Book Situations and the Best Forms of Book

 Readers everywhere know that a physical book doesn't work for going running, an audiobook of an adult novel (if no headphones are around) does not work in public places, and an ebook does not download when your internet is down. Today we look at the pluses and minuses of every form of a book and reading app. 

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An audiobook is defined here as "an [audio file], audiocassette or CD recording of a reading of a book, typically a novel". It can come in CD or MP3 form. Tapes are rare and often lack a player at this point.

An Ebook is defined as "an electronic version of a printed book that can be read on a computer or handheld device designed specifically for this purpose".  There are several apps for this.

A physical book is "a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers". 

These are the defined terms I'm going by for this blog post. today we talk about the pros and cons of all these forms.

Ebooks

This form of a book requires no physical bookshelf, a plus if you don't have the space. Another plus to this form is that it tends to be cheaper. Why? Because of Kindle/Kobo deals, lack of paper use, and other factors that make books cheap. Hardbacks vs ebook deals tend to be significantly different. Yes, some still cost a bit, but you get more here than a physical book store - and from your own house with no gas cost!

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Another pro for this type is that you can't lose your bookmark in your bag or purse because the computer app or phone app keeps it updated. Book damage? Not possible. You can even make the text the size you want. Your phone and morning reading is one item in your purse or part of your many apps on your laptop (unless you have an e-reader). You can take notes on it without damage to a page. You can even go onto your library website for a book to borrow (if your library has a digital option). 

The downside here is that you require internet or data to download on the go. If your internet is terrible and the smallest download is too much you are out of luck. No data? Can't go online shopping or on your library site. You might be able to read the book you downloaded previously, but that's it. 

Another con would be the action of staring at a screen for hours. Yes, we all do nowadays, but if you need to avoid that situation in your spare time it might benefit you to not read primarily ebooks. Our eyes are strained with too much screen time. It doesn't help you sleep and if you are reading to relax into a sleepy state, well, on-screen books make no sense.

The perfect situation for the ebook is when you need a book on a budget quick, while also having good access to the internet. If the screentime is not an issue for you this is a way to save space in your dorm room, apartment, or home. Also, some authors have stuff on the ebook apps that you won't find in large bookstores (because some authors are only online or have a small name). Basically, if you need it today from the library or Kindle, go for the ebook. 

Audiobook

This is the road trip go-to for many people traveling for vacations, family gatherings, and long treks to work. It has a CD form, an audio file form, and even tapes (if you can play them on anything). You can even find classic books read out loud for free on YouTube (if the book is public domain by now). Doing your knitting or crocheting and need some sound to break the silence? Try this! 

Most you have to pay for or get from the library. These are sometimes more expensive and sometimes cheap. It is a coin toss and based on the author themselves. You can find sales and get some great ones for less than three dollars if you look at the right places. It depends on where you look online. You can get emails with great offers for both audio and ebooks. Check the sales section online.

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The voice speed is adjustable on apps like Chirp, but I don't think all audiobooks can have that luxury, especially when read out loud over YouTube and recorded on a CD or audio file. Regardless of the speed itself you can still fold your laundry and read your book at the same time. Headphones or not is your choice. Speaking of headphones, this is great for going a run or walk in the park (just as long as you pay attention to the surroundings and people around you). If you zip the audio file right to your MP3 player and make sure it is in order you are golden. Plane travel? Put on those headphones and listen to your novel (pre-download it before boarding!). The person beside you may not bother you (assuming you are avoiding conversations).

Students that learn via audio are probably going to love having a textbook read to them, especially if they can adjust speed (no guarantees). The blind also greatly benefit because audiobooks are more common than braille. Anyone who has trouble reading with their vision will find these refreshing. Contrary to what some humans think, the book is the same whether or not someone heard it or read it. 

The downside is that if the reader screwed it up you miss a section of your book. Downloading something incorrectly is also terrible because you lose whole chapters of the novel you are enjoying. In this way, make sure you are patient and have the whole novel in your computer or MP3 files. I have made this mistake before and it is frustrating.

Oddly enough, make sure your files are in order on your MP3 player if you take them from a CD or audio file to your MP3. Why? Because your player may throw them out of order. You can go from chapter 2 to 16 in one audio track due to this weirdness. For help on this, click here and be amazed. When you are driving it matters. 

A word of warning, please make sure you can focus on the road if you intend to bring it on your road trip. If you cannot listen to a book and drive responsibly you shouldn't be listening to it while your car is running. 

Physical Book

The classic binding-and-cover book gives any room a soul. It gives the house a personality, should you have the shelving space. Paperback is generally cheaper than a hardcover in the general sense. The older or fancier the cover, the more money you pay for it, but aside from that you can enjoy it just as much as the other forms. No Wi-fi needed! It is perfect for when the power is out, you are avoiding screens, or you just want to do something that requires no internet connection. Books were what humans used to ignore someone with before the cellphone. No screen damage to your eyes, either.

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Collectors will pay money for collectible books. Classics in leather binding, first editions, and other goodies are worth money to some individuals. There are people out there who admire their books and barely read them. Digital forms don't have this appeal. In this case, you do need a place to store them that won't harm the older editions. Collecting is not simply having a bookshelf; they show it off like a museum does. 

Physical books can cost more money due to printing costs. If you can find discount books and hobby bookstore owners you are in luck. Used books are just as wonderful as new ones. Places like Books-A-Million are not cheap. Amazon and Barnes and Noble can get expensive, too, but do offer used ones at highly discounted prices or rentals. Students know that textbooks can cost a bit. Anyone who loves reading can spend at least fifty dollars at a bookstore (cough couch, me, cough cough).

One thing you know for sure is that the reader didn't mess up and skip a chapter because you are the reader. Reading is also a vital skill for all of our lives. You can only learn it through visual reading. Schools still use textbooks in physical form (at least in my experience) in order to teach young children how to read. The physical book should never disappear. The library will make sure of that as long as it lives and breathes. 

The downside was touched on in the first paragraph, which is money and space to store the books themselves. It is also hard to carry around large novels if your purse or bag is tiny. I spend money on books in all forms, anyway, but if you are on a budget go to your local library. You may not be able to keep it forever, but you still get to read it. That is the point of your public library systems. No space? The library will only lend it to you temporarily and you can set it on a counter until you finish it. The only money you have to pay is if you don't return it and get late fees.

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The best situation for physical books is when you are doing one thing at a time, reading to a child or having a child read to you, or teaching. This is also great for reading along with an audiobook, should you want to do that. You can be sure your narrator didn't skip words if you read along. Waiting rooms and waiting for anything are great places to pull out a book. Traveling on planes are great places to read, but you should know some humans don't see a book as "leave me alone" (if you are trying to discourage conversations). 

