In my line of work (whatever that is), I am often put in the position of defending the medium of television. There is a large section of the population who is convinced that television is inferior to film and all types of print media. These people love to use a host of specious arguments to…. read more

May 5, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff

When one of our favorite TV shows goes off the air, it can be devastating. However, many times, the cancellation is the birth of a spinoff. Sometimes it can be a great thing (Frasier) and sometimes not so much (After M*A*S*H). Here are some spinoff ideas that I would love to see. Ookla in the…. read more

April 28, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Other Stuff

When my first child was born, I like most parents, became reacquainted with television for children. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Sesame Street had a new character that shared a name with my oldest and at the same time, disappointed at not being able to find anything as entertaining as Electric Company….. read more

April 21, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Parenting

The other night, I was at the movies with my girlfriend and she stopped to peruse a poster for the new Smurfs movie. She expressed concern that the Smurfs were drawn to look fuzzy, as if they were covered by  short blue fur. I said to her, “That’s what concerns you? Not the fact that…. read more

April 14, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Parenting

The television matriarch has certainly come a long way. Gone are the days when June Cleaver and Donna Stone stayed home all day and kept the house immaculate while wearing spotless dresses and glamorous pearls. These days, TV moms bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, make some awesome BLT’s, and look…. read more

April 7, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Parenting

There has recently been some controversy about a question appearing on the Scholastic Aptitude Test this year. It’s an essay question that asks the test taker this question about reality shows, “Do people benefit from forms of entertainment that show so-called reality, or are such forms of entertainment harmful?” Of course, the question goes into…. read more

March 31, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Education

Ross Gellar (Friends) What can you say about a professor who readily admits that most of his papers have been discredited? Unless Paleontologists are in short supply in New York City, I don’t see why any university would hire an educator who can be manipulated into giving students a better grade with a contrived tale…. read more

March 24, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Education

Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights) Putting aside the fact that Connie Britton is one of the most beautiful women on television, her portrayal of a guidance counselor and principal on FNL is the most honest and sensitive portrayal I have ever seen. Whether she is protecting her students from locals who only care about football…. read more

March 17, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Education

Ever since I was allowed to make my own decisions, I have tried to emulate Jim Kirk. Whenever I have a tough choice to make I ask myself WWJTKD? When I became a father, I continued that practice and it’s helped out immeasurably. You can’t make everybody happy During his career, Captain Kirk has been…. read more

March 10, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Parenting

When I was a kid, I would watch shows like Welcome Back Kotter and Head of the Class and imagine how great it would be to attend a school where the teacher told hilarious jokes and let you do the same. I figured that in twelve years of public study, I would eventually get a…. read more

March 3, 2011 by Paul Goebel in Education, Parenting