The Senescent Man

In March, Time Magazine listed “Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now.” Third on their list and nestled among other notions like “reinstating the interstates” was something they called “the new Calvinism.” It’s not that easy to see, however, how this old world view is somehow repackaged, alive and changing the social order as we approach the 500^th birthday of its originator this July 10.

People are quick to associate Calvinism with a Puritanical sternness and a fatalistic, predestined fate, but laying aside what some would argue are distortions of Calvinism, let’s consider John Calvin the man, how he affected his world in the 16^th Century, what role he may have played in how we developed as a culture and how his ideas may be affecting us even today.

Calvin was one of several 16^th Century architects (though some say THE chief architect) of the Protestant Reformation. He established a body of theology and connected it to the soul of what was a fledgling Protestant revolution, documenting his beliefs in his Institutes which he wrote in 1534 at the age of 25.

In Calvinism, common labor was considered “a calling from God,” as sacred as serving as a priest or minister. Every task, no matter how menial, was accomplished with a sense of duty to mankind.

Education in Calvin’s day was limited to the aristocratic class, so he launched an academy in Geneva, Switzerland training people in whatever “God had called them to do.” It was revolutionary in the 16^th century for a college to teach law, medicine, math and engineering. When Calvinism arrived in the American colonies, the first colleges – Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, Rutgers and Princeton – were launched to train Calvin influenced teachers.

Calvin believed that the pillars of Western law, order and justice were founded in Mosaic Law, and as such engineered the codification of laws based on scripture. Influenced by Calvin, Sirs Edward Blackstone and William Coke established what we now refer to as the Common Law which later formed the basis for laws in the Colonies, and are still in application today.

Deeply rooted in Calvinism is a true love of freedom and free market capitalism. Through the hard work of one’s “calling” and the excellence pursued by the measure of a just God, common workers would invest in private capital, risk taking, personal and private ownership, while showing charity towards the poor. Wherever Calvinism spread, it was often followed by investment in capital, productivity and an improvement of the standard of living, while other parts of Europe usually were stricken by poverty under absolute monarchal rule.

Derived from the eldership model of the Bible, Calvin promoted representative government, the limitation of government power, a plurality of leadership, and branches of government with checks and balances where no one branch would rule without the symmetry and balance of the other branches, to preserve individual liberty. It is no wonder that historians like 19^th Century German author Leopold Von Ranke would say that “John Calvin was virtually the founder of America,…”

Besides a change in tone and content emanating from today’s pulpits which are challenging people’s beliefs, do we not see other trends exhibiting the invisible hand of a resurgent Calvinism? What about reforms in education strategy? How about the reform and restructuring of world markets?

To cite an example, earlier this month, Boston’s Mayor Tom Menino surprised teachers and constituents by giving a powerful speech on school reform where he advocated the “transformative change” available to Boston through “charter schools.”

The zeitgeist of a new Calvinism is also subtly inspiring the work ethic of boomers, influencing them to rethink taking their retirements. A June 2009 article in the Journal of the American Enterprise Institute discusses “The Coming Entrepreneurship Boom,” which the authors claim is occurring not in spite of an aging population but because of it. We’re likewise witnessing the death throes of gigantic, bureaucratic, government protected conglomerates, like GM, which are faltering as they compete ineffectively against agile, rapidly growing and competitive small businesses.

And what about those freedom loving, empathetic Twitterers who have been overtly supporting the street demonstrations for freedom in Iran?

As we approach the celebration of the 233^rd anniversary of the birth of our own Independence, we should consider that there was once another revolution that predated our own which not only had an impact on our Founders but remains active and alive even today influencing change through an emerging and new reformation resembling a very, very old one.

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 7:25 PM |

I came across this in today’s Wall Street Journal in the letters to the editor section, and I found that the more I pondered what this writer has stated, the more I think it lands in the heart of Obamaland.  This is the reason why conservatives like Christopher Buckley, David Brooks and others were enamored of Obama prior to the election, why some still stand in awe.

