Cycling – ok.
• Diving –  absolutely and as long as Cynthia Potter is the analyst.
• Equestrian –  I love horses.  Actually, I’d like to see rodeo competition in the games. Bull riding and bull running would also be fun events, but I’m not a fan of bull fighting. I’m not.
• Fencing – intense.  I’d also like to see deep water diving with those cast iron helmets.
• Field Hockey – nope.  Too elite prep school for my taste.
• Golf – nope.  They already have too many tournaments – and the thing takes all day.
• Gymnastics – yep.  Lots of flips and stuff.  It’s always hit or miss.  High drama. Made for TV. But not the rhythmic thing.
• Handball – never heard of it.  Isn’t that a penalty in soccer?
• Judo and Taekwondo – yep.
• Rugby Sevens – sounds like a card game, but it’s the next best thing to American football, so I say yes to the rough and tumble sport, mate.
• Sailing – a Christopher Cross song, not a sport.  Nope.
• Shooting – shooting what, the breeze? Not a sport.
• Swimming – yes.  synchronized, no.  Might be good for a Disney show but not for the Olympics.
• Table Tennis –  you mean Ping-Pong?  Sure, why not.
• Tennis.  No. Same reason as Golf.
• Track and Field – yes all day long.
• Trampoline – no, beause with diving and gymnastics it’s redundant.
• Triatholon – ok.
• Volleyball – only beach volleyball.
• Water Polo – NO. It’s just silly, like handball or dodgeball in the water.  They should use a nerf ball in my opinion.
• Weightlifting – definitely. I especially like when they drop the dumbells in disgust.
• Wrestling – ok, but I’d like to see some tag team championship wrestling.  And why isn’t grappling an event?