Here we go loop-dee-loo!

Papers and breezes.

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:14:08 GMT

It's a cool, cloudy, windy day. And a day of paper-writing. Always seems to be something to write for one class or another. I have never written so many pages in my life.

Had an interesting dream last night where I was the star in a circus/theater production. There were lots of masks and sparkly costumes. Well, I kept missing my cues, and I ran away during intermission. Someone followed me and helped me change into another costume. Together, we climbed over rows of greek theater style seats in the audience to get to a high vantage from which point I could see my understudy catching the cues correctly. It was a difficult climb, because all of the seats were made of a sort of elastic mesh that was heavily beaded and sequinned.

And that was it.

Now back to the till.

Why can't we all just get along?

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:47:47 GMT

I'm working on a PhD in Counselor Education. This means that I'm already a licensed counselor and by the end of the doc program I will be effectively trained to teach new counselors or practice as an advanced clinician. Briefly stated, that's my scope of practice. There are other people at this university who are in similar programs and who have similar but different scopes of practice. There are Clinical Psychology doc students who will be psychologists one day.. future rehabilitation counselors.. licensed clinical social workers, etc. We're loosely doing the same thing, each with our own perspectives and specializations.

But mix us in a class together, and suddenly everyone who is doing similar stuff but not the same way is the enemy. Suddenly psychologists are berating counselors who snub their noses at LCSW's who think rehab counselors are ridiculous. It's just silly. What happened to respect for individualized scopes of practice? I realize that rehab counselors have more training than I do when it comes to working with substance abuse. That doesn't threaten me. Contrarily, it enriches my resource network! And I would hope that somewhere out there a psychologist can appreciate the more humanistic treatment that usually comes from people with the same credentials as I have.

The mental health profession is developing and growing, and people see each of us according to our specializations for different reasons, so we need not gnash teeth for the sake of competition. We're a therapeutic melting pot. How much benefit could come about if we all just melted a bit? Geesh.

You see, what it is..

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:33:30 GMT

You see, what it is... is that I haven't been able to re-charge. I haven't wandered off into the woods to pitch a hammock near a stream. I haven't listened to wind or danced with trees. I haven't beat my drums or played my flutes in the open night air for far too long. And the weary dreary days in Mundania are drying me up. Wearing me out. Spreading me thin. So, today on the way back to the place where my stuff stays, I stopped to snap a few pictures of things that keep me sane. Lets hope these pictures carry me through to the next time I can re-charge.

In other news..

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:29:28 GMT

Special Announcement

California Becomes 50th State to License Professional Counselors

The counseling profession achieved a historic goal late last night with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signing into law California Senate Bill 788, establishing licensure of professional clinical counselors in the state.

Counselors are now licensed as master's degreed mental health professionals in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The first state to enact counselor licensure was Virginia, in 1976.

Nationwide, there are more than 110,000 licensed professional counselors working in the full range of treatment settings to assist clients with behavioral disorders and developmental issues. Licensed professional counselors are recognized as independent mental health service providers by the vast majority of private insurance companies, as well as under state and federal public health programs. As in most states, large areas in California are experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals.

ACA President Lynn Linde applauded California's enactment of the licensure bill. "This is a momentous occasion. This means that professional counseling is now recognized in all areas of the country and, more importantly, that protections for the consumers will now exist everywhere. Licensure for counselors significantly expands the availability of mental health services, which is crucial to helping meet the need for services."

"Today is a victory for so many counselors who have been advocating for licensure in California," said Richard Yep, ACA Executive Director. "This legislation will serve to regulate the profession of counseling and that is good for the profession and for consumers of mental heath services. Governor Schwarzenegger's signing of this bill caps an effort that began more than thirty years ago."

ACA congratulates the California Coalition for Counselor Licensure (CCCL) for its success in leading the licensure effort in the state. ACA has long sought to gain licensure of counselors in all U.S. jurisdictions, and has provided both financial support and technical assistance to CCCL in support of California's effort.

