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What Can I Do? You Give Me That Feeling!
[DISCLAIMER] When browsing the Shuffle subreddit recently, I discovered one Redditor’s video that featured the electronic dance music (EDM) track “What Can I Do” (2025) by Portrait. Lyrics of the song, which I enjoy quite a bit, soulfully state: When I rise into the morning light There’s a joy that gives a way I know that one moment he is my world to embrace What can I do? You give me that feeling, get us the feeling Fresh, free, and you don’t wanna lose this feeling Ke

Deric Hollings
Jun 239 min read


The Secret Is to Win: The Only Sane Response to Tyranny
[DISCLAIMER] *Lee (2023) spoilers contained herein. Earlier, I posted a blog entry entitled All of Lebanon Must Burn: What Have I Done to You? (6/22/2026). In it, I encouraged readers to consider use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) regarding healthy and unhealthy negative emotions. Specifically, I demonstrated use of the ABC model as a method of moving from negative and unhealthy self-disturbance (e.g., rage) to negative and healthy self-distress (e.g., frus

Deric Hollings
Jun 2211 min read


That's the Bad Guy
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, property of Universal Pictures, fair use On the collaborative album From El Barrio, With Love (2020), by lyricist UFO Fev and producer Termanology, is the song “The Bad Guy” that features an audio sample from the film Scarface (1983). In particular, the character Tony Montana states in a restaurant room full of patrons: What you looking at? You’re all a bunch of fucking assholes. You know why? You don’t have the guts to be what you wanna be? You

Deric Hollings
Jun 225 min read


All of Lebanon Must Burn: What Have I Done to You?
[DISCLAIMER] Recently, Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a demand on social media platform X that was consistent with the unrestrained speech characteristic of a nation that has engaged in genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crime behavior, as he stated (translated): With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens is not in vain. All of Lebanon must

Deric Hollings
Jun 228 min read


Ataraxia: Life’s Too Short for the Bullshit
[DISCLAIMER] Three years ago, I sat with my friend “Blanca” at her residence in Virginia. Not long thereafter, for a number of reasons, we went our separate ways. Understandably, people in both my personal and professional life may experience self-distress or self-disturbance about the loss of friendship. Regarding this matter, I consider my approach to care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Specifically, I frame this topic throu

Deric Hollings
Jun 2010 min read


Spilled Milk: Tolerance and Acceptance
[DISCLAIMER] I invite you to consider that one source states, “We’ve all heard the phase before – ‘Don’t cry over spilled milk.’ It’s a classic saying meant to remind us that getting upset over things we can’t change won’t do any good,” using milk as a symbol of something valuable, yet easily lost. Sometimes expressed as “there’s no use crying over spilled milk,” the meaning of this idiomatic expression infers that there’s no point in being upset over something that has a

Deric Hollings
Jun 1817 min read


Believability: Conflating Believing With Knowing – Flooding the Zone
[DISCLAIMER] Recently, I’ve observed the reactions of people to sociopolitical stories with varying degrees of believability (the quality or state of being believable—capable of being believed [considered to be true or honest], especially as within the range of known possibility or probability). As an example, one source states, “The Pentagon in May [2026] made public large swaths of UFO [unidentified flying object; also referred to as unidentified anomalous phenomenon (U

Deric Hollings
Jun 1712 min read


Obsession
[DISCLAIMER] *Obsession (2025/2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of Blumhouse Productions, Focus Features, Universal Pictures, et al., fair use Why on Earth Would I Pay Attention to Reddit? To strengthen my practice of providing care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I often peruse Reddit to obtain knowledge, wisdom, and understanding about social trends affecting the field in which I work. “Why?” you may a

Deric Hollings
Jun 1620 min read


Cognitive Reappraisal and Expressive Suppression
[DISCLAIMER] Photo credit, Designed by Magnific, fair use The world appears to have remained supersaturated in chaos over the past year or so, more than any other time within my faulty memory, as I’ve intentionally decided to focus on posting blog entries with niche topics. For instance, writing about fright that occurs when driving a vehicle. Regarding my personal and professional approach to care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”

