Egypt’s Deep State is back in charge of the country, which may not be such a surprise— but what’s different is the enormous degree of popular support.  Demonstrations in the millions aimed at the overthrow of the democratically-elected Morsi government.  How could the Old Guard resist? Not that the demonstrators precisely wanted the generals back.  And the […]

Thanks to Eric D Snider and his eerie command of the NSA archives, we now have a complete transcript of the pitch meeting for the new Lone Ranger movie. Let’s listen as the geniuses at Disney work their magic. DISNEY EXEC. #2: What’s your concept for it? A faithful recreation of the classic character just as […]

I like a good glass of wine now and again.  I tend to buy moderately-priced wines, neither cheap nor dear.  And I’m finding support for my position in dozens of tests that seem to show that the art and science of wine tasting is, for the most part, utter delusion. A 2008 paper in The Journal of Wine […]

Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman are making one of them post-holocaust flicks in my neighborhood.  Parts of downtown Belen have been grimed and gritted up to look suitably battered by time and ill fortune— not that some parts of the downtown didn’t look like that to begin with. When photography begins on Monday, it’s going […]