Movie Review - "Witness for the Prosecution"

Last weekend we decided to watch a movie on Netflix, and Theresa picked out Witness for the Prosecution, an entertaining courtroom drama that's full of surprises.  Based on a play by Agatha Christie, the film features Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich, along with a thoroughly entertaining Charles Laughton.

Laughton plays Sir Wilfred Robarts, a barrister who is recovering from a heart attack, under strict orders from his doctor (and nurse!) to avoid strenuous activity.  Robarts is an appealing character, driving his nurse to distraction, sneaking cigars, and, most importantly, taking a seemingly hopeless case - a man accused of a murder that everyone thinks he did. 

Tyrone Power is quite good as the accused, Leonard Vole.  You like him, and really want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there's just something that makes you wonder if he's on the up-and-up.

Marlene Dietrich is superb as Vole's wife, Christine.  I haven't seen her in a lot of movies, so I didn't know what to expect, but she was excellent.  Is she the doting wife?  Scheming temptress?  Innocent dupe?   We see all of this, and more, as the plot is revealed.

Being an Agatha Christie story, there's plenty of twists and turns as the story is told.  You're certain you know what's going on, then realize you have it all wrong, then certain again.  I must confess, I had it figured out about half way through, but I wasn't sure until the end - and I was still blown away as the final twist was revealed.  I won't give away the ending - you'll have to rent it to see for yourself.

If you're not used to watching old movies, it takes a bit of adjustment on  your part.  This was released in 1957, so the film quality is not what you'd expect today.  It's shot in glorious black and white, and don't expect high definition.  The sound is tinny, and there are no special effects (not that any are called for).  The sets are simple - mainly just the law office and courtroom, but the characters are complex.  After watching for a few minutes, none of these minor annoyances even registered.  It's a great movie, with three-dimensional characters involved in a convoluted plot that reaches a stunning and unexpected climax.  Along the way there's suspense, of course, but also plenty of humor.  Pop some popcorn and fire up Netflix for an entertaining evening.

Paul Ryan's Phony Marathon Claim

In 1988, I had been running for about 8 months, and I let myself get talked into running  this little race called the Bohemian Alps Endurance Run, in Brainard, Nebraska.  The run included both a 5k and a 25K run, as well as a 2 mile walk.  Since I wasn't in shape and hadn't ever run more than about 10K, I decided it was a good idea to run the 25K (15.5 miles).

The day of the run was unseasonably warm for October - it was 91 degrees when we started at about 3:00.  The race ran from Brainard on the gravel roads, looping around over some nasty hills.  I quickly got to the back of the pack, then got to the very last spot.  The last half of the race was spent with people driving up and asking me, "Are you all right?".  One guy said, "Oh my god - you look awful!"  I persevered, and finished long after everyone else was done, escorted in by a couple of my friends.  I made it, and got the finisher's medal.  I also gained the wisdom to run the 5k the following year!

The next year, I ran the 5K, got done in about a half hour, drank a beer, ate some barbecue, and waited for my friends who were running the longer race to finish.  Among those in our group was "Tom", a friend of a friend, who hadn't been running much, but thought he could do the long race.  I was quite surprised to see Tom cross the finish line before any of my friends - some of whom were serious runners.  Tom finished so fast that he got a medal for finishing first or second in his age group.  After the award ceremony, I walked up to congratulate him.  He said, "Thanks, but I didn't run the whole race.  I got tired, so I cut across country, walked some, and jogged through the finish."  It turns out, he ran about half the distance required of the other runners!

Even without training, Tom was a faster runner than me.  I didn't have a problem with him taking the shortcut - 15 miles is a long way, and there's no shame in bailing out on that.  The problem I had was, he crossed the finish line, accepted the finisher's medal, and even accepted the age group award - an award that others worked really hard to try to win.  Tom is a cheater, and I wouldn't want to associate myself with him.

 In the years following my Bohemian Alps run, I ran a couple of marathons.   I don't have a marathoner's body, but I worked hard and was able to finish both of them - at the back of the pack.  My best time was just under 5 hours - I believe it was 4:58, but I could be off by a minute or so.  I was, however, definitely under 5 hours.  I'm absolutely positive that I was nowhere near 4 hours - there's no question in my mind on that point.

A story recently surfaced about Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan's claim to have run a sub 3 hour marathon.  The folks at Runner's World Magazine decided to look it up - turns out his actual time was 4:01 - quite a difference!  A four hour marathon is nothing to be ashamed of, but it's not elite.  The folks that break 180 minutes are special - they train very hard, and have some natural ability.  The difference between a sub-three hour marathon and a four hour marathon is like the difference between playing on your slow pitch softball team and playing major league baseball. It's a whole different ball game.

After he was caught in the lie, Ryan said he "forgot" his time, so he was just trying to make up a "normal marathon time".  This doesn't ring true to me - if you've put yourself through the agony of finishing a marathon, you KNOW how long it took.  Most of us are ready and willing to give you a mile-by-mile recap of our experience. 