Reading Apps and Where to find books

Reading apps like Kobo and Kindle have brands attached to them and you can buy e-readers for these brands. The apps themselves can go on about any device (though kobo and amazon tablets won't work together because amazon and kindle are owned by the same people). Even your laptop can have the reading apps on it, in case you don't have space on your phone for much. I can vouch for both apps.

Kobo and Kindle can both bookmark, take notes, change text size, and play audiobooks. They are remarkably similar, but there are also different authors on each app. It is good to have both in order to find those small-time authors who have amazing books. Kobo tends to make the first of a series free and then make you buy the rest, so you have a preview in case the series is awful. Kindle can sometimes give you perks if you subscribe to audible or Amazon Prime.

 The United States catalog of Kindle is bigger than Canada's catalog, though, so it depends on location. Kobo is better for Canada in the catalog. If you want more than an e-reader you can go Kindle and get an Amazon tablet, but otherwise, the e-readers themselves only do books. For more differences, click here. 

Overdrive (the online library) can work extremely well for MP3 players, especially if your car (aka, my car) lacks a CD player. In my case, I bought a player that was recommended for audiobooks. Just click here for suggestions on what to buy. Overdrive will zip what you borrowed from the library (all you need is a library card or a phone number) to your MP3 player in numbered parts. If you have to mess with the reordering process because your player is weird, look back at the audiobooks section for that link on how to do that. You can even place holds on ebooks and audiobooks. 

Your pubic library is always there for you, online and in person. The humans who work there are nice people. Show them your love and pick up a book anytime. They even have some sales on books they aren't keeping occasionally and that's a great place for cheap books. CD audiobooks are here for you if you have the car that plays them (which is becoming less common). Audiotapes are now bordering on rare, much like the cars that have tape players, yet you can find an adapter for playing those in your car. 

Chirp, an app that I got for cheap audiobooks, will only work on its own app (no transfer to MP3) and is a bit of a pain that way. Yet, some fantastic big names are on sale there for less than three dollars. I'd say it is worth it for home or if your phone can play it, but otherwise, you might be a bit disappointed. Just do your research on the apps you find with cheap books before you decide to do anything. 

I missed a few apps here and there, I'm sure, so click here for more and do your own research. 

Bonus! Bible Apps

Here we are for the bonus content - a Bible app showcase. First, let me tell you what I use, and then we can talk about a few more. 

I try to read my Bible reading plan daily on YouVersion, which I highly suggest because it keeps you reminded and on track. It even gives you several reading plans to choose from and they vary in length. Added devotions show up with the list of reading that day. It keeps track of record streaks of reading (aka opening the app) and that motivates me to create streaks, boosting my Bible reading habit. It can read to you if you are an audio reader. The app comes on Apple, Android, and Amazon devices.

Photo by Tithe.ly

Bible.is has many languages and translations. You can listen to dramatized audio if you like. It keeps track of where you are. Some said that some readings weren't available, but I'm not sure how much limitation there is. You can control the speed, apparently, as well as control text size. I didn't use it, so try it and tell me what you think of it. 

ESV Crossways may not be the best because I see reviews on how it changed for the worst. I think this is only the ESV study bible. It costs money to get extras. I read several reviews and most of them were negative. Here, I'll let you look at them - reviews here! I'm fairly certain you should not get this one.

Glo Bible is known for being pretty dang awesome, and the review I read is right here. Maps, virtual tours, HD video, and customizable reading plans are all in this app. Social media features allow sharing of the Bible verses onto your Facebook and Twitter. You can take notes on the app easily and see different translations. Researching Biblical topics on this is easy with a topical map to explore. It is free and then there is a premium version (but you may have to pay a bit to get this). Some versions of the text cost money (5 dollars -ish per version).

From here I will let you look at more of these on your own, due to the sheer amount of them. The link is here if you want to look at more options for yourself. There are ten of them listed on the provided link. Have fun!

Harry Potter and the Christian Community

 Harry Potter has the Christian world divided. Either a parent reads the books to their child (and rereads them by themselves because they love them) or decides that they are of the devil and must be forbidden. Yes, some parents may be in the middle and I acknowledge that, but is there evidence on both sides of the debate? Let's dive into it. 

Photo Courtesy of The Conversation

The Harry Potter fandom is huge everywhere. The first editions of the books are worth money. It is quality fiction, in my opinion, and worth at least looking into. I know people who made the books forbidden and their kids dove into the fandom anyway (and they could do nothing about it). 

The main plot is that young Harry Potter is informed that he is a wizard and should attend Hogwarts. While there he discovers Voldemort - I mean, He Who Shall Not Be Named - is trying to kill him because he tried to kill him before and failed. I won't give anything more away. 

Some Christian parents that I know read the books to their kids in order to be sure of what Harry Potter was before jumping to conclusions (and loved the series). Others, unfortunately, did not and decided that it was evil without doing their research at all. I'm going to try to respectfully represent both sides. 

It isn't evil

First of all, if you know real life from fantasy you aren't going to have much of a problem with the series or the fun fandom stuff (butterbeer, chocolate frogs, cosplay) that comes with it. If you are not able to tell reality from the fictional worlds in books you have serious problems and shouldn't be reading any fiction at all (and I know some disorders do cause this, by the way, so I'm not making fun of anyone - I'm being serious).

JK Rowling also claims that it has Christian ideas planted in it, like the Christ rising again (Harry Potter killed and suddenly living). The hiccup is that some people couldn't get past the fantasy world to get into it and see it, given witchcraft is forbidden in the Bible. The only difference between this and LOTR or Narnia is that Rowling is not known well in Christian circles, which makes a difference in the Christian community and determines whether strict parents allow it. Many people grow to adulthood and find the books are not satanic.  The fact is that some parents overreacted and didn't do the research they should have. 

 

Did you know that Latin is highly used in Harry Potter? Expecto Patronum means "I await a guardian" in Latin. All they are doing is speaking Latin into the air while holding wands. I don't believe she is emulating real witchcraft because of this and one other fact; only some people could use magic and others had no access to it, unlike real witchcraft, which anyone can pick up. Charles Colson claims that while there are spells cast the characters don't truly make any contact with the supernatural of real-life witchcraft at all. Colson also loved the show of loyalty and sacrifice for each other the trio of main characters portrayed. Some individuals also believe that the show of friendship and loyalty despite the risks was admirable and that doing the right thing regardless of the consequences was promoted in the series, even if Christianity wasn't.

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Some Wiccans did not like the series, and they don't want to be connected with it. Crazy? I know! With that sort of revelation, I'd like to say that it likely does not reflect Wiccan beliefs if they don't want to be near it. Don't believe me? Here is a quote from one of the sources at the end of the blog post.

