I can not help but notice that Salon film critic Stephanie Zacharek seems to love mindless character studies about nothing, and routinely savages just about any movie that actually tries to take on important political or social issues as the main subtext; and that's certainly her right, but it makes for a very disappointing experience when reading her film reviews. They are so predictable; a movie about recycled human behavior (about little or nothing really) = good movie. A movie about something (anything really) = bad movie.

A bad review by Stephanie has become one of the best endorsements I can think of to go out and see a particular film.

In this review she basically says "Jar Head" sucks just like "American Beauty" sucked. Personally, I'm looking forward to "Jar Head" sucking just like "American Beauty" sucked.

"American Beauty" may have been a lot of things, but being a lousy film was not IMHO one of them. If the profound humanity and biting social critique of that film rubbed you the wrong way, or was simply beyond your grasp, then maybe you should stick to "Peoples' Choice" type material to review.

But hey, thanks for another great recommendation Stephanie- now go on and get back to work on that Fox sit-com script you've been putting off finishing for far too long and do the rest of us a favor by giving your film critic shtick a rest.

Honestly, Salon really does deserve a better film critic.

Condoleezza Rice's dishonesty, ruthless selfishness, and professional incompetence are already almost legendary. As in most criminal organizations, loyalty is the trait you want above all else; and that is Rice's one attribute- for power she will be loyal. Even if it severely endangers our personal security, betrays our constitution and Bill of Rights; which it has, or destroys what little was left of our credibility and cooperation with the world; which is now the case.

It's a stain on every one of our hands until we the people demand accountability from this government. Throughout history the consequences for inaction or just looking the other way (see Germany 1930's) are almost always disastrous.

Why are we debating the undebatable? It feels like an ugly distraction from just standing up for the basic human rights we granted ourselves at our founding. Like for starters- no government has the right to disappear and torture civilians anyplace, anytime. And if seized by any government we have the right to know why we are being detained and have access to an attorney. This is settled law everywhere except in banana republics. Imagine if this German guy was your brother or your father. Have we really lost all faith in the rule of law over the assurances of an obvious tyrant (Dick Cheney)?

Condoleezza Rice, pathetic disgraced shill that she is, will never be able to sell this country's perverted policies to any but the corrupt, the stupid, or the desperate. I like to believe that some of humanity has, thankfully, evolved beyond needing to debate the necessity of debasing ourselves and our fellow humans by practicing the very acts of barbarism we preach against and use as justifications to start our wars.

The fact is the war is over here. We are obviously in the worst constitutional crisis since the civil war; our government and our media mostly pretend otherwise, and most Americans go along with it because that's the easiest thing to do- until it's not. That we could even allow an administration such as this to operate outside the constitution, with an unaccountable, one party rule (Republicans + Democrats = WA DC) in the 21st century speaks volumes; it says we are losing this war to save our own democracy, and quite possible many of our own lives.

It�s up to us.