Author Archives: riverblue

Stomping the Stigma of Mental Illness

Posted on December 3, 2010 by riverblue

Ten years ago I was flipping channels and stumbled upon the TV Guide network.  An actor named Joe Pantoliano was being interviewed.  I’m sure you would recognize him as easily as I did; he has appeared in many of our favorites:  The … Continue reading →

Posted in Addiction, Film & TV, Mental Illness | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend from Yello and John Hughes!

Posted on November 26, 2010 by riverblue

(click on the song titles to hear the music directly off my server) It was John Hughes‘ 1991 Thanksgiving road movie Dutch that introduced me to one of my favorite bands of all time, Yello, a Swiss electronica duo comprised primarily of Dieter … Continue reading →

Posted in Film & TV, Music | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Who Are You Supposed To Be? Reflections on Pump Up The Volume

Posted on November 18, 2010 by riverblue

“One day I woke up, and I realized I was never gonna be normal.” – HHH It sounds cliché but I’ll say it anyway:  the 1990 film Pump up the Volume helped me survive high school. I realize I’m committing … Continue reading →

Posted in Film & TV, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

“Oh, that’s so sweet I could cry cartoon tears!”

Posted on November 12, 2010 by riverblue

The above quote is something my younger brother said with a smile years ago while we watched a particularly sentimental episode of “The Simpsons.”  It may seem silly to get weepy over an animated program, but the Simpson family is … Continue reading →

Posted in Film & TV | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Nigeria and Mexico: The Happiest Countries in the World?

Posted on November 6, 2010 by riverblue

In 2003, the World Values Survey conducted a study of 65 countries and published its findings in the United Kingdom’s New Scientist magazine.  The goal was to discover which nations’ citizens were happiest. Well, according to the 100 people recently surveyed … Continue reading →

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Happy Hallo-days! Merry Halloween, Sweet Samhain, Feliz Día de los Muertos…

Posted on November 5, 2010 by riverblue

(Photo by ms. Tea) A ghost.  A cat.  A princess.  A punk rocker.  A gypsy fortune-teller.  Punky Brewster.  Supergirl.  Super Mario.  Morticia Addams.  Freddy Krueger.  Professor McGonagall.  A serial killer.  A fangoul.  An undead cowboy.  O the surreal realm that … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Life & Death, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Self-Confidence In Action…”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

Posted on October 29, 2010 by riverblue
Posted in Confidence, Humor | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

What We Can Still Learn from Mr. Rogers

Posted on October 24, 2010 by riverblue

Like many people who grew up watching public television in the late 20th century, I was very fond of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.  He was a dear, gentle man whose life mission and ministry was to teach children how important they … Continue reading →

Posted in Childhood, Film & TV | Tagged , , | 2 Comments