Obama's Words on Roberts Reveal a Lot About Obama

I found the excerpt from Barack Obama's 2005 Senate speech, "Why Obama Voted Against Roberts" (June 2), fascinating because it shows very well how President Obama operates. He makes fantastic speeches which all praise principle, values and common sense. Many conservatives would not even deliver speeches as deeply conservative as Mr. Obama's. Yet when he casts his vote, he is a super liberal, to the left of the left. The usual liberal "culprits" show their colors at the first word they pronounce. One or two sentences and one knows that a liberal is talking. But not with Mr. Obama. This is what has contributed to his initial successes but will ultimately be his downfall. If you find so many good qualities in Justice Roberts, and find he may be "deficient" in 1% or 2% of his personality, why vote against him?

George Naniche
Moraga, Calif.

Labels: Age of Obama

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 3:03 PM |

Put your State Senators to work…

The following is a listing of known venues of indoor prostitution by RI Senate District collected and compiled by Melanie Shapiro and Donna M. Hughes from the University of RI whose comments on the movie Happy Endings? was shared in a previous post:

District	Senator	Brothel	Notes
1	Maryellen Goodwin	Beautiful Life 19 Atwells Avenue Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel that is prison like: the fire escape is ripped off, there are bars on the windows, and the exits sealed. Beautiful Life has been open since February 2007.
		Cadillac Lounge 61 Charles Street Providence, RI 02904	A strip club where prostitution has been reported by men on an Internet forum.
		Central Health 76 Derry Street Providence, RI 02903	A Korean spa-brothel that has been open since at least 2005. It was one of 31 brothels in a multi-state federal investigation of Korean organized crime sex trafficking and money laundering. The manager was arrested in 2006. Central Health is located near a housing project and a school.
		Club Fantasies 28 Sims Avenue Providence, RI 02909	A strip club. “Johns” report on Internet forums that there is prostitution there.
		Foxy Lady 318 Chalkstone Avenue Providence, RI 02908	A strip club. “Johns” report on Internet forums that there is prostitution there.
		Heavenly Hands 46 Admiral Street Providence, RI 02908	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since January 2009.
		Lily’s Spa 375 Admiral Street Providence, RI 02908	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2004. The brothel owner, Choon Yeol Jeon residence is at the brothel. Women live on the premises. ”Johns" say that the women are younger than at other brothels and are rotated faster than other brothels.
		North Main Street Spa 1185 North Main Street Providence, RI 02906	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2000. Connected to Harmony Spa. The president, Naja Ho, is listed as residing at the brothel. The manager, Sumi Ray, was arrested for allowing women to perform massages without licenses. Women live on the premises.
		Sunflower Spa 627 Douglas Ave Providence, RI 02908	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since July 2008. The incorporator, Chunyu Guo, is listed as living there. Located in a residential area. “Johns” say on Internet forums that the inside is not clean.
2	Juan M. Pichardo	Japan Spa 1021 Broad Street Providence, RI 02905	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in early 2005. Japan Spa is located above a hair salon. One “john” reported a woman at the spa-brothel pleaded for him to marry her and take her back to South Korea.
		J.J. Tuina Bodywork 30 Pontiac Avenue Providence, RI 02907	An Asian spa-brothel located a few doors from Red Rose Spa. Open since early 2008. The president is listed as residing there, a tiny, one floor building. Several women reported to ”johns” that they were frightened.
	.	Red Rose Spa 2 Pontiac Avenue Providence, RI 02907	An Asian spa-brothel open since 2007. One of the managers, Hui Pinf Lu, is listed as residing in Flushing, NY, an information and transit hub for Korean sex trafficking. Located at a busy intersection off of Reservoir Avenue a few doors down from J.J. Tuina Bodywork.
3	Rhoda E. Perry	Body Work 91 South Angell Street Providence, RI 02906	An Asian spa-brothel open since March 2009, operating out of an apartment.
		Downtown Spa 385 South Main Street Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2006. It is one of the brothels involved in a Federal human trafficking case in 2006. It was part of a large Korean organized crime sex trafficking ring spanning from Boston to South Carolina. Women are rotated on a network of brothels along the east coast. “Johns’ say the women are reluctant to engage in sex acts, but they make them to it anyway. Women were also reported to be sent out for plastic surgery.