The fundamentalists’ only allies in anti-Potterism were, interestingly enough, the Wiccans. "[M]any are unhappy that others believe the books have anything to do with the realities of their religion," Jan Glidewell reported in the St. Petersburg Times on November 16, 2001. "They said, correctly, that Harry’s flying brooms and transformational spells have about as much to do with Wicca as flying carpets have to do with Sufism, Easter bunnies with Christianity, or living in Miami Beach with Judaism."

Read that paragraph again and tell me that Wiccans are trying to tempt your kids. They aren't. 

It is evil

There are some who refute the Harry Potter books being Christian in series. They claim bad fantasy is marked with what can or can't be replicated. You can't replicate Gandalf's magic, but you can find astrology and spellbooks close to the world Rowling created, allegedly. Witchcraft is actually real. Children who copy everything can look into the occult from here easily because the subject was brought up (even if it is not accurately copied in the fiction itself). 

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Rowling does not have a presence in Christian circles, like I mentioned before, so we don't have proof she is a believer and is using it to further the gospel. She doesn't talk about her faith often, thus some come to the conclusion she isn't Christ-following. Rowling has explained it one way and others have contradicted her with their ideas, so some think that people misinterpreted her books as Christian morally. 

Witchcraft, of any kind, is evil. This is true. The Bible also tells us that witchcraft is forbidden. Harry Potter is set in a school that is purely teaching witchcraft, thus some parents decided that the books were forbidden, as well. This needs little explanation and is pretty straightforward.

It can be evil, but it depends 

Why is this category here? I'm so glad you asked! Here we have the people who are intelligent enough to know that kids copy everything at a certain age and geek out on what they love. If someone is not able to determine what is fictional and what is real this book is harmful and could truly lead them into the witchcraft section of a bookstore (only the spells are real). If they are grounded in their faith, mature enough to know what is a Harry Potter recipe book and what is a book on real witchcraft, and don't emulate every fiction they read it is totally not harmful. 

Do you need help determining if your child is mature enough for this? Let's give you some guidelines. 

1. Can they understand what is real and what isn't? If not, skip it for now. 

2. Do they emulate everything they see to the point that they might pick up a real spellbook? Skip it for now if this applies. 

3. How old are they? If they are old enough to enjoy fiction for what it is (a made-up world) they are totally okay to read it. At this point, you ought to be mature enough to not accidentally stumble into the wrong section of Books-A-Million. 

Rule of thumb, know your kids and what they tend to do with ideas. If you think they will actually walk into the occult after reading it (and you know what is truly in it, not just what so-and-so told you) don't offer it as a bedtime story or a car ride entertainment. Don't make a big deal out of it, either. If your kids have a grounded faith you ought to have no issues and they will probably find it on their own, anyway. 

A good guideline for age is necessary, and also because the reading level of the book matters. A five-year-old will not be able to truly appreciate a book with this much complexity. It is suggested that they can truly enjoy it (depending on their reading levels, of course) around 9 or 10 years and older. They do get intense after book 3, so I'd wait to introduce it to them until they are at this age.

Conclusions

Age and maturity have a lot to do with when kids can handle something and understand reality from fantasy. Fandoms talk about potions and spells, yes, but the world of Harry Potter magic (as described in the novel) was never real. Fans of the series know that if they can discern fiction from real life. I don't believe that it is the same as real witchcraft, which anyone can pick up. Parents declaring something forbidden will actually drive kids toward a series when their parents aren't around (and you never want your kids hiding their hobbies from you). We simply must calm down and think. 

Photo by Meme

Yes, witchcraft is not good, but the fantasy genre uses magic and sorcerers all the time. LOTR can get away with it, but yet Harry Potter can't? It just seems odd to me. There are TV shows out there now that are far more dangerous than Harry Potter ever was, like Supernatural, Motherland: Fort Salem, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Yet, here we are targeting comparably tame kid's books for witchcraft influence. This is not the only thing to worry about in media, so do your research on everything that looks like it portrays actual witchcraft because there is a lot out there (including Scooby-Doo and the Hex Girls!). 

I am not a parent, but I do think that you should watch stuff with your kids and discuss what they need to know. I know that when I have kids there will be one or two TV shows I won't introduce to them. Parents do have a responsibility to care for the minds of their kids. Once adulthood hits you are free of that responsibility and hopefully they have strong faith by then, but before adulthood comes you are there to protect them. Do the research you need to and know your kids. 

Sources:

https://baylorlariat.com/2018/11/15/harry-potter-satanic-witchcraft-or-christianity-inspired-narrative/

https://www1.cbn.com/books/harry-potter-harmless-christian-novel-or-doorway-to-the-occult

http://www2.trincoll.edu/csrpl/RINVol5No1/Harry%20Potter.htm

https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/jk-rowling-birthday-right-age-to-introduce-kids-to-harry-potter-5866724/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/january10/29.37.html

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/december6/12.0a.html

rare games

Video game companies, much like other companies, sometimes go out of business. This means games that aren't being made anymore get more expensive. You can sometimes find rare games unwittingly in the bin of used games, but often you have to make an effort to find these due to collectors and gaming nerds. Good games that are rare might be found on eBay - for a price. Do you know what games are rare? Do you have any rare games?

Photo by BBC

I recently looked for the game sequel of Hotel Dusk, only to find that it was 100 dollars to get the UK version and cheaper to get the Japanese version (and then it was only in Japanese). It was never released in North America. The games Hotel Dusk and Last Window are from a company that went out of business. They are incredible games worth the extra cost, if you like mystery novels that are interactive. 

There are amazing games out there that are rare because the company that made them isn't around. It is either that or they didn't make many of them and they discontinued that game. Great games don't guarantee success, sadly, so a fabulous, fun game doesn't mean the company lasts or the game gets a good reception from the public fanbase. We continue onward with a list of games and companies that are considered rare. 

Gaming Companies

There are many consoles included in the list below. A handful of these companies still exist in a weaker state, but many are finished making games. 

- Radical Entertainment  - Guerilla Cambridge  -  Silicon Knights  - Acclaim Entertainment 

- Zipper Interactive  - Bizarre Creations  - Psygnosis/ Sony Liverpool  - Lionhead Studios

- Free Radical Design  - Ensemble Studios  - Pandemic  - Clover Studios  - Visceral Games 

- Neversoft  - Midway

All of these are gaming companies with good quality games attached, including the games Mortal Kombat, Guitar Hero, Dead Space, Star Wars Battlefront, Age of Empires, and many more. A few of these are part of other companies by now. Others went bankrupt. Creative endeavors are not always successful - even if the game is the best thing ever made - because money and the arts are hard to balance. It takes money to create and you need a created game to make money. 

