American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture
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From the Defense Intelligence Agency:
In Latin America, transnational threats such as drug- and arms- trafficking and special interest alien transit, coupled with porous borders, have increased insecurity and challenged stability and prosperity. Moreover, outside actors are increasingly seeking to challenge the U.S. as the defense partner of choice in the region.Read the full report.
Via Big Hollywood
24 was off the air for such a long time that my priorities shifted and I missed the new season’s premiere.
Fear not, as my friend Rick Moran was watching for the rest of us. His review, REDEMPTION: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE FAMILIAR got my attention,
Best of all was the portrayal of the United Nations lickspittle. Now it should be said that there are many brave, courageous UN peacekeepers and relief workers out there who have given their lives for their mission. But there are way too many Charles Solenz’s, the cowardly UN peacekeeper (played with suitable ambivalence by Sean Cameron Michael) who ends up betraying Jack and the kids. The show’s POV of the United Nations was definitely negative and definitely not PC – a pleasant surprise and one that bodes well for the rest of the season.
All that, and Jon Voight, too.
Note to self: learn to tape the shows. If it’s on Mondays, it’ll interfere with tango.
Oh, wait. Blogs 4 Bauer appears to have it!
Sweet.
And
the guy from The Full Monty Trainspotting, too!
UPDATE
Fox on demand also has Redemption (h/t Pat).
A highlight from last night’s liveblogging:
Behold, President Huckalogan!
Via Irwin,
24: The unaired 1994 pilot
. [T]here is something profoundly wrong–something that should trouble all of us–when we have elected Democratic officials who seem more worried about how the Bush administration might respond to Iran’s murder of our troops, than about the fact that Iran is murdering our troops.
There is likewise something profoundly wrong when we see candidates who are willing to pander to this politically paranoid, hyper-partisan sentiment in the Democratic base–even if it sends a message of weakness and division to the Iranian regime.
Dan’s not thrilled about Joe in a Republican ticket, but Joe Lieberman in his speech pointed out all the reasons why I won’t be voting Democrat any time soon.
More puzzling still, in the English version of the RSF 2006 accounts, the subsidies line in the French accounts quite simply . . . disappears.
Read the post and follow their links to the Iranian connection.
Via Pajamas Media, Jack’s going green, which doesn’t bide well,
and
The Anchoress found out that next season they’re having a woman president,
just in time to get the world used to the idea. Ummm…not exactly news – as with the cleavage and the pink suits, we’ve been here before.
Last season was pretty lame. Next season promises to be lamer.
So long, deadly mullet:
I got addicted to 24 on the first episode of day 4, when the evil terrorist mom was doing dastardly deeds like killing her son’s girlfriend.
That year had a great plus in the casting: the mom and son were played by Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jonathan Ahdout who also played mother and son in House of Sand and Fog, making it rather amusing to see how they got along without gloomy Ben Kigsley who also played Ghandi. Ghandi would have never lasted a minute in that household. Never mind that the really bad guy, Marwan, had been The Mummy and was a great bad guy.
After I watched the entire season 4 I rented the DVDs and spend a couple of weekends catching up with days 1, 2, and 3. My favorite character (other than Jack) is George Mason, brilliantly played by Xander Blakely.
George married evil Nina in real life.
President David Palmer Dennis Haysbert, is another favorite – you did feel you were in good hands with him. Unlike his brother, President Palmer #2 who whispered his way through a nuclear attack in LA. Obviously the writers were sorry they got rid of PP#1.
Best of all, I loved the pacing in day 4. I was addicted to the pacing.
Well, I sat through the whole day 6 and I’m missing the good old days.
One thing for sure, things were never the same after they killed off Edgar. Edgar wasn’t good-looking but he was reliable and solid. On day 6 they killed Milo, who was not only reliable, he was PDG-looking.
Having started day six with a nuclear explosion that apparently didn’t affect street trafficin LA, the whole season’s pacing went AWOL and, with still 20+ minutes to go in the final episode the net result was, as Blogs4Bauer said,
’24’ stops at this point. The next twenty minutes are actually an episode of ‘General Hospital’ that somehow got spliced in by mistake.
You know things were off when Jack came out of the ocean and I was wondering if his cell phone still worked. Back on day 4 you knew the phone would work because it was Jack Bauer’s phone, dammit!
Will I watch day 7 next January? Probably.
But let’s hope they cut out so much soap. The minute I see Chloe bringing her baby to work, it’s curtains, guys.
Update, Thursday, May 24: The Carnival of Bauer is on!
