So you think that if a person is pro-life (or as pro-abortion people call them, "anti-choice"), that person must be Caucasian, male, fundamentalist Christian, and Republican? Think again. These groups will tell you that a pro-life person can have a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Cameron Diaz will protect Mother Earth
Cameron Diaz, one of Hollywood's current white-hot stars (you know how quickly that can change in Hollywood - ask the cast of those "American Pie" movies what they're doing now), has shot a reality series, "Trippin", now airing on MTV. The show appears to be about the environment and how to "think and act globally." For a critical review of this show, check here.
I don't know about you, but I love it when incredibly rich, fantastically beautiful, ultra-famous people tell me, Little Joe Whomever, the proper way to act and live. Are we to really think that Cameron and her friends are going to change the way they live? I can hear Cameron now: "You know, I don't really need to live in a 10,000-square-foot house complete with a pool, tennis courts, and a five-car garage that holds a Mercedes, Bentley, Hummer, classic Corvette, and a Lexus RX Hybrid SUV. It is just me that lives here - ok, Justin stays over some, but usually just me. Maybe I can live with just 8,500-square-feet and one tennis court - after all, kids in Chile have to wipe their behinds with leaves."
Update (4/27/05): If you must know and want to read about what celebrities think, you will be glad to know that Arianna Huffington is setting up a blog specifically for that.
I don't know about you, but I love it when incredibly rich, fantastically beautiful, ultra-famous people tell me, Little Joe Whomever, the proper way to act and live. Are we to really think that Cameron and her friends are going to change the way they live? I can hear Cameron now: "You know, I don't really need to live in a 10,000-square-foot house complete with a pool, tennis courts, and a five-car garage that holds a Mercedes, Bentley, Hummer, classic Corvette, and a Lexus RX Hybrid SUV. It is just me that lives here - ok, Justin stays over some, but usually just me. Maybe I can live with just 8,500-square-feet and one tennis court - after all, kids in Chile have to wipe their behinds with leaves."
Update (4/27/05): If you must know and want to read about what celebrities think, you will be glad to know that Arianna Huffington is setting up a blog specifically for that.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Perseveration
Perseveration is a term that is used in mental health settings to describe a client who focuses on a specific topic, phrase, person, or event. When a person is constantly talking about one specific topic (ie, how the CIA is after him), you would say that he is perseverating on that topic.
The word isn't only applied to what a specific person may be doing. Perseveration can also be applied to the media, in the sense that from time to time the media grabs onto a specific topic or event and covers it endlessly. For the past month, the media has perseverated on death, most specifically the deaths of Terri Schiavo and Pope John Paul II. CBS, ABC, NBC and its cable channels, Fox, CNN - all were guilty of "all Schiavo/Pope, all the time." When the media behaves in this manner, it is as if nothing else happens that is noteworthy, and so the only topic of discussion is the one that is looped endlessly.
Now it seems that Republicans and Democrats are perseverating as well. The Republican's hot-topic-of-the-moment is the "activist judge" whose evil goal is to destroy democracy (read this and this ). The President is on board, and there is a website where good citizens can go to find out what they can do. The Democrats have their lasers pointed at Tom Delay, U.S. congressmen for the 22nd district of Texas and the majority leader for the House. Democrats believe Delay was a grandstander when Terri Schiavo was waiting to die, and he has many ethics violations that should force him from the House (read this, this, and this). Of course, Mr. Delay, being the good little Republican that he is, points back at a specific activist judge.
Now don't get me wrong, these are important topics. Checks and balances are an important thing in our government, and a person with political power should have the highest standard of ethics. But there are many important issues that are facing our nation, not just whether a judge can let gays marry or if a congressman can pay his family with fundraising money.
The word isn't only applied to what a specific person may be doing. Perseveration can also be applied to the media, in the sense that from time to time the media grabs onto a specific topic or event and covers it endlessly. For the past month, the media has perseverated on death, most specifically the deaths of Terri Schiavo and Pope John Paul II. CBS, ABC, NBC and its cable channels, Fox, CNN - all were guilty of "all Schiavo/Pope, all the time." When the media behaves in this manner, it is as if nothing else happens that is noteworthy, and so the only topic of discussion is the one that is looped endlessly.
