"The Departed" Revisited

I wrote the below review of Martin Scorcese's "The Departed" on 10/31/06. I didn't like it that much at the time that I saw it in the Movie Theatre. But now I've seen it several times on TV, including last night, and really like it a lot more.

I will have to revise my opinion and say that "The Departed" WILL make it to Martin Scorcese "Hall of Fame" Classic status. The ending is one of the greatest in movie history.

Unfortunately, I find it very difficult to sit still for 2 hours in a movie theatre, so I did not see "The Departed" all the way to the end when I viewed it the first time at the movie theatre.

My review written 10/31/06:
Martin Scorcese's "Departed" is a good movie. But it was rather pale comparted to his classic "Goodfellas". Some problems:

The movie had no sense of humor. Goodfellas had a sense of humor. Jack Nicholson had a little sense of humor, but not as much as he usually has. This movie could have been improved by Nicholson giving his famous "Herrrrrrre's Johnny..." line. That would have gone well with the squirting gore. I didn't think he was that believable as a mafia kingpin.

DiCaprio is unconvincing as a tough guy. He tries too hard. Real tough guys don't have to try hard to be tough.

There's too much wanton violence, and it's not very believable. Goodfellas only had a limited amount of violence, but it was very believable. The murderers also had some serious concerns about getting caught. They didn't just walk around and murder everyone in sight without being the slightest bit concerned about getting caught. It's not really THAT easy to murder people and not get caught, even if you're a big mafiosi.

The plot was a bit illogical. For example, Jack Nicholson picked up Matt Damon from his graduation ceremony at the police academy. Duh. And no police officers were supposed to have noticed THAT? Matt Damon gets picked up at graduation by a Mafia kingpin in a stretch limo and none of the guys in the police mafia unit are going to notice THAT? They are still going to consider Matt Damon to be squeeky clean? Highly unlikely. Police officers aren't idiots. They notice things like that.

Another problem was that DiCaprio and Damon look too much alike. There was one chase scene where DiCaprio was following Damon, but they both looked so much alike that I couldn't tell who was who.

But all in all, it was a pretty good movie. It just wasn't a classic.

Cautions With the Auto Industry Bailout

I strongly support an auto industry bailout. The auto industry is crucial to the American economy and to our national security. However, there are a couple choruses coming from the Democrats that are a bit disturbing.

First, some of the Democrats have made a big deal out of stipulating that there should be no bonuses for people making over 250G's. This is part of the usual whining that top executives make huge salaries for doing nothing.

Unfortunately, that is QUITE incorrect. A highly talented top executive might make 10 million dollars a year, but he can be the difference between a company being in the black or needing a 25 billion dollar bailout.

You are not going to solve the problems of the auto industry by filling the top ranks of management with LOSERS who are working for chicken-feed. Top executives frequently make 10 million dollars a year or more, because they're worth it. They BRING IN far more than the 10 million that they are being paid. Otherwise, a corporation is moronic to hire them.

But to make a blanket statement that there will be no bonuses is MORONIC. That is a GUARANTEE that you are not going to have the best people running the auto industry. Those top managers will simply go to other companies, or even other countries.

We aren't going to solve the problems of the auto industry by staffing those companies with burocratic salarymen who are content not to get bonuses.

The best approach is to directly link bonuses with performance.

The anti-bonus statement really shows the business ignorance of many people in government. Indeed, what do most Senators or Congressmen know about running a business? Nothing. They can't even balance the country's checkbook. Fortunately, they own the printing presses, so they can just print more money. Most businesses can't do that. They either make a profit or die, in normal times. Government people don't understand that.

The second problem is that government people are talking about taking this opportunity to make the car companies "green". This is definitely the WRONG time to be starting a project like that!

The car companies are fighting for their life now. This is not the time to tie a green dumb-bell around their necks and expect them to swim with the sharks.

Nobody is addressing big labor. The biggest problem that American automakers have are high union salaries, benefits and pensions. Foreign auto makers use cheap labor.