My last marathon (trust me, it IS the last one I'll run) was in 1991 (Ryan ran the same race a year before me).  I don't remember everything from that year, but I distinctly remember that day - starting by the Metro dome, running from Minneapolis to Saint Paul.  I remember the "broken wall" display at the 20 mile mark.  I remember running with a woman who's foot was bloody from a blister.  I remember dying at about 20 miles, meeting my friend who came back to run the last couple of miles in with me.  I remember running the last 1.2 miles in under 10 minutes, to hit my goal of sub-five hours.  There's no alternate universe in which I ran 3:45.  I remember!

I'm not ashamed of my marathon time.  I'm not fast, but so what?  I was tough enough to keep running for 5 hours!  I'm not embarrassed by that.  If you ran a lot faster, good for you!  I have great admiration for people who can run faster than me, but I'm not going to lie so you think I'm something I'm not.  I don't cheat on my golf score either....

In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't matter how long Paul Ryan took to run 26.2 miles.  His lie is harmless - he's certainly not hurting anyone by it.  The issue I have with it is this:  what does it say about the guy if he lies about something like this?  Is this really something worth lying about?  If you can't tell the truth about your marathon time, what else would you be willing to lie about?  Would you, for example, lie to get yourself elected vice president of the United States?  I don't like Ryan's stand on the issues, but I like him even less as a person.  I've had enough of lying politicians - we don't need to put one a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Getting Ready for your Whole House Inspection

Most buyers will have a whole house inspection on your home, and many sellers today are having their homes inspected before putting them on the market.  While all inspection companies are a little different, there are certain things that will almost certainly show up on the report:

Minor electrical items, including reversed polarity outlets, exposed splices (wires hooked together without being enclosed in a junction box), ungrounded outlets, missing GFCI outlets, etc.

Plumbing leaks.

Inoperable doors and windows.

Lot/ground drainage issues (places where the ground slopes toward the foundation).

Major systems (furnace, A/C, Water heater, roof, etc.).

Signs of water intrusion or mold.

Structural and foundation issues - bowing basement walls, extreme settling, etc.

Most homeowners aren't equipped to handle major repairs - if your roof or furnace is shot, or if your foundation needs major work, you're probably going to have to hire a professional to fix it.  If you know you have any serious issues, you'd be well served to spend some time getting quotes and having it fixed.

Many items that show up on the list, however, can be easily corrected by the homeowner.  If you fix it before it shows up on the inspection, you can not only save money, you help your home make a better impression on the buyer - you don't want them to see an inspection report with page after page of items in need of repair!

Let's take a look at the things I see show up most frequently on home inspection reports:

Electrical Items

• Walk through your home, and look for wires.  Any electrical wire that is on the surface of a finished wall or ceiling should be protected by conduit.  If a wire is in the cavity of a wall (between the 2X4's) it is OK.  To fix this, turn off the power, disconnect the wires at one end, and put slide the wire into a conduit.  Use large enough conduit so that it's easy to get the wires through - flexible metal conduit works well and is easy to use, or you can use plastic.
• Check for exposed wire splices.  If you can see wire nuts, it should be in a junction box.  Turn off the power, take the wire apart, and put the splice in a box.  Make sure to attach the box securely to the wall or ceiling, and put a cover on it.
• Add GFCI protection.  All outlets next to a sink or other water source should be protected.  This includes all outside outlets.  If you need several, you can buy a pack of 4 GFCI outlets for under $30 at Home Depot.  You can also put a GFCI outlet in to replace an ungrounded outlet.
• Check for double-tapped connections in your main panel.  Take the cover off, and make sure there is just one wire going to each breaker.  If there are two, you can fix it easily - just take a short piece of wire (use the same size that is going to the breaker), and, using a wire nut, attach one end of it to the two wires that were in the breaker.  Connect the free end to the breaker, and you're done. 

If you don't think you should tackle electrical work, don't.  If you're fairly handy, but have a few questions, check out this post - it may give you a few pointers.

Plumbing Items

• Run water through every faucet, and let it run for a while.  Check for leaks, feeling under the trap and on the supply lines.  If any of them are wet, you have a leak!  If you fix it, you won't have to pay someone to do it later.  You should also check around the toilets.  Most minor plumbing issues are easy to fix - if you run into something major, call a pro.

Sticking Doors and Windows

• Check all your windows to make sure everything works.  If one sticks, you have to free it up.  Most sticking double-hung windows have been painted shut.  If that's your problem, cut the paint with a utility knife.  Take a putty knife, and carefully slide it in the sash where the window is supposed to slide, working it up and down the window.  Work on both sides, and try to get it moving.  Once it comes free, work it back and forth until it operates smoothly, and make sure to keep it free by moving it every day for a while.
• Some casement windows (crank out style) won't open easily.  These may not be painted shut, but could stick due to settling or swelling in the frames.  DON'T CRANK HARD to try to open them - you'll just break the crank mechanism.  Instead, remove the inside screen, and gently tap around them as your moving the crank - they'll probably open right up.  If they still don't open and close easily after freeing them, you may need to remove some material to fix the problem.  If the frame is badly out of square, you'll probably need professional help.
• A door that sticks is probably due to some minor settling.  You can usually fix them by removing a small amount of material with a plane.

Often, a homeowner can save hundreds of dollars by fixing minor issues themselves.  More importantly, the buyer can see that you've taken great care of your home, so you may get a better price.  A little work up front can save you time and money in the long run.