Anyone who has accompanied me within the last few years to watch a movie in the theaters has most likely observed one of my (many) quirks.  Surprisingly, it doesn’t manifest itself until towards the tail end of the production.  Some might even say I’m perfectly normal the entire duration of the film, although this is a debatable proposition for another time.  That aside, the climactic scene has come to a close, the plot has been tied up with a bow, and the credits begin to traverse across the screen. While the masses begin filing out under the impression that the … Continue reading Film Credits: a Game and a Lesson

Recently, I went on a short trip through the Adirondack Mountains.  New York is full of spectacular places, but this park is without a doubt near the top of that list.  If you are lucky enough to visit, you will not be disappointed.  Each visitor is confronted with beauty at every turn. While the park is mostly known for its mountains, this beauty is apparent on many levels; the tranquility of a stream that roams through the forest is just as potent as the awe-inducing qualities of a mountain range’s powerful presence. It is truly remarkable to be immersed so … Continue reading The Problem of Beauty

In my previous post, I briefly discussed the concept of expression through various means, and the difficulties and rewards associated with it.  Within that discussion, I included a statement which is representative of my outlook on the goal of any conversation that engages with controversial topics; that I hoped to “generate much productive disagreement.”  I thought it would be worthwhile to dive into this idea a bit more in depth. A Necessary Undertaking Unfortunately, the words “productive” and “disagreement” are too often thought of as being incompatible.  It is commonly supposed that they are pitted against each other on opposite … Continue reading The Advantages of Disagreement

My dear reader,

Were it not for the prompting of the automatically generated template I received when launching this blog, I may have skipped over an introduction altogether. After all, I’m usually pretty direct in general; why not just cut to the chase? Apparently though, WordPress is concerned (how kind of them) for the well being of my blog and its readers, and it would seem a proper introduction is a necessary ingredient in that recipe. So perhaps a brief explanation isn’t a bad idea after all. Continue reading Further Up and Further In