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Random Ramblings

Everyone loves to be entertained, but more importantly, everyone needs to be entertained. In an unpredictable world filled with stress and strife, entertainment serves an invaluable function. Entertainment helps us to maintain our sanity. Imagine a world without it. It’s difficult, if not impossible. Reality is important to be sure, but to be bombarded with [...]

According to the New York Times using data from Nielsen Research, the average American watches an average of five hours of television every day. (that’s 34 hours a week) Now that’s the average American. Obviously, most American watch far more. Can you blame them? There’s plenty to see. There are literally hundreds of networks at [...]

ComicCon (more formally known as San Diego Comic-Con International) is an annual event that showcases comic books, sci-fi/fantasy films and television, and related popular arts. In recent years, along with being a geek “mecca”, Comic-Con has become particularly important to Hollywood, acting as a kind of testing ground for up and coming product. Comic-Con 2011 [...]

I have a degree in philosophy. But I’m not bragging. Far from it. Because if life had a rewind button, there would be a different piece of paper hanging on my Mom’s living room wall. The wall might even be bare. Now, in retrospect, I often wonder how I ended up in the philosophy department [...]

I am not a Hindu. I subscribe to no religion. I prefer to think of myself as spiritual as opposed to religious. But I do consider myself to be a believer and follower of the Goddess Kali and all that she represents. Though Kali is very much associated with Hinduism, she transcends religion. Unfortunately, most of [...]

For many years now, I’ve heard about a phenomenon called the generation gap. There’s supposedly a huge difference between young and old; a gap in interest, mentality, understanding etc. I remember this so-called generation gap was particularly stressed back in the sixties and seventies. Now, it’s pretty much taken for granted that young and old [...]

Every culture throughout the world has produced some form of heroic fiction. It’s an important genre, perhaps the most important genre of all, because heroes represent the ideal individual. Even though they’re usually larger than life and capable of superhuman feats, heroes nonetheless provide a standard of conduct to be emulated by mere mortals. Heroic [...]

A few years ago I was teaching a filmmaking class at a summer camp for kids. One day, I asked the students what they wanted to be when they grew up. And most of them gave the same answer. They wanted to be famous. Actually, only about 75% of the class wanted to be famous. [...]

I’ll never forget the day I dropped out of graduate school. I had already completed the course work for my Master’s degree and was ready to write my thesis. But one day I had an epiphany, a word I learned in college by the way. (and haven’t used since) I realized that for me, school [...]

Ask the average person to define the word “fashion” and they’ll immediately start talking about clothes, shoes and airhead supermodels. That’s because people have forgotten that the word “fashion” is also a verb. Fashion means “to mold, change or configure”. The fashion industry is one of the most important elements in culture because it functions [...]

The vampire is without a doubt the most beloved of predators. And for good reason. They’re just so cool. They sleep all day, party all night, wear great clothes and absolutely no one can resist them. Oh yeah… and they’re immortal too. What’s not to love? They’ve got a lifestyle to die for. Of course [...]

Welcome friends. This is my first blog and it will be the first of many. My blogs will primarily focus on my major two obsessions; culture and mass media. Along with commentary on a wide variety of subjects, there will be reviews of books, movies, music and other arts. My commentaries and reviews will not [...]