Dust flux, Vostok ice core

Dust flux, Vostok ice core
Two dimensional phase space reconstruction of dust flux from the Vostok core over the period 186-4 ka using the time derivative method. Dust flux on the x-axis, rate of change is on the y-axis. From Gipp (2001).

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

About the Bay of Pigs . . .

Given the ongoing furor over the NSA's Prism surveillance program, it is useful to remember that ridicule is one method of resisting authoritarian initiatives. With this in mind, I call to your attention the 2000 film Company Man, which purports to explain the Bay of Pigs and presents us with a retelling of the CIA's attempts to discredit Castro via a series of bizarre plots including beard-defoliation, drugs, and poisoned cigars. The opening line of the movie advises "based on some true events".

Even Operation Mongoose gets a mention in the movie ("There's a mongoose in my shorts!").

The movie generated poor reviews. It is not a great film, and John Tarturro brings the film to a screeching halt with some brutally bad acting--but there was some good political humor overall. Woody Allen was a great, albeit hopelessly inept, CIA section chief.

Again, mocking the secret intelligence services is a good thing.

Spoiler alert - the various assassination attempts fail, and the Bay of Pigs invasion is repulsed. At the end of the film, Kennedy compliments the "hero" for his dedication in attempting to kill Castro, and notes that although the invasion failed, it did highlight the need for an increase in the CIA's budget.

Considering what happened to Kennedy later, that line is the real stinker in the movie.

Theme song below.

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