ONE MORE REASON WHY WE NEED TO RETHINK IRAQ

Check this out from nytimes.com:

"Soaring oil prices will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year’s end, according to an American federal oversight agency. But Iraq has spent only a minute fraction of that on reconstruction costs, which are now largely borne by the United States."

How can you be an American citizen and not be pissed off by that? The United States is operating with a $570 billion-plus budget deficit--$80 billion or more the direct result of expenses related to the occupation of Iraq--meanwhile Iraq has used soaring oil prices to rack up the bank at home while barely contributing a dime to the reconstruction of their own country.

Seems like the only Americans benefiting from the Iraq Occupation are the stockholders of Halliburton and Brown & Root (yes, yes, I know---B & R is at least partially British-owned. But the point is pretty much the same).

We need to elect a president who is at least willing to seriously think about limiting our presence in Iraq while forcing the new Iraqi government to start living up to its obligations. Right now, that person seems to be Barack Obama. Here's hoping Senator McCain's negative advertising and blatant scare tactics don't trick Americans into (once again) voting against their best interests.

A Brief Review: STEP BROTHERS

Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins. Written by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Directed by Adam McKay. Rated 'R'.

It feels like a waste of words to spend a lot of time writing about STEP BROTHERS, so I'll stick to the basics and save the florid prose for another, better movie:

What's it about? -- What are all Will Ferrell movies about? A grown man-child with a clear case of arrested development finds himself in a pickle when his mother (Steenburgen, sexy and appealing, but only about 18 years older than Ferrell) falls in love with and marries a doctor (played by Jenkins) who has his own layabout middle-aged son at home (Reilly). Hello high concept, here we come!

Does it have a plot? - Not really. The whole plot was pretty much laid out in the paragraph above and even that might be giving it too much credit. I can say that the movie does have a beginning, middle and end though.

Is it funny? -- Fitfully so, yes. Ferrell is not at the top of his game (his character is, believe it or not, a bit too restrained at times), but the idea has enough absurd laughs and surreal touches (like Ferrell trying to bury his new stepbrother alive in the front yard) to keep one interested. There is also a final scene at a "Catalina Wine Mixer" involving Ferrell's character having to sing opera that is so ridiculous and yet strangely convincing that no amount of explanation could do it justice. You will fall down laughing--or be so shocked by what you're seeing that you'll simply be hypnotized by the screen. Other bits fall flat or push the envelope in an uncomfortable way (grown men beating up grade schoolers - more creepy than funny), so the whole movie might play better on DVD.

My grade? - B-, and I'm being a bit generous. Laughs are increasingly hard to come by these days. so anything that can make me giggle probably gets a higher rating than it should. But if you're looking for a thought free good time at the movies, STEP BROTHERS isn't a bad choice.

Peace.