Dead leaves and the dirty ground

Draw here.

It's a start

Potatoes with green peppers and diced onions sprinkled with pepper.

How does the Affordable Healthcare Act affect students?

I’m a college student. How does the Affordable Care Act affect me?

"The first thing students need to know is that if they DO have student insurance through their college or university, that’s been deemed to satisfy the requirement that individuals have health insurance starting in 2014.

If you can’t afford the insurance your school offers or your school doesn’t offer coverage, you might fall into one of a few categories.

First, if you’re a full-time student and you’re not working, or if you’re working just part-time, you probably don’t earn enough to trigger the requirement to have health insurance. It applies only to people who earn enough to have to file income taxes; that’s just under $10,000 this year for a single person under age 65.

But what if you WANT insurance? Well, if you’re under 26 and your parents are insured, you’re in luck. One popular part of the law lets young adults stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26. In states that opt to expand Medicaid, that will also become an option for many college and graduate students. It’s for people who earn up to 133 percent of poverty, or about $15,000 a year for an individual. But only about half the states are planning to expand Medicaid."

Source: NPR

Guilty, guilty, guilty

Reddit Post:Girls of reddit, what are the 'signs' that most guys miss?

On a more serious note, here's a brilliant list of tips from /u/kite47 :

• If you're talking to a cashier and she tells you for any reason when she gets off work, she wants you to come back.
• If a girl gives you her number, on some level she is interested. Meaning she gives it to you without you prompting her first, though often if she gives it to you after you ask her it still means she's interested*
• If a girl repeatedly mentions how she wishes she had a nice guy to date, she is interested.
• If a girl asks about your relationship status out of the blue, she is interested.
• If a girl you don't know approaches you and asks for the time, but then lingers in your vicinity, she wants you to come back up and approach her because she is interested.
• If a girl who is not a best friend type suggests watching a movie when you two are hanging out alone, she wants something to happen. She is interested.
• If a girl says she "needs to talk to you", but then it ends up being something really stupid like "I don't know what colour to dye my hair", then she probably chickened out of telling you she likes you.
• Physical touching while a girl is having a conversation with you usually means she is interested.
• Any time a girl seems to giggle WAY more than she should during a conversation, it means she is interested.
• If a girl you're not very close friends with mentions the fact she broke up with her ex and is looking for someone new, by God make a move! She is interested. This could mean it's just a rebound relationship, but nonetheless she's interested
• A girl almost never talks about wanting a one night stand to a guy unless she wants to with him. (This is more on the topic of sex than dating, but I thought I'd include it anyway)
• This one blows my mind that some guys miss! If a girl asks to sit next to you somewhere where there are other viable empty places/tables to sit at, she's interested!
• If a girl starts talking about "how well you two get along", she is interested in you.
• If a non-best friend girl is with her friends and ditches them to hang out with you, she is interested in you.
• If a girl tells you she's lonely at home (by means of text, E-Mail, FaceBook, phone, etc. etc.), she wants you to come over! She most likely is interested in you!
• If a girl says she's really cold in an obviously warm environment, she probably wants you to warm her up (either through a hug or occasionally offering your jacket chivalrously). She's interested in you.
• If a girl starts complaining about how all the guys just want her for sex, and that she wishes she had a sweet guy, she's interested in you. However, I can't guarantee she'd really be the type most guys would want to date. At the same time, this can be one of the few less obvious hints, where she is testing how you react and judging your answer to see if you're someone she's interested in.
• If a girl says she's "new in town" and wants someone to show her around, nine times out of ten it's because she's trying to find an excuse to be around you one on one.
• If a girl seems to be smiling with you way more than she does when she talks to other people, she's interested in you.
• I know it's cliche, but a lot of girls still twirl their hair when flirting. Girls usually stop doing this by the time they're 21.
• A girl who keeps beating herself up on her looks, not only is she fishing for a compliment, she's fishing for YOUR compliment. Though this usually means she's interested in you, she could just be looking for attention. If she does it often to multiple people, it's probably the latter.
• In most contexts, if a girl asks you how her outfit looks, she wants you to check her out. She is interested in you.
• If a girl talks about how long she spent getting ready and then asks your opinion on how she looks, she did it to impress you. (If she does this when you and her had specifically made plans to hang out, it's even more explicit. Exceptions to this rule are weddings, parties, etc. etc.)
• Girls like confidence. If you think a girl is interested in you, go for it! The worst that happens is a no. If she has a worse reaction, she's someone you wouldn't want to be around anyway.
• If a girl is constantly leaving you to talk very briefly to her other female friends, then runs back to you to talk more. She is interested in you and is filling them in on all the details. This is especially true if it's accompanied by a lot of smiling.