4	Dominick J. Ruggiero	Wanskuck Wellness Center 725 Branch Avenue Unit #132 Providence, RI 02904	An Asian spa-brothel open since early 2006. Located next to an adult entertainment store and connected to Wellness Spa in Plainville, MA. “Johns” say they women are held in debt bondage
5	Paul V. Jabour	425 Atwells Avenue Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel open since April 2009. It is in a residential apartment.
		Asian Body Work 326 Broadway Street Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel open since May 2009. It is in a residential apartment around the corner from an elementary school.
		Bali Day Spa 204 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel open since 2004. The president, Wai K. Lew is listed as residing there. Women live on the premises. It is connected to ABC Spa and Sundance Spa.
		Fuji Spa 417 Atwells Avenue Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in April 2009. It is located in an historic purple Victorian home.
		One Spa 55 Bradford Street Providence, RI 02903	An Asian spa-brothel open since January 2009. Located above the Federal Hill Gazette office in an apartment. It is connected to Down Town Spa. ”Johns” say the women here are rotated very quickly. The women live at the brothel.
		Satin Doll 35 Aborn Street Providence, RI 02903	A strip club where prostitution has been reported by ”Johns” on the Internet
6	Harold M. Metts	Balloons 257 Allens Avenue Providence, RI 02905	An 18+ strip club. “Johns” say there is underage prostitution there. Club Balloon is open 24 hours a day. In 2008, Angel Varagas of Woonsocket was murdered outside the club.
		Cheaters 245 Allens Avenue Providence, RI 02905	A strip club. ‘Johns” say there is prostitution there.
		Club Desire 1 Franklin Square Providence, RI 02903	A strip club. “Johns” say there is prostitution there.
		MegaPlex 257 Allens Avenue Providence, RI 02905	A gay bathhouse where prostitution has been reported by men on Internet forums.
		Spa 81 81 Richmond Street Providence, RI 02903	A spa-brothel open since 2007. Was previously QQ Spa, an Asian spa-brothel. Now it advertises American women of non-Asian ethnicities. Spa 81 is located above Club Hell.
		Studio 253 Adult Emporium 257 Allens Avenue Providence, RI 02905	An 18+ nude modeling studio where prostitution is reported by “Johns” on Internet forums.
8	James Doyle II	Daily Spa 508 Armistice Blvd Pawtucket, RI 02861	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2008.
		Far East 72 East Street Pawtucket, RI 02860	An Asian spa-brothel open since early 2007. Hyo Sik Kim, the current manager, has a criminal record. It is connected to Downtown Spa, which was found to be part of a large Korean organized crime and sex trafficking network investigated by Federal agencies
		Harmony Spa 11 Benefit Street #A Pawtucket, RI	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in April 2009. It is connected to Century Spa, North Main Street Spa, and Sundance Spa.
12	Louis P. DiPalma	Lee Health Center 1341 W. Main Road Middletown, RI 02842	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in 2006. A family-oriented business located nearby was forced to relocate because of the brothel.
		Salon 657 Middletown, RI 02842	A spa-brothel with American women.
14	Daniel DaPonte	Century Spa 150 Warren Ave East Providence RI 02914	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in March 2009 and is connected to Harmony Spa. Located in a house in a residential area.
		Shiatsu Spa 254 Warren Ave East Providence, RI 02914	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in January 2009. It is connected to Fuji Spa. Located in a house in a residential area.
15	John F. McBurney III	Pleasant Street Spa 88 Pleasant Street Pawtucket, RI 02860	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2003. Located in a small shopping complex, next to a family pizzeria.
16	Elizabeth A. Crowley	Simple Pleasures 753 Broad Street Central Falls, RI 02907	An Asian spa-brothel that opened in April 2009.
		Sundance Spa 49 Sheridan Street Central Falls, RI 02863	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2006.
17	Edward J. O’Neill	ABC Spa 417 Smithfield Avenue Providence, RI 02904	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2008. It is connected to Bali Day Spa and Sundance Spa. Can be seen from a popular Rhode Island restaurant.
		Mineral Spring Massage & Bodywork 1410 Mineral Spring Avenue North Providence, RI 02904	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2006. Located in a strip mall.
26	Beatrice A. Lanzi	Anne’s Garden Spa 415 Atwood Avenue Cranston, RI 02920	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2008. It is connected to Anne’s Garden Spa in Brighton, MA.
		Asian Bodywork Center 786 Atwood Avenue Cranston, RI 02920	An Asian spa-brothel that has been open since 2008.

