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During this bout of homelessness, I’ve made a dear and supportive friend who happens to be a realtor. Now, while I can’t afford her housing or rental properties, it’s interesting to note that she’s got a passion for fixer-uppers. She loves taking old, run-down houses, breathing new life into them, and turning them into homes again. But this time, the fixer-upper she found wasn’t some broken-down house with peeling paint and sagging floors—it was me. “You’re gonna quit smoking,” she declared one day, like a general about to lead a battle charge the way i took it. “You’re gonna exercise....

In the ongoing debate over the legitimacy of AI-generated art, one thing is clear: it’s time to redefine our understanding of art in the digital age. Many, if not most, oppose AI art as "real" art. But I argue that AI is just another tool—much like the camera or the paintbrush. As an artist who has been selling computer prints since 1996 and holds multiple degrees in art, I find it disheartening to see such resistance to a new form of creative expression. With three college degrees, two of which are in art, and having studied in Florence, Italy, I’ve...

There's something magical about watching those old 80's music videos. The neon lights, the synthesizers, the hair that defied gravity—all of it brings me back to such a basic time in my life. It was a time when I thought I was a rebel. I mean, I was rebellious… kind of. My rebellion consisted of smoking pot, daydreaming about how everything I learned in school was the gospel truth, and biting my tongue nervously on my first kiss. You know, the typical stuff we did before realizing just how much the world doesn’t work the way we thought. Back then,...

Once you're caught in the web of a pathological person, the experience can feel both surreal and suffocating. These toxic manipulators have a peculiar talent—an ability to charm those around you while quietly dismantling your support system. It’s a strategy that works all too well: win over everyone in your environs, turning them against you. The cruelest part? They’ll feed off the isolation they’ve manufactured, dropping little hints and manipulating situations until you're left questioning, “Does anyone really like me?” They may even suggest outright that nobody does. It’s all part of the game, slowly nudging you into a position...

In today’s world, we’re often drawn to people who exude charm, confidence, and charisma. These qualities can be magnetic, even disarming. But beneath the surface of some seemingly captivating personalities lies a far more sinister force at work — toxic manipulation. These manipulators often operate with a combination of narcissism, anti-social behavior, and an insidious ability to control and exploit others, leaving emotional wreckage in their wake. The Narcissistic Manipulator Narcissism is more than just vanity or an inflated sense of self. It’s a pathological need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. Narcissists have a unique ability...