Link to source.

Empathy vs. Sympathy

A Personal Code of Conduct

A great read over on Primer Mag (link). I think we need to open it up to every PERSON and not just men. We should all have our own code of conduct and hold ourselves accountable to it.

An example of an individual's code:

Now it's time to write my own.

Angry Birds Space

I was looking through my backpack for paper to take notes on a video for my final and I found this. Remnants of the past. One of my clients LOVED, absolutely loved to draw and he would use it as his escape from reality. On our first session, I used Angry Birds Space as my reinforcer if he would brush his teeth for me. Of course he obliged and then he played a few minutes. His mom later informed me that she didn't want to use it as a reinforcer because he would persistently ask her for it every day of the week( I was only in session with him on Saturdays). I never brought phone out during session to honor her request and from then on he would illustrate Angry Birds Space for me and ask me to contribute as well. Miss working with that little guy.

Helping out for Turkey Day

Even though I have my issues with church institutions I was more than happy to help out for this turnout and this cause.

Cheese

I was trying to take a picture of my phone and failed to focus on the screen. I like the outcome. An abstract of sorts.

Run. Stop. It's 5 a.m.

The view during my morning run. I just stopped myself and took a picture. Finding solace in the small things.

Underestimating the Emotion

Last session as a behavior specialist did not end as planned. It was supposed to be a quick hour and a half session. Full of drawings, treasure hunt object identifying activities and brushing teeth. Instead, I arrived to a sick client in stomach pain. When his mom canceled the session, tears streamed down his face. It was to be our last session together. I held face while giving him and his siblings a farewell hug but it got to me.

Enter the Future Heartbreaker

Remain Inquisitive and Constantly ask Questions

Link to artwork

Saying Goodbye

I said my Hello's and then my Good Bye's before but this one hit me hard. To see how much progress my kiddo has made since March has been wonderful. He's a high functioning child with autism and has signs of schizophrenia and when we started working together it seemed difficult to imagine progress. He hasn't been diagnosed for the latter but it is a possibility. In my opinion, what helped him progress as much as he has is due in large part to having a role model and attention. At school, he was often isolated from his peers due to his special needs. At home, he was having bad behaviors reinforced with tangibles when instead he needed someone to talk to and to play with. 

Yesterday was my last session with him. I let him know that I had a surprise gift for him at the end of session. I was testing his patience but he managed to wait appropriately and by the end of session I presented with this:

I'm to blame for his adoration of Minecraft but I think it's a healthy obsession. He loved it and I'm happy he did. I wish him and his family well and hope he succeeds in life. 

Ozomatli Performance

Great group of gents that performed at my internships gala event.

Actions > Words

Sorry, No can do, I'm busy. Mil Disculpas.

How busy am I these days? Let's have a look.

Monday - 6am wake up. Internship 8a-4pm, get home around 430-5. Go for a run(self care), shower, eat dinner/snack. Done by 7(give or take). Study, read articles, book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)

Tuesday - 530am wake up, School 8:30 am to 4pm, Work 5-8pm, Get home around 9. Go for a run(self care), 1030 Study, read articles, book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)

Wednesday- 6am wake up. Internship 8a-4pm, get home around 430-5. Go for a run(self care), shower, eat dinner/snack. Done by 7(give or take). Study, read articles, book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)

Thursday- 530am wake up, School 8:30 am to 4pm, Work 5-8pm, Get home around 9. Go for a run(self care), 1030 Study, read articles, read book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)

Friday- 8am-11am Study, read articles, book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)work from 2pm to 830.

Saturday- 6am wake up, 8am work to 4pm. Home by 5pm. Go for run(self care) Lunch/dinner. 7pm Study, read articles, read book readings, write papers or take online quizzes take place here. (Done by 11-12pm)

Sunday - Free fucking day.