Rare Games Worth Money

Here is a list of games that collectors are looking for. If you have these and enjoy them DO NOT GIVE THEM AWAY! You will have a hard time replacing them if you do get rid of them. These are for all different consoles, and I'll have the console beside the name. 

- Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast (Xbox)  - Futurama the video game (PlayStation 2 and Xbox)

- Suikoden II (PlayStation 1)  - Cubivore Survival of the Fittest (gamecube)   - Shepherds Crossing  (NDS)  - Black Lamp (Sinclair ZX Spectrum)  - Haunting Ground (PlayStation 2)  

- Spelunker (commodore 64) - Kuon  (Playstation 2)  -Pokemon Box Ruby and Sapphire (gamecube)

- Ninja Five -0 (gba)  - steel battalion (Xbox)  

If you want the rest of this long list, see these links: click here and

here

Board Game Bonus

Those board games you have from your grandmother or great aunt may be worth actual money. The rare games are extremely hard to find, especially undamaged. Old TV show toys are often valuable, anyway, but these are for sure valuable. 

Photo by Worthpoint

Lost In Space is a board game and not just a TV show. It has three levels and actually looks fun. You can't move up to the next level without hitting a certain space, apparently, so it might take longer to play. At any rate, it is rare. Most Lost In Space anything is rare, if we're honest. 

Haunted House is a game where you explore a model of a haunted house to find a jewel and escape the house. The spinner gives off owl hoots for the number of spaces. This, too, looks rather fun. Different places can send you back spaces or make you start over. 

Dark Tower is a quest game where you take a scepter from an evil king. A tiny computer keeps track of who is winning. You find three keys to unlock a tower and defeat the king. 

The Game of Goose is Italian and has you moving in a spiral shape to the end, facing obstacles on the way. It is a children's game and Italian boards are especially rare. It might date back to ancient Egypt. 

Settlers of Catan is a game in other forms, but the 3D collectors edition is not common. You raid cities and trade with other players. It is a fun, good experience. Storyline is built throughout the playing time. 

Keywood is similar to the game above. Players try to control 6 villages. It has different income complexities and is kind of like some of the video games where you settle and farm small villages, only it is on paper. 

Fortune is a game of Monopoly based on New York streets. It was discontinued after Parker Brothers bought Monopoly, a few years after to be specific. It was not out long, so not many are out there. 

Photo by Worthpoint

The Elvis Presley Game is a trivia game that is not often found in good condition. It is, obviously, all about Elvis' music. If you find a copy in reasonable condition it is worth a lot. 

Be A Manager is a game where you manage a baseball team. In its entirety and with all parts in it, you could get a good price for it. 

Sources:

 https://www.goliath.com/gaming/greatest-video-game-companies-that-no-longer-exist/

https://www.lovemoney.com/gallerylist/84526/surprisingly-valuable-video-games-you-might-have-at-home

https://www.thegamer.com/console-games-rarest-ever-worth/

https://www.workandmoney.com/s/valuable-vintage-board-games-32b5423591a94861

https://howchoo.com/g/n2jkmmixn2i/rarest-video-games-of-all-time

https://www.thecoolist.com/valuable-video-games/

The Christian Bubble struggle

 I do not often speak about the Christian Bubble in a complimentary way, and I'm a Christian, so let's talk about why I think it doesn't spread the gospel well and needs some tweaking. 

*The blog you see here is written with a Christian perspective.*

Photo by Trenton Thomas

The "Christian Bubble" refers to a group of Christians that take in almost exclusively Christian content, avoiding secular content in the general sense. Given that definition, we move forward. In most cases of this, you can get culture shock by even stepping outside the "Bubble" for one day, as well as being judged for talking about what doesn't fit the standard of your Bubble by others in it. The Christian genre of media is marketed to these individuals. This is the audience you are writing/filming for if you publish under the "Christian" genre in any way. 

I have many reasons that this is not the best way to live for Christ. For starters, you only interact with Christian people who are already (mostly) saved and the amount of diversity in your life is nonexistent here. That negates the purpose of the gospel, which is to be spread to the unsaved people in the world - not preached to a choir. On top of this blaring fact, the standard of living makes it a separate world where you can't reach the outside world because you can't relate to humans outside the Bubble. No outside relationships mean no way to talk about Jesus in a natural way. If you bring in an outsider and they are themselves they can get judged for being themselves, thus they leave and never come back. This is a problem for Christian-kind that needs to be solved. Let's break down the major points.

The Standard of Perfection

The gospel itself is that Jesus took on sin so that we can live in eternity with Him instead of Hell. God loved us enough to send His Son to us, then send the Holy Spirit to help us after Jesus ascended back to Heaven. We are now supposed to go and tell the Good News of Jesus' victory over death and follow Him through our study of the Bible and prayer. Nowhere in the gospel does it say we need to attain perfection and earn our salvation, yet the Bubble culture can make the gospel a list of rules and not a relationship with Christ. This is a huge, gigantic problem. If the Jews could not handle a long list of rules created by Pharisees, neither can the Gentiles. Overcomplicating everything is a human trait we could all go without. 

Photo by Dreamstime.com

What I mean by a standard of perfection has to do with social rules. If you don't behave according to the social rules of the group you will be judged and talked about badly. The set of rules (spoken or unspoken) before you are easily identified when broken. If you slept in and forgot your bible study or accidentally dressed outside of the dress code you will get judged. If you challenge the status quo you are now a rebel, which makes anyone creative or different stick out like they are painted neon. Think of Belle from Disney. The unusual humans, like me, don't fit here and aren't getting much out of church because we are bored and have nothing to challenge us. 

Not fitting the standard leads to many things, including being excluded. I have felt this exclusion before and it is strange, like you didn't get raised there (only you did) and you're regarded as a foreigner. Also, expect the gossip to start. They may talk about you like you are living in sin and need to see the light - when really, all you did was do something that broke their mold (although living in sin for real is not good). I know it's odd, but it happens. Creative people who try to hold mirrors up to the society here are called boat-rockers, so you are socially deviant in their eyes. They want to be comfortable and cozy, which makes asking difficult questions hard. Deviants are upsetting to them. This is how you kill a church from the inside out. You will lose anyone who is considered a social deviant to another church after a good while of being ignored.

