Every now and then at The News Junkie Post we dust off our crystal ball and make prognostics. We did it for the Oscars, and we thought it was appropriate to do it for the global sporting event that is the world cup. The stakes are high for the eight teams still in the competition, and it is not only the case for each teams playing the Beautiful Game on the fields of South Africa, but also for each countries and their respective national pride. Some will be joyful, others will be sad and a lot of money will be changing hands as gambling on the games is at record high worldwide. However, the last eight fighting for the ultimate price which are Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Ghana, The Netherlands, Uruguay, Paraguay and Spain, regardless of the outcome, will leave South Africa with pride, a sense of accomplishment, and holding their heads high. The ones who left Africa in shame are already gone, and they were Italy and France.

The first two quarter final are playing tomorrow, July 2ND, they will oppose The Netherlands to Brazil and Uruguay to Ghana. The Netherlands versus Brazil will be broadcast live in the United States at 10:00 AM (ET) on ESPN, and Uruguay versus Ghana can be seen in the US at 2:30 PM (ET). The first game is likely to determine one of the team who will play in the final. As far as the second game ,Uruguay vs Ghana, the odds are not in favor of the only African team left in the competition. Uruguay has a great defense, a tactically strong midfield and the talented striker Forlan who is likely to score. Ultimately, Uruguay should prevail and qualify for the semi-final where they will face either The Netherlands or Brazil.

If The Netherlands manage to beat Brazil the orange squad is likely to reach the final by beating Uruguay. From what they have displayed so far, The Netherlands can prevail against a Brazilian squad which has not shined as much as expected. Strangely, under the impulse of their coach, Brazil has become a defensive team where in each games it is only about the result, and not producing a creative and exiting game. On the contrary, The Netherlands seems to be in a “football zone” where every moves is  flowing harmoniously between the players with great speed in an effortless and joyful manner. The orange team has also two gifted players in the person of Robben and Schnieder. If both of them are fully “on” tomorrow they will send Brazil packing, and carry on to beat Uruguay to reach the final.

The second two quarter finals are playing the next day, on July 3RD, it will be a face off between Argentina and Germany in the first game which you can catch live on ABC at 10:00 AM (ET), and in the second game of the day Spain will face Paraguay-live on ABC at 2:30 PM (ET). Spain is likely to prevail against Paraguay and will face either Argentina or Germany in the semifinal. The most decisive and potentially thrilling game of the day is of course Argentina vs Germany. Both teams have so far displayed incredible abilities both in defense and attack. Argentina seems to be slightly more focus than the German squad, and they also have what is arguably the best attack of the competition featuring a man with “killer instinct” for goals in the person of Melito, and of course a master mind in the person of Messi, who is probably the best and most creative offensive player of this generation.

Following our logic here, we are heading for a Spain vs Argentina face off in the semifinal, and if a team can beat the Argentinians it is Spain. The Spanish midfield is the strongest in the world cup so far with an unsurpassed ability to keep the ball and build an intricate yet efficient football. However, one of Spain’s weakness and what could be its potential downfall with a team as clinical as Argentina is its defense. Pujol, the great defender from Barcelona is no longer in his prime, and as the anchor of the Spanish defense has being a bit shaky and heavy legged on occasion. However, Spain has a ace in the hole in the person of Villa. But Spain will not make it against Argentina with Villa alone, and unless under performing Torres pulls all the stops, and finally have a great game, Argentina will prevail.

According to this, the countries  we will have facing off  in the final of the 2010 world cup are Argentina and The Netherlands. Argentina will win, and both Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona will be holding the cup in triumph. But of course, other outcome such as yet another win for Brazil or Germany can not be ruled out. Two of the teams are sentimental favorite for one reason: they have never won the world cup, and they certainly deserve to do so considering their historic contributions to the Beautiful Game. It is of course, Spain and The Netherlands.

All photographs are from this link.

After its win at the Golden Globes for best director and best film, and also its record breaking performance at the box office worldwide, Avatar seems to be well  positioned for a very big win at the Oscars. Judging by his behavior at the Golden Globes awards ceremony, Avatar’s director, James Cameron, has mellowed with age or at least kept the megalomaniac side of his personality in check for the evening.

Yet the self proclaimed “King of the world” director of  Titanic still behaves like he is a few notches  above Hollywood’s  fray. For weeks, James Cameron was refusing for “Avatar” to be sent to members of the Academy of Motion Picture and other guilds members as a DVD, insisting that his film should be seen on the big screen only. He eventually gave in to pressure, and a few days ago I was able to watch “Avatar” on my reasonably decent  TV screen.

I am sure that the viewing experience would have been at least visually more exiting in 3 D and on a giant screen, but regardless of this, after around 10 minutes into James Cameron’s film I was able to guess the story line from A to Z. It is indeed a familiar and to some extend conventional story with some clever twists to it.

