[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] Photo credit, fair use 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. I first learned of REBT during graduate school for counseling (2009-2011). At that t

[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] Photo credit, fair use Defining Terms When listening to the latest electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Roksana—who’s not yet produced a mix that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed—I heard her spin the hard techno/Schranz song “Domination” (2025), by Holy Priest and REKKT. It damn near melted my face off /s! For context, in common parlance, domination is defined as supremacy or preeminence over another, exercise of mastery or ruling power, and exercise of prepo

[DISCLAIMER] When recently providing professional services for care of mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I recently stated to client X, “Have you considered that I’m not going to be around forever, or perhaps for much longer, and that I’m going to die one day?” Client X responded, “It didn’t even occur to me that you could die, because I’ve been so focused on the possibility of me dying.” This verbal exchange afforded us an opportuni

[DISCLAIMER] This morning, when getting ready to start my day, I listened to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Mili Priolo, an Argentinian DJ and music producer. The selected mix of Latin house and hard house wasn’t what I anticipated, as I was overall enthusiastic about the set! Per the American Psychological Association, enthusiasm is defined as “a feeling of excitement or passion for an activity, cause, or object.” When listening to Priolo’s manipulation of her

[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] When recently discussing electronic dance music (EDM) with client X, I employed the psychotherapeutic technique of professional use of self by briefly mentioning my former hobby as a DJ and period of time in my life when I attended nightclubs, festivals, and raves. As client X is also a fan of EDM, I said, “Back in my day,” at the risk of sounding like an old fogy, “we understood that it was called ‘electronic dance music’ for a reason, not ESM—electronic sta

[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] Earlier, when listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Yamatomaya, I heard her spin the track “Pegasus” (2023), by Meduza and Eli & Fur. The lyrics include: I wish I knew then what I know now And are we ever gonna get to higher ground? I wish I knew then what I know now And are we ever gonna get to higher ground? For context, the American Psychological Association defines a wish as “in classical psychoanalytic theory, the psychological manifes

[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 Stoic Epictetus stated, “I tell you, you only have to learn to live like the healthy person does . . . living with complete confidence. What confidence? The only one worth holding, in what is

[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] 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