Now it seems that Republicans and Democrats are perseverating as well. The Republican's hot-topic-of-the-moment is the "activist judge" whose evil goal is to destroy democracy (read this and this ). The President is on board, and there is a website where good citizens can go to find out what they can do. The Democrats have their lasers pointed at Tom Delay, U.S. congressmen for the 22nd district of Texas and the majority leader for the House. Democrats believe Delay was a grandstander when Terri Schiavo was waiting to die, and he has many ethics violations that should force him from the House (read this, this, and this). Of course, Mr. Delay, being the good little Republican that he is, points back at a specific activist judge.
Now don't get me wrong, these are important topics. Checks and balances are an important thing in our government, and a person with political power should have the highest standard of ethics. But there are many important issues that are facing our nation, not just whether a judge can let gays marry or if a congressman can pay his family with fundraising money.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
my wife's "bad" birthday
The Wife "celebrated" her birthday today (I won't reveal her age - I'll let her do that if she wants to). I put the word "celebrated"in quotation marks because it wasn't much of a celebration - she may disagree with me, but I don't think it was and for several reasons.
We've had very limited funds for the past month since we've had medical bills (yes, having a baby is expensive). I wasn't able to get her a true birthday gift. My girls "bought" her a Starbucks gift card, but that was it. Now The Wife did tell me that what she wanted for her birthday was the ability to pick out exactly what she wants, and she hasn't found it yet. But I still feel bad for not getting her something on her birthday.
I forgot to pick up a birthday cake for her. I usually buy a cake from Ben & Jerry's (made with New York Super Fudge and Peanut Butter Cup), but I didn't even think about it this year. What is wrong with me? I love Ben & Jerry's!
I slept during her birthday dinner. Now let me explain: I work nights so I usually sleep during the day; our nanny is at her home this week because one of her kids has scarlet fever; I had to watch our daughters during the day when The Wife was at work, so consequently I could only sleep when she'd get home; I had to sleep when she got home because I'm at work now. The Wife's mom and stepdad came over to take her and the girls to a new seafood restaurant just a few miles from us. I wish I had been there, but I could not have made it through dinner and come to work - I would have been awake, like, 36 hours.
Next year this will not happen! Next year she will have a proper celebration!
We've had very limited funds for the past month since we've had medical bills (yes, having a baby is expensive). I wasn't able to get her a true birthday gift. My girls "bought" her a Starbucks gift card, but that was it. Now The Wife did tell me that what she wanted for her birthday was the ability to pick out exactly what she wants, and she hasn't found it yet. But I still feel bad for not getting her something on her birthday.
I forgot to pick up a birthday cake for her. I usually buy a cake from Ben & Jerry's (made with New York Super Fudge and Peanut Butter Cup), but I didn't even think about it this year. What is wrong with me? I love Ben & Jerry's!
I slept during her birthday dinner. Now let me explain: I work nights so I usually sleep during the day; our nanny is at her home this week because one of her kids has scarlet fever; I had to watch our daughters during the day when The Wife was at work, so consequently I could only sleep when she'd get home; I had to sleep when she got home because I'm at work now. The Wife's mom and stepdad came over to take her and the girls to a new seafood restaurant just a few miles from us. I wish I had been there, but I could not have made it through dinner and come to work - I would have been awake, like, 36 hours.
Next year this will not happen! Next year she will have a proper celebration!
Friday, April 8, 2005
A funeral to die for ...
It was overwhelming to watch John Paul II's funeral today. By "overwhelming," I mean that I could not believe the number of people that were there witnessing the funeral in person. So many presidents, prime ministers, heads of state, royalty and other glitterati were in attendance, as well as thousands and thousands of everyday people. How many persons in history have had so many dignitaries and "important people" attend their funeral?
