Chekhov’s gun is a dramatic principle that requires every element in a narrative to be irreplaceable, with anything else removed: Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go […]Read Post ›
Every time there is a mass shooting (which on average is every sixty four days) one of the key words we hear describing the tragedy is “senseless.” This would suggest the action was without meaning or purpose. I hate to tell you this, but nothing could be further from the case. The most recent attacker, […]Read Post ›
Is marijuana[1] a weed, or plant? That is, is marijuana a plant one does not want, or a plant that one does? Is marijuana a plant one wishes to pull up, or cultivate? For many years, public policy has deemed marijuana a weed, while at the same time a steadily increasing fraction of the public […]Read Post ›
Great writing or just really uninformed people? Maybe both.
I was greatly saddened to hear of the death of Nelle Harper Lee, arguably my favorite author of definitely my favorite book AND movie. I still remember the very first time I saw To Kill a Mockingbird at our local drive-in, and how I sat spell-bound as the story unfolded. You see, I saw a […]Read Post ›
All over social media Woody Allen is being demonized and denounced as a pedophile after a letter by Dylan (now known as Malone) Farrow appeared in the New York Times. In that letter, Dylan claims that when she was seven, Allen abused her, some 21 years ago It disturbs me that so many people have […]Read Post ›
This meme pops up every two weeks or so, with a lot of “THIS IS SO TRUE LOL” and “THIS IS OBUMMER’S FAULT” comments from people with the appearance and mentality, on average, of a 13 year-old. These nasty assholes need a kick in the junk. It depicts the latest “let’s hate the poor and pretend that trying to survive on the […]Read Post ›
Like many, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final episodes of Breaking Bad. In case you’re among the few who aren’t familiar; it’s a show about Walter White, a 50-year-old High School Chemistry Teacher who’s been a loving father, a loyal husband, and an all round highly regarded member of his community. And then he gets […]Read Post ›
