*Note:  Please see my father's In memoriam piece below; my grandfather was a great man who we lost to pneumonia after seven years of Alzheimer's.  "Papa" quit smoking for the last eight years of his life.

     Hamlet is Kenneth Branah's voluptuous, penultimate film adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy.  The art direction and production design are ornate and uniquely beautiful, placing the characters In the much-... Read More

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Early In my career I got fired from not one but two jobs within the space of 18 months after my employer became aware of my illness.  The first was the day I returned to work after being placed on  two weeks medical leave and In outpatient therapy after my brother's death six weeks before and mother's suicide attempt the week before.  It was too small to be covered by the ADA so there wasn't anything I could do.

The next time, I had inquired about FMLA leave fr... Read More

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This blog is for those who hold a sadness In their heart or feel like something's missing inside. There is no sustaining pharmaceutical remedy for this kind of inner despair. The solution can only come from within....

Some people live their lives stuck In an exhausting treadmill. Too tired to change course they tolerate seeing the same sights, having the same experiences over and over again. I know a few people who lost or quit a job every couple of years with the excuse... Read More

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     *Note:  I, Patrick the critic, am In a quasi-annual (semi-annual) manic phase that has been going on for 24 days.  Over the past seven years, since April 2003, I have had a psychiatric condition that requires medicine.  This medicine is good for the soul.  Adhering to a strict and sometimes intense medical regimen places one In a category of formal adherence to societal requirements. 

     These requirements are not... Read More

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This post is dedicated to magnificence that is the heart and soul of the creative spirit.

"Re-examine all you have been told. Dismiss what insults your Soul." - Walt Whitman 
For many artists, challenges are very personal.  And one of the biggest challenges is the Critic In the room, the Inner Critic.
This well meaning yet woefully misguided Inner Critic is the voice of your self-doubt and fear. Its the emotional ties that bind you, hold you back, keep you stuck, limit... Read More

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