*I will note that living in sin is an issue if you are in fact doing so. I do not deny this by mentioning the above. There are some issues that go under Christian Liberties (Romans 14 here ), but sin is not a myth.*

Being Too Comfortable To Be Sharpened

Here we see that boat-rockers are considered deviants. In this way, a lack of challenge leads to boredom in some individuals. Why? Because there is no stimulation that spurs us on to follow Christ in a Church or Bubble that does not want to come out of their cozy, comfortable, easy lifestyle. Being comfortable does not focus on Christ at all, but instead, it serves yourself. It is selfish to keep the Good News of eternal life to yourself because you want to stay in your simple, predictable lifestyle. We all hate change and I understand that. What I don't understand is being sheltered to the point of being too different to reach other cultures or the world itself. God did not call the biblical people to comfort. While He does want us to have joy, we are not supposed to use that joy to serve ourselves alone. Two people sharpen each other. That requires challenge and study. If you want a predictable life I understand why, yet I don't believe Jesus died and rose again so we could live in a bubble. All nations will one day praise God. That means we step out of our bubble to reach those nations. In order to do that we throw away predictable altogether.

Photo by CartoonStock

In this way, there are taboo subjects that come up in the outside world and are avoided like the plague in the Bubble. Sex is a big one unless you are married. The youth classes in Bubble Churches are sometimes ill-prepared for dating and sex in the world because the Church failed to teach it, and these students fall flat on their faces due to the sheltering they received. Ouch! It hurts, believe me (High School, sigh). Explain it in an age-appropriate way to your kids or they will feel that pain. Don't leave it to the public schools. Sex and the opposite sex shouldn't be taboo when it is the reason you are alive in the first place. If sex is not explained at all or not well someone can take your innocence more easily because you are ignorant about what leads to sex. Teach your kids what they need to know based on maturity, yes, but do teach them. If you don't the world will.

*I also acknowledge here that parents should teach their kids about sex and their bodies (mine did) and it is an awkward subject to struggle through in conversation. Nobody is perfect and sex for the first time is super awkward anyway. While the Church should address it, the parents should be talking about it, too.*

Revealing Truth While Walking On Eggshells

The other serious issue is the unwillingness to look at the darkness and combat it. We are God's warriors, are we not? If the only thing allowing evil is that good people do nothing the Christian Bubble is allowing tremendous evil and injustice to happen by avoiding the dark topics and shunning what doesn't fit their cozy little world. God called us to do what is good and serve others. Are we truly serving others by not acknowledging the darkness around us? No, we are enabling it to happen. 

Photo by Say Goodnight Kevin

The problem with confronting the Bubble within the genre they read is that only they read it. If they don't accept it and demand it be taken off shelves the work created to show a mirror in their face dies. No one else will read it. These people are easier to offend. For that reason, youth who are made to follow rules they don't believe in will, upon adulthood, decide to live their own way in the face of the adults that raised them. Those youth may rub it in the face of their parent or grandparent and cut them off entirely, in extreme cases. The Christian genre is not where you want your book if you want a wide audience to read it and it shows a mirror in the face of society. If the Bubble won't read secular novels they won't ever see it. Logically, this means they don't often have their comfort zone interrupted. Ted Dekker is about the only writer who can get away with darkness being portrayed intensely in the Christian fiction genre. He is the only one I know of, other than Frank Peretti. 

The conclusions that I reach are that we need to fix the Christian genre so that we can challenge the faith of those who are still sitting in their comfort zones instead of spreading the sweet love of Jesus. Unfortunately, if you intend to make it financially in Christian fiction, you have to walk on eggshells to challenge your readers and film audiences, which makes it nearly impossible (depending on who you are). Given that, the Bubble is a hard place for writers who want to make a difference and don't have a big name. 

Not Entirely Bad

The Christian genre is not a bad thing if you want to enjoy it. I listen to Christian music and have some Christian genre books in my library as pallet cleansers between crime fiction. I don't want you to think  I avoid it in its entirety. My father even supports K-Love radio (which I love). I was raised on Veggietales and have grown up in the Church. I love Bible study books and devotionals as much as any Christian. Most of my beef with the Bubble is that Christian fiction has so many (too many) rules that make it near impossible for nonChristians to read it. I am also highly creative in nature and changed churches with my family from a Methodist to a Friends church when I was younger. I will tell you that the Methodist church my family attended (minus my family members, who continued to be loving) did start to treat us as strangers during that transition and I felt invisible there even before that. It was a Bubble Church and I didn't fit. While that church has changed since I went there, we left that church for good.

Photo by Me.me

I need you to know that as a Christ-follower I am passionate about Him and want His love and salvation to spread to the nations. I am not attacking the Bubble for no reason. It does have a support network in it, which shouldn't leave, but it needs to not be an exclusive club. Christ came to save all of us, not just the Bubble. If you raise your kids in only Christian content you leave them at a disadvantage on how to live in the world without being of the world, which isn't good. There should be a balance of both secular and Christian content so that we can guide youth to adulthood and prepare them for combatting the darkness out there. Arm them for battle; don't ill equip your kids for what is truly out there. When they are on their own they will need the armor. 

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/5-taboo-topics-churches-need-to-be-willing-to-talk-about.aspx

https://www.philcooke.com/christian_media_bubble/

https://crossexamined.org/should-you-raise-your-kids-in-a-christian-bubble/

https://www.josh.org/breaking-out-christian-bubble/

gamers during the pandemic

 It might not surprise you that gaming during the pandemic is a popular option - since we were all confined to our houses for a good long time. Has it helped us or hurt us? Let's find out.

Photo by IndieWire

Most gamers are not isolated and living in their parents' basements, so if you assumed they are antisocial you are wrong. Online games and Facebook groups centered around video games are connecting people into life-long friendships. There are also different consoles and PC styles to choose from in the video game world. Wii and VR will actually give you physical activity and action. To assume laziness is also incorrect. The ability to sit and relax in a fantasy world for a short time to destress is a benefit to those who enjoy this hobby. For those who have trouble socializing in person, online games and Discord servers make it easier to converse and make friends with fellow gamers and those with similar interests. 

Speaking of servers and online gaming, some people used these to hold parties and weddings, as well as classes. Seriously, you could use discord for classes. Online systems became ways to revamp education (which may have worked for only a small fraction of students, but we all know education was thrown a monkey wrench). Digital communication, though it in no way takes the place of physical contact, was the only way to create community during the lockdown. Gamers had the edge to keep in contact with close friends while other people clawed their walls in frustration (metaphorically, I hope). 

Popular Online Games

Photo by Polygon.com

The games that did this the most were Animal Crossing, Super Smash Brothers, Minecraft, Discord servers, Roblox, VRChat, and Fortnight. Some YouTubers even did some hilarious videos about their online friends. YouTubers have been replaying old games and posting their playthroughs online all during the pandemic lockdown and even now. I can even link to some channels at the end to show you. 