Labels: Rhode Island

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 7:13 PM |

Several people have asked Professor Donna M. Hughes of the University of Rhode Island for her opinion about the film “Happy Endings,” a documentary on Asian indoor spa-brothels located in RI, a film by Tara Hurley.  On Sunday, Professor Hughes had the opportunity to see the film in its entirety. Here are her comments.

• The film should not be viewed by underage children because it includes a sex act filmed in one of the spa-brothels. Some adults may be offended by this.

• This is not a film that should be used for education on sex trafficking.

• Tara Hurley, the filmmaker, has testified before the RI House Judiciary Committee and said on talk shows that based on observations making the film, there is no sex trafficking in Rhode Island. This is the view that is conveyed by “Happy Endings?”

• There are serious omissions of information about the people in the film and political biases that the filmmaker does not acknowledge.

• The filmmaker does not identify the three Korean women interviewed in the film as brothel owners or operators. They are not the women doing the sex acts. By definition, the women interviewed in the film are women pimps and possibly traffickers.  The women-pimps have a vested interest is saying that the women are there voluntarily. (Letting the women-pimps speak for the women doing the sex acts is like letting the owners of a sweat shop speak for the people running the sewing machines. Of course, they say the workers are content.)

• Much of the film was made at an Asian spa-brothel called Central Health (76 Derry Street, Providence). This brothel was included in a federal investigation of Asian Organized Crime for sex trafficking and money laundering.  It was one of 31 brothels in an organized crime network operating along the east coast from Boston to South Carolina.  (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York v. Tae Hoon Kim, Sung Chul Il, Fnu Lnu, Tae Jun Park, Kyong Polachek, Byong Il Son, Jin Sook Kim Lee, and Miae Choi-son, August 14, 2006.) During this investigation victims of trafficking were identified. They were controlled with threats to their families in South Korea.

• One woman-pimp who is interviewed in the film tried to open a spa-brothel in Fox Point (and was defeated by community organizing against it). She was the operator of Asian Fantasies spa-brothel in Warwick (1550 B Post Road), which was raided last month (April 11, 2009).

• The third woman says at the end of the film that she is going to open her own spa-brothel.

• We never hear the voices of the women at the bottom, the ones who are sexually exploited and often abused, and sometimes trafficked.  We only hear the voices of the women-pimps and two male pimps.

• Filmmaker Hurley does not identify close relationship to the sex industry. According to her own blog she has been asked by the Erotic Service Providers Union to be their representative in Rhode Island. A convicted madam from this organization visited her in February. They discussed strategies to decriminalize prostitution.

• Hurley has been showing her film in sex industry venues (not human rights film festivals). The film “Happy Endings?” premiered at an erotic film festival (Cinekink) in New York City in January.  Next it will be shown as part of a Sex Workers Film Festival in San Francisco in June. (The hostess of the festival is Carol Leigh, also known as “The Scarlet Harlot,” who recently published a book entitled The Unrepentant Whore.)

• The film has a grotesque quality to it. All the faces are blurred out, the voices are disguised. The camera often focuses only on the mouth or body of the speaker. There is grainy black and white footage from surveillance cameras inside the spa-brothel. For a number of scenes of men coming to the brothel, Hurley filmed from an upstairs window of the brothel.

• If you already know something about sex trafficking in Rhode Island, you can pick-up a few interesting details from the film, but overall, most viewers will leave confused, or worse, they will believe what the women-pimps that say about women choosing to work in the brothels. It is not fair to the exploited and abused women to pretend that this film represents their lives.

Labels: Rhode Island

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 5:31 PM |

A couple of things happening in RI today.

Brown Taubman Center Poll:

First, the Projo’s top of the fold piece on a poll taken by Brown University’s Taubman Center for Public Policy on Rhode Islander’s views on same sex marriage.  RI is dominated by blue collar, Catholic Democrats , and unless something happened while we were sleeping, the results of this poll seems very questionable, and I hope it places very large question marks on all polls coming out of Brown.  The Projo reporters would have been wise to vet the results further.  Maybe Projo isn’t paying their reporters well enough for them to do some extra legwork because internet competition is causing them to tighten their belts?  Maybe the reporters were so enthusiastically in favor of what they wanted to hear and believe that they figured, well, after all this is BROWN.  I mean BROWN University.  It must be true.  Fallacy of Appeal to Authority.