But this is definitely not the time to be forcing the auto industry to start meeting draconian emission requirements. And besides, isn't that a little hypocritical when Detroit's competition in Asia is belching smoke into the atmosphere like a dragon in heat? What's the sense of America being so careful when you have 1.6 JILLION Chinese farting exhaust fumes into the atmosphere?

Joe Lieberman Is Still the Jewish Obama

Maybe you weren't around in 2000, but when Gore was mis-pronounced the winner, and Joe Lieberman became the first Jewish vice president, there were a LOT of Jews with tears in their eyes. It was exactly the same as Jessie Jackson on Tuesday night. Jews did not think that that could happen in their lifetime. And even with the loss of the electoral college, Gore/Lieberman won the popular vote by 5 million votes. It was an ENORMOUS milestone for American Jews.

Of course, it didn't get the press that Obama has gotten. But fairness has not been the MSM's forte of late.

A few factors to consider: As a resident of South Florida, I can ASSURE you that most Jews have not been in love with Obama. First, he spit in their faces by not counting the primary vote, where their darling Hillary won 50%-37%. Can you IMAGINE what would have happened if OBAMA had won Florida by 50-37 and the DNC IGNORED it? Like RIOTING IN THE STREETS!!! RACIST PIGS IGNORE OBAMA! But since it was just stupid Hillary, who cares.

Second, his father was a Moslem, even if he is not. No Jew would view that without suspicion.

Third, he wants to pull out of Iraq and leave Israel to muddle thru on it's own (altho he doesn't say that).

But I think that Jews still voted for Obama because they tend to be liberal Democrats, especially in Florida. And McCain and the Republicans were attacking the Jewish pocketbook: Taxing health care benefits??? Was he INSANE? No universal health care. And then he had been involved in the attempt to add privatization to Social Security.

So, I do not by any means think that Lieberman is unpopular with Jews, but when a decision had to be made between Israel's security and their own security, it looks like Jews are looking more toward themselves.

Besides, the older WWII Jews, who saw Hitler in action, and who witnessed the birth of Israel, are now either dead or dying. Younger Jews tend to be less obsessed with Israel. Probably because they did not experience Hitler first hand. And also BECAUSE of people like Joe Lieberman, who showed that a Jew could (almost) become VP of the USA. That might even have helped OBAMA (but I am sure his followers would not admit that).

Additionally, Florida going to Obama has less to do with the Jews than with the MASSIVE increase in Haitian BLACKS in South Florida. There have been a HUGE number of Haitians, and other Caribbean blacks who have come to America in the past 20 years. Many are illegal, but their children are not, and they have come of age.

The Haitians have been FANATICAL supporters of Obama. They have always been 100% Democrats, now they are 1000% Democrats. And God only knows how much vote fraud there was down here. I couldn't prove it, but it was probably MASSIVE.

And even tho most Jews in South Florida have been lukewarm, or even hostile, to Obama, the Jewish superhero leaders embraced Obama: Robert Wexler and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. If those two had not been given leadership roles in the Obama campaign in Florida, Obama might very well have tanked amoung Jews.

To end their rambling rant, I would strongly advise against bashing Lieberman too much. It will interpreted by many Jews as anti-semitic, since Lieberman is still a Jewish icon. Like him or not. It would be like trashing Obama when he gets old. Good 'ol Joltin' Joe. God love 'im (as Biden would say).

If SNL Were Fair

Like everyone else, I found the Tiny Fey rendition of Sarah Palin to be hilarious. But it raises a few questions. It's funny, and it ostensibly reflects Palin, but does it REALLY? Does it really reflect a woman who was raised on the prairies of Wyoming and then moved to Wassilla, Alaska as a "civilized" place compared to where she was coming from? Does Tina Fey reflect a woman who runs for Governor while having 4 children and a 5th on the way?

Does her entertaining bit reflect a woman who was so committed to her pro-life principles that she was willing to give birth to a Down's Syndrome baby? A woman who is both a bear-hunter and a beauty contest winner? A woman who was a high school basketball star and a TV announcer?