I know some people are skeptical of DnD (Dungeons and Dragons), but it really is just a storyline-building game that people play in person or over chat apps like Discord. You build a character, have a narrator lead the game (the Dungeon Master or DM), and play the quest or quests before you. It is not an evil thing to do and is so much fun. It creates a friendship circle that may play future quests again, or just go out for lunch after the lockdown ended. Social lives are built on nerding out over hobbies and playing games of any kind. 

A Gaming Comeback

Look at the YouTubers who game and you will find that they did so more during the pandemic lockdown. Boozy Broads, Nancy Drew Walkthroughs, Vote 4 Holt, Arghlfumph, and several others even helped the Nancy Drew games out financially by replaying them and posting the game playthroughs on their channels. While this small, loyal fandom is not well known, it became a bit more popular during the pandemic as people relived their childhood memories. The Herinteractive game company had more sales because of this downtime people discovered in the shutdown. I'd bet that several other companies found their sales boosted by this odd circumstance, too. Bored people will find ways to entertain themselves. If you look around at the commonly bought items in the world you'll find that game components and systems are getting more attention. 

Photo by Vocal

Reality as an adult doesn't leave much time for video games. A pandemic that gives you a reason not to leave the house unless you go to work (unless you work from home) leaves more time for a hobby you want to pursue. Depending on whether you work full or part-time and if you work from a home office, you can use your mental breaks to play games. Given that the government paid some of you for being off work (practically) it let some people relax into some hobbies. Does that mean you can be lazy and not work when the shutdown is over? Nope, but for a time you got a valid excuse to sit with your DS or PC and chill. The video gaming world got a boost in popularity during this strange, unforeseen situation. 

I will put in a word of warning to those who still want to chill at home and not get back into the work world. Can you game in your spare time? Yes, as long as you get your adult responsibility in balance with your destressing time. If your job is to play and create games, great! That is the exception. If not, you need to keep in mind that the government won't pay your rent forever. I care about my readers and want to make sure you are doing well. Pay your rent and grocery bills. Do your adult stuff. Live well because your family and friends care about you. Live long and prosper! *add meme*

Why Video Games Are Not A Waste Of Time

I want to add this section for the purpose of proving videogames are not mere timewasters when you do have it all in balance. Gaming is a hobby in some cases and a career in others. Some even have sponsors for esports and gaming competitions with cash prizes. If you want to pursue esports, you probably need a second job, but you can still go into gaming contests. It isn't completely without profit. It depends on how well you do and the team that you play in the competitions with.

Another reason it isn't a waste of energy is that stress is everywhere. Games take your focus off your stressful day and into another world for a brief period of time. They even target intelligence and different styles of play. Logic and puzzles? Try Professor Layton mysteries and Nancy Drew games. War and first-person shooters? Try Bond games and Call of Duty. Worldbuilding? Try Minecraft and Sims. You have lots of choices, even games that simulate owning a pet or cooking. Heck, you can even play sports on a PC or Xbox. Find what you want and have fun! It can sharpen your memory and hand-eye coordination skills, too. Team games especially will improve communication skills.

I will note that some games even have educational purposes to them, and still play well. I used to play a Reader Rabbit game where you did math at various levels to get boat parts. It was fun and I loved it. I hated math, yet, I loved that game. Video games are a way to get your kids to learn skills they don't like. Treasure Mountain and Gizmos And Gadgets are great educational games; unfortunately finding computers that play those are nearly impossible. Even if that's true, you can find similar gaming experiences when you take a good look around the internet and do research. Parents, it greatly helps those who struggle with a specific topic and love video games. 

Photo by My Abandonware

There is only one way a game has become a time-waster and that is when you play it despite the responsibilities you didn't take care of. This is when you should step back from it, then do everything you neglected to do before you even touch it. I know that gaming can be an addiction, just like any activity or substance under the sun, so keep the adult tasks and downtime gaming balanced. If you find yourself doing what I just described please catch it quick. I believe in you. Should you need to hide your game system for a week, do it. Otherwise, if you don't experience this issue, you are totally fine. 

Here are the links to the YouTubers I like to watch:

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201215-how-online-gaming-has-become-a-social-lifeline#:~:text=Gaming%20has%20skyrocketed%20during%20the%20pandemic%2C%20reaching%20people%20who'd,an%20American%20business%2Dresearch%20firm.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/20/video-games-pandemic-friends/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-the-video-game-industry-quietly-powered-through-a-pandemic

https://www.pcmag.com/news/during-the-pandemic-everyone-is-gaming-more-not-just-kids

https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22215786/video-games-covid-19-animal-crossing-among-us

The Christian Fiction Genre Struggle

The Christian genre as a whole is sometimes cheesy, labeled for only conservative families, and generally doesn't appeal to adults that want more depth than a simple bible lesson. I'm not saying there isn't good stuff out there for adults, but I am saying that the secular movies of quality outweigh this genre's quality films. The rules that go into a Christian genre of film or fiction can hold serious writers and screenwriters back. Let's talk about that.

Photo by Roger Ebert

 Tolkien and Lewis are in fantasy, by the way, so think about that one for a split second. While being known for Christian content, they are not even in the genre for their most famous works (technically). Christian audiences tend to be into "safe" TV and G or PG rate their content. Is that wrong for kids? No, but addressing serious issues will cause some of the Christian bubble to rate their stuff R. It upsets people who are dangerously comfortable in safe, Hallmark territory. You don't rock the boat in this genre. Mysteries and thrillers are hard to write if you can't do that.

The danger of getting too comfortable with "safe" TV is that you forget what reality is. It may be an escape from real life (and that is perfectly okay), but I don't want to live there forever. Some Christian audience members bristle at what doesn't fit their comfy, cushioned entertainment. These same people are buying everything that is labeled for Christians. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry knows this and pops out movies that are fake Christianity. At times, they don't even make it quality. Fireproof and Prince of Egypt and several other films like Veggietales and The Passion are exceptions to this rule. That said, be careful what is labeled "Christian" out there. People are trying to get your money for a movie that isn't worth a dollar, most likely ripping off other movies in the process.

The truth about the Bible itself is that it isn't rated G or PG when you get into the Good Book and dig in. The life of David, a man after God's own heart, was rather bloody in nature. He even killed one of his best warriors to get Bathsheba for himself (and paid for it dearly). Furthermore, take a good look at the Kings, Judges, and the prophetic books of the Bible. Even Paul's life was a bit violent. Should we portray every violence in the Bible on film? No. Should we pretend Biblical times were all G-rated? No. There is a line of what to show and not to show to audiences of varied ages. Of course, kids do need to have some of it tempered until they are mature enough. Christian films should go deeper into the Bible while being careful of that line. History should be tastefully and carefully told to us. The sad thing is that most "safe" TV apps would cut out part of that history in the process when they trim the movies for us. 