Dean Porter, President of the CCCL, is pleased that this bill has been approved by California's legislature and signed into law. "After working for almost eight years, CCCL, a coalition of nine California counseling organizations, is proud that California will become the 50th state to license professional counselors. This victory would not have been possible without the dedicated counselors throughout California and the state and national organizations, particularly ACA and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), that support professional counseling. Legislators from both sides of the aisle have the gratitude of counselors and their clients, who will now have increased access to professional services and the protection that regulation assures."

Information on implementation of the bill will be available on CCCL's website www.caccl.org and questions on the California law can be addressed to info@caccl.org.

Good Quote

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:32:18 GMT

"To believe is true religion, but to see is truth at last." -Greg Graffin

Writer's Block: As the Cookie Crumbles

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:58:36 GMT

If you ran the fortune cookie factory, what message would you make sure gets put in a cookie?

Submitted By 123ekaterina

View 668 Answers

"That wasn't chicken."

Writer's Block: Thanks for the Input

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:12:46 GMT

What is the worst piece of advice you've ever received?

View 513 Answers

Stay in school.

But still, I obey.

The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round...

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:12:24 GMT

I was musing over something yesterday afternoon, but first let me give you some background.

Fayetteville has a bus system called Razorback Transit. It's paid for by U of A student fees, so it's not exactly free to me, but the cost is minimal, and it's free to the community. There's a bus, the Blue line, that stops right in front of my apartment and again on its route right in front of the two buildings where all my classes will be. There's another bus, the Red line, that stops by my apartment then makes a big loop through town stopping at the mall, Wal-Mart, the hospital, and other useful places. I. Love. Public. Transportation. I have only driven my car once since we moved here, and that was to move it from the parking lot at the side of our apartment to the one in back. No parking fees at school, no parking tickets, no waiting for the car to cool down, no hassle. It's wonderful. I just meander over to the bus stop, chat with some guy who reminds me of Morgan Freeman, and ride five minutes to school in an air-conditioned bus. Simple and convenient.

Yesterday I was reading a book waiting on the bus, and it occurred to me that this was not the first time I'd been in this situation. When I was in high school, a bus stopped right outside my house to pick me up, and it dropped me off right outside the building where all my classes were. It was as free as "free" things are, and it spared me all the afore-mentioned hassles. I. Hated. That. Bus. There was nothing less cool than having your "hardship license" (given to any 15 year olds with jobs back then) and a car and not being able to drive yourself to school. I fought with my mother tooth and nail over this problem. She finally relented and let me drive my sister and I to school my senior year. I was overjoyed. Freedom.

I remember her telling me, at the end of our last debate on the subject, "One day you'll be an adult with rent and bills, and you'll wish you had something so convenient as a free ride to school." I, of course, thought she was crazy and incapable of understanding that I would NEVER think a think like that. And I drove.

So there I stood yesterday, an adult with rent and bills, absolutely thrilled by the convenience of a free ride to school and back. My mouth hung agape, and I picked up my cell phone to call Mom and tell her she was right.

She laughed histerically and couldn't wait to tell my dad.

And so it is. =)

Writer's Block: End of the World as We Know It

Sat, 02 May 2009 06:42:29 GMT

Robert Frost speculated about the world ending in fire or in ice. Which do you think is likely to end us all: meteorite, global warming, nuclear weapons, zombies, or the superflu?

View 502 Answers

Space rocks, global warming, nukes, and superflu all mixed in with Fire and Ice? Geezis. Robert Frost was actually "speculating about the world ending" because of greed and hatred in that poem. If you're going to come up with a prompt for LJ's Writer's Block, please don't drag Good ol' Rob into it without really thinking of what he's saying in the poem you reference.

Gah!

Now.. for the record.. I have my money on the zombies.

Writer's Block: Philanthropy

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:19:10 GMT

Do you volunteer your time or donate money to any charitable organizations? Which ones, and why?