Deric Hollings
Jun 1416 min read


I Got a Good Mind, I Should Put It to Use
[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

Deric Hollings
Jun 137 min read


All Gas, No Brakes: Fright
[DISCLAIMER] Jeffrey (2016) is the fourth commercial mixtape by rapper Young Thug, featuring the track “Wyclef Jean”, which was produced by TM88 and Supah Mario. It’s reportedly in homage to singer and lyricist Wyclef Jean, yet the song bears no meaningful connection to Jean’s legacy. On the track, Young Thug addresses a one-night stand by stating, “I told her keep going on the gas, fuck the brakes. Only here for one night, let me put it on your face.” If you don’t compre

Deric Hollings
Jun 126 min read


Something’s Gotta Give: And if It Doesn’t?
[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

Deric Hollings
Jun 128 min read


Trouble: People Throughout the World, Yeah, It’s Your Pick
[DISCLAIMER] Hate the Sin, Not the Sinner When enlisted in the United States Marine Corps (1996-2007), my religious foundation in the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Churches of Christ informed my worldview. Of course, as a fallible human being, my faith-based perspective wasn’t practiced perfectly. For example, I was taught Leviticus 20:13 which states, “‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to b

Deric Hollings
Jun 1118 min read


Made Me Mad
[DISCLAIMER] On The Imperial (1998), the only studio album by hip hop group Flipmode Squad, was the track “We Got U Opin, Pt. 2” that was produced by Da Beatminerz. It featured lyricist Buckshot, of Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik fame, as the song also sampled an earlier piece by Buckshot. In order of appearance on “We Got U Opin, Pt. 2”, Flipmode Squad members, all lyricists, were thusly featured: Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Baby Sham, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, and Busta Rhym

Deric Hollings
Jun 109 min read


If We Could Be Love, Then We Must Be Love
[DISCLAIMER] I view many events through the proverbial lens of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Herein, I’ll provide a psychoeducational lesson that involves thinking and believing which is rational (in accordance with both logic and reason), or not (i.e., irrational), as it regards REBT. Here, “logic” is the interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable, and “reason” is a statement offered in explanation or justification. Fo

Deric Hollings
Jun 99 min read


Backrooms: Irrational Beliefs and Falsifiability
[DISCLAIMER] *Backrooms (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of North Road Films, A24, et al., fair use Backrooms Previously unfamiliar with the Backrooms, a fictional location invented in a 2019 thread on the imageboard website 4chan, or corresponding science fiction horror web series, Backrooms, I recently watched the film Backrooms (2026). Summarizing the plot, one source states: Backrooms, directed and co-written by 20-year-old YouTuber-turned-

Deric Hollings
Jun 822 min read


Feels Like a Dream
[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Solour, I heard her spin the track “Kidz (CamelPhat Remix)” (2025) by Arodes. I then thought of a psychoeducational lesson relevant to my practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurrence itself, that causes an un

Deric Hollings
Jun 77 min read


You Ain't Gotta Love Me
[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

Deric Hollings
Jun 76 min read


What Dies, Kids? Everything, and That’s No Hokum.
[DISCLAIMER] *Hokum (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Neon, et al., fair use I recently watched the supernatural horror film Hokum (2026). Succinctly summarizing the plot, one source states, “A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.” Before I continue any further, I’ll note that this was my first time seeing Irish actor Florence Ordesh in a

Deric Hollings
Jun 719 min read


You're So Out the Loop
[DISCLAIMER] On the album Rare (2017), by singer and rapper K Camp, is the song “Out the Loop”, featuring rapper Trouble, and which was produced by XL Eagle and Nard & B. On the chorus, K Camp states, “You[’re] so out the loop. You[’re] so out the loop!” This idiomatic phrase regards an individual who isn’t part of a group of people making decisions about particular matters, or who know about such decisions. As an example, I’m out of the loop concerning data centers, espe

Deric Hollings
Jun 66 min read
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