[DISCLAIMER] When assigned to the Marine Security Guard (MSG) detachment (det) in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (1999-2000), my Brasilian Portuguese tutor gave me advice which she’d plausibly have given to those about whom she cared. “Xuxu,” she said, “Stay away from piranhas!” For context, “xuxu” (pronounced “shoo-shoo”) is a Brasilian Portuguese slang term that, in my case, was used endearingly to mean “cutie.” As for “piranhas,” the tutor wasn’t referencing fish. Rather, it’s

[DISCLAIMER] In 2002, I was romantically involved with a woman who shared my appreciation for electronic dance music (EDM). During that year, Louie DeVito released his album Dance Factory which contained the DJ Sammy track “Heaven”, featuring Yanou and the vocals of Do. From his album Heaven (2002), DJ Sammy’s song “Heaven” served as a cover to Bryan Adams’ song “Heaven” from the romantic drama film A Night in Heaven (1983), later released on Adams’ album Reckless (1984).

[DISCLAIMER] Regarding professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), there are many psychotherapeutic modalities available. My preferred model is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which aims to help people get better, not merely feel better. For instance, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines catharsis as “in psychoanalytic theory, the discharge of previously repressed affects connected to traumatic ev

[DISCLAIMER] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness. For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

[DISCLAIMER] *The Great Dictator (1940) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of United Artists, fair use When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Alythia Kwan, I heard her spin the song “Sauce (Redspace Remix)” (2026) by Juan Vazquez, Maximo Gambini, and Martin Di Sciascio. It has an audio sample of The Great Dictator (1940), about which one source states: The Great Dictator is a 1940 American political satire black comedy film written, d

[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Celiá, I heard her spin the track “Before My Eyes” (2025) by Goom Gum and Dancing on Lego. In part, the lyrics state “sick of all, you had enough” and “pick up all you have in love.” When used flexibly, the phrases “sick of all” and “had enough” infer that an individual is tremendously frustrated, annoyed, disappointed, etc. with a situation. However, when used rigidly, the same inference applies tho

[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Che Jose, I heard him spin his own track “Impulse” (2025) in collaboration with Andrewboy. I then thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines impulse as “a sudden and compelling urge to act, often resulting in action without deliberation,” also called impulsion, and “the expression of psychic ener

[DISCLAIMER] In 2024, progressive house supergroup Swedish House Mafia released the song “Lioness” that featured Swedish indietronica duo Niki & the Dove. It’s a subjectively phenomenal track! For the sake of familiarity, the refrain states: You can’t keep me down, I am done, I am furious Fear the lioness, paint her face black and golden [x2] The term “furious” is defined as exhibiting or goaded by anger, indicative of or proceeding from anger. Herein, I’ll make a case

[DISCLAIMER] When eating breakfast after conducting physical training today, I listened to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Lexa Raballo during which she spun “Awu Wemadoda [(Extended Club Mix)]” (2023) by Spencer Brown, Wilt Claybourne, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Regarding the afro house track, one source claims that the South African lyrics translate to “men, please catch that dog, it bites.” As I have no way of verifying the translation, I’ll presume it’s ac

[DISCLAIMER] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness. For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ] Imagine that I told you about an electronic dance music (EDM) track to which I often danced when in South America, as I said “it was such a vibe … it felt so good,” do you think you could identify the error in that expression? If not, you aren’t alone. Many people wouldn’t be able to! As such, I invite you to consider a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) so that you may separate yourself from a crowd of ignorance (lacki

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ] I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) when listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by the talented Roksana . As an aside, it would’ve been nice to have been able to dance to a Roksana set during my raving days. She goes hard! In any event, during the DJ set in focus, Roksana played the song “ Place to Hide ” by Mark Dekoda and Droplex . In repetition, the lyrics state: Tell me what you want f

[ DISCLAIMER ] I listened to a recent electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Aneya Rose during which she spun the track “ Right Now ” (2022) by James Hurr . In part, the lyrics state, “Tell me, baby, ‘cause I want to break it down. There’s no way that I can take this no more.” With a double negative , the singer uses an unaccommodating belief that indicates intolerance—the quality or state of being intolerant—unable or unwilling to endure. Now, I’ll provide a psychoed

[ DISCLAIMER ] Employing the psychotherapeutic technique known as professional use of self , I recently spoke with client X about my past attendance at electronic dance music (EDM) concerts , music festivals , and raves . This individual, significantly younger than I, also attends similar events. Perhaps it’s comprehensible for a current younger raver to dismiss the lived experience of an older person who used to rave in the ‘90s and ‘00s as being passé or even unbeliev

[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Allia Sounds and Dimitri Aless , I heard the duo open with the song “ The Future ” (2025) by Ankhoï and Luch . In repetitious order, the lyrics states: We hold hands, as if nothing has changed I go forward, you come back to me We don’t have long to rearrange The future’s not what it used to be While viewing these lyrics through the proverbial lens of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT),

[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use When listening to and watching an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by DjMixfe , I observed her using what appears to be a Pioneer DJ DJM-700 DJ Mixer, another piece of sampling equipment which is unfamiliar to me, a plug-in host port, and a laptop. Yet, I saw no DJ decks. Immediately, I was reminded of a phrase I heard throughout my relatively short-lived time as a hobbyist DJ. For context, a “DJ” is a disc jockey. Regarding this

[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Xenia Torino (UA) , I heard her spin the track “ After Love ” by Anyma , from his album Genesys II (2024), featuring vocals by Delilah Montagu . The second verse states: Where does the feeling go when it’s gone? Will it reappear? When it finds its storm ? You’ll always be the place I belong, But I’m letting go . I’m not that strong. When contemplating these lyrics, I can relate from both a per

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a