Capital Gains, National Losses.

The House and Senate GOP agree on a compromise bill that cuts the tax rates on dividends to 15%. (Don’t worry, Mr. Burns – the wealthy also get their fix in the form of a capital gains rate cut to 15%.) But, problems for the dividend debacle remain…particularly in that the $383 billion package goes over the $350 billion cap established by GOP moderate George Voinovich. Can the Dems mount a last stand?

Whoa.

Just in case Keanu was getting too much fanboy goodwill in the wake of Reloaded, Neo talks John Constantine. And since I’m getting 100 hits a day from people searching for “Matrix: Reloaded spoilers” (I presume Tank isn’t one of them), here’s a transcript of the Architect scene at the end of the film.

It’s the Kissoff.


If I’d known we were gonna cast our feelings into words, I’d’ve memorized the Song of Solomon. After far too long a wait, Miller’s Crossing finally arrived on DVD this morning. Lebowski might be funnier, and Fargo might get all the best press, but Miller’s Crossing is still far and away my favorite Coen movie. Nothing more foolish than a man chasin’ his hat…

Read Their Lips.

With the Dubya dividend debacle virtually a done deal, the Democratic field rethinks their election strategies in lieu of the Bush tax cuts. Given the inroads Dubya’s making into Dem territory (well, at least according to Fox News), hopefully Kerry, Edwards, Dean & co. will realize the only way to play it is straight – the tax cuts are a horrible idea and they need to be repealed.

My Blue Heaven.


First-time writer-director Kerry Conran tries to go the Lucas route and digitize full environments in The World of Tomorrow, a forthcoming film described in Player-speak as “Flash Gordon meets Indiana Jones.” I dunno…hopefully Gwyneth and Jude are better blue-screen actors than Samuel L. Jackson and Natalie Portman.