"...because if these children were spare parts, I'm sure we'd find a way to send them over to the Pentagon to lend a hand."

Proving at long last that he's able to find a veto pen in that desk that JFK so famously imbued with actual gravitas, Dubya nixed stem cell research today. Dooshbag. On this one, there is no defense for the Bushies. Just one more example of how little respect this Adminstration has for science. If the entire Middle East wasn't a tinderbox and Iraq wasn't exploding in the summer heat, this would rightfully be Story Number One. I'm immediately reminded of how just two days before my wedding almost 5 years ago, Dubya made his tortured, triangulated announcement on "sufficient, usuable stem cell lines" and how utterly uninformed he seemed and ACTUALLY WAS. But in this veto, Dubya's surpassed even his own highly dubious low standard. If the Dems can't figure out how to use this veto against him in the Fall, I once and for all declare my intention to start a new Party.

We're in Santa Barbara, enjoying vacation in more ways than I can easily list. Sarah and I are even heading down to LA this afternoon for a few nights away while Maya stays here with Nanna and Poppy. Included in our LA plans is an overdue visit to the Getty Museum. Expect a review in the near future. But speaking of reviews, we've been delighted to see a few flicks already since arriving in Santa Barbara. Hopefully, there will be more on the agenda in the week ahead. Here's a few quickie reviews.

"An Inconvenient Truth" - a upward-leaning B-plus. Al Gore deserves almost all the credit. But the filmmakers put together a stunningly obvious display of just how screwy this debate has become. If you hate all the global warming shtick, you are the target audience. If you hate Al Gore, you are the target audience. If you appreciate the global warming shtick and/or Al Gore and still haven't seen this movie, get a babysitter or time off for good behavior and get yer butt to a theater. I'm only wavering away from an A-minus rating because it didn't invade my walkaround thoughts of the following days that I typically use as a marker for a stunning film. But you're missing the point this summer as the temperature soars if you wave off this film as a "been there, done that" documentary. This is classy shite, to update Dubya's tortured vernacular.

"Superman Returns" - a weak C rating. Kate Bosworth is truly horrible as Lois Lane. Brandon Routh makes me miss Christopher Reeves all the more (even though he's passably good in this cypher role). Kevin Spacey has more fun than anyone, unfortunately including those of us watching the movie. The SupaDupa mythology seems tainted. The payoffs are minimal. Rent it. At least that way you can step away and get a beer (repeatedly) when you inevitably get bored during the indulgently-padded two and a half hour cheesefest. Or better yet, rent "Batman Begins" from last summer - much, much more satisfying escapism meant to similarly evoke memories of summertime guilty pleasures.

Hope your own mythology inspires much worthy debate today. Rock on.