View 500 Answers

I've been a Humane Society volunteer for a very long time. It's the only way I can have hundreds of pets. =)

Honey and Nightshade

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:02:01 GMT

I'm the kind of girl who can't help but wonder whether Buffalo Bill used a muslin mock-up for his suit.

Writer's Block: It's the Little Things

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:34:26 GMT

What's a little thing you do every day that brightens the lives of those around you?

Duck, Duck, Goose.

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:39:31 GMT

UofA Fayetteville wants an interview! That's... that's NOT a NO!

Rejection:Letters and Emails...

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:02:57 GMT

So a week or so ago I got my first rejection letter -- from Ohio State University. And today I got a rejection email from the University of Memphis. That leaves two-- Temple in Philadelphia and the University of Arkansas.

It's a relief having narrowed the options of where we're going to live in a couple months down by almost half, but it stings to be told that the other kids are better qualified to be doctoral students than I am.

That's all for now, I s'pose.

Nerd Lovin'

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:59:01 GMT

In an email today my husband wrote:

"I want you to know that I love you more than benzene rings love to keep their double bonds! (which is a heck of a lot!!! <-see, 3 exclamations=more than the average "a lot-ness":) "

And that's nerd lovin'.

The Nerd/Geek/Dork Test

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:43:58 GMT

Your result for The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test...

Pure Nerd

87 % Nerd, 35% Geek, 17% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Take The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test at HelloQuizzy

My day's been kinda like this...

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:31:23 GMT

Chakra Test

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:37:52 GMT

Your result for The Chakra Test...

The Lover

You have scored 100% Balance - Your dominant Chakra is the "Heart or Green Chakra"

The "Heart or Green Chakra" is where the energy for love, kindness and affection originates from. It is located at the center of the chest area. And this is the chakra which is most developed in you at this time.

When the Heart Chakra it is open, you find yourself as compassionate and friendly, and work towards harmonious relationships.

Depending on your percentage score, there is always more room for development. When this chakra is under-active, you may become cold and distant. If over-active and out of balance with your other chakras, you may tend to suffocate people with your love and usually for quite selfish reasons

What is most important is to find balance amongst all 7 chakras. Have a look at what percentages you scored on the others and work to increase their power and balance with each other.

Root Chakra: 18% Passion, Sacral(Spleen) Chakra: 65% Desire, Solar Plexus (Navel) Chakra: 59% Purpose, Heart Chakra: 100% Balance, Throat Chakra: 100% Expression, Third Eye Chakra: 53% Imagination and Crown Chakra: 76% Spirituality!

"Heart Chakra" Key Words: Relationships, Love, Acceptance, Self-Control, Compassion, Guilt, Forgiveness, Harmony, Peace, Renewal, Growth

"Heart Chakra"Attributes: Color - Green Sense - Touch Element - Air Seat -Love

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!

Take The Chakra Test at HelloQuizzy

Writer's Block: Robotic

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:48:26 GMT

Who (or what) is your favorite fictional robot?

View 500 Answers

This is a no-brainer for me. Hands down, my favorite fictional robot is Winter from Erika Moak's Eudeamon.

*It's a near-future science fiction story about a unique form of incarceration employed in a city called Eudemonia. The protagonist is a reporter who investigates this interesting penal system and gets.. much more than she bargained for. It has some latex appeal and is the best and most moving story I've read. Ever.

The story can be found in the stories section of the author's website:

I have read all of her stories there, and I recommend them all. =)

*My description/summary thing is adapted from the author's own short summary as found on her webpage-- I gives me credit where it's due. =)

h

Mad lib -- Inauguration Speech

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 06:00:14 GMT

Here's mine:

My fellow Americans, today is a loquacious day. You have shown the world that "hope" is not just another word for "brother", and that "change" is not only something we can believe in again, but something we can actually sneeze.