The day has made me think of my own funeral and what I want people to say about me. I am reminded of the quote: "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
The day has made me think of my own funeral and what I want people to say about me. I am reminded of the quote: "When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."
Tuesday, April 5, 2005
Hospital comparisons
I must credit Joshua Claybourn and his blog, In the Agora, for keying me into a website called "Hospital Compare," brought to us by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. At the hospital where I work, we are always talking about "best practices" and the most effective to serve our patients/clients. I must say though, I do not believe hospitals should be in competition with each other, because then they may care more about the Almighty Dollar and "bringing the bling-bling in" instead of focusing on patient care.
So far, the only conditions that the site cares about in regards to hospitals around Indianapolis are heart attack care, heart failure care, and pneumonia care. Hopefully in the future they will offer more conditions of concern.
So far, the only conditions that the site cares about in regards to hospitals around Indianapolis are heart attack care, heart failure care, and pneumonia care. Hopefully in the future they will offer more conditions of concern.
Monday, April 4, 2005
7 eggs and 3 pigs for breakfast
Burger King has unveiled its new breakfast sandwich, the Enormous Omelet Sandwich. Apparently, they have decided that their lunch-time and meal-time fare is just too healthy, and so they have unloaded this monster. Guess how many hours you'll need to spend at the gym if you eat this to start your morning....
Thursday, March 31, 2005
My kind of town
The Wife and I drove up to Chicago last Friday (Good Friday, that is). We had a very enjoyable time, as we usually do there. Even though we spent only one night (at the Hyatt), we did everything we wanted to - see the Jackie Kennedy exhibit at the Field Museum and eat at a great place for dinner. The best thing about being there was no children. Now, we love our children dearly, of course, but it's always nice to get a break and do some adult things (no, not dirrty things - get yo' mind out the gutta) once in a while. Grammy and Grampy (The Wife's mom and step-dad) were watching the girls, so we knew we'd have fun - and a chance to sleep in.
We got there around 3:00 PM on Friday. We had planned to visit the Field Museum when we arrived but it was only going to be open for another two hours, so we decided to check into the hotel and relax for a bit. I had made dinner reservations for 9:15 at Frontera Grill, so we had plenty of time. However, we were hungry so we thought we'd try to get dinner earlier. We took a taxi to the Mag Mile and shopped around for a bit - The Wife bought some stuff for The Sweet at the American Girl store, and we looked around (but bought nothing) at Crate and Barrel. At 7:30, we were starving so we went to the restaurant and sat at a table in the bar area. We had an incredible meal there - the best Mexican food I've ever had! The guacamole was incredibly fresh. I had my first taste of seviche and loved it - The Wife loved it not so much. We had flan and a dark chocolate cake with blood-orange ice cream for dessert.
We slept in on Saturday - don't remember when we got up but it wasn't early, that's for sure. We checked out of the Hyatt at noon and took a cab to Bloomingdale's Home. We walked around Marshall Field's for a bit while we munched on Garrett's popcorn (the best caramel corn in the world - Oprah thinks so, so you know it's true). I nearly got mugged by this homeless guy when I used the ATM. We bought some Frango mints and looked up at the ceiling done by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
We arrived at the Field Museum just after 2:30 pm. We made it into the exhibit but it was quite crowded. The exhibit is basically Jackie's dresses. What's nice about it is that the dresses are displayed with pictures of Jackie in the dress and a text with info about the dress. Looking at the dresses, you realize how slender Jackie was. Do I really need to say that The Wife enjoyed the exhibit much more than I did? There were a lot more women than men going through the exhibit. I can't say that I became bored exactly, but a straight man can only look at so many dresses before getting tired of it all. We spent two hours (yep, two) in the exhibit, so the museum was only open for 30 more minutes when we came out. I have to be honest and say that the Field Museum is my least favorite of the major museums there - the exhibit on Sue the dinosaur is the only thing worth seeing.
