The Cigar Craze
Rising Popularity of Cigars
Cigars are increasing in popularity and notoriety. What was once confined to a small segment of the population is now enjoyed by a diverse audience. The cigar experts from the Cigar Intelligence Agency discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly about cigars and the craze that is sweeping the country.
Read Interview

Decline of the Movies
Are Theaters Going Extinct?
Prior to the mass production of television sets, around 60 percent of the population attended a movie each week. With the advent of cable TV, VCRs, DVDs, pay-per-view, and fragmented viewing audiences, that attendance rate is now a staggering 9 percent. Are movie theaters going extinct?
Read Article

Symphony in Trouble
The Failure of the Fine Arts
If people are willing to pay the big bucks to go to a rock concert in a hot sweaty outdoor theater, then why the dismal failure of the fine arts? Symphonies always seems to have to be bailed out by some sort of well heeled benefactors as well as by local governments. Why do they need to be subsidized?
Read Article

The Fine Arts
Survive Without Public Funding?
Did art ever exist before the advent of government funding? Oftentimes, the advocates of the arts sometimes tries to give us that impression. But before the advent of big government grants, art did flourish for centuries but times have changed and so have the tastes of people.
Read Article

Home Repair Quackery
Bogus Home Improvement Shows
Too many home improvement television shows ended up looking like all the other “reality shows” with young voluptuous women wearing tight midriffs, halters, and tank tops that expose cleavage and belly buttons. Some of these tight pants and flashy outfits are more suited for a bar or a nightclub instead of for home repair.
Read Article

Fun at the Big Top
The Circus Comes to Town
When taking my toddler son to the circus, I realized that I hadn’t gone to such an event since I was a kid. I remembered going to the circus as a youngster and I remember having a good time but I also figured that it would probably not be much entertainment for me as an adult twenty years later. I was definitely wrong!
Read Article

No More Movies
The End of Big Productions
George Lucas, the outrageously successful creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, insists that the era for big production movies are almost over. In fact, his movie company Lucasfilm is getting out of making movies altogether and is now moving into television and possibly Internet ventures.
Read Article

Blunder or Marketing?
Britney Spears Exploits the Paparazzi
While the tabloids were trashing her celebrity status, Britney Spears turned the tables and exploited the paparazzi with her panty-less escapades. It cost her nothing except a little bit of modesty to generate an enormous amount of publicity and attention even though has had no album or career for two and a half years.
Read Article

The Crocodile Hunter
Steve Irwin, We Salute You
It was bound to happen. Australian animal handler Steve Irwin, 44, aka the Crocodile Hunter bought the farm in the line of duty on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Anyone who has ever watched the caffeinated antics of Steve Irwin knew in the back of their minds that this day would eventually come; die while handling wild animals.
Read Article

CBGB’s Closes
The End of Punk Rock
The closing of New York City’s most famous punk club CBGB’s really marks the definitive end to the underground genre of punk music. Many who came of age in the 80’s generation only got a taste of punk rock even though its influence helped shaped part of that decade of music.
Read Article

The Dixie Chicks
Freedom of Speech?
When did Congress pass a law against ownership of Dixie Chick CDs or playing Dixie Chick songs? Free speech in the First Amendment simply states that Congress can pass no law abridging the freedom of speech. As far as I can tell, it does not obligate me to buy or listen to Dixie Chick CDs, or for radio stations to play them.
Read Article

Anthropomorphic Idiocy
Hollywood Really Outdoes Itself
Attention… Attention: a high priority safety message from the source of all wisdom and knowledge known as Hollywood. White men no longer have a monopoly on the serial killer business. Now wild animals can also become serial killers too!
Read Article

Too Much Music
Oversupply of Music
In a typical year, there are approximately 7,000 music majors that graduate from more than 500 accredited music schools. Each year there are only about 300 decent paying vacancies for orchestras. The graduates must also compete with last year's unemployed graduates as well as with experienced musicians.
Read Article