Mugu Brainpan

Silent Movie Mondays Return to the Paramount, June 8-22

The always worthwhile Silent Movie Mondays series returns to the glorious 1920s-era former movie palace The Paramount here in Seattle. The new series runs every Monday at 7:00 PM from June 8 through June 29, 2009. As always, the films will be accompanied on the restored Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ by ...

Bush’s Farewell: “I Followed My Conscience.”

"I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right. ...This is a nation where citizens show calm in times of danger, and compassion in the face of suffering." -- President George W. Bush, Farewell Address, Jan. 15, 2009. "We must continue to engage the world with confidence and clear purpose. In the ...

Pakistan Shifts More Troops to India Border on Intel of Incursion Within Days

In a frightening move that is raising already precarious tensions, Pakistan has begun transferring troops and artillery away from the Afghanistan / northwestern Pakistan front to key points on its border with India, near Kashmir. According to at least some unnamed sources in Pakistan's military and intelligence services, the move ...

Obama’s Intelligence Gap

This week's issue of Newsweek has a couple interesting pieces in it. Most obvious is the long cover story about the Bush Admin's level 4 shitstorm raining down on the whistleblower who revealed the warrantless wiretap program (the patently illegal one). But there is also this brief report on the difficulty Obama and ...

Restored Godfather Parts 1 and 2 at SIFF Cinema for One (More) Week

New 35mm prints of the beautifully restored Coppola films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) start a one two week run at the SIFF Cinema this Friday, Dec. 19, closing on New Years Day. Full schedule and advance ticket sales for all shows can be found at the ...

Can’t talk…eating…

Hampster on a Piano The soundtrack song is pure evil, so mute this before playing. But do play it. Damn you, Lora. I'll get you for this.

HEMP: A Threat Assessment

Another report from the ever-lovin' Congressional Research Service, this one formerly classified and only recently prised from the grip of the Bush Administration: "High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) and High Power Microwave (HPM) Devices: Threat Assessments" (PDF) Congressional Research Service, as updated March 26, 2008 "Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) is an instantaneous, intense energy ...

Iraq Coup Plot Busted, 35 Arrested says NY Times

The New York Times reported this today, but so far no real traction on the story...which is interesting: "35 Iraq Officials Held in Raids on Key Ministry" by Campbell Robertson & Tarig Maher Dec. 17, 2008, NY Times Up to 35 officials in the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior ranking as high as general ...

Oh yeah, those guys…

Recently released by the Congressional Research Service (CRS): "Iran’s Nuclear Program: Status" (PDF) -- Nov. 20, 2008 And since you mention it... "Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons: Proliferation and Security Issues" (PDF), as updated on June 20, 2008. "Pakistan-U.S. Relations" (PDF), updated August 25, 2008 "India-U.S. Relations" (PDF), updated August 12, 2008 Also (but not from the CRS): "Indian ...

Murnau and Borzaga’s Early Sound Works for Fox

Holy crap. Normally those really spendy, over-extravagant DVD box sets just kinda piss me off. But Fox Studio Classics has just released one that I might just feel compelled to actually splurge on. (It's also kind of a toing, because just two nights ago I spontaneously decided to watch Sunrise on ...