Paved With Good Intentions

Welcome to another episode of Paved With Good Intentions, the show that asks the difficult questions you didn't think you cared about.

In this episode, we are talking about superhero films. With the recent release of the excellent Wonder Woman film, how can we continue to consume this genre when there are so many superhero films out there?

Welcome to another episode of Paved With Good Intentions, the show that asks the difficult questions you didn't think you cared about.

In this episode, we look at the restrospective for 2016. Was it really one of the worst years ever? Or was there some good that came out of it?

Welcome to another episode of Paved With Good Intentions, the show that asks the difficult questions you didn't think you cared about.

In this episode, we look at the topic of sexism in Hollywood in response to the release of the Ghostbusters remake.

Also included in the episode is the audio only segment, Introspection.

Music. It is a necessity in life. But one thing has changed over time: how we consume music. In the modern age, streaming is king. Whether it's Spotify, YouTube, Apple or some other streaming site, people have access to any music at their fingertips. But while it's convenient for listeners, there are some unintended effects on the artists. Streaming music is not only creating gray areas for compensating artists, but it's making it downright impossible for artists to earn any royalties for the music alone.

Do you like movies? I know I do. But have you ever felt like a movie was good, but it could have been better? Or did you see a movie that you thought would be more intense than it was? In the US, we have a rating system that is applied to all first run movies. While the rating system should exist simply as a guide for the film's content, it is actually something that has a legal effect on who can see the movie. As such, studios make decisions that might alter the impact a movie has. In this episode, we talk about ratings and why they shouldn't be legally binding.

Did you make a New Year's resolution this year? Probably not. The concept of a resolution seems like a gimmick or an outdated concept. Yet some people (like me) do try to make resolutions. They aren't the typical ones, like find a way to become a millionaire or lose 50 pounds. Instead, they are goals that I believe I can achieve in the course of the year. But even that is a bit of a stretch. Our lives progress when we make goals for ourselves. But in order for those goals to be meaningful or successful, it's best to make ones we can achieve at stages. In the end, no matter how hard we fight it, life always manages to get in the way.

Sorry it's so late!

I was at a concert recently, and I noticed a very strange phenomenon. Despite all of the differences, all of the unique lives, we we all there for one purpose. We were all there to enjoy the power of the music. That is the influence music can have on our lives. It can give us the chance to come together as separate, distinct individuals and celebrate together as familiar strangers. Why can't that happen in the rest of life? Why can't we find common ground and use that to bridge the differences that separate us? In this episode, I explore this very concept.

Has anyone ever told you to act your age? Or have you ever said that to someone? It's a curious question because, ultimately, what does it mean? What are you really saying when you tell someone to act their age? Age itself is arbitrary, given it comes from our invented measurement of time. More importantly, people have the freedom to choose how they want to act and appear. Whether that fits into invisible standards is ultimately irrelevant and, in a way, limiting to their expression of self. Instead of focusing on age, we should be more concerned about how we relate to others as adults. In this episode, we explore the concept of age and how we are limiting ourselves by using it as a gauge for our behaviors.

How are you today? It's such a simple question, and yet it is also one of the most difficult questions we ask one another. More often than not, we don't truly express our feelings for fear of burdening others with our personal situation. But that speaks to a much larger topic. In wake of another horrific tragedy, the issue of mental health keeps coming up. While it is easy to point to mental health at a time of tragedy, the reality is it is something that isn't taken seriously enough in everyday life. Mental and emotional health are critical, especially in an age where people are stressed so greatly. In this episode, we look at the importance of mental health and how we can mitigate the negative effects in the hopes of becoming a more functional society of sensitivity and compassion.

This past weekend, I had a unique experience. I was invited to a beautiful outdoor wedding in the mountains. It was a gorgeous autumn day. Everyone in attendance was dressed in fantastic outfits. I truly mean that: it was a LARP wedding. The ceremony took place in the midst of a LARP event. For the uninitiated, LARP is live-action role playing. I have never experienced before, but I took the opportunity to explore and learn about it. While there are plenty of opinions about role playing, seeing it and experiencing it put LARP into an entirely new perspective. In this episode, I look at the creativity, focus and dedication that LARP requires.