It looks like the U.S. is going to strike Syria, despite the almost unanimous objection of the rest of the world, including our allies. Months ago President Obama said the use of chemical weapons would be the crossing of a red line that necessitated retaliation. He has painted himself into a corner and it seems he will act to save face. Unless the bombing takes out the entire Bashir regime, the civil war will continue. And if it accomplishes that task it is likely the ultimate irony will occur -- Al Qaeda will rule. I suspect and hope this will be a case of firing a couple of missiles and leaving it at that -- an empty show of force. This is a no-win situation. As for those who believe it shouldn't be done because it may lead to a 9/11 style retaliation, the monsters will plot despite what happens in Syria. If we have left Iraq, where we supplied so much American blood and treasure, to burn, why intervene anywhere else in the region?
Norway has been making solid films. I’ve viewed several the past few years, courtesy of Netflix. Last night I watched Cold Prey II (2008). I have not seen the original (2006) or the third (2010), probably because their ratings at the site weren’t as impressive. I’ve always loved cold, snowy landscapes on the silver screen, which is odd because I hate winter in real life. CPII is set in a remote northern area of that seemingly pristine country. It is a standard horror story, well done, containing elements of Freddy Kreuger, Michael Myers, Jason Vorhees and The Shining (1980). Director Mats Stenberg has done his homework. He had me jumping a few times. Of course, there are a few lapses in logic, particularly one where two women separate rather than stay together despite the obvious peril. Almost all films of the genre have them, but this one is a fast-moving 90 minutes, tense, and it has a plucky heroine at its center. The ending seemed definitive, but, since there is a sequel, I guess it wasn’t. The boogie man is immortal, as Jamie Lee Curtis’ character learned in Halloween (1978). On a scale of five, 3.1. It is rated 6.1 of ten at IMDb.
After two days of surprising business, it was a quiet session at the floating book shop. My thanks to the Russian woman who overpaid for two romance paperbacks, to the gentleman who purchased a Norwegian thriller, and the woman who bought a thick Random House dictionary. Ol' Smokey showed up. He's back in the apartment from which he was evicted, the matter in litigation. As usual, I had a hard time following the details he conveyed. At least he's not sleeping on the Boardwalk, which he had done for a time.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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