Here’s why the poll results are specious, and from their own data. The following is from the Taubman website:

May 2009 Survey Questions and Responses

1. Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married?
   Support 60%; Oppose 31%; DK/NA 9%
2. Would you support or oppose a law that would allow civil unions for same-sex couples?
   Support 75%; Oppose 17%; DK/NA 8%
3. Do you think same-sex couples should be allowed legally to marry, should be allowed legally to form civil unions but not marry, or should not be allowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationships?
   Should be allowed legally to marry 55%;
   Should be allowed legally to form civil unions but not marry 22%;
   Should not be allowed to obtain legal recognition of their relationship 15%;
   DK/NA 8%

Okay, here’s what puzzles me: In question 1, 60% support same sex couples marrying.  Yet, in question 3, 55% support same sex couples being allowed to marry.  Now why such a quick shift from the same sample of respondents?  I realize there is a margin of error, but regular people if they said “support” in question 1 would also say “should allow legally to marry” in question 3.  Right?  Even though there is a purported majority in both, the disparity of the percentage leaves one to wonder about the accuracy of all of it, if you get my drift.

Also, there is no information on where the respondent sample came from: phone calls?  door to door polling? dorm room interviews?

There is specific mention of the difference between respondents and their age group – from the report:

Younger voters support same-sex marriage at a higher levels than older voters. For example, among 18-29 year olds, 87 percent support same-sex marriage, as do 70 percent of the 30-39 year olds. Among those 60-69 years old, however, only 49 percent support same-sex marriage, and only 32 percent of those 70 and older support same-sex marriage. The survey also uncovered partisan differences in support for same-sex marriage. While 77 percent of Democrats say they support same-sex marriage, only 28 percent of Republicans do. Among independents, 56 percent said they would support a law allowing same-sex couples to marry.

What was the size of the 18-29 year old respondent sample?  How did it compare with the 60-69 year old sample? How do we not know if, of the total 593 respondents, 500 were 18-29 year old Brown students?  We don’t. 

And in RI, everyone knows that liberalism, for the most part, resides among Republicans.  Democrats, as I mentioned earlier, tend to be more conservative.  RIer’s who’ve been around know this.  So why are the results of Democrat respondents versus Republican respondents so, well, non-Rhode Island-ish?  Republicans in RI overwhelmingly against gay marriage?  No way.  Democrats overwhelmingly for?  Not possible.  This is RI, not Utah.  Something is wrong with this picture.

Frankly I therefore don’t believe these results, and neither should you all.  And here’s a couple of other reasons why too:

On the Projo website which includes this article, signed in readers could comment, and one comment caught my eye.  It read: ‘Taubman Center "polls" are always to be viewed with a jaundiced eye as the sample is largely made up of the "East Side" group.  Skewed slightly toward the "Left".’

Someone else commented that liberal university polls predicted California’s favorability to gay marriage before the recent election and prop 8 which we all know proved the opposite.  And that was during a liberal Democrat landslide.

I am a realist, and believe somewhat along the lines of Whitaker Chambers, that we’re fighting a losing battle here, and ultimately the Left will win out on this issue.  After all when political conservatives like Ted Olsen are ready to argue in favor of gay marriage, it’s time to pack it up; but for now, let’s be real about what RIer’s really think.

The Governor Race:

Secondly, the news about Arlene Violet considering a run for governor.  Now I like Arlene as an entertainer in the same way I am amused and entertained by the likes of Rush Limbaugh (she is no Rush Limbaugh of course), but I would not like a Violet governorship.  What I see brewing is a major battle among the Democrats: Lynch, Roberts, Caprio.  I see Caprio potentially winning the primary, but that remains to be seen – I am not sure Lynch will win despite his positives – he is rather obsequious and smarmy and eventually that will wear thin.  Lincoln Chafee has already indicated he’s running as an independent.  The Republicans will not put up anyone as conservative as Carcieri unfortunately, we we’ll get the likes of Violet.  So can you see a Caprio – Chafee – Violet race in November of 2010?

I won’t predict further as I usually guess wrong, but you get the picture.  Not pretty.

