I live near a college campus. I also work near a college campus. It is a bit of a game I play, to each day count the number of iPods dotting the landscape. Count the number of laptops I see any given moment on the campus grounds. […]

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Some movies are like churches - built like imposing stone edifices. From the moment you enter their presence, they demand a hushed reverence, and that your head be bowed with awe. Even to the non-religious, the sheer scale of the monument demands respect. While it’s almost impossible to stand on the steps of the […]

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I am a big fan of reading, especially folk tales and stories written with the folk style to it, and recognize the inherent pattern of “idea theft” in story-telling. Folk tales constantly revisit archetypal concepts, such as the character of “The Trickster:” Loki from Norse myth and the Coyote […]

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Success can be its own worst enemy. In Hollywood, winning the ‘Best Picture’ Oscar is a creative kiss of death. As an award, it’s more of a fashionable choice than a serious referendum on quality. Since 1986, there are only two directors who have produced any creatively significant work after winning their Best […]

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