Avatar is in a nutshell a futuristic transposition of the conquest of the Americas, and the genocide of the American Indians for land and resources orchestrated in North America by British and French “explorers”, and in Central & South America by Spain’s Conquistadors.

British and French took the land from the tribes, and put they best efforts in converting  “the savages” into Christians. The Spaniards had more tangible goals: Taking the gold and the silver from the native populations. In Avatar, the resource is a precious mineral of planet Pandora which the management of a ruthless corporation is willing to take by all means necessary, including deadly force. In order to achieve this, they found a way to infiltrate the tribe of the giant and lanky blue creatures , which most sacred land happens to be the richest depository for the mineral in question.

The devise used by James Cameron to transport humans to the world of  the blue creatures is crude. It looks pretty much like a self tanning machine, but it none less successfully  functions as a portal to the other world. Sigourney Weaver plays the scientist/anthropologist  in charge of the experiment of learning the blue aliens’ language and culture. The semi-militarized corporation’s (think Halliburton & Blackwater combined in a futuristic nightmare) leadership thinks it is a waste of time, and decides to infiltrate the pool of scientists with a former Marine crippled and in a wheel chair.

The ex-Marine quickly discovers planet Pandora’s magical world where not only he can walk again, but where all of his senses are increased 100 folds. But then the predictability of the story comes again when he meets a blue alien version of Pocahontas. His mission was to infiltrate the tribe by sharing their appearance, but instead he quickly becomes seduced not only by his new love interest but also by the giant blue aliens primitive but powerful culture. In this formulaic version of the “forbidden love” between two species love of course shall triumph at the end.

As the story unfold, our hero is slowly but surely switching side from working on the behalf of the greedy and brutal invaders to being seduced and finally helping the “savage” aliens. Having at their disposal only primitive weapons, the blue creatures should be easily outgunned by the might of the nasty industrial-military complex which the fictional  corporation represents well. However, the blue creatures have strong allies in the magical jungle they inhabit. Most of the dangerous animal like creatures of  Pandora’s jungle seem to be coming not only from James Cameron’s imagination but also from planet earth circa pre-historic time. They are vicious pit bulls/hyena  like snarling creatures on steroid, giant Rhinoceros with a double hammer head and voracious Dinosaur like giant birds which the blue aliens ride like American Indians did with wild mustangs.

Because Avatar is after all an Hollywood movie, it does provide a happy ending of some sort. In this eternal tale of the fight between the good “savages aliens” and the evil neo-military corporation, the blue giants ultimately prevail. And this is the political message which, beside the visual feast created by Cameron, has brought  so many people to watch this movie worldwide, and also probably gave Avatar 9 Oscar nominations.

Cameron has picked an appropriate name for the mythical universe he paints with visual gusto as  planet Pandora, because despite some of the formulaic aspects of the film, he does manage to open a global political Pandora’s box. James Cameron makes a bold attack on war, greed, violence, and offers a slightly predictable, but none less potent and stunning  manifesto against our current model of development which is built on exploitation, social injustice and the rape of our own planet for the narrow minded profit of a few but against the long term interest of all.

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I met Bill a couple of weeks ago at a health care demonstration in South Bend, Indiana.  I was waiting to cross the street when a rotund, older gentleman in khaki shorts and a tucked, striped polo sidled up to me.  He asked me if I was in from Indianapolis.  “No,” I said, “I live here in town.”  “Are you in favor of reform?” he asked innocuously.  “Yes, sir, I am” I replied.  Without missing a beat, he fired back, “What are you, a communist, or a fascist?”

Now, if I had my wits about me, I would have responded with the appropriate, “What are you, an asshole?”  Instead I responded with the more diplomatic, “No, I’m an American.”  This set Bill aback.  It was obvious from his questioning where he stood on the issue.  In his eyes, anybody who wanted health care reform was hell bent on destroying the very fabric of America.  In his mind, I was a Kool-aid drinking traitor, selling his country out for free health care.  I had to be!  There was no other explanation for everything he read and heard told him that it’s so!  For me to appeal to his patriotic sensibilities, and to remind him that I had First Amendment rights too, was like Short Round snapping Indiana Jones out of his Thuggee trance with a lit torch.  Suddenly, he wanted to talk.

We crossed the street together to discuss the issue at hand.  He started by telling me that he was a recently retired insurance agent who handled many forms of insurance, including the health variety, and had seen just about everything.  It was his contention that the only way to reform health care was to reform frivolous malpractice lawsuits, a/k/a tort reform.

He shared a story of a client who was in a catastrophic accident.  According to Bill, she was never going to be able to work again.  The timing of the accident was such that the necessary paperwork, ie., hospital forms, police reports, doctor’s reports, etc., didn’t get to the insurance company in a timely manner, and she wasn’t sure if they were going to cover her or not.

