One of my favourite bands, if not my favourite, will forever be Abba. Sue me. I sometimes refer to it as my guilty pleasure, but in all honesty I don’t feel any guilt about it. The themes they explore in some of their songs, although they sound so pleasant to the ear, often touch on…

When I picked this book up, I was expecting a comparative study of Taoism and Christianity. I expected long (but interesting) chapters that fleshed out whatever similarities and differences exist between the two. Instead, what I found was poetry, wisdom, and the beautiful marriage of two traditions, each of which interpret and express the other.…

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing Lasting Impressions, which featured the works of some of humanity’s greatest artists, recreated with a brilliant 3D and “motion-sculpting technology” that not only adds depth to the artwork but also brings it to life. I’ll confess that while the first half left much to be desired, the remainder…

Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty and sadness. … Were it otherwise he would never have been able to find those words. Rainer Maria Rilke Why do you imagine that I write? Out…

George Orwell, who is one of my favourite writers, once wrote an essay entitled “Why I Write”. Having committed myself to the same craft for a year now, I thought it’s time I did the same. Over this past year, I’ve done my best—regardless of whatever has been keeping me busy in my day to…

So, I just saw Oppenheimer. Since it’s received so much positive press, I thought I ought to go see it. The one word I could think of to describe it afterwards is “terrifying”. Obviously, the film presents us with what were and still are questionable decisions made by the US Government. (Go figure!) But if…

There’s a lot to say about Everything Everywhere All at Once. A bit like Shawshank Redemption, I spent the beginning of the film wondering where this is all going, what it’s building up to, but by the end, I started to see the loose ends coming together. At first, it felt very much like a…

If you know me, you would know that Black Mirror is one of my favourite shows on Netflix. Recently, I’ve begun rewatching some old episodes, and I came across one in particular that really got me thinking: “White Bear”. Go on YouTube, and find a newsreel about the worst criminal you can think of. Now,…

For some now, I’ve had the impression that something about the John Wick movies is profoundly religious, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The imagery? The rituals? The “immoral order” of their universe? Maybe the dictum “Rules: without them, we live with the animals” is, in some sense, an attempt to transcend our…