I googled my name today and this is what I found...

First Google Page
1.  My Facebook profile was listed first.  This of course is not surprising since I think my obsession of Facebook is getting out of hand.  I blame this on the fact I'm couped up doing homework all the time and I take breaks and look at Facebook otherwise my mind would explode all over the place with counseling knowledge.  Anyone that likes Zombie's or watches the Walking Dead KNOWS this can get pretty gruesome.

2. LinkedIn profile.  I never use this and typically forget I even have a LinkedIn account.

3. My Twitter account.  I'm such a big user I have made two posts since I have opened my account up.  I think it's the fact I don't really know how to use it or know anyone who has twitter except for celebrities.  I would tweet at Celebs but they have a bazillion followers, and I don't want to get my hopes up that Chef Chuck Hughes from Chuck's Day off will come over and make me some delicious food.

4.  So the first page of my googled life is really lame.  It shows nothing of my accomplishments except for crappy social media sites I use.

2nd Google page

1. OKAY.  This is getting better! It has me listed on the Advising website at WSU - Finally my grad assistant acomplishment is showing up.

2. My 5K results for the goodview gallop!  Yes I came in 14 place overall over 342 females.  I am extremely thrilled with this accomplishment to only find out it shows up like 15th place on google searches for me. I was a little irritated my running achievements are showing up so second rate.  C'MON google! You are better than this!!  http://www.mtecresults.com/runner/show?rid=4955&race=452

3rd Google Page
OKAY google.  NOW I have a bone to pick with you.  I won first place for my age group in the warrior waddle 5K race this fall.  It was cold out... so cold I almost died of hypothermia (Alright, I am being a bit dramatic).  BUT I WON A MEDAL! Do you know how exciting that is for me?  I use to come in last place at every cross country race in high school.  I was horrible... I was terrible!  Now I could run circles around people.  DAMNIT google!  http://www.winonadailynews.com/article_6b1481c4-fd14-11e0-a3f3-001cc4c002e0.html

And I must admit - this was fun.  But it was also a distraction from all the work I have to do today.  Anywho google.  Until we meet again. 

Crazy Semester

So, I have started my new semester!  It has been crazy busy with 20 hours at my new internship at Gundersen Lutheran and 20 hours at my graduate assistantship in advising.  Not to mention the three classes I have on top of that.  My life, for the next 5 months, will probably be nonexistent.  And I love life and being around the people I love!  Well just people in general.  I apologize in advance for my absence to everyone and more than likely this blog. 

Here are some pictures I found today:

HAHAHA - I'm a dork.  I found this really funny! And I'm guessing it's my lack of sleep and my hours piling over the work.


So... This is all you get.  This is what it will be like for the next 5 months. *Tear.  Is it May yet?

The Devil All the Time - Donald Ray Pollock

The book "The Devil All the Time," by Donald Ray Pollock is a masterpiece.  This is his first novel and I would definitely coin it with the term Breakthrough Novel.  The story is gruesome, descriptive, clear, and concise.  The author writes three different small stories and sub plots than at the end of the novel the stories converge into a final end.  I think this would be a difficult novel to write because he uses third person omniscient.  The reader has narrations and view points from many different characters which can be confusing and hard to keep track of if written incorrectly.  Pollock has the ability to write from many different characters viewpoints while having three different stories happening essentially at the same time which is very impressive.  When I see this and it works so beautifully in a novel, I want to jump through the book and give the author a big gigantic hug!!!

The book was so good I read it in one day.  On the flip side of that, I have off work from my assistantship and I have no class.  Reading a book in one day is not a difficult feat for me considering the amount of free time I have to do so.  However, I don't think that really would have mattered I could not put this novel down.

What I love so much about this novel is the rawness of all the characters.  It's set in Ohio in an extremely small, backwards, hickish town.  The characters all make poor choices in this book and at the same time are super religious.  Many feel that God will save them even as they commit acts of murder and sin.  The dialect and dialogue the author uses is spot on and so real it makes you feel like you are standing with the characters like the devil on their shoulder watching their next move of poor judgment and decisions.