Photo by Faithlife TV

I am not trying to say that "safe" TV should disappear. I want to make that clear. The app has a place and time. When you want your kids to be okay on their own you set limits on TV, which is perfectly fine to do. No five-year-old or ten-year-old needs to find accidental adult content on their streaming services. Mature people (without addictions), however, don't need to be depending on the guidance of an app that cuts out intense parts of movies. You can skip a scene you can't handle all by yourself. My point? Kids and people with addictions need it, but adults can generally judge for themselves what is within their conscience. As an adult, you should be responsible enough to know what you can't handle and be able to step away from that content. Only in the case of addictions should you need extra support from a Christian app or software, and there is no shame in needing help, so get that help if you need it. Like I said before, there is a time and place for Christian TV apps.

The Rules of the Christian Genre 

Writing within rules that don't allow x, y, or z is sometimes hard. Writers know the struggle of fitting into a mold (any mold), only to have a scene that you loved and thought was important killed for being "too intense". The Christian bubble mostly wants comfort films and TV. Films that made big points were sometimes not truly appreciated by the audience it was aimed at due to the content (abortions, etc...) of darker nature. I don't advocate ignoring or banning films that try to point a mirror at society in any way. Dark being pierced by the light and highlighted serious issues do need to be let into the club if we are truly trying to be truthful in Christ. 

To be set in the Christian genre you have to have Christian themes strongly built into it. It has to be obvious. The wholesome, faith-based content has to be there for you to fit the mold. Your main character has to behave biblically and morally, but the others characters can be total heathens. The writers tend to not make the target audience uncomfortable because the bookstores only stock what readers like. Christian readers are told to not read sex in books, so this virtually rules out sexual content of any kind (even if the authors themselves do write it). I have a whole blog on this topic of sex and Christian fiction, so check that out here. Depending on where you live the genre may shift to conservative views. The bottom line, the writers and filmmakers have to heed their audience. An author may push for intense like Ted Dekker or go for guidepost-y stuff. It varies to a slight degree. The publisher ultimately sets the standards and it may change if you switch to another company. 

The cons of that list are that Christian audiences alone find it, negating the way they are trying to spread the gospel. Here we are preaching to the choir when the world is skipping the genre altogether (even some Christians dislike the Christian fiction section to a degree). Christian writers outside this genre do better because of the lack of rules and amped up creativity. Seriously, Tolkien and Lewis are in fantasy and not here, unless we are talking about Bible study books (we aren't). Another problem here is that portraying real people means that we need to skip the goody-two-shoes characters that Hallmark likes to steal from the Christian genre. Yet, if writers and authors have to fit the genre to be stocked in stores they can't skip that character, which means showing their faith struggle is still harder to do. Addressing sex is nearly impossible (depending on how you do it), so if your character struggles with sexual temptation and has sex that part could get chopped in editing. The major issue I see here is that trying to please the Christian Bubble means not rocking the boat, making it nearly impossible to point a mirror at our Christian Bubble. Making characters border on perfection is also a trend that makes it hard to relate to the character in front of you, which leads to some readers putting the book back on the shelf or returning the movie.

Photo by The Christian Broadcasting Network

The pros for this are that your kids can pick this up and read or watch it without being overly worried about finding sex scenes, too much violence, and getting bad examples. I do read some Christian Bubble mysteries (for pallet cleansers between other books). There are good ones. Much like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys (though those are secular), you can pick these up and read them in a day with no language, sex, violence, or gore (depending on the Christian publisher standards). I do enjoy a book I can read in one day and cleanse my pallet with. Film-wise, there is the same almost guarantee of wholesome content (usually). Minus the books and movies broadcasting fake Christianity, you are okay to let your kids roam this section of the library without too much stress. Even if they find a terrible quality film. I'm pretty sure they'll find a few good ones and a few badly made ones.  

Christian Films

The real struggle with filming and movies is that bad Christian films have outnumbered the good, high-quality ones. That means the Church is not getting taken seriously in the film industry as a whole. The amount of influence a movie or TV show can have is staggering. I want to challenge Christians who are good filmmakers to get out there and show the world we can make good movies and shows that include Christian struggles and real life. Rise up! I know several excellent filmmakers that have already made good movies and documentaries. Don't let movies like Joshua and The Promised Land or Finding Jesus ruin the reputations of good, quality ones like Prince of Egypt and The Miracle Maker. I'm calling and challenging the Church to put forth the effort and get their work out there. Show me the life of David or Paul in a mini-series. Give the kids an action cartoon of Jesus (with accurate content). The Bible is not a boring book. Go find the story of Elisha and Elijah and the Apostles. 

Photo by Christian Film Review

 Christian genre movies are known for "sanitizing" pop culture movies, which is stealing the concept and making it appropriate for the Christian Bubble. An original plot? No, let's take Fifty Shades of Grey and counter it with a movie about chastity called Old Fashioned. It makes the genre look so bad. While some places have original content, most don't. On top of that, low budgets mean fewer big names, which leads to fewer viewers drawn in. It represents the world not as it is and sometimes avoids all darkness. Films are known for preaching with dialogue, too. If it feels forced and unnatural you are looking at bad writing. Unfortunately for this genre, writing forced and unnatural dialogue to get your point across shows up in the knockoff movies some people make. If you have the choice of a big, well-acted, well-written film and a cheap knockoff that is marketed to Christian families do you choose the knockoff? No! That is precisely why this genre of film has little to no budget - it barely makes anything! 

While I support Veggietales all the way, I can't support cheesy imitations of secular films that will inevitably do worse than the original. We need to fix this! To be fair though, it should be known that Hollywood seldom treats the Christian Bubble well. Christian characters are often portrayed as nuts or off-base. If you want some interesting, big-name films to watch click here. Some of these look good. These were not aimed at Christian Bubbles, either, so that's kind of cool. Check out the behind-the-scenes of Holy Zombie here if you want a non-cheesy storyline by a Christian director. 

Conclusions

I was bored with cheesy, Hallmarky books from a young age. If I got one as a young kid it collected dust. I read dinosaur books, mysteries, romances, and adventure. I was also a gifted reader, avid too. I found "Women's Murder Club" somewhere between Jr. High and High School. I loved Veggietales as a kid, was forced to watch The Passion (which is good), and liked The Chronicles of  Narnia. The Christian genre movies I liked aside, I'd say most of the films and TV shows I enjoyed were secular, even today. Given all this information, you can see that the Christian genre of media, in my opinion, lacks depth. As someone who loves depth in movies and books, I needed more mental challenge than this genre generally gives me. 

