Columns
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…
By Naomi Fraser Suspenseful, heart-pounding, and deeply human, the pilot episode for Netflix’s latest series, Supacell,takes audiences on a thrilling ride. The episode captures your attention within the first two minutes and holds it till the end. Set in present-day South London, Supacell follows the lives of five strangers who unexpectedly discover they possess superhuman…
By Michael Oberschneider, Psy.D. With technology being so present in our lives these days, it can be tempting to turn our friends into virtual therapists when we are in a bad place or need help. And while it’s perfectly fine to reach out to friends on-line for general support, it’s entirely another thing to seek…
By Tim Jon I didn’t remember many details, and I certainly didn’t want any more information. I had no pressing reason to find out the who, what, where, when, how or why—and I didn’t even really need to answer to this event’s overall importance to Loudoun County, Virginia. Huh-uh. I was here for myself, and…