Palin is not some trivial creature.

But what was most GROSSLY UNFAIR about SNL was the totally TEPID rendition of Obama.

Who SHOULD have played Obama? CHRIS ROCK! Of course, Rock is an Obama supporter, so he wouldn't have. But just imagine if he HAD. Are you going to tell me that there is nothing FUNNY about Obama? With his checkered past??? It could have been at least as uproarious as Palin.

But SNL was under the reigns of political correctness to not mess with Obama. But Palin, being a dumb white broad, could be thoroughly mocked.

Democrats Need to Keep Joltin' Joe Lieberman!!!

I don't see that Joe Lieberman did anything so terrible. He is a devout Jew, and he views our Iraq presence as crucial to Israel's security. The Democratic Party seems to no longer give a hoot. It just wants to cut and run. Lieberman goes along with the Democratic caucus on most everything else. Additionally, his work as chair of Homeland Security must have had some effectiveness, since we haven't had another 9/11.
Other things to think about: He was the crucial figure who gave the Democrats a majority.

Additionally, Lieberman is the Jewish Obama. In 2000, he was the first elected Jewish vice president (in terms of the popular vote, winning by 5 million). Many Jews reacted as Jessie Jackson did on Tuesday night. Most Jews thought that this would not happen in their lifetimes, much like blacks look at Obama. Kicking out Lieberman, will have a very negative effect on Jews, who have been gradually migrating to the Republican Party anyway, and who are influential in government. Having continuing Jewish support will make Obama's job much easier.

Additionally, if the Obama left kicks out Lieberman, the "blue dog" Democrats might feel that they are next to go. And if the "blue dog" Democrats go, guess what? You have a Republican senate. It will be rather difficult to effect change with a Republican senate.

IS OBAMA HALF-WHITE OR HALF-BLACK

Consider the "racial purity laws" of Nazi Germany. You were defined as a Jew if you had a Jewish grandparent, and you could then be stripped of your belongings and sent to Auschwitz.

What I find interesting about Obama is that everyone agrees that he is "black". But in reality, of course, he is half black and half white. So why then do we call him "black"? Couldn't we just as well call him "white"?

This apparently relates to the "racial purity laws" of modern America. Apparently if you have a grandparent who is black, you can then be defined as black.

My personal feeling is that we all need to deal with this. It is time to totally rid America of any sort of "racial purity" definitions. And I think that Obama's election goes a long way toward doing that.

The big question is whether HE HIMSELF will want to, or be able to, eliminate the concept of "racial purity".

Racial purity has become an ugly part of the U.S. Government. Whenever you apply for a job, you must fill out that stupid form asking whether you are black, white, hispanic, Asian or Native American.

Since this is an "official" document, how on earth do you even "define" your race? Is Obama "black" or "white"? He is both.

And how about people of the "hispanic" race? That is PURE IDIOCY. "Hispanic" is a LANGUAGE, not a RACE. There are very large numbers of "caucasians" in South America, so why are they termed "hispanic" when they come here? They are actually "white".

And getting rid of this IDIOCY really IS the responsibility of Barack Obama. Obama is the ONLY PERSON who can rid of this RACIST IDIOCY. Because the reason for this racist idiocy is to help blacks get jobs, or at least to help Civil Rights lawyers make more money.

It's time for blacks to stop selling their souls for a few dollars. Blacks should be ones who are the most appalled at this whole built-in concept of "racial purity" being forced down America's throat by the Federal Government.

And the same thing with preferential admissions to universities.

Obama's election may very have a VERY unintended effect upon the Civil Rights/Affirmative Action Movement. It may virtually DESTROY it.

After all, if a black man can now become president, is there any justification whatsover for all of this "special help" to blacks?

Sorry, but I don't think so. It is time for America to go back to the way it used to be. The Federal and State governments should have no right whatsoever to even recognize or acknowledge a person's so-called "race".

That might cost black people a few bucks in the short run, but it would be well worth their while in the long run.