I did some research on the author, and this happens to be his first novel.  He is in his mid 40's-50's and lived in a rural town in Ohio called Knockemstiff and worked in the paper mill from 1973 to 2005.  He now has his MFA from Ohio State University, so it makes me wonder if some of the stories he writes about are stories from his past.  The stories could be embellished stories of people that lived in this little rinky dink town. I remember the advice always given to future authors - write what you know.

For some reason, seeing this eloquently written novel of someone who worked as a laborer for many years, gives me hopes for writing :) Chuck Palahniuk had a similar start to his career working in a factory and taking a break from journalism for many years.  I love the way both of these men write, but I have found it's not really my style.  I want to write something that everyone can read, and Palahniuk definitely has his own shtick and way of writing.  I admire him for weaving tales in the outrageous, uncomfortable nature that he does.  This book was a good read!

Twas the night before Eggnog Extravaganza

Twas the night before Eggnog Extravaganza, in Madison WI, not a creature was stirring, not even a Bdawg.  We were all nestled in bed as dreams of honey whisky, endless bowls of jello shots, warm delicious cups of eggnog with peppermint stir sticks, bottles of leftover sloe gin, and beer from a keg danced in our heads. 

When out from the hall, there arose such a clatter, just a dude who wanted to drive, who wasn't driving a Saturn.  Good friends who also wanted to drive, disconnected the wires, and wrote penis all over the windshield with peppermint whipped creme patties.

On Brinza, on Elstad, on Bdawg, on Felsing, on McManners!

The rest of the night was hazy and full of cat fancy magazines, a large amount of beer pong, and way too much CT.  The end of the night ended with some icing and water bottle dumping while most of us still dreamed in our inebriated states.

Did that really happen or was that just a dream?  I guess we better find out for ourselves at the next Eggnog Extravaganza next year!

To all a Merry Christmas and a VERY Happy New Year! 

Death of an Atheist

http://m.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/article_d2967ec8-2b87-11e1-b1f2-0019bb2963f4.html

This article was posted in the Winona Daily News today.  This article WOULD be posted in the Winona Daily News today.  Of course, it in turn would be re posted to facebook and while I was reading the article my blood started to flow and the hair on my neck started to stand on end. 

First case in point, what mediocre writer would sit there and post something bad about Christopher Hitchens, one of the best writers ever to live.

Next case in point, I HIGHLY doubt that atheism is the smallest minority group for religion.  If it is, I wish this writer would have provided proof of some sort (ha maybe that's the atheist in me), or at least some research on this.  You can have an opinion but if you can't back it up then don't post it like it is a fact.  I'm sorry you can't just believe a fact is true if you haven't seen it before.  I do agree that it's possible, if you combine all religions.  You know - like Buddhism, Hinduism, Scientology, and so forth.  In that case, of course it would be the minority but I know this writer is only talking about Christianity, the only religion that matters, right?

In addition, I was really angry by how they said that if there is no God than why do we do community service?  What would be the purpose to do community service?  So basically, atheists are these terrible, bad people that are not good enough at heart to want to do community service unless the holy lord command them to?  This may come as a huge surprise but I'm going into a field called counseling that helps people.  Everyday I plan on doing service to people to help them get better.  My wanting to do this never ending servitude to people has NOTHING to do with religion.  The author tries to provide a meaning for this by throwing a scripture of some sort but if you are atheist this argument comes up very flawed and short.  The problem with spouting off bible verses to someone who isn't your religion is pretty in affective.  If they don't read it, or believe in it, then the information is moot.

I'm pretty sure Christopher Hitchens didn't think anything at the end of his life like what this writer posted.  But, I guess if he doesn't need proof about God than I guess he wouldn't need proof about what Christopher Hitchens was thinking and feeling before he died.  He can just believe he knows and that can be his unfortunate truth.

