DIVINE STRAKE

The U.S. government is eager to begin a "divine strake" test in Nevada that will supposedly test the effectiveness of "bunker busting" bombs in combat. Read all about it here. The Army has been trying to get this test done for years but they have been especially aggressive in trying to sell it to the locals over the last year. This test involves 700 pounds of explosives, but residents in and around SE Nevada and St. George's, UT aren't concerned about the blast so much as they are the possibility that it will eject radioactive dust into the air that may be left from nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s. I think this is a valid concern, although government scientists (we trust them, right?) say that there is no "significant" radiation left in the soil and that the test won't harm local residents.

Here's the real question: why is the Army now suddenly so gung-ho for this test? The answer my friends, is blowin' in the wind--the Bushies intend to drop bunker-busting bombs in Iran within the next two years to try and cripple that country's nuclear capability. (Israel would like to do it themselves, but of course such a move would threaten their very existence, so they have been quietly agitating behind the scenes to get the world's last remaining superpower to do it.) I know it sounds crazy, but remember that Bush and the neocons view Muslim countries as Fascist states and see the United States as the world's protector of democracy. It also helps a lot that all of the Persian Gulf states sit on a gi-normous pool of oil that the United States, the world's major oil companies and the military industrial complex would all love to control. So there will be no rest for the people of Iran and all the other Persian Gulf states that don't have US-approved leadership. And if you get designs on building a nuclear arsenal that could attack us, well, you'd better be prepared to use it or we'll make another Hiroshima in your backyard.

So the "divine strake" is not just a local issue for a few desert dwellers. Its something everyone in the world should be paying attention to.

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A Few Quick Hits

LITTLE CHILDREN (A-) is an overlooked gem of a movie that critics generally embraced but that its studio (I think it was Sony Classics) seem to completely ignore. A dark dramedy about suburban disillusionment from the writer/director of In The Bedroom (based on a novel by Tom Perotta, who also co-wrote the screenplay), LITTLE CHILDREN is front loaded with knowing laughs about suburban family life before settling into an uneasy tale of marital discord, adultery and paranoia. As an added bonus the movie stars Kate Winslet, and you know what that means--naked time! Winslet is a great legitimate actress but she has yet to keep her clothes on for the entirety of any movie she's made. Yea us! (As an added bonus to my female and gay readers, Patrick Wilson gets naked and he's quite the hottie too.)

As of this week, LITTLE CHILDREN is just about gone from theaters and that's too bad. You should wait for it on DVD as it will be well worth your time. Its deeper than AMERICAN BEAUTY (if not as stylish) and features terrific performances throughout, particularly by Winslet and Jackie Earle Haley (semi-retired for nearly 20 years but oh so good). If I were to redo my Top Ten Movie Recommendations from 2006, this would be near the top of the list. Written by Todd Field and Tom Perotta. Directed by Todd Field. Stars Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Noah Emmerich and Jackie Earle Haley.

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--Snow and ice in Los Angeles? Record warm temperatures and only trace of snow in New York City through mid-winter? A seven-day ice storm in Texas and Oklahoma? Do you still think Al Gore doesn't know what he's talking about?

--Why I can't stand Beyonce...after not winning the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in Comedy/Musical on Monday night, her father/manager/demonspawn Matthew Knowles told reporters that her daughter's snub was proof that the Golden Globes were run by "good old boys" who didn't want to embrace black performers in film. On the same night, African-Americans Forest Whitaker, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson and Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy) all won Golden Globes. Message from me to Matthew and Beyonce--all the winners were better than you. Get over it. And shake yo' booty.

Peace...sorry it's taken me so long to get back in the swing of things in the New Year!