Next Stop: Yemen

By Georgie Anne Geyer

This is what I think history, written a half-century or even a quarter-century from now, will say of all this:

"The United States began the 21st century as the pre-eminent and undisputedly greatest power in the world. It was the center of science, learning and innovation. Its democratic system was the envy of much of the world, which engaged in different experiments in governance but basically always used the American experience as its systemic and structural basis.

"Then, after one attack on New York City in which several thousand Americans tragically died, the United States embarked upon a series of ill-thought-out military adventures across the world that took it into small country after small country, never understanding that its very presence turned people against it. It lost the modesty of its founding fathers, who vowed not to meddle abroad, and began to dream of 'nation-building.' But in the end, it only de-energized and impoverished its own country, as Asia and particularly China moved in on all levels with economic and diplomatic tools to grasp world leadership."

There were many other ways we could have responded to 9/11 besides all-out wars, such as police and intelligence actions against particular al-Qaida actors, but those paths were not chosen. More

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Caught it last night at the Southdale AMC IMAX. Pretty impressive. Sat in front of Adam and Betsy. Up close. Somebody wanted to be back further. It's nicely subversive, and the good guys win. I can see why the wingnuts run from the theater foaming at the mouth.

Visually, it's stunning -- completely. Plotwise, it's got what it needs to tell the story. I no longer think a complex plot would work, because it's working all the time to put the gosh back together with wow. Be warned that if you're expecting a Spider Robinson story, it ain't. There's violence and people, blue people, and other things die. If you suffer from vertigo, you're due for some teeth clenching.

Stephen Lang and Giovanni Ribisi are the guys you'll love to hate. Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington play the foils with a little help from their friends and the blue people.

If you have not seen it, go now and catch it in IMAX and 3-D. It's $9 at Southdale, and that makes it a hell of a lot cheaper than a shuttle ride.

Hair of the Dog Party Lost & Found

Did somebody leave a circular knitting device?