Today we celebrate, but let there be no mistake – America faces delicious and tasty challenges like never before. Our economy is itchy. Americans can barely afford their mortgages, let alone have enough money left over for religions. Our healthcare system is lumpy. If your breast is sick and you don't have insurance, you might as well call an assassin. And America's image overseas is tarnished like a pet cookie. But squirting together we can right this ship, and set a course for Guyana.

Finally, I must thank my creepy family, my cute campaign volunteers, but most of all, I want to thank Jehovahs Witnesses for making this historic occasion possible. Of course, I must also thank you, President Bush, for years of pruning the American people. Without your happy efforts, none of this would have been possible.

Now go make your own: http://www.atom.com/spotlights/inauguration_speech_generator/

h

A Time of Need

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:55:00 GMT

A friend of mine is very sick in the hospital. She's an amazing musician- I own all of her albums and have seen her perform live a couple times. I'll copy and paste a message that was sent out on her behalf, but first I ask any and all of you to help her out. THe medical bills are no doubt going to be enormous.

Her music is wonderful-- buy a cd-- and help her out!

Helen

Many of you already know that S00J has been taken under the weather, and this was in my Email inbox today.
Can you help out?

Dear friends,

I know that some of you have already heard about SJ's recent emergency and hospital stay. It looks likely that it may actually be appendicitis, although the doctors want to confirm this with another CT scan before they do any surgery.

We -do- know that the hospital bills are going to be significant, since this first trip to the hospital involved two emergency rooms, four doctors, a 45 minute ambulance transfer between the two hospitals, a CT scan AND an X-ray, multiple IV antibiotics, nearly daily bloodwork tests, and five and a half nights in the hospital.

Another CT scan and an ultrasound are scheduled after the next batch of test results come back, and if it turns out to be appendicitis, they'll have to do surgery. If it -isn't- appendicitis, then something else will have to be done to keep all of this from happening all over again, but we don't know what.

In short: we're looking at medical bills that could go as high as twenty-five or thirty THOUSAND dollars by the time this is through.

Have I mentioned that we do not yet have medical insurance?

The biggest reasons that Sooj and I can afford to tour around the country to perform for all of you wonderful folks is that we have been healthy and unhindered by debt. We don't want that to change, so we're turning to you for help.

Please help us raise money to pay for these medical bills. Buy CDs. Spread the word. Share links and diggs and do all that interweb magic. What we need is 1000 people with $25. Do you have $25? Do you know someone who does? If you can't give us money, please tell people who might.

Of course, we want you to get something for your money! Even if you already have every album, you could buy CDs as late holiday gifts for your family and friends. Help us, and make people happy at the same time!

In this spirit, we're offering a "Give a Healthy Dose of Sooj" sale. All current SJ Tucker CDs are $10 each (that's our wholesale price). Find more info on the CDs here: http://www.skinnywhitechick.com/discounts.php or buy them right here. (With optional GoogleCheckout or Paypal)
Blessings Add to Cart | Sirens Add to Cart | Tangles Add to Cart | Haphazard Add to Cart
For the Girl in the Garden Add to Cart | Solace & Sorrow Add to Cart
Tales from the Road Add to Cart | Tales of I-10: Volume I Add to Cart
View Cart

We're also offering digital downloads through an amazing new service called bandcamp.mu: http://skinnywhitechick.bandcamp.mu/

You can download individual tracks and whole albums, and help spread the word by embedding albums or songs in your blogs, facebook posts, and myspace pages!

Now is the time to complete your collection of SJ Tucker's albums. Now is the time to introduce your friends and family members to SJ's music. Please go and buy CDs.

-or-

Alternatively, you can sponsor SJ's health directly, and become a Skinny White Chick Sponsor for either a simple donation or a $10 monthly subscription. Money collected through these vectors will be used to cover our medical bills first, and will then be used to set up a decent health insurance policy. (more info at http://www.skinnywhitechick.com/sponsorship.php)

As a special bonus to subscribers and big sponsors, I will begin to periodically upload live SJ Tucker show podcasts to the new forums at http://www.skinnywhitechick.com/forum/, providing our generous donors with recordings of live shows that Sooj has done over the last couple years. These podcasts will be a mix of past and present shows, ranging as far back as 2005.

