[DISCLAIMER] “Son,” my dad told me when I was a child, “I don’t know why I brought children into this world when it’s so wicked [morally very bad; evil],” per 1 John 5:19. He went on to explain that anyone with knowledge of the Bible would do well to reconsider the desire to have kids. This was a revelation to me, as my dad had four children! Furthermore, his admission was contrary to what my late stepmom told me when saying it was an “abomination” not to abide by the bib

[DISCLAIMER] I’m a fan of Oakland, California-based underground hip hop collective Hieroglyphics, also known as the Hieroglyphics Crew and Hiero, consisting of lyricists Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, and all four members of the group Souls of Mischief (lyricists Phesto, A-Plus, Opio, and Tajai), as well as DJ Touré and producer/manager Domino. In 2001, Hiero released the album Hiero Oldies Vol 1 that contained the 1990 track “Step to My Girl” by Souls of Mis

[DISCLAIMER] In Existentialism: Meaning Versus Meaninglessness, I discussed a fellow military police (MP) patrolman from the United States Marine Corps, when assigned to Camp Kinser (1997-1999), to whom I referred as “Jugador.” He and I were fairly close when stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Jugador and I wound up again being stationed together when I was assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (2001-2003). Unfortunately, he and I lost touch around the time when I experi

[DISCLAIMER] On the intro of “Take Me Back”, from the album Tha Truth, Pt. 3 (2017), Houston, Texas rapper Trae tha Truth states, “Say, you remember that shit? Talmbout them days, nigga. We pull up, nigga. Sta-Flo, starched down!” If you’re unfamiliar with Texas hip hop, then you may be lost. The phrase “talmbout” is a conjunction of the words “talking” and “about.” Also, Sta-Flo is a potent liquid starch which people from the South use when pressing (i.e., ironing) creas

[DISCLAIMER] When assigned to the Marine Security Guard (MSG) detachment (det) in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (1999-2000), my Brasilian Portuguese tutor gave me advice which she’d plausibly have given to those about whom she cared. “Xuxu,” she said, “Stay away from piranhas!” For context, “xuxu” (pronounced “shoo-shoo”) is a Brasilian Portuguese slang term that, in my case, was used endearingly to mean “cutie.” As for “piranhas,” the tutor wasn’t referencing fish. Rather, it’s

[DISCLAIMER] The American Psychological Association defines the term suffering as “the experience of pain or acute distress, either physical or psychological, in response to a physical trauma or a significant event, particularly one that is threatening or involves loss (e.g., the death of a loved one).” When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I differentiate between physical and psychological trauma, as well as separating disp

[DISCLAIMER] In common parlance, suggesting that something is “screwed up” means that someone or something is acting or functioning in an erratic, confused, or otherwise undesirable way. A grittier version of this phrase is to say that something is “fucked up,” also “messed up.” In hip hop, the expression “screwed up” may also reflect music of the late and legendary Houston, Texas pioneer DJ Screw, who’s best known as the creator of the chopped and screwed DJ technique. I

[DISCLAIMER] In 2002, I was romantically involved with a woman who shared my appreciation for electronic dance music (EDM). During that year, Louie DeVito released his album Dance Factory which contained the DJ Sammy track “Heaven”, featuring Yanou and the vocals of Do. From his album Heaven (2002), DJ Sammy’s song “Heaven” served as a cover to Bryan Adams’ song “Heaven” from the romantic drama film A Night in Heaven (1983), later released on Adams’ album Reckless (1984).

[DISCLAIMER] Regarding professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), there are many psychotherapeutic modalities available. My preferred model is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which aims to help people get better, not merely feel better. For instance, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines catharsis as “in psychoanalytic theory, the discharge of previously repressed affects connected to traumatic ev

[DISCLAIMER] Earlier, when listening to 2010 A.D. (2015) by lyricist Planet Asia and producer DirtyDiggs, I heard the track “Love Hell or Right” on which the lyricist states, “Second grade, I started playin’ soccer. Michael Jackson [MJ] was the shit!” This event spawned a psychoeducational lesson. Before I discuss the psychotherapeutic modality that I favor, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I thank you for bearing with me as I discuss my own perspective on MJ and

[DISCLAIMER] *What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, Property of Touchstone Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, fair use My now-deceased mom was a fan of the late Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock). As such, my mother owned a vinyl record of Private Dancer (1984) and played the song “What’s Love Got to Do with It” loudly from a stereo when cleaning our home. The chorus states: What’s love got to do, got to do with it?

[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. Regarding Stoicism, I invite you to consider that REBT uses unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve self-induced suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA)

[DISCLAIMER] Unique disclaimer: Nothing expressed herein is meant to serve as a how-to method regarding violence, which the American Psychological Association defines as “the expression of hostility and rage with the intent to injure or damage people or property through physical force.” Readers are strongly encouraged to use personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”) when reviewing the material contained herein. As explicitly stated within my bl

[DISCLAIMER] When they were assembled, before apparently going on to pursue solo careers, the group Tragic Allies reminded me of golden age hip hop. Therefore, I still appreciate the album 14 Forms: The Book of Estee Nack (2015) by former group members lyricist Estee Nack and producer Purpose. As a side note, Estee Nack has more self-ascribed nicknames than any other rapper or lyricist of which I can think. A personal favorite is “Nacknuggets.” In any event, on the aforem