Product Placement Royale

Quote of the day:
“I loved the work more than the success.”
--Neil Simon

Musician quote of the day:
“It’s the only thing I’m good at.”
--Keith Richards, on playing guitar

Follow-up to Fat on the Flag:
“His pen, to alter the proverb, became his sword, arguably the most powerful weapon of his presidency.”
--Douglas L. Wilson in "Lincoln’s Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words"

Architecture quote of the day:
“Despite its criminally slow pace, the rebuilding of [New Orleans] is emerging as one of the most aggressive works of social engineering in America since the postwar boom of the 1950s.”
--Nicolai Ouroussoff in the November 19, 2006 "New York Times."

Have you seen the new James Bond yet? A lot of people have--its cash registers have been getting weary of kachinging.

"Casino Royale" is an enjoyable film and a great escape, though it is more violent and brutal than has been typical with Bond. Daniel Craig is excellent as Bond, as is Judi Dench as M, his boss.

At its heart this is an exceptionally well-made action-thriller, with beautiful locations and people, high technology, and cars. Yes, there’s an Aston-Martin, but there are many, many Ford products. I don’t think, outside of a factory or a dealer, you will ever see more Ford products in one place. Especially in the Bahamas.

Indeed, there is some in-your-face product placement, including a titanically unsubtle attempt to dub Omega as the new Rolex.

There is a closer-than-you-might-expect look at Bond’s character, and some very nasty bad guys. Throw in the usual martinis and a little high-stakes Texas Hold’em, and it’s not a bad time at the movies.