A Punishing Experience

This weekend my wife and I rented Punisher: War Zone. We usually see superhero movies, so this was a natural for us to pick up.

The movie has a good story that draws you in and makes you care about the characters. It even manages to make the villain seem like a half-way decent guy at times causing some sympathy for him. The film made good use of the "new guy" character to give the viewer the Punisher's backstory without a slow lead-in origin story or an information dump at the beginning. With compelling characters, lots of action, and a couple of interesting, but not earth shattering, plot twists, all in all, it's pretty good drama and a fun story.

But all was not well. I'm casually familiar with the Punisher from my comic book reading days, so I expected it to be a bit rough, but I didn't expect what we got. The violence was unnecessarily -- even unrealistically -- gory. We're not talking slasher-flick levels, but still it was bloodier than it could have been -- clearly bloodier than the previous Punisher film.

Also, the language was completely unnecessary. In a movie about gangsters, you should probably expect an f-bomb or two, but its use was almost constant. We will occasionally watch movies that the kids might find scary and simply send them to play in their room, but for this one, I kept turning the volume down lest they should hear all the swearing. Absolutely, positively not family friendly.

Though we did enjoy the movie, if I'd had the good sense to read a review, I might not have rented this one. I certainly wouldn't do it again.

What is Torture?

With the release of the "torture memos," the media is acting -- and has for years -- as if what is "torture" is obvious to everyone.

If a prisoner refuses to tell us what we want to know, do we just let it go?

"I'm pretty sure he knows where the bomb is, but he won't tell me no matter how much I beg, so I guess we're stuck."

Or do we try to convince him?

Most people would agree, "America doesn't torture." Some would make exceptions, but they definitely want them to be exceptions, not the rule. And it doesn't really matter who it's being done to, what they were doing when we caught them, or what we think they're going to do, before we decide what we're going to allow, we need to answer one fundamental question:

What is torture? How agressive do you have to be before it constitutes torture?

How far is too far? Let's don't pretend the answers to these questions are obvious.

Let me suggest a few guidelines:

4If it happens every day in football practice, it probably isn't torture.

4If it's something guys with Greek letters on their sweaters do to each other, it probably isn't torture.

4If it happens in boot camp, it probably isn't torture.

4If it involves non-stinging/biting insects, it probably isn't torture.

4If a Vanity Fair columnist voluntarily undergoes a procedure, it probably isn't torture.

Removing tongue from cheek, though, what is torture?

Headlines 4/17/09

= Obama aims to get dread out of tax deadline day
...with a simpler form:
1. Enter gross income ______
2. Send to IRS

= Obama to seek ratification of arms treaty with Mexico
Because new gun laws are easier than controlling the border.

= EPA finds greenhouse gases pose a danger to health
Now we can have ruinous anti-CO2 laws without all of that silly democratic debate.

= "Bailout" spending in historical perspective:
It boggles the mind.

Maritime Justice for Pirates

"Sharpshooters firing from the fantail of a U.S. Navy destroyer killed three pirates holding an American cargo-ship captain in a lifeboat, ending a five-day ordeal that unfolded amid a surge in piracy off Somalia’s coast."

After two years of talking about the intrinsic good of multilateralism and his recent European apology tour, my hopes for a show of strength from Pres. Obama were low, but I'm pleased to see that when push came to shove he didn't call the lawyers or the Security Council but the SEALs. God bless him, those SEALs, and Capt. Phillips.

Obama Administration News Roundup

While the "Estimated U.S. taxpayer cost for bailout jumps," the Treasury is reportedly refusing to allow early repayment of TARP funds. I'm sure this has nothing to do with recent laws allowing the feds to control anyone who took bailout money.

This one comments on itself pretty well:
First images of North Korean missile launch
North Korean Missile Test a Growing Possibility (a different missile, I think)
U.S. defense plan kills programs, trims missile shield
Bipartisan Group of Senators Opposes Cuts in Missile Defense

Obama BOWED to Saudi King?!

You can't make this stuff up.

Pres. Obama bowed to Saudi King Abdullah at the G20 meeting.



It's about 50 seconds in. (Click here to see on YouTube.)

When did American presidents start bowing to foreign kings? I'm almost certain we fought a war to stop that practice. I've resisted the trend to combine the president's name with the word amateur, but this almost begs for it -- and that's being charitable.

(HT: Michelle Malkin)

Headlines 4/2/09

Hmm it's been a while. Things appear to be slowing down finally.

=Obama tax pledge up in smoke
Along with his pledges on postpartisanship, transparency, and fiscal responsibility, but who's counting?

=Oh, apparently him: The President Is 'Keeping Score'
So are we, Mr. President, so are we.

The Obama ego:

=What Does One Get a Queen?
The gift of O, apparently. A narcissist's ipod: pictures of you and speeches from me.

=Military strained by Obama trip
Because you can't go to a summit without taking the entire population of Washington.