[DISCLAIMER] I enjoy the album The Dynospectrum (1998) by hip hop collective The Dynospectrum (comprised of lyricists Slug, I Self Divine, Sab the Artist, and Swift—all who performed under the pseudonyms Sep Se7en, Pat Juba, General Woundwart, and Mr. Gene Poole, respectively). Noteworthy, the first song on the anthology is “You Can Lose Your Mind” on which Sep Se7en states, “Became accustomed to carrying weight, and waiting for better days to come, and if they don’t come

[DISCLAIMER] In There’s a War Goin’ on Outside, That’s Just the Way It Is, I addressed the song “Survival of the Fittest” by duo Mobb Deep (lyricists Havoc and the late Prodigy), in which it’s stated that “there’s a war goin’ on outside, no man is safe from.” It’s a classic hip hop track! Now, within that blogpost, I also stated, “As expressed by Mobb Deep, warlike conditions can exist in settings outside of formally declared warzones or areas of conflict.” For context, o

[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Kristen (formerly Kris May), I heard her spin the track “House (Solomun Remix)” (2024) by London Grammar, remixed by Solomun. The lyrics include, “This is my place, my house, my rules.” When living with my dad from half of my fifth grade to half of my seventh grade years, and then for a brief time after graduating high school, I often heard a similar narrative as was expressed in “House (Solomun Remi

[DISCLAIMER] I was once in an intimate partner relationship with a woman who had a phobia, which the American Psychological Association (APA) defines as “a persistent and irrational fear of a specific situation, object, or activity (e.g., heights, dogs, water, blood, driving, flying), which is consequently either strenuously avoided or endured with marked distress.” Also, the APA defines fear as: [A] basic, intense emotion aroused by the detection of imminent threat, invo

[DISCLAIMER] Earlier this morning, when checking my mailbox while the sky was still dark, I observed the behavior of an armadillo, of the nine-banded variety. Because the placental mammal is nocturnal by nature, it likely didn’t anticipate or expect me to be out and about while it strolled around. The creature probably had poor hearing, as my knees and ankles make the sound of crackling firewood when I walk. Thus, the armadillo didn’t hear me approaching, as I apparently

[DISCLAIMER] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) was formed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis, who reportedly developed the first cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) psychotherapeutic modality in 1955, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding his book, Ask Albert Ellis?: Straight Answers and Sound Advice from America’s Best-Known Psychologist. REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful n

[DISCLAIMER] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) was formed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis, who reportedly developed the first cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) psychotherapeutic modality in 1955, this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding his book, Ask Albert Ellis?: Straight Answers and Sound Advice from America’s Best-Known Psychologist. When providing psychoeducational lessons on the two main techniques of REBT, the ABC model and unconditiona

[DISCLAIMER] In childhood, my artistic skills were relatively good. For those who knew me when I used to draw – as I won art contests, surpassed the talents of other children through junior high school, and received many accolades – I was largely considered the best in my class at drawing. Not uncommonly, my older sister used to playfully tease me for the manner by which I stuck out my tongue slightly when fully concentrating on art projects. Then, self-aware of my behavi

[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] 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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “Don’t lament this and don’t get agitated” (page 360). Addressing this consideration, authors of The Dail

[DISCLAIMER] When attending graduate school for counseling, I was taught various tools for care regarding mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). As an example, I learned of the mirror technique, which the American Psychological Association (APA) thusly defines: [T]he conscious use of active listening by the therapist in psychotherapy, accompanied by reflection of the client’s affect and body language in order to stimulate a sense of empat

[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 and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “When you are distressed by an external thing, it’s not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your

[DISCLAIMER] Blog Entries Dating Back Several Years Have Vindicated My Views The photo above was taken in June 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although I was highly skeptical of claims regarding the United States (U.S.) government’s response to COVID-19, masking procedures were required within my place of employment. I complied with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Anthony Fa

[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by DJ Luane, I heard her spin the Henry Himself remix “Losing It (Henry Himself Remix)” (2025) of Fisher’s original track “Losing It” (2018). Repetitively, the lyrics state, “I’m losing it!” The phrase “losing it” is the past participle of “lose it,” as in “falling apart,” which means to yield to mental or emotional stress. For example, person X lost it when he was told there’d be yet another delay. As