[ DISCLAIMER ]   * Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice  (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit , property of 20th Century Studios, Hulu, and Disney+, fair use   I often share my opinions  on movies, expressing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT) about how I tolerate and accept outcomes of frustration, annoyance, and disappointment  which stem from my beliefs. For clarity, one REBT source states (page 71):   REBT conceptualizes [ distress ]

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Message to the Grass Roots   On his 2018 album I Self Lord and Master (I.S.L.A.M.) , lyricist Recognize Ali released the song “ Liftin Me Higher ” that featured a sample of the 1963 speech  “ Message to the Grass Roots ” by the late black nationalist leader el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz  (better known as Malcolm X ) who said:   All the revolutions  that’s going on in Asia and Africa today are based on what? Black nationalism . A revolutionary is a black nationali

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Years ago, when working in the field of nuclear security (2004-2008), I joined a running club with several coworkers and one of their spouses. Having developed a number of injuries associated with my military service (1996-2007), I underwent an adjustment period with running.   That method of change was radical (very different from the usual or traditional), because I’d grown accustomed to simply being injured and not appreciating previously enjoyed activitie

[ DISCLAIMER ]   In 2006, hip hop duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte  and Big Pooh ) released Separate but Equal   which contained the track “ Let It Go ”, produced by 9th Wonder , that featured lyricist Yasiin Bey  and a sample of “ Got to Get Along ” (1976) by Jamaican reggae fusion band Third World .   Notably, the hook states, “ Let it go . Ah, ah, let it go. Better  let it go. Ah, just let it go. Pull it back, let it go. Ah, and let it flow, like… (All my hopes  were

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Mobb Deep, Heltah Skeltah, and 2Pac   Among classic tracks from the golden age of hip hop , songs with which arguably even those individuals who don’t like rap music remain familiar, are “ Survival of the Fittest ” by duo Mobb Deep (lyricists Havoc and the late Prodigy ) and “ Changes ” by the late lyricist 2Pac .   Featured on Mobb Deep’s second studio album The Infamous  (1995), “Survival of the Fittest” was produced by Havoc and contains a sample from th

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When stationed aboard Camp Kinser  in Okinawa, Japan while serving in the military (1997-1999), I participated in meritorious promotion boards (formal, competitive processes used to identify, evaluate, and promote exceptionally qualified enlisted Marines ahead of their peers).   The last such event that I attended was aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler . I was a lance corporal (E-3), competing against other Marines of similar (though not equal) s

[ DISCLAIMER ]   For many years, I was what could be described as a basshead (an audio enthusiast who has a preference for high-intensity, deep, and resonant low-frequency sounds referred to as bass—often seeking car audio systems which deliver powerful, physically felt, and high-quality bass).   My fondness for this lifestyle began in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s when I was introduced to a subgenre of hip hop music known as Miami bass . For instance, as I lived in apartment

[ 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 already know what you’re going to ask me,” is a phrase that I often hear when providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy  (REBT) to the clients with whom I work. “You’re going to ask me what I’m telling myself,” I’m then informed.   For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption , not  the occ

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Earlier, when looking through video content from my time in the Marine Corps (1996-2007), for a Veterans Day  blogpost, I came across footage of my first time ice skating. In 1998, when stationed in Okinawa, Japan, I found that there was no exception to gravity’s force when on ice.   The memory of that subjectively humorous event reminded me of a Passport Rav song from his 2021 album Sand in My Carry On , entitled “ Ice Skating ”. For those who are unfamilia

[ DISCLAIMER ]   On Sarah McLachlan ’s 2005 electronic dance music (EDM) release Bloom: Remix Album was a track entitled “Fallen”...

[ DISCLAIMER ]   Quite often, when paying attention to arguments which take place during civil discourse, I observe people impugning...

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When living in a children’s home from half of seventh grade to the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, and...

[ DISCLAIMER ]   When serving on the Marine Security Guard (MSG) program in South America, I experienced many difficult interactions with...