The most important thing about being alive is to be a good person.  To have an appreciation and acceptance of people who are different than you and have different beliefs than you do. Atheism is a belief.  It may be one of the most looked down upon views a person can have. But it's not any different than believing in a religion.  People need to honor others beliefs and be respectful even if it's not the most popular and sought after view around.  Because if you aren't doing that, in theory, are you being a good person?  If you really want to get into Heaven maybe it's time you learn to practice and live what you preach.

Musicophillia - Oliver Sacks

Today I finished the book Musicophillia by Oliver Sacks.  Oliver Sacks is a physician - in particular neuroscience and psychiatry.  Basically, he is really smart.  So smart at times I didn't really understand a lot of the terms used in the book.  What I did get out of the book were some answers to hypothesis about music and a deeper understanding of how truly powerful the use of music can be.  For instance, I didn't know there was a disorder called William's disorder which is a disorder that occurs when 15-25 genes are missing on a chromosome.  The brain is also less developed leaving people with this disorder with smaller IQ's less than 60.  The frontal lobes of the brain and the creative-music part of the brain are rather large and can be super sized.  William's syndrome patients LOVE music and are extremely sociable and outgoing.  One lady in particular, had 2,000 different operas and musical arrangements memorized. However, not all people with William's disorder are that advanced in music but they still love music such as creating, performing, and singing.  Basically when it comes to the social aspect of this disorder, it is completely the opposite of people who have Autism.  People suffering from Autism have flat affect, do not display emotions, and are not typically sociable.  William's disorder is a rare disorder with only 1 out of 10,000 people having it.  Every year in Massachusetts, a camp is arranged for people with William's disorder to come together and do what they do best - play music.

Another interesting area I found was that the brain has the same activity when using musical imagery or replaying songs in our heads when music is not being played by us with an instrument or being listened to on the radio (or any other means of listening to music).  The book gave an example of a cyclist who always listened to music when they were training, and during their time trials for the Olympics they listened to the music in their head even though it wasn't playing and had the best time they ever received while doing so.  I believe music has a huge impact on athletes and can help athletes train or do better when racing.  In my personal life, I have witnessed this impact and effect.  I always run my best while listening to music.

Alzheimer's disease is always one of the saddest, scariest disorders that I feel can happen to people.  The loss of self and memories of past events in particular are what scare me the most.  In the book, it said that music is one of the only ways that Alzheimer's patients can bring back their self that has been lost.  For some reason, the part of the brain that has emotions evoked by music does not deteriorate in Alzheimer's patients while everything else does.  That is why music therapy is so important to this group of patients because they will hear a song or a lyric that can bring back a memory or emotion that they have lost about themselves.  When they hear the music, that sense of self is triggered and in that instant they can remember who they are.

The book was a great read - especially if you are a counseling student getting your masters and are thinking about writing your capstone on music therapy :P)  - oh that would be me!

Sweating & Running toxinz out

Yesterday, I woke up with a cold - a sniffling, my nose will not stop running type of cold.  I have my old regimen that happens when a cold starts and I swear that it kicks the nasty thing out of my system in about two days.

*Day 1 - Oh no! I have a cold.  When this happens, I typically stay in, rest up, read a lot, and do not do any strenuous exercise or running.  I pop vitamin C pills like no other, and drink copious amounts of green tea and water.

*Day 2 - I feel a little bit better!  I still am sniffling but I feel like I could at least go for a run or do something to sweat out the toxins.  For example, today I ran 3 miles when I woke up and sweat like I ran 10.  During and after the run I started to feel even better.  The key for the remainder of the day is pushing the vitamin C and liquids again.

Day 3 - Repeat - I should be mostly cured and feel like myself.

This is my holistic approach to sweating nasty colds out of my system!  It works for me at least :P)Also, some yummy chicken noodle soup is always a nice added touch.  Tis the season of colds.