Columns
As we enter the annual season of giving, you might be thinking of charities you wish to support. But you also might be wondering how to gain some tax benefits from your gifts. It used to be pretty straightforward: You wrote a check to a charity and then deducted the amount of the gift, within…
By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. Once upon a time, in a certain forest, there lived a Black Goat and a White Goat. One day, as fate would have it, they both needed to cross a narrow bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge was so narrow that it only had enough space for one goat to cross at a…
By Tim Jon There’s more sky out there, distance takes on a new meaning, and even time seems to last longer. You may think this is a reference to a trailer for an upcoming science fiction thriller, but no—it’s just another fascinating feature I’ve come to enjoy about Loudoun County, Virginia—a locality of physical, intellectual…
By Naomi Fraser “Memories. They live forever. Right there in your heart. Sometimes you just need to find a way to invite them out.” — Lewis (Louis Gossett Jr.), IF These words capture the essence of John Krasinski’s latest film, IF, a heartfelt fantasy fun for the entire family. IF centers on Bea (Cailey…
Know the risks of investing—and not investing Investing involves risk—and so does not investing. You should know how both these types of risk can affect your ability to reach your financial goals. Let’s start with the risks associated with investing. There’s not a single investment risk because different types of investments carry different types of…
By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. Dr. Mike, Our 18-year-old daughter went off to JMU for freshman year this fall. She’s doing well academically and socially, but she’s upset with us for being “controlling” and for “micromanaging” her. My husband and I told her that we would be keeping Life360 on her phone to monitor her whereabouts…
By Tim Jon I remember the blackberries; it was ‘high summer’ when I visited this little piece of local history, but I could almost feel the winter wind that must have howled in coming down the steep western slope, which leveled off a few, mere feet from the building. That towering hill at the back…
By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. As another presidential election approaches, political conversations seem to be everywhere. These discussions can quickly become heated, often leading to frustration, misunderstandings, and, strained or even terminated relationships. But what if the way we vote is influenced more by the biology of our brains than by our rational, conscious thoughts?…
By Naomi Fraser Netflix’s original film Damsel presents a fairytale like no other. Released in early March, the film follows a young princess named Elodie who accepts a marriage proposal from a wealthy kingdom to save her impoverished nation. Unbeknownst to Elodie, however, beneath the wealthy kingdom’s glistening facade lies a centuries-old debt that Elodie’s…
By Tim Jon Believe it or not the prospect of a new artistic project often includes a healthy dose of fear: not due to any real or even imaginary danger involved with the adventure, but—for me—a feeling of inadequacy. What if I go to the well of inspiration and come up empty? What if I…