To summarize the above, I'll simply say this; the Christian genre of fiction as a whole can do better than this and should be actively trying. I give full credit to those that are. Faith should have depth and be challenged to strengthen us. If you are not seeing that in your family-friendly films that your app deems safe, shut off the app and explore the options out there yourself. While kids and those with addictions may need the guide rails, I'd say that the average adult does not. If you do need those apps and software take advantage of them, please. There is no judgment for that.

Filmmakers, you know what to do. Writers, you can do this! I believe in you all. Go forth and make me proud!

Sources:

 https://www.vox.com/2015/2/15/8038283/christian-movies-bad-old-fashioned-fifty-shades

https://mikefrost.net/christians-in-the-movies-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/

https://www.filmcon.net/post/holyzombie

http://www.cinemablography.org/blog/the-christian-film-genre-a-dangerous-and-pretentious-label

https://australasianchristianwriters.com/fiction-friday-acceptable-content-christian-fiction/

https://www.maryjmoerbe.com/2016/01/13/rules-for-christian-writing/

Arts and Communications and Society

 The arts have penetrated every aspect of our culture and lots of people don't even see it. Today I'm making a logical case for the arts. I have grown up in theatre programs all through my education and I would like to explain what the arts actually are. Allow me to demonstrate.

Photo by Ensia

We all know that funding is hard to come by for anything in education that isn't sports. Theatre and art classes are often the first programs to be cut when the budget gets a little bit tight. Unless the school is an arts academy, you may have seen this happen in your own school experience. I want it to be clear that I am not writing this blog post in order to scream at those who were given no choices on cutting the arts. Finances in public schools and colleges get complicated rather quickly. I would, however, like to encourage those who have the funds to continue the arts to support their programs well. 

What the arts are

The dictionary defines the arts as "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination" or "painting, music, literature, and dance". Also, it connects to social life and history, by another variation on the definition, or the skill of doing a practiced talent. By all these definitions we can logically judge that we are surrounded by the arts every single day of our lives. 

Visual arts are defined as "the arts created for visual perception", so paintings, graphics, calligraphy, sculpture, decor.......You see my point, I think. Visual arts are all over your homes and workplaces, even to the design of your purses, clothing, and furniture. Someone designed your rug, TV, sofas, ends tables, and everything else you have put on your walls. Photography is an art and you probably have family portraits everywhere. I'm not even naming every possible object - because each product you buy has a graphically designed label. 

Photo by TechCrunch

Our entertainment forms started with theatre. Movies can be traced back to theatres and writing. Most good movies were books before they were screenplays. Your music? It all started with choirs. Dancing? That is an art associated with theatre. You participate in the arts daily. Your favorite Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus TV shows and movies are, in fact, just acting in front of a camera or animations with voice-over added. You support the film industry daily, but most forget that there would be no Netflix if the in-person theatre had                                                                                          died long ago. 

Literature is deeply engrained in our education systems and lives. Avid readers like me take in hours of reading daily in almost all genres. We express our emotions, thoughts, and what we want known through our books, blogs, magazines, comic books, texts, emails, and graphic novels, and I could go on about writing forms. Whether you are reading a visual or text novel or novella, you are supporting the arts. With this comes a weird idea; the education system makes you read, but doesn't always let you read for pleasure. Another weirder idea is that poetry doesn't get treated as a creative art of imagination when it should be (unless your teacher or prof is awesome and creative in nature). Literature is portrayed as both boring in one place and exciting in another. 

History is an art by the definition in our dictionary. It seems odd, even to me, but the truth is that we only know about other societies due to the arts they performed and their written languages, which we study. We also study music, which is passed on through generations. To be entirely honest with you, many of my classmates thought history was boring. It depends on who is presenting it, and quite frankly, how deeply you go into the topic. History gets more interesting when you look at obscure history that they leave out of history books. 

Communications and the arts

Most colleges and schools connect communication and the arts - and rightfully so - because to present yourself to others is a performance. To talk to anyone requires written and spoken language. Theatre is telling a story, something that we do every day of our lives. 

Photo By New York Times

The communication degree of Public Relations I have earned at Malone University includes written communication, public speaking, event planning, crisis handling, performing arts, and (because I was in the band) performing music in a large group. I don't have a music degree, but music is an art. This means that planning stages you don't see in major or minor events are indeed part of communications and that I don't have to be speaking to a large crowd to be using my Public Relations degree. I'm tired of the misconception that you have to be a public speaker to be in a PR position, as well as the idea that because I am working in sports ministry that I am not using my degree. I am sending emails, setting up for events, posting scores and stats....etc. I am using my degree, but not in the way that the public perception seems to recognize. Behind the curtain PR people are generally administrative in nature and we can't do any events without that aspect. The person presenting in front of the crowd seldom planned the event and the invisible work, when done well, makes it run smoothly. If something goes wrong it shows (as anyone who has made any mistakes will tell you).

All this being said, I come to the point that the arts and communication are directly linked, thus making it possible to speak to another human being and converse. Yet we don't recognize that the arts are all around us every moment from birth to death. There is no time that you aren't involved in the arts in some way. And yet, the arts are the first thing cut and the last thing funded. Strange, isn't it? By not supporting artists our society shoots itself in the foot. We are told the arts aren't practical and you can barely use an arts degree - but I have just proven through logic that we can. This is why you should help your local artists and theatres when given the opportunity. 

Bonus Topic

On a related note, live theatre and movie theatre etiquette is not the same. I, personally, have live theatre etiquette deeply established inside me (and this also applies to music performances). Here I highlight the differences.

What is appropriate for movies that are already filmed is not appropriate when actors or musicians are live and onstage. If you dislike a film you can feel free to leave. In the case of jazz clubs and such you can come and go. Live jazz and restaurant music are different, but stage productions and concerts require some thought. Yes, if you are about to pee yourself, please discreetly do so, by all means, but if you leave mid-concert or show and don't come back the actors can see you. It is unspeakably rude to do so. 

Also, the audience should never yell at the performers unless the show calls for audience participation (which is a unique situation and happens in some cases). No speaker of any kind should be screamed at rudely - I don't care who they are or what they said. Don't be Statler and Waldorf in real life, ever, because that is not helpful to our performance. The pre-planned banter of Fozzie and his hecklers is planned into the show. Some shows do have that element in them. Preplanned people planted into the audience is one thing, but if you are not part of the show you need to sit and watch without heckling or commentary.

I realize movie theatre etiquette also has some things that need comment, so here is a video on that. Don't be these people! 

Video courtesy of Unspeakable and Youtube.com