The Strip Mall Mecca (aka Federal Way) is heating up in a debate over whether Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" should be shown in schools. The school board placed a moratorium on the film while it investigates whether a screening adheres to district policies.

The film was scheduled to play in a science class at Federal Way's Lakota Middle School until parent Frosty Hardison found out. He filed a formal complaint Jan. 11, spawning a national debate about the legitimacy of the global warming theory and fueling Daily Show clips.

"It's not that we don't believe global warming is happening. It says so in Revelations," said Hardison. "We've been expecting it for what, 3,500 years now?"

Frosty is a father of seven. He opposes sex education and supports public school teaching of creationism. He's described earth as a rather pubescent 14,000-year-old planet.

"Condoms don't belong in school, and neither does Al Gore. He's not a schoolteacher," he said. I'll refrain from comparing Al Gore to a condom because he's safe and diminishes sensation.

The Federal Way School Board is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the issue. The movie could be shown in a classroom if the superintendent decides a screening is in line with district policy.