NEW YEAR "HEAD"ITORIAL

Unless one has been living under a rock, one can hardly ignore that the world has increasingly become an unsettled place. To say that it's "going to Hell in a hand basket" might be a little premature, but the exact sentiment has been expressed more frequently in recent times. The result of the inculcation of ideas from modern education, entitlement sensibilities, unpunished greed and corruption at the highest levels, the failure to enforce laws, and the gradual erosion of the traditional household -- all have a bearing on the evolution of mankind. We are at a transition where "the old guard" is fading and a new generation of this planet's custodians is taking over. What we do with it is anybody's guess.

You may wonder what the aforementioned musings have anything to do with the theme and content of this blog. Well, as its founder and author, I find myself sometimes thinking, "why bother with this -- there's more important things to write about than monsters". But then again, I am reminded that, throughout our history, when times get tough, the masses find ways to alleviate the angst and fear in their lives. One of the most popular outlets for these feelings is the movies. Is it no wonder then, that STAR TREK, the story of the space-bound existing apart from a Utopian earth that has been rarely seen -- or alluded to?

One of the most enduring genres during these times has been the horror film, and for good reason. Horror films allow the viewer to vicariously participate in the primal fears of life and death and come out unscathed (at least physically) in the end. Clearly, then, there must be outlets for the psyche that alleviate its creeping malaise. Otherwise, how could we function?

Consequently, I have no reluctance to carry on in my fashion, providing content that allows readers to momentarily forget the trouble in their lives (or the world). However, I don't profess to, by this blog, pompously claim to be able to soothe readers with the balm of salvation, but I do know too well the troubles we face. So, instead of railing about the corruption and the greed and the violence and the insanity, I prefer to, in some small way, ignore the slouching Beast and preserve a slice of the past that has not only thrilled and entertained, but provided surcease from a world of growing fear and perplexity.