Prefer the Original Scandinavian TV, Especially "The Killing" (Forbrydelsen)

We have just finished watching the first season of the internationally top-rated Danish TV series "The Killing". I now see that we are way behind the times as the Danes have already broadcast their third season, and the Americans have done a complete remake of the first Danish season after splitting it into two seasons. We did not have to pay one centime extra to see this excellent series the original version broadcast in in the clear on the Franco-German public channel. Nor did we have to suffer through innumerible advertising breaks. In fact, we saw all 20 episodes in the space of three weeks (the same time frame as the murder investigation) without a single commercial. It was even rather tiring sometimes sitting through four hours end to end, with only brief hourly pipi stops. We wound up recording some episodes for the following day.

The news that there was an American remake did not surprise me, but led me to search critical comparisons. This was all that I found. This critic led me to believe that the US adaptation was almost as good as the original, which I doubt. Nevertheless, the critic asks the same question as I did: "Why did they bother", given the excellent quality of the original series. I haven't seen the version dubbed in English, but the French dubbing was perfect, and I can't imagine that the Brits would do worse. The decisive verdict is that the Danes have done two more successful series, whereas AMC dropped theirs after the first double series.

The question remains: "Why did they bother to do the remake?" Did the producers suppose that Americans are too self-centered or closed-minded to be interested in how another culure might treat such a horrible event? Or did they just presume that American TV would inevitably do it better? I doubt the latter interpretation because such suppositions have so often proved wrong: e.g. the original Swedish production of the Millenium trilogy. 

Of course, you can always buy the Danish Season 2 on Amazon for $65, but you will need a dezoned DVD player to watch it. This brings up another gripe I have with the US media industry. Those guys do the maximum to push free trade when it's to their advantage, while at the same time creating artificial barriers such as DVD and Bue-Ray zoning to protect their monopolies.

Meanwhile, we continue to enjoy a good film free nearly every evening on French TV.

Posted via email from FRauncher's posterous

Republican Small Government Fanatics Distort Views of Their Hero Hayek

despite his complete lack of faith in the ability of politicians to affect the economy, Hayek, who is frequently cited in attacks on entitlement programs, believed that the state should provide a base income to all poor citizens.

To be truly Hayekian, Boettke says, Ryan would need to embrace one of his central ideas, known as the “generality norm.” This is Hayek’s belief that any government program that helps one group must be available to all. If applied, Boettke says, a Hayekian government would eliminate all corporate and agricultural subsidies and government housing programs, and it would get rid of Medicare and Medicaid or expand them to cover all citizens. (Hayek had no problem with a national health care program.)

via nytimes.com

Maybe this guy Hayek wasn't as bad as the Republicans make him out to be. I hereby resolve to read more of what he wrote, My loyalty to Keynes, however, remains absolute

Posted via email from FRauncher's posterous

Don't Neglect Bordeaux Vintage 2011

A few weeks ago, I read a New York Times review of French wines now coming to market, and was rather miffed to see that the critic completely ignored Bordeaux. That's mainly because I live in Bordeaux; nevertheless, I began to wonder if my adopted region was falling behind Burgundy, and if so why. Maybe the excellent Pinot Noirs from the US West are leading more Americans to try their ancestors from Burgundy. Or maybe the wine critic just didn't have enough of a budget to cover both sides of France.

Be that as it may, I decided to stay on the lookout for medium priced 2011 Bordeaux, which I expected to be showing up in our supermarket. I rather thought they would be good because spring last year was precociously hot and dry, which I knew would favor the Merlots. And fortunately, the summer of 2011 was not especially hot, which should enable wine makers to avoid the high alcohol percentages that I don't much care for.

I didn't have long to wait. One day last week, I discovered a bottle of Chateau du Bos, a 2011 Graves at 12.5%, which is usually the right percentage for me. It was a miracle at less than five Euros the bottle: round, full, and fruity, with little acidity, it was a perfect table wine. I say "was" because I was not the only one to discover it. When I went back, I grabbed the last three bottles, and fervently hope they can restock. There was not much tannin, so I'm not sure this would be a keeper or that it would ship well, but it bodes well for those which will be coming out of oak a little later. 

On the other hand, a few days later I tried a 2011 Côtes de Blaye at 13% which was drinkable, but a bit "piquant". I was disappointed, because these were quite good a few years back. Nevertheless, I remain optimistic.

My guess is that the Saint Emilions will be better than ever, because they usually have a higher proportion of Merlot than the other Bordeaux. They reach their peak sooner, too, so you won't have to wait so long to drink them. I'll let you know if anything else turns up.

Posted via email from FRauncher's posterous

Socialism is NOT a Dirty Word, and I am Fed up with Those Using it that Way

And to prove it, I have decided to become a militant, rather than just a passive Socialist.

I have just joined the Democratic Socialists of America—that's Senator Bernie Sanders' affiliation—and I am making it known as widely as possible.  Although their program accords almost 100% with my ideas, I have hesitated to take this step.  With all the wingnuts who seem to have captured the fancy of the American people, I believe there is a real risk that I may lose my Social Security and even my U.S. citizenship if they succeed in taking power.  I am especially vulnerable to such demagoguery because I live abroad for most of the year.

If you think that I exaggerate, then perhaps you are too young to remember Senator Joseph McCarthy, and the anti-Communist reign of terror he almost succeeded in imposing on the U.S.A. This struck my family directly, when my cousin, Roger Wolcott Richardson III, a brilliant mathematician and older brother of Ham Richardson, the tennis player, emigrated to Australia, precisely because he could not tolerate the stifling academic atmosphere of that era.

Some of you may have hoped, as I did, that Barack Obama would live up to his fine speeches, and at least bring the United States back to the middle of the road.  Instead he has compromised the country into the hands of the wingnuts, and taken America farther to the Right than Richard Nixon. I guess we should have known we could not expect  more from one who got his start as a community organizer. 

Although the Democrats have become almost as hopeless as the Republicans, I may have to join you and my hero, Bernie Sanders, in voting Democrat in 2012.

But why not give Americans a real choice? Surf over to the Democratic Socialists of America www.dsausa.org and help give them a membership surge.