This vicious cycle will come to an end soon. For now, I must endure and survive.

4 Weeks Notice

This past Thursday I decided to pick up my paycheck and submit my resignation letter. I'm giving them up to 4 weeks to replace me on the cases that remain on my schedule. As I approached HR to discuss this, I was first asked if I was considering an offer to have my BCBA funded by them. In my head I thought, "HAH! You mean add to my load?" I let her know that it was a great idea but not for me. In fact, here's my letter resignation. To which she replied, "oh no". I plead my case and it made sense to her. I'm simple being honest with myself. After all, I know me best and you know you best(at least I'd hope). I'm unable to give my best effort at the MSW program, internship at MAOF AND behavior specialist work.

She pulled in our CEO/President next door and I explained the same situation to him. Luckily, my approach has left me with an open door, if I so choose to return. Even though there have been tons of tribulant times as a behavior specialist, it was great to hear that I'm wanted. Am I the best specialist out there? Heck no. But I give my clients an opportunity to succeed and address any concerns their(I wrote my which shows how attached I become) parents may have. I think for some I may have been a laughing stock when I started this year. I had NO experience and had a background in business administration. Yet, my ability to speak fluent Spanish and my PATIENCE served me well and supported me while I learned about the ABA therapy performed at my agency.  I've evolved as person, in large part due to my experiences in this field and job. I feel better prepared to become a parent(someday), I sympathize with the plight of the family's that have to fight to structural hardships AND their child's disability. But as I've learned in my courses thus far, they're not victims, they're survivors. After I finish my MSW program, my hope is to be able to advocate for these children and family's on any level.

I'm very grateful for this opportunity that was given to me and after November 11, 2013 I will end my life's chapter as a behavior specialist.

Gut Check. Week 5 Complete.

These last few weeks have been testing my grit. I'm a full time graduate student, part time worker as a Behavior Specialist and an intern at a local non profit. Each role is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Particularly now that I have to juggle them and assign priorities in an interchanged manner. This doesn't account for the social life that is slowly diminishing as the fall semester progresses.

Is it worth it? Yes! Of course it is. I'm loving the expansion of my knowledge base in the field of social work. What troubles me is knowing that I will have to make more sacrifices. What to sacrifice? that deduction remains to be seen.

Also, I covered (yet another) new client's session last night. Little guy was escaping or attempting to often and I happened to get head butted as I redirected him back to the couch. Feels like I was punched in the nose. Luckily, it was only bloody mucus and a sore nose that I had to worry about this morning.

Gold Mine for Behavior Specialists

Dollar Tree: an inexpensive resource for every Behavior Specialist.

Life Without Timekeeping

“Try to imagine a life without timekeeping. You probably can’t. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of your car. You have a schedule, a calendar, a time for dinner or a movie. Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays. an alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out.” 
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

Cracking the Codes

This past Thursday during my Social Welfare Policy class we were introduced to "Cracking the Codes". It was a chilling look at how we erroneously believe we "now live in a “post-racial” America". Admittedly, I fell into that line of thought when Obama won the election back in 2008. Even when I saw an interracial couple, I would think to myself, "Wow, we've progressed so much!". But after four weeks of being immersed into my MSW program at Cal State Dominguez Hills, that couldn't be further from the truth. While it's true that some progress has been achieved, we still find ourselves being divided on key social issues such as LGBTQ rights and immigration. Even though we're living in the 21st century, hate continues to manifest itself within our "progressive" society.

Something the film touched on that was quite revealing is the notion of Post Traumatic Slavery Syndrome(PTSS). What is PTSS? PTSS describes a set of behaviors, beliefs and actions associated with or, related to multi-generational trauma experienced by African Americans that may be inclusive of but not limited to undiagnosed and untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in enslaved Africans.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Traumatic_Slave_Syndrome] How did "Cracking the Codes" address PTSS? They had an African American mother discuss a prior experience where she was at a school meeting for her son. At that meeting, she was having a conversation with a Caucasian mother that happened to be her son's best friends' mother. The Caucasian mother was delighted to acknowledge her son's outstanding achievements and yet managed to reflect on the fact