Movie theatres have been a significant part of American culture for decades. A gathering place for everyone. Occasionally, huge movies became cultural events. Everyone saw them at the theatre; they were universal experiences that became part of pop culture and regular conversations everywhere. In 2023, there were some such movies. We will be talking about the shock wave of the Bomb in Oppenheimer and...

[Content Warning: If you're unaware, this is a horror film. Some pretty dark stuff follows.] A rumbling sound then three sharp knocks: BA BA DOOK DOOK DOOK. That’s when you’ll know that he’s around. In The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, a single mother, depressed because of the death of her husband, starts being stalked by a monster, whose presence frightens her son and causes her to...

The Young Bucs: Loss Leaders Long before the arrival of Tampa Tom, the Buccaneers were among the worst teams in the league. The expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw their first season in 1976, and experienced, well, some massive growing pains. The young team saw a 26-game loss streak across '76 and '77. Because of improvements made to free agency and the salary cap, this record is going to be hard to...

In December of 2023, Shohei Ohtani signed a record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $700 million over 10 years. Fast forward to March of 2024, where Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers are getting ready to play the first regular season game of 2024 against the Padres in South Korea. In the eighth inning, Ohtani recorded his second hit of the game, an RBI single into left-center field...

Do you perchance like any of the following concepts: liberty, democracy, or Earth? Have you ever wanted to fight bugs that were harvested for their resources on government plants that broke o—I mean bugs that have no elections and must be liberated of their resources, robot sla—I mean protesting unionized automaton workers, or an alien race that at this time is not recognized by the government?...

Honkai Star Rail is an immersive turn-based open-world RPG game released in late April 2023, the fourth in the Honkai series. As the player, you tag along with the Astral Express crew to explore and help save planets across the universe from seeds of disaster known as "stellarons." There are many aspects to the game that can be seen in other Hoyoverse titles, but one of the most unique aspects is...

The last time I showed up around these parts to talk about food, because I have a gift for staking out popular positions that will be shared by absolutely everyone in time, I chose to talk about how cooking during lockdown taught me the value of not wasting anything in your kitchen. I stand by that, to be clear, especially as every grocery store chain openly gouges us, gives us some sorry excuse we...

By the time you are reading this, it will be the end of October, which means that it is the autumn. The leaves will be changing, the flavors will be pumpkin, and most importantly, you and all of your neighbors will be setting up your Halloween decorations. There is no doubt about it: we are now in the spoopy season. However, when that fateful October 31 comes around, and you need to know whether to...

As I roam and traverse this empty hall, I start wondering if it's the same at all As the raucous building that I used to hear Throughout all the days of yesteryear. Here I am, though I should really be free; This is basically an educational tyranny. Learning my lessons all over again? If this is for real, I might go insane. I'm at the room now, though I'd rather hide From the ultimate...

I left you, mother, at such a young age, and turned to sadness and sorrow and rage. The Danes had family and friendship alike, and they tasted better than sheep and the like.   They would fruitlessly run right away, whenever I opened the hall to light from the day. Then I began coming at night, leaving them with quite a blight.   Never would I be normal like them, they...

There are many styles of song within the vast range of "classic rock." My personal favorite of these styles is the smooth approach: sometimes called soft rock or yacht rock. There's many a smooth tune to be found in this genre. Now, what exactly makes a song smooth? I will tell you. In order for something to be smooth, it has to be soft and relaxing. There may be an individual who thinks that...

At the end of Part I, Billy Joel had just released the album Streetlife Serenade in Los Angeles, but it failed to capture public attention or critical acclaim. After some side projects with other artists, Joel moved from Los Angeles to New York. This decision was partly because of the disappointing outcome of his last album, and partly because Joel simply no longer liked the City of Angels. However,...