Labels: 2012 Election, Rhode Island

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 4:35 PM |

It’s Saturday night, and Memorial Day “observed” is not for a couple more days, but the cable stations are playing old war movies.  I came across the last of the HBO series “Band of Brothers” Episode 9 when they liberated a concentration camp on their way into the heart of Germany near the end of the war.  HBO did a remarkable job reenacting a true event, the incredulousness of the American Army as it discovers the heinous and criminal inhumanity of the Nazis.  On the other channel was an old 1949 movie about the Battle of the Bulge and the 101 stuck in Bastogne.  When the Germans told them they were surrounded, the commanding officer had only a one word response: “Nuts.”

Episode 9 of “Band of Brothers” was entitled “Why We Fight.”

A reminder of why we fought in past wars, and why we will fight wars in the future assuming Western Civilization lives on.  Young men have given their lives; young men will give their lives again.  As a father of a young man, I grieve bitterly with only a shadow of a sense of the cost. To those we remember this weekend:

“When they shall die, take them and cut them out in little stars and they will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.”

Wm. Shakespeare

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 10:32 PM |

On the recent “debate” between former VP Cheney and President Obama, an analysis from Gerald F. Seib of the WSJ, an excerpt:

Mr. Obama portrayed the search for the proper strategy for handling terror suspects as a debate between those on the left who "make little allowance for the unique challenges posed by terrorism" and those on the right who argue that "anything goes" in fighting terrorism.

"And both sides may be sincere in their views, but neither side is right," he said.

Mr. Cheney would have none of it. "The administration seems to pride itself on searching for some kind of middle ground in policies addressing terrorism," he said. "They may take comfort in hearing disagreement from opposite ends of the spectrum....But in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground. And half-measures keep you half-exposed."

I agree with the former VP, but you decide.

Labels: Age of Obama, Terrorism

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 8:29 AM |

When one squeezes the balloon in one direction, it grows in the other.  What I suspect will happen now that the Senate has passed credit card reform legislation is that the House will surely approve some version of the bill, and it will be undoubtedly signed by the President; but ultimately it will have an effect on consumers, and not necessarily a good effect.  People will find it a lot harder to get credit, and the convenience of a credit card.  In order to counter the impositions placed upon them by this legislation, credit card companies and banks will offset the new demands by making it a lot harder for people to obtain credit cards.  This may be momentarily helpful in that Americans are credit crazy and heavily in debt right now, and perhaps it will deter bad behavior; but it will also still commerce, and a slow economy could continue for a much longer time.  When you fiddle with markets, markets tend to fiddle back.

Labels: Age of Obama

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 1:52 PM |

I recently watched the 6 hour BBC version of the relatively recent movie “State of Play” starring Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck.  The BBC version weaved an intricate plot about a member of Parliament, played by British actor David Morrissey, who was an heroic opponent against the mean ol’ right wing energy companies who were exploiting the people.  The 2 hour “American” version is about a Congressman played by Affleck – someone who has never once convinced me as an actor – set in Washington DC.  In this version, Affleck is an heroic opponent to the mean ol’ right wing private contracting “Blackwater” type outfits.

If you are a DC-afile then you might enjoy the scenery. Ben’s Chili Bowl.  Union Station.  The monuments.  Ah. 

The self-righteous and politically “aware” Affleck patronizes us with several tirades against these right wing villains who sound like, if unchecked, will one day rule not only the world, but over the entire Universe.  The writers lose all credibility here.  This kind of conservative bashing is outright tiring: banality bathed in ennui to people like me.  If I was watching this at home on DVD, this nonsense along with the watered down plot would be the point I turn off the DVD and return to “Days of Our Lives.  The writers stretch it so far that one of the obvious dirt soaked bad-guy Congressmen we find at the denouement, you had to know, was some kind of Christian right winger who takes umbrage of the Affleck character “taking the Lord’s name in vain…”  My, how hypocritical and so, so ho hum.

A couple of weeks ago, Joe Morgenstern of the WSJ picked up on the superiority of the BBC version.  Watching the two is like reading a book, then going to see the movie version.  Always a bit disappointing, and certainly over exploitive of those guys who are always the villains.  But at least the shots of downtown DC are fun to see.

// posted by The Senescent Man @ 6:22 PM |