Anyone can join the forums to discuss shows and projects, but only sponsors will be able to download the podcasts. This is a forum setup I have been working on for about a year, and it was just about ready to launch in the middle of December.

So, $10 monthly subscriptions as Skinny White Chick Sponsors allows full access to the weekly podcasts as downloads for the duration of your subscription. A $100 or higher donation as a Skinny White Chick Sponsor will count as an annual membership. For donations of $1,000 or more, we will discuss something special to thank you appropriately for your generosity.

Please, take advantage of our wholesale CD prices, give albums to your friends and relatives, become a sponsor, use the sharing tools at bandcamp.mu, and tell people about the music and our fundraising needs. We need your help spreading the word, even if you can't afford to give financially.

Thank you very much for your time and attention and your generous support.

Blessings and love to all of you,
Kevin K' Wiley
SJ Tucker's assistant

Writer's Block: Long Nights, Short Poems

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 04:29:29 GMT

It's the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, summer solstice in the Southern hemisphere, and Haiku Day in the U.S. Does that inspire you to write a three-line poem with five syllables in the first and last lines and seven in the middle line?

View 500 Answers

Uhm probably not
However I am typing
So I guess maybe

Movie Meme (Thanks emraldliz)

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:18:48 GMT

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times: Any of the Harry Potters
2. Name a movie that you've seen multiple times in a theatre: Pride & Prejudice
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie: Philip Seymour Hoffman
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie: Collin Farrell
5. Name a movie that you can quote from: The Little Mermaid
6. Name a movie musical that you know all the lyrics to all the songs: Phantom of the Opera
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with: Any Disney movie
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see: The Star Wars trilogy
9. Name a unusual movie that you own: Official Denial
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops: I don't follow pop culture closely enough to know one
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?: Nope
12. Ever made out in a movie?: Yep
13. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven't gotten around to it: Farris bueller's Day off
14. Ever walked out of a movie?: Yes
15. Name a movie that made you cry: Fur
16. Popcorn?: Yes, please
17. How often do you go to the movies?: Rarely. Maybe 5 times a year.
18. What's the last movie you saw in the theater?: Ah.... Sweeny Todd? Maybe The Dark Night. Whichever premiered later.
19. What is your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Musical
20. What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?: The Little Mermaid

Writer's Block: To the Mat

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:16:13 GMT

If you were a superstar of professional wrestling, what would your wrestling name be? And what finishing move would you use to get to Wrestlemania?

Submitted By bige20

View 481 Answers

So I was part of a weight loss program in 2006, and my trainer actually encouraged me to get into body building. He told me I have the structure for it. He suggested "Valkyrie" for my beefy chick name.

As for a finishing wrestling move... it'd probably be something like me squeezing the opponent's head off between my thighs. Because I have some raw power in my thighs, and that's no joke.

h

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:47:48 GMT

The Life Experience Test

Overall, you have partaken in 125 out of 174 possible life experiences.
Your average life experience score is therefore 72%.

The average score is 51%, making your experiences more than 96% of the people who have taken this test.
The average for your age group (18-25) is 44%.

Broken down by category:
Art: 12/17 (71%)

Career & Work: 9/13 (69%)

Civics & Technology: 6/7 (86%)

Crime & Disarray: 6/11 (55%)

Education: 15/18 (83%)

Fashion: 12/15 (80%)

Fitness, Health and Sports: 4/7 (57%)

Life in General: 11/14 (79%)

Relationships: 12/14 (86%)

Religion & Politics: 3/4 (75%)

Social: 16/22 (73%)

Travel: 10/20 (50%)

Vices: 9/12 (75%)

Take the test and see how YOU compare