Now, I could have stopped him right there, but I didn’t because I wanted to hear him out.  It was obvious to me that the lawsuit was the product of private insurer bureaucracy.  If we had single payer, the medical bill would be paid without the need for upfront administration or the worry of possibly being denied coverage.  Late paperwork does not come into the equation in single payer.  Immediate care does and woman would be covered regardless.  As such, there would be no need to sue!  Tort reform via single payer health care!  But, like I said, I left it alone because I wanted to hear the story.

While she lay in a hospital, waiting for an answer from her insurer, a lawyer came knocking.  “He’s a very famous lawyer,” Bill said.  “I’m sure you’ve heard of him.  He’s on the cover of your phone book.”  She retained this attorney and he proceeded with her complaint.  In defense of the complaint, the insurance company offered a settlement of $100,000, to which the attorney declined.  This $100,000 settlement game of offer and decline drags on and months pass.  One random day, the attorneys talk.  The same settlement is offered, and out of the blue, the injury attorney accepts.  “Why did the attorney suddenly accept the settlement?”  Bill asks.  “He accepted the settlement because he used up the retainer, that’s why.”  Bill argues that these frivolous lawsuits, engineered by greedy attorneys, are the only reason health care is out of control.

He tells me that 30% of an insurance company’s costs come from defending lawsuits.  I challenge him on administrative, marketing, and compensation costs of the private insurer being just as expensive, if not more.  He contends that those costs do not have as big an effect on costs as I think they do.  I say I’m not going to challenge him.  I’m smart enough to know that he has been in the business and has experience that I do not.  I concede that there are greedy, scumbag attorneys in this world and that there are just as many fraud patients taking advantage of the system for profit.  However, I do not believe that a cap on medial lawsuits can be a good thing, simply because, a cap negatively affects individuals that may have a legitimate claim.  Conversely, a cap protects doctors that, in some cases, should lose their shirt.  Also, I personally do not believe stopping ridiculous lawsuits is going to make private insurers suddenly cover pre-existing conditions or prevent them from dropping coverage at will.

I continue by explaining why I am hanging out on this corner with a bunch of strangers, showing support for reform.  “I’m here because I want choice,” I tell him.  I explain that I have a great job with excellent benefits, benefits that I wouldn’t trade with anybody.  However, I want a public option because right now, I don’t have a choice.  Sure, I have a choice of plans, but I don’t have a choice of providers.  I believe that a public option will, through competition, make care better for all.  Chances are I wouldn’t immediately choose the public option.  However, should the public option prove to be better than what I have, then I would most certainly switch.  Those are my selfish reasons.  As for the big picture, I wish for everybody in this country to have a healthy life, without having to worry about what will happen to them if they get sick.  I would also like to see those that are sick get the care that they are presently denied.

Bill says, “That’s what they want too,” and points to the anti-reform protest across the street.  I look and see that they are angry.  They’re chanting “kill the bill” and “vote no, or you will go!”  Everything, from the brooding older woman with the bullhorn marching up and down the curb to the signs with giant “NO!” indicate that they are only interested the total destruction of what they call “Obamacare.”  This position is also known as the status quo.  The biggest irony, of course, is the fact that with a few exceptions, every one of them were a few short years away from Medicare, if they weren’t collecting it already.

My face must have shown my disapproval because Bill then begins to ask me if I know anybody else here.  I say no and that I came by myself.  He says, “The SEIU bussed a lot of these people in from Indianapolis.  They’re being paid to be here.  Talk about Astroturf.”  I’m not buying it and let him know this fact.  Even if it is true, so what?  It’s not a town hall for constituents.  It’s the intersection of Main and Colfax.  Anybody can come up here and voice their support, or disapproval, of health care reform.

The conversation quickly devolves from there as Bill starts in on birther nonsense.  I tell him that I’ve read all about it and it’s not true.  “That’s what the main stream media would have you believe,” he says not knowing what I read.  “You’re not reading the right things,” he says.  “Like what?” I challenge.  “Redstate?  World Net Daily?”  “No, no.  There are a lot of good sources that you just don’t get from the traditional places.”  I know this is true, but my good source is not the same as his good source. He attempts to enlighten me with a new birther theory about Obama’s suspect college applications, but I’m just not having it, and decide that it’s time to go.

I politely ask him his name.  I tell him my name, shake his hand, and wish him well.  As I walk away, he says, “Just be careful who you associate yourself with,” and motions to the individuals he accused of being SEIU plants.  I respond by saying, “I’m fully aware of who I associate with, and I’m proud of it.”

Finally, got my wits going.

You can visit Andrew T. Mason’s blog, Andrew T. is on the Cut.