We bought some Giordano's pizza on the way out of town. If you're wanting deep-dish pizza in Chicago, look no further than Giordanno's. We bought one of those partially baked pizzas which you can bake at home. Just as delicious, I must say ....
We got there around 3:00 PM on Friday. We had planned to visit the Field Museum when we arrived but it was only going to be open for another two hours, so we decided to check into the hotel and relax for a bit. I had made dinner reservations for 9:15 at Frontera Grill, so we had plenty of time. However, we were hungry so we thought we'd try to get dinner earlier. We took a taxi to the Mag Mile and shopped around for a bit - The Wife bought some stuff for The Sweet at the American Girl store, and we looked around (but bought nothing) at Crate and Barrel. At 7:30, we were starving so we went to the restaurant and sat at a table in the bar area. We had an incredible meal there - the best Mexican food I've ever had! The guacamole was incredibly fresh. I had my first taste of seviche and loved it - The Wife loved it not so much. We had flan and a dark chocolate cake with blood-orange ice cream for dessert.
We slept in on Saturday - don't remember when we got up but it wasn't early, that's for sure. We checked out of the Hyatt at noon and took a cab to Bloomingdale's Home. We walked around Marshall Field's for a bit while we munched on Garrett's popcorn (the best caramel corn in the world - Oprah thinks so, so you know it's true). I nearly got mugged by this homeless guy when I used the ATM. We bought some Frango mints and looked up at the ceiling done by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
We arrived at the Field Museum just after 2:30 pm. We made it into the exhibit but it was quite crowded. The exhibit is basically Jackie's dresses. What's nice about it is that the dresses are displayed with pictures of Jackie in the dress and a text with info about the dress. Looking at the dresses, you realize how slender Jackie was. Do I really need to say that The Wife enjoyed the exhibit much more than I did? There were a lot more women than men going through the exhibit. I can't say that I became bored exactly, but a straight man can only look at so many dresses before getting tired of it all. We spent two hours (yep, two) in the exhibit, so the museum was only open for 30 more minutes when we came out. I have to be honest and say that the Field Museum is my least favorite of the major museums there - the exhibit on Sue the dinosaur is the only thing worth seeing.
We bought some Giordano's pizza on the way out of town. If you're wanting deep-dish pizza in Chicago, look no further than Giordanno's. We bought one of those partially baked pizzas which you can bake at home. Just as delicious, I must say ....
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Five pastors ... and me
When I was in college in some small town in Ohio (which seems like an eternity ago), I was able to sing in a quartet during my junior and senior years. We traveled to different churches and camps during the academic year and in the summer. The "quartet" consisted of four singers (I sang bass), a "soundman" (he ran the soundboard and also preached), and a piano player. My junior year I traveled with five guys who are now all pastors: Brian Bales, Chad Coe, Jay LeBlanc, Mark Vroegop, and Erin Weaver. Perhaps I missed my calling somewhere.... Anyway, just by looking at the pictures of these guys, it seems Mark is the most "pastor-like."
My first post
Hello, Good People! Everyone seems to be blogging nowadays, so I thought I'd get in on the action. I will use my first entry as an introduction, to let people know who I am and what I do. I'm a mental health therapist for a hospital in Indianapolis. Although I've had a masters degree in counseling for ten years now, I'm not yet a licensed counselor, but I am working to that end. What I basically do at my job are crisis evaluations - meeting with people who may be depressed and/or suicidal to see if they need to be hospitalized on the psychiatric unit. I sometimes see people who are quite psychotic - they may be hearing voices telling them various things, or they believe that the CIA/FBI is after them, or they believe they're some famous/historical person.
I graduated from Cedarville University (it was Cedarville College at the time) in 1993 with a double major in psychology and behavioral science. I went straight to graduate school because it's very difficult to find work with a bachelors degree in psychology. I graduated from Wright State University in 1995 with a masters degree in mental health counseling. I learned a great deal from my professors at both universities, and I am indebted to them.
