Popular Culture

May 16, 2015

Modern-Day Goddesses

KardashiansWhen I was growing up during the 1960s and early 1970s, my favorite movies were Westerns. I’m not sure why. One reason may have been because I watched a lot of television with my grandfather, Tom Williams, and he liked Westerns. Another reason may have been because the heroes in Westerns were always tough, rugged, no-nonsense men who reminded me of the men on the Williams side of the family.

April 25, 2015

Dumb Behavior

DumbI recently filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy case for a client who owed a significant amount of money to some local loan shark companies. (I call payday and title loan companies “loan shark companies” because they routinely charge up to 300% interest per year on money that is loaned to customers.) My client also had several thousand dollars in accumulated debt that he owed to credit card companies and medical providers. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call my client “Jim.”

April 18, 2015

Guidelines For A Disgraced Congressman

Ben Franklin - 13 Virtues to Moral PerfectionIf you pay attention to the news, you know about the recent resignation of our local U.S. Congressman, Aaron Schock. Schock is currently under investigation for violating federal law while he was in office. Some of the violations include using campaign funds for his own personal benefit, overcharging the government for mileage expenses, and flying around in private jets that were owned by individuals or companies who donated money to his campaign.

April 11, 2015

The Desire To Live Forever

Groundhog DayHave you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? It was released in 1993, and has since become one of the top 10 classic American fantasy comedy movies. The main character in the movie, Phil Connors, is played by Bill Murray. Connors is an arrogant Pittsburgh-based television meteorologist who is assigned to cover the annual Groundhog Day ceremonies in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Connors is offended by the assignment because he considers it an insult to his intelligence to report on such a frivolous matter.

March 28, 2015

Romance, Love & Chick Flicks

A Walk To RememberIf you’re a fan of romance novels or chick flicks, you’ve probably heard of Nicholas Sparks. He’s a Catholic novelist, screen writer, and producer who has published 17 romantic novels, nine of which have been made into movies. Three of his most popular movies were Message in a Bottle, The Notebook, and A Walk to Remember.

March 7, 2015

Facebook & Mr. Spock

Leonard Nimoy - SpockUp until last week, when you signed up for a new Facebook account, besides “male” and “female” you had 58 options to choose from to identify your gender. Some of those 58 gender options included androgyne, cis male, gender fluid, two-spirit, neutrois, trans female, and pangender.

January 24, 2015

Turning Off The Idiot Box

Idiot Box -Turn It OffWhen I was growing up, the one order we heard most from my mom was, “Turn off the TV and go outside!” If we didn’t immediately do what she said, she would rush over to the television, turn it off, and again order us to go outside.

January 10, 2015

How Many Times A Day Do You Check Your Phone?

SmartphoneA few years ago, one of my relatives called my office to discuss an urgent legal matter. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call him “James.” When James called, my receptionist told him that I was in court and that she would give me a message to call him when I returned to the office. James asked the receptionist for my cell phone number. She told him that I did not always carry a cell phone and that she was not allowed to give out the number. She assured him that the best way to reach me would be through my office.

December 27, 2014

From Jonny Quest To Batman

Jonny QuestOf all the superhero movies that have been released by Marvel and DC comics, Batman is my least favorite, primarily because of the dark and diabolical nature of the villains. Despite my dislike of the Batman movies, I still watch them. In the last Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, the villain, Bane, delivers a crippling blow to Batman’s back. He then escorts Batman to an underground prison. The only way out of the prison is through a tower-like tunnel that is carved out of rock.

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