[DISCLAIMER] Regarding online activity, perhaps you’ve observed a similar behavior pattern as I’ve noticed. Particularly concerning social media, people constantly strive for attention from others. For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines attention: [A] state in which cognitive resources are focused on certain aspects of the environment rather than on others and the central nervous system is in a state of readiness to respond to stimuli.

[DISCLAIMER] Magic and Magick At an early age, I learned of magic. I’m not talking about magic (illusion) as “a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks, effects, or illusions of seemingly impossible feats, using natural means.” Rather, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines magic as: [A] system of practices in which humans attempt to manipulate natural or supernatural forces through such means as rituals, incantations, and spells. Magic

[DISCLAIMER] In spring 2025, I saw a social media post that addressed The Modern Day Knight Project (MDK). Of this matter, one source states, “Men who say they struggle with self-esteem issues can pay $18,000 for a three-day course of water hosing, truck pulls and hand-to-hand combat.” Regarding MDK and similar hyper-masculine endeavors, I stated in LARPing as Military Personnel, “Given my subjective view, it’s personally distasteful when people live action role-play (LAR

[DISCLAIMER] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. Consider that Seneca stated, “In all things we should try to make ourselves be as grateful as possible. For gratitude is a good thing for ourselves, in a manner in which justice, commonly held to

[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] Photo credit, property of New Line Cinema, fair use I recall when the hip hop comedy film House Party (1990) was released. As I was a fan of duo Kid ‘n Play (lyricists Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin), I laughed quite a bit at their comedic antics. Among my peers, recitation of House Party lines was common. This included one scene in which members of R&B group Full Force confronted singer George Clinton (of music collective Parliament-Fun

[DISCLAIMER] In elementary school, my sisters and I were latchkey kids (children who return to an empty home after school, or who are often left at home with no supervision). Frequently subject to boredom, we found novel ways of entertaining ourselves—often to the detriment of one another. Employing a psychotherapeutic technique known as use of self, I told client X, “My sisters and I would intentionally drag our thick cotton socks across 1980’s plush carpet, generating l

[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, property of Universal Music Group, fair use Contemplating the matter of life (the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body) and death (a permanent cessation of all vital functions), a neo soul song comes to mind. And while the artist to whom I’m referring isn’t of the hip hop genre, she influenced it! On her debut studio album, Baduizm (1997), singer-songwriter Erykah Badu—from Texas, just like legendary music pro

[DISCLAIMER] Perhaps the most popular hip hop album during the time I was in high school was The Chronic (1992) by rapper, music producer, and record executive Dr. Dre, of N.W.A fame. I’d seen Dre perform in 1989, at the Nitro World Tour, and I highly anticipated release of The Chronic. It was that album that introduced me to the work of Death Row Records lyricist RBX. He had his own style, recognizable voice, and poetic manner of saying things which I could easily rememb

[DISCLAIMER] *Rocky Balboa (2006) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of MGM Distribution Co., et al., fair use Rocky Balboa’s Inspiring Speech In childhood and early adulthood, I enjoyed films from the Rocky franchise. Among the people with whom I’ve associated, from various walks of life, Sylvester Stallone has ostensibly been a household name. Even those who don’t actually know Stallone, often refer to him as “Sly.” In any event, I wouldn’t say that I

[DISCLAIMER] Water Underwear – Why so beeg? As summertime is in full effect, I’m reminded of a conversation that I once had with friend X about bikinis (two-piece bathing suits worn by women, which do not cover the midriff). She laughed when I referred to these popular swimwear items as “water underwear.” Somehow, people are supposed to abandon thoughts (the process of thinking, an idea, image, opinion, or other product of thinking, and attention or consideration given

[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] Not long after having graduated from Amarillo High School, Atlanta, Georgia hip hop group the Goodie Mob (comprised of lyricists Big Gipp, Khujo, CeeLo Green, and T-Mo)—members of the Atlanta music collective Dungeon Family—released their debut album Soul Food (1995). The anthology was released not long after Dungeon Family duo Outkast (comprised of lyricists Big Boi and André 3000) won an award for New Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards. For those w

[DISCLAIMER] A Real-Life Scenario “Whoa, it’s your stop sign,” I said aloud when having taken my turn to proceed through an all-way stop intersection after having completed my weekly grocery store run this morning. A vehicle to which I signaled with my hand slowed down, rather than stopping, at a stop sign. Fortunately, the driver of the vehicle then stopped midway through the intersection, allowing me to proceed with my right-of-way direction of travel. As I stopped at

[DISCLAIMER] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman. The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca, who stated, “Death lies heavy upon one who, known exceedingly well by all, dies unknown to himself” (page 379). Regarding the matter of people n

[DISCLAIMER] From 2012 to 2014, I engaged in graduate studies at the School of Social Work (SSW; since respectively renamed the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and then the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work) at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin. Hook ‘em Horns! During that time, I was taught about diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA; and derivatives thereunto, e.g., DEI). So unimpressed by what I learned, I committed an entire

[DISCLAIMER] Because of his religious beliefs, my dad saw fit to teach me about death before I ever attended school. Then, as my late mom maintained physical custody of me, subjecting me to frequent traumatic events, it was in second grade that I first wanted to die. At that time, she taught me how to effectively commit suicide. Having studied nursing for a period of time, my mom apparently learned which way to cut one’s wrists, how deep to go, in what environment, and un

[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] I recall that in childhood, when cleaning our house, my mom would play the album I Feel for You (1984), the fifth solo studio release by R&B and funk singer Chaka Khan. I liked the song “I Feel for You”, which featured rapper Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Fusing R&B, funk, and hip hop, the track was a fitting selection for breakdancing at outdoor urban settings, as well as within clubs—regarding which I was too young to attend. In any e

[DISCLAIMER] If wishcasting was anything other than an irrational affair, I’d wish that I could revisit the era when classic Texas hip hop group the Geto Boys (lyricists Scarface, Willie D, and the late Bushwick Bill) released the album The Resurrection (1996), one of my favorite by the group. The anthology featured the track “Time Taker”, which was produced by the talented Mike Dean, and subjectively served as a thought-provoking topic about life and death, as I transiti