Workmen prepare to take down the letter “D” in the famed “Hollywood” sign, the last one to be removed from the sign that has stood in the Hollywood Hills overlooking Los Angeles for 55 years, on Aug. 12, 1978. The old sign, made from telephone poles and plywood, had gradually succumbed to high winds and dry rot and is to be replaced with a new one. The new sign is being financed by several fund raising projects. The Mulholland Highway sign is shown in the foreground. (AP Photo/Wally Fong)

I don’t write much about the entertainment industry because, frankly, I see it as mostly irrelevant to the bigger picture. Geopolitics and economics are the great driving force in our society, and the elitist groups that influence these elements should be our primary focus. That said, I have to admit that pop culture is a pervasive element of American public psychology, or at least it was until recently, and for decades the masters of pop culture all resided in Hollywood. I have been a film buff for at least 20 years and I understand the business; I was even a screenwriter at one point and obtained an agent, but after dealing with the slimy behavior of some of the Hollywood ilk I was immediately disenchanted and decided to walk away……….Read More