Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

People in new non-monogamous relationships often put a lot of effort into crafting airtight relationship agreements. That might look like, for instance, having conversations about how you’ll prioritize between partners when there are competing demands on your time; how you’ll deal with communication so that you’ll be able stay in touch without being glued to your phone; how you’ll manage disclosure and privacy with multiple partners, and so on. I’m all for having detailed and thoughtful conversations with your partner(s), but there’s one piece that often gets left out of this conversation: renegotiating agreements. I think people sometimes assume that…

Aquatic horror films have featured many foes, but not yet the most ferocious, ill-tempered land-and-water beasts: hippopotamuses. No, for real. Hippos are natural born killers; vegetarians who murder out of territorial rage. Sharks, gators, and anacondas are nasty hunters, but hippos—they’re a special breed. Writer and director James Nunn aims to outshine the “Fin Flicks” we’re used to, including his underwhelming Shark Bait, and does so admirably. The “hungry hungry hippo” flick, aptly titled Hungry, is enough to make Hasbro jealous about not cashing in on the concept first. Nunn somehow transforms exotic Malta into muggy New Orleans for Hungry.…

If you read one book this year about the state of marriage today, make it Stephanie Coontz’s new one, For Better and Worse (Viking, 2026). It is an engaging romp through the history of human mating, from stone age marriage to the contradictory consequences of democracy for heterosexual coupling, to the possibilities of creating satisfying marriages in today’s heteropessimistic world. Rather than provide you with a summary of this monograph, I’m going to suggest you actually read it. Your investment of time will be well rewarded with the delight of enjoying a well-told, important, and historically accurate story. In this…

The Lure is a horror-musical-social-satire-allegory unlike ANYTHING you’ve seen before.Guest columnist Lilly Cheung revisits 2015’s horror-musical cult classic The Lure!The Lure (Córki dancingu) (2015) is an independent Polish film that takes the tragic story of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen and somehow drags it into the light, exposing the gruesome cruelty of a mermaid’s sacrifice. The director, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, constructs a blend of both musical and horror genres that expands and subverts preexisting Polish folklore. It is a camp reinvigoration of the horror genre that revives and rewrites the story everyone knows. The movie grapples with identity, exploitation,…

Understandably, twin closeness and identity that starts to develop at conception in the mother’s womb continues differently at birth and as twins mature. Because twins can be and are separated gradually, twins develop a sense that they are two people. Twin closeness often leads to over-identification. By this, I mean they psychologically believe that they are emotionally a part of their twin. Especially in early childhood, when one twin cries, the other twin also cries. I have observed the merger of twin personalities many times. Obviously, believing they are merged is an unconscious and conscious way of thinking that creates…

Morocco and Haiti meet in their 2026 FIFA World Cup final group stage match on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. ET from Atlanta Stadium. Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in their opener and beat Scotland 1-0 in their second match, with Ismael Saibari scoring twice across the two matches. Haiti lost to Scotland 0-1 in their opener and lost to Brazil 0-3 in their second match.Group C ScenariosMorocco can advance with a win, a draw or even a loss if Brazil beats Scotland. But to win Group C, they need a win while also making up a two-goal…

LEGENDARY DIRECTOR JOHN CARPENTER RETURNS TO MIDSUMMER SCREAM AUGUST 7-9 WITH CATHEDRAL HIS LANDMARK DEBUT GRAPHIC NOVEL AND COMPANION ALBUM: “Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest Halloween and horror convention, today announced that legendary filmmaker John Carpenter will return to the Long Beach Convention Center, August 7–9, 2026 celebrating two landmark creative works releasing simultaneously this August: CATHEDRAL, his debut original graphic novel, and the companion album of the same name. CATHEDRAL is co-authored with Sandy King, acclaimed producer, editor, and CEO of Storm King Comics, Carpenter’s wife, longtime creative partner, and the first woman to found a comic publishing house. CATHEDRAL the graphic novel publishes August…

Manage your energy and mental loadReturning to work is not only about managing workload. It is also about managing energy.Your usual pace may not feel realistic immediately. That does not mean it will never return. It may simply mean your capacity needs time to rebuild.NICE guidance on mental wellbeing at work highlights the importance of creating supportive and inclusive working conditions, including manager support and clear communication. CIPD also notes that people are more likely to return safely and productively after long-term absence when they are well supported during their absence and on their return. On a personal level, one…

I recently found myself running across Zion National Park, completing the epic Zion Traverse in one day: a 38-mile, point-to-point route that transects the entirety of the western part of the park. Around mile 36, I had pulverized feet, a body struggling with dehydration and loss of appetite, and grappled with the question as to why I chose to do this to myself – and why I consider this type of “Type II fun” experience to be, well, enjoyable. While ultrarunning may not be everyone’s cup of tea, humans have an ongoing flirtation with fear and anxiety. This might take…

Daily Dead readers will no doubt be excited to learn that Steve Niles and artist Damien Worm are collaborating on an all-new graphic novel, titled Heartbreak Manor. A holiday ghost story, Heartbreak Manor is described as “an ambitious and artful horror story about a desperate young orphan who must uncover the deadly secret hidden that lurks within the walls of an old mansion.” Having just launched a Zoop campaign for the graphic novel, I caught up with Niles to learn more about his inspirations, collaborating with Worm, the original soundtrack created specifically for the graphic novel, and the horrors that…