American Made

American madeWith all the political crap that is going on in the United States I think the timing of this movie’s release is perfect. Reviews are all over the map on this one with Tom Cruise lovers and haters. I’m not sure why the latter would see the movie in the first place.

Cruise plays Barry Seal, a TWA pilot who is recruited by the CIA to help Americanize certain third-world countries in Central America. In the interest of democracy Seal plays errand boy between the U.S. government and Manuel Noriega, running money and guns into Nicaragua. To supplement his personal income he helps the Medellin Cartel export cocaine to the U.S.

While messing in political and government affairs in Nicaragua, the CIA turns a blind to Seal’s extra-curricular activities. Although the story material is dead serious, the movie is almost comical. The role is not typical for Cruise, but he personifies the true all-american.

If nothing else, the movie was highly entertaining. Anyone who follows politics will recognize the names of Escobar, Ollie North, Noriega, and certain  U.S. presidents.

Cathryn and I both enjoyed American Made. She gives it a 9 and I an 8 out of 10.

 

Wind River

wind riverThis movie is tough to review. To say that Cathryn and I enjoyed it, would be using the word to describe that fact that it was well received. The plot is deep and dark, but like my novel, Finding Hope, the Highway of Tears, it’s another sad and true story about the lack of caring and respect for aboriginal women across our continent.

This story is about two women who die on the Wind River Reserve in Northern Wyoming. A fish and wildlife tracker, reserve cop, and a lone FBI agent team up to investigate the latest rape/homicide. The remote location of the crime challenges the team.

Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, and Graham Green play the dream team. Stellar performances were delivered by all. I’m personally tired of seeing the plight of first nations people on reserves –  all other previously oppressed races have learned to move on. Having said that this movie will drag you into their misery and make you wonder why this type of crap still goes on in this day and age.

Cathryn and I both give the move an 8 out of 10.

The Clinic

ClinicThe Clinic (Alex Delaware, #11) 
by Jonathan Kellerman, John Rubinstein (Narrator)

 

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Sep 18, 2017

 

Big yawn!
I really tried to finish this book just to see who did it, but three quarters of the way through I didn’t care any more and gave up. I’ve read previous works by Kellerman and love his characters, but for a murder mystery novel, this one made want to fluff my pillow instead of turning the page.
There was way too much fluff…useless descriptions of everyone, hypothesizing between characters, and painfully dull dialog.
If you’re looking for a good read to help you sleep, The Clinic is for you.

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

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The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an action movie that allows you to laugh out loud in certain scenes and with certain dialogue, comparable to to Bruce Willis’s Die Hard series. The action is pretty well non-stop throughout the movie, an on-going pursuit plot with a couple of outstanding car chases.

Does anyone know why bad guys on motorcycles think they can somehow stop a speeding car? You know they’re always going to lose. The cinematography showcases Amsterdam and the Netherlands, with a lot of the chase footage filmed along and in the canals and narrow streets alongside.

Ryan Reynolds’s character is a bit of a sap, but it’s a perfect fit with Jackson’s opposite and bad-ass character. Gary Oldman always makes a good bad guy, and doesn’t let us down in this movie. I think Salma Hayek’s character is over the top and a bit ridiculous, but it adds to the comic relief.

Cathryn and I both enjoyed viewing this flick on the big screen, but had trouble rating it. We both settled on a 7 out of 10.

 

The Country of Quebec

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Look closely at this picture and you’ll see one of the very few Canadian flags hanging limp, in the province of Quebec. The lovable red maple leaf is notably missing from government buildings, businesses, and homes across the French section of Canada. Are separatists still at work there, trying to divide our country.

Cathryn and I spent twelve days on the road, motorcycling from Windsor to Quebec City, and back. We spent the Canada Day weekend in the Kingston/Gananoque area, where civic and country pride were evident everywhere. Red and white banners, Canadian flags, and the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary flag were everywhere.

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Muy Bien Melaque

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We’ve been in Melaque, Mexico just over a month now, our second visit to this undiscovered gem on the Pacific coast. The towns of Villa Obregon and San Patricio help to form what is known as Melaque, a little known destination for many Canadian snowbirds. Although tiny in comparison to places like Puerto Vallarta, Melaque has a great selection of bars and restaurants to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. Although we’ve tried many different establishments in the last month, I am only mentioning three of our favorites in this blog post.

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Unintended Adventures

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            What exactly is an adventure and where do you find one? Touring companies offer them all the time—they must know. Usually, for a tidy sum of money, they promise unique adventures that anyone can go on. Is that being adventurous—going where everyone else has gone before? Sure it is, but we don’t need to spend our hard earned money to have someone else show us something different, off the beaten path.

            We call ourselves tourists, when we venture off to discover something new and different from the norm. Unfortunately, many of us become sheep, using travel agents and guide services to tell us how and where to find what we seek. For hard working individuals who need to get away from it all, there is nothing wrong with that.

            For real travelers, or adventurers, we know what is required. We know that you have to get off that beaten path, peek over that fence, look around the next corner, and drive down that next road to see where it leads. It’s not rocket science, it’s a yearning, curiosity, and desire to enrich ourselves and learn something new. It’s enlightenment.

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The Men of Melaque

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Who are the elusive men of Mexico? To us Gringos who flock south for the winter, if we pay attention, we might just catch a glimpse of the homosapien species. Our first exposure was at the Puerto Vallarta airport, where throngs of eager males threw themselves at arriving snowbirds in the hopes of snagging fares for the taxis and shuttles that were stacked up out front.

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Favorites – Venice

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I can’t count how many times I’ve been asked where’s my favorite place I’ve visited. And, for those of you who know me personally, I don’t really do favorites. So why, you ask, am I posting Venice as one of my favorite places? Well, I must shyly admit that it is. Right now it’s the number one tourist destination in the world. That’s big.

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