[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 listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Debbie Yang, I heard her spin the track “Sandstorm (Hypertrance Mix)” (2026) by Skytech. It’s a remix of the certified platinum song “Sandstorm”, by DJ and record producer Darude, from the album Before the Storm (2000). Back when I would DJ or dance my nights away in South America, Darude’s song was virtually inescapable anywhere that EDM was featured. For clarity, a sandstorm is a windstorm, as in a

[DISCLAIMER] Despite his many foibles (minor flaws or shortcomings in character or behavior), as he was little more than a fallible human being—as am I, my dad taught me many meaningful lessons about life. Paramount among them, from a very young age, my dad taught me about death. His teaching opened my impressionable mind to knowledge, wisdom, and understanding about the inescapability of what the American Psychological Association (APA) defines as “the permanent cessatio

[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] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Sara Collado, I heard her spin the track “Sleepy (DP-6 Dub)” (2025) by PTTY, LR, and DP-6. In the version spun by Collado, a woman’s voice can be heard saying “disconnected.” This reminds me of a personal anecdote. Given my appeal to rigor when attending graduate schools for counseling (2009-2011) and social work (2012-2014), as I maintain that the words people use matter, I was generally disconnecte

[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 Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Soon you will die, and still you aren’t sincere, undisturbed, or free from suspicion that external things can harm you, nor are you gr

[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] Photo credit, fair use The Story of Indra Because I’m religiously agnostic, I don’t subscribe to the tenets of Hinduism. Nevertheless, I enjoy hearing and sharing tales associated with Hindu mythology. As an example, I shared with client X a video link from the documentary Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth (1988). It was originally broadcast as six one-hour conversations between the late mythologist Joseph Campbell and the late journalist Bill Moyers. A

[DISCLAIMER] *The Giving Tree (1964) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, artist: Shel Silverstein, fair use In my youth, I enjoyed stories with moral and ethical lessons. Regarding my appreciation for these tales and the medium by which I received exposure to the stories, I stated in Where the Wild Things Are: When attending the Amarillo Community Center in my youth, one of my favorite fieldtrips on which children were taken was to the Amarillo Public Library (i.e.

[DISCLAIMER] *Fallen (1998) spoiler contained herein. In the supernatural thriller film Fallen (1998), a detective investigates a string of murders and discovers that a demon named Azazel is responsible for possessing living beings through mere touch, as the detective is taunted by people around him singing the song “Time Is on My Side”. As an aside, the Rolling Stones featured a version of “Time Is on My Side” on their album 12 x 5 (1964). Lyrics include, “Time is on m

[DISCLAIMER] Civil Libertarianism Having been raised under the tenets of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith, even as I now identify as religiously agnostic, I was taught to remain politically neutral. Thus, I don’t vote. Nevertheless, I currently identify with aspects of civil libertarianism, about which one source states: Civil libertarianism is a strain of political thought that supports civil liberties and rights, or which emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and

[DISCLAIMER] On his debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2 (2017), rapper Lil Uzi Vert released the song “UnFazed”, which featured vocals and production by singer-songwriter The Weeknd, as well as coproduction by DaHeala, Don Cannon, and Maaly Raw. I enjoy the theme of the track. In particular, Lil Uzi Very says to what I presume is his former intimate partners, “You were always a distraction. It was never gonna last, and they will always be the past.” Then, The Weeknd sings, “

[DISCLAIMER] “I know, I’m not supposed to use ‘could’ve, would’ve, or should’ve,” client X erroneously stated during our recent session, during which I advocated use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). At this point in the blogpost, some definitions may be useful. The term “could’ve” is a contraction for “could have,” meaning that something was possible in the past, or someone had the ability or a chance to do something, but one did not actually do it. For instan

[DISCLAIMER] On her album It Gets Greater Later (2016), lyricist Tiff the Gift released the track “Love Rules the Streets”, featuring lyricists Awon and Dephlow, and produced by Phoniks. The first verse of the song contains the line, “The whole world doesn’t give a fuck about your problems.” For context, the phrase “give a fuck” is similar to the saying “give a damn,” as it regards a vulgar slang idiom meaning to care, show interest, or be concerned about someone or somet