www.CostaRicaTicas.com

A little off topic, to say the least, but what a great, great movie. Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman were fabulous. The dialog was so incredibly crisp and clever and entertaining that I found myself constantly employing my "rewind" button to hear it all over again. A great story based on a womanizing, coke-snorting, hard-drinking real-life Texas congressman who really made a difference, and knew well in advance how badly we screwed up the "end game." I'm rarely blown away by a movie, especially one produced in the U.S., but this one really registered with me.

The book is a great read too.

I agree. I saw it the other night for the sceond time. Great flick and the CIA dude was a kick.

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Didn't know there was a book. Thought it was a screen play Will check the book and movie. Thanks.

pv

Elroy

Talk about a Forrest Gump like moment in history,

Invited by a friend to an eclectic wine bar at 8th street and 58th avenue on the south side just a tad on the west side of Miami's famed Little Havana. Happy Wine was the name of the bar, i chit u not mano.

This was still very much Little Havana, as I well knew being a wet foot dry foot Gringo with a Coral Gables address. Half pendejo and the other half charged by my boss to be the last Gringo out and if I was to bring the flag. Having been previously a member of the Wanted and UnWanted club, I felt like I belonged.

Walked in through the loading dock. (Again no caca aqui amigo). The front door was barred and not in operation, wine cases were stacked high around the windows making them secure. The windows faced calle och, the infamous street...Calle Ocho (if you speak spanish like a Cubano drop the second "o" and just say "Calle Och")

There were a bunch of regulars, which I, as a Gringo of Little Havana in Miami was one. But, I was not one with a T Shirt that proclaimed Che Guevera as a murderer, in Spanish - "Asesino". Che shirts with a twist to the right.

These were them and this was their reunion of the Bay of Pigs gang. They were proud, they were whole, and they still believed. We did not talk of Kennedy's air support (poor) decisions, we talked briefly about the months in three jails including Isle of Pines my conversationalist experienced first hand.

We drank wine, laughed and probably cried after the likes of me left. The joke was really on Castro. Kennedy sent him drugs from leading NJ drug firms. Castro figured on selling the miracle drugs from the Gigante del Norte to his Soviet Block partners.

Kennedy sent drugs as the ransom for the Bay of Pigs POW's (dont deal with terrorists - YMMV?). The drugs were 90 day or less in dating so Castro's plans to sell it or trade it were dashed. He decided to give it to the people remaining in Cuba ensuring a healthly vacinated society within a stones throw of the Monroe Doctrine highly effective land grab led by some really good / lucky realestate agents of the time. The silver medal n land grab went to United Fruit Co, and the Bronze went to the Catholic Church with its HQ in Rome.

...and most of the POW's came back to Miami. Some did not.

I almost wrote "came home" but, in fact they "left their home"...Again.

pv

Elroy

That was the best movie Ive seen in a long time. The Bucket List was a good one too. Those are the only 2 movies Ive seen at the theatre in about 5 years.

i looked at that last night and ended up not getting a movie because i get sick of the garbage produced in hollywood.
now i'm going back and check it out on jetsetters recommendation. if it sucks count on the fact i'll see you again.