Recently, actor Shia LeBeouf came under the spotlight for the unfortunate reason of his public displays of intoxication. Marking his ninth arrest, the arrest highlighted an ongoing struggle with alcohol for LaBeouf. A video surfaced of the drunken actor cursing and yelling disrespectful profanities at the officers who were arresting him. Shortly after the arrest,...Read More

If you are the mother or father of someone living with the disease of addiction, you know first-hand how difficult it is to continue to stand by a child who is seemingly predisposed to acting against their best interest. On the one hand, they are your child. One of the few people in life who...Read More

 Brooke Shields at Naval Air Station, Pensacola in 1986. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) There was a little girl, Who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid.  ……….Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Brooke Shields was the little girl…...Read More

Seal of the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy, a part of the Executive Office of the President. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Do you know our current Drug Czar? Drug Czar…it is an interesting, albeit informal title. Since the 1930s the United States has had an official who oversees  our drug policy, but it...Read More

Richard Linklater at the 2007 premiere of The Hottest State in Austin, Texas. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “Where did the time go?” This proverbial question is one that you hear a lot. It is the question asked when we are a guest at a wedding, high school graduation, family reunion or funeral…we look around and maybe...Read More

Just play it cool, boy… Real cool!    Stephen Sondheim Part 1: College, binge drinking and more Cool students on college campuses…and more “Cool” is an interesting word. As a society we’ve used this word in a number of ways. Here is a great definition: calmly audacious or impudent! Every generation finds a way to latch...Read More

Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert in 1970, donated by Roger Ebert. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.” Roger Ebert Empathy vs. sympathy Do you remember how old you were when you came to understand that there is a difference between empathy and sympathy? Dictionary.com offers an illustrative explanation:...Read More

“At The Movies…” Over the past year we have written a number of posts about movies. This Thursday, April 4, 2013, Pulitzer Prize winning film critic and author, Roger Ebert passed away. Many of us have grown up and grown old with Roger Ebert; he became our “go to” film critic. You may remember a...Read More

If we think back to our childhood we might remember watching a television show with our family and noticed that our parents would laugh or maybe even tear-up at a particular scene. At the time we might have sensed they understood something we just “didn’t get.” We didn’t get the humor or the irony of...Read More

Parenting is a process, not an event! If you’re a parent, you realize you’re in the throes of the process, almost as soon as your child is born, but for sure you know it after a few days at home with your newborn. As the days and months drift by, you question every small and...Read More