I married The Wife (sorry, she won't let me use her real name) in July 1996. She is from Danville, IL. I met her when we were both at Cedarville U. but we didn't start to officially "date" until Fall 1994. She graduated the year after me, and her degree was in business communications (I think - I'm sure she'll correct me on this). We moved into a little apartment in Dayton, OH (my hometown) and lived there for over a year before we got the itch to move to a bigger city. Well, we couldn't get much bigger than Chicago - we moved there in October 1997. However, we soon tired of the busy life in Chi-town and moved to Indianapolis (not quite as big a city as Chicago, but certainly large in and of itself) in August 1998. Except for a nearly two-year stint in Springfield, OH, when I worked for Wittenberg University, we have been in Indy since then.
I have been employed at several places since obtaining my degrees. I worked at a community mental health center in Dayton, a for-profit mental health company in Chicago that specialized in group programs for the severely mentally ill (the company apparently didn't make enough profit, since it has gone defunct since I've left Chicago), Wittenberg University (as a director over several residence halls), and the hospital where I work now.
The Wife is manager of the corporate services department for a corporate realty company here in Indy. She has worked there for over two years now. She has worked at several places since graduating from Cedarville University, including a national accounting firm, a hospital (in their public relations department), and a publishing company.
I have two children - The Sweet (5 yrs) and The Cute (5 mos.) - again, no real names, these are their nicknames we have given them. The Sweet will be starting kindergarten in the fall and she is very excited about it. The Cute will soon be cutting teeth (not so sure she's excited about that) and learning to sit up. I can't describe what it's been like for me to be a father - amazing, wondrous, frustrating, exhausting, exciting, illuminating.... It doesn't get much better than to have your child smile at you and hear her say, "Daddy, I love you."
I think I have revealed enough for now. I can't reveal too much or I wouldn't have anything to write about in the future, now would I?
I graduated from Cedarville University (it was Cedarville College at the time) in 1993 with a double major in psychology and behavioral science. I went straight to graduate school because it's very difficult to find work with a bachelors degree in psychology. I graduated from Wright State University in 1995 with a masters degree in mental health counseling. I learned a great deal from my professors at both universities, and I am indebted to them.
I married The Wife (sorry, she won't let me use her real name) in July 1996. She is from Danville, IL. I met her when we were both at Cedarville U. but we didn't start to officially "date" until Fall 1994. She graduated the year after me, and her degree was in business communications (I think - I'm sure she'll correct me on this). We moved into a little apartment in Dayton, OH (my hometown) and lived there for over a year before we got the itch to move to a bigger city. Well, we couldn't get much bigger than Chicago - we moved there in October 1997. However, we soon tired of the busy life in Chi-town and moved to Indianapolis (not quite as big a city as Chicago, but certainly large in and of itself) in August 1998. Except for a nearly two-year stint in Springfield, OH, when I worked for Wittenberg University, we have been in Indy since then.
I have been employed at several places since obtaining my degrees. I worked at a community mental health center in Dayton, a for-profit mental health company in Chicago that specialized in group programs for the severely mentally ill (the company apparently didn't make enough profit, since it has gone defunct since I've left Chicago), Wittenberg University (as a director over several residence halls), and the hospital where I work now.
The Wife is manager of the corporate services department for a corporate realty company here in Indy. She has worked there for over two years now. She has worked at several places since graduating from Cedarville University, including a national accounting firm, a hospital (in their public relations department), and a publishing company.
I have two children - The Sweet (5 yrs) and The Cute (5 mos.) - again, no real names, these are their nicknames we have given them. The Sweet will be starting kindergarten in the fall and she is very excited about it. The Cute will soon be cutting teeth (not so sure she's excited about that) and learning to sit up. I can't describe what it's been like for me to be a father - amazing, wondrous, frustrating, exhausting, exciting, illuminating.... It doesn't get much better than to have your child smile at you and hear her say, "Daddy, I love you."
I think I have revealed enough for now. I can't reveal too much or I wouldn't have anything to write about in the future, now would I?
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