Author: Overcoming Adversity | Buteau’s Odyssey

I am thrilled to be spending this weekend at the Monroeville Mall, the site famous for the filming of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. “Living Dead Weekend” kicked off yesterday at the mall, filled with thousands of zombie fans, dozens of guests from the 1978 movie, and numerous panels and special events celebrating the classic film. Among the special guests is Greg Nicotero, who I caught up with last night. He exclusively shared with me that he has joined the upcoming production of Twilight of the Dead to handle special makeup effects for the film, which comes as very welcome news!…

By Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D., and Josh Bartok, M.S. We move from contraction to expansion not by straining to change its nature, but by surrounding it with spaciousness. —Sharon Salzberg Do you ever notice your mind focusing on specific, stressful situations, reviewing them over and over? Do you notice your mind is narrowing in on potential “threats” and little else? Does a narrowed perspective cause you to miss opportunities to engage with people and the world around you? If so, the good news is that your threat detection system is functioning well, proactively identifying potential danger in an attempt to maximize…

The second day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup provided some magical moments from the hosts. The U.S. cruised past Paraguay, while Cyle Larin late equalizer ignited an electric atmosphere in Toronto.Here is everything you might have missed from Day 2 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:Canada vs. Bosnia and HerzegovinaCanada earned its first-ever point at a men’s World Cup after drawing Bosnia and Herzegovina, improving to 0W-1D-6L all-time in the competition. Entering the match, Canada’s six World Cup matches without a point were tied with El Salvador for the most by any nation in tournament history.Cyle Larin scored his…

Technology has never been a writer’s friend. Dorothy Parker complained that she knew so little about the typewriters on which she relied for a living that she once “bought a new one because I couldn’t change the ribbon on the one I had.” I started this piece two months ago, but I lost it. Like Villon’s snows of yesteryear or the cousin who owed me money, the words just disappeared. So beleaguered was I by a sense of futility, self-loathing, and obsolescence, I hadn’t been able to face the thought of resurrecting the argument until today. Emails, Facebook, and LinkedIn…

After building an acclaimed career as an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, former PBS producer/director, and television reporter, Robyn Symon is entering a new chapter with her first narrative feature, Queen of Shock. The Spanish-language thriller has been announced as an Official Selection at the 29th Dances With Films in Los Angeles, marking a major milestone in Symon’s transition from nonfiction storytelling to scripted filmmaking. Inspired by the real Mexican street game known as “toques,” where participants voluntarily subject themselves to electrical shocks for entertainment, Queen of Shock transforms the unusual pastime into a high-stakes underground competition. The film centers on a struggling mother who…

“Oh, this was a bad idea,” I thought to myself. Exhausted, drenched in sweat, and at the tail end of an ADHD-fueled purging spiral, I sat on my kitchen floor surrounded by mismatched Tupperware lids and three full garbage bags. Faced with finishing the task that had felt so urgent moments before, and now felt completely out of reach, I could clearly see the error in my ways. This wasn’t the first time I had mistaken urgency for clarity (and I’m confident it won’t be the last). I had started this project, that felt absolutely necessary in the moment, only…

Super Happy Fun Clown isn’t your usual, underwhelming Tubi deep dive.Super Happy Fun Clown is a surprisingly entertaining slasher spoofIt’s hard to get too excited about a movie literally called Super Happy Fun Clown — especially when it’s on Tubi.But it would be a mistake to write off Patrick Rea’s whacked out murder opus as your standard, zero-effort clown slop. In fact — and even I can’t believe I’m actually typing this — Super Happy Fun Clown is actually kind of a good movie. I mean, it’s not like it’s on par with Schindler’s List or anything like that, but…

Sometimes physicians encounter symptoms that remain unexplained despite extensive testing. When no clear medical explanation is found and symptoms persist, patients often develop anxiety and/or depression as a consequence of living with an unresolved health problem. In such situations, treatment frequently focuses on the emotional consequences while the underlying medical mystery remains unsolved. Yet occasionally, the right question can reveal a surprisingly simple explanation—and an equally simple solution. Case study: A chronic cough Linda was 54 years old when she came to see me with a persistent dry cough that had lasted 14 months. The cough was relatively mild during…

You know, moviegoers have been spoiled by pristine stop-motion. The bar LAIKA or Aardman set for miniature movements and hand-sculpted characters is mighty high, almost unfair. But, as Netflix’s I Am Frankelda reminds us, there’s plenty of room for independent spirits to carve their own niche. Siblings Arturo and Roy Ambriz, in collaboration with Cinema Fantasma, meet LAIKA’s prestige with Psycho Goreman-esque spirits; exuberant scrappiness overshadows rougher technical chops. Mexico’s first indie stop-motion feature is colorful, deliriously creative, and a beautiful bedtime tale rich with Mexican lore—the spunky David to many a polished and beloved LAIKA Goliath. To note, I…

The United States and Paraguay meet in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on Friday, June 12, 2026 at 9:00 p.m. ET from Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.The USMNT, ranked 16th by FIFA, are appearing at their 17th World Cup as the tournament’s host nation, with their best finish a third-place run in 1930. Paraguay enter Group D ranked 41st by FIFA, appearing at their ninth World Cup, with their best finish a quarterfinal run in 2010.Below, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about how to watch this game.How to Watch United States vs. ParaguayWhen:…