Quantum of Correctness

Cool. Juan Cole writes a detailed in-depth review of Quantum of Solace. Apparently the politics were much, much better than I realized. 

The reviews of director Mark Forster’s “Quantum of Solace” have complained about the film’s hectic pace (reminiscent of Doug Liman’s and Paul Greengrass’s Bourne thrillers), about the humorlessness of Daniel Craig’s Bond, and even about the squalid surroundings, so unlike Monaco and Prague, in which the film is set (with many scenes in Haiti and Bolivia). They have missed the most remarkable departure of all. Forster presents us with a new phenomenon in the James Bond films, a Bond at odds with the United States, who risks his career to save Evo Morales’s leftist regime in Bolivia from being overthrown by a General Medrano, who is helped by the CIA and a private mercenary organization called Quantum. In short, this Bond is more Michael Moore than Roger Moore.

All I noticed was that Daniel Craig continues to be the coolest Bond ever. I just didn’t realize how cool. And all of this is not to say that there aren’t some spectacular coincidences and laughable plot devices, and that not all of the chase scenes meet up to the Bourne standard for realistic coherency.

Btw, QoS has racked up $71 million in North America as of Saturday. And here’s something I’m sure Juan won’t be writing about: the new Star Trek XI trailer. I’d like to be kind, but the trailer is really sucky, just like nearly all of the STrek movies.

See also Josh Boston on the Death Star as minimalist art.

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Juan also writes about Rahm Emanuel’s timely and appropriate apology for his father’s intemperate remarks.

I’ve never liked Rahm Emanuel, but increasingly I’m liking the idea of him being on the same team as me, and in a role where is ideology will be secondary to his pit bullying.

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Chained to your old Hotmail address? If you’re really motivated to consolidate your email, Wired explains how to do it with Gmail.

No, this isn’t a casual process and will probably require you to amp up your information management skills considerably. Otoh, you will finally be free of those nasty old email accounts that gather spam and force you to check in regularly.

Still, if you want the best email address ever, take out a domain for email purposes but don’t set up any kind of homepage. If you never publish that email address, you’ll never get any spam, and yes, that’s the very best kind of email account, a private address just for your friends and family.

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My biggest hope for the new administration is that eventually there may be almost as many Democrats on Sunday morning talk tv as Republicans. 

Actual parity will not be achieved in our lifetimes, not even if Sarah Palin drives the Republicans into third party territory.

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From the Sunday papers:

Frank Rich on our self-embarrassing media whores (includes nice comparison of Republicans to white South Africans)

Should Cheeseheads sober up? Or should natural selection be allowed to run its course?

When pastors go wild

Austin’s Spam Museum used to be a Kmart: ideas for salvaging retail space

Thinking makes you fat

More on the deer plague

Time for Israel to move on?

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Women in the Klan? I guess not.

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Sunday Jesus stuff from PZ.

 

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