“We all go a little mad sometimes” (Hitchcock, movie Psycho).  “Oblivion – what a blessing… for the mind to dwell a world away from pain. . .  I have no desire to suffer twice, in reality and then in retrospect” (Sophocles, play Oedipus Rex). In order to discuss Hitchcock’s iconic film from 1960, we need […]

The Unacceptable and The Usual Suspects Imagine everyone suddenly knew the worst thing you’ve ever done.  Now, considering a list of your favorite actors, directors, artists, or entertainers, if I told you that at least half of them have committed a crime, would that change your list? Would there be a sudden shift in your […]

The Gambler The distance between losing everything and having nothing left to lose is infinite. Nothing left to lose is an altitude of freedom that lives without restraint, however so few of us can testify to it. Having experienced some loss we cling to what we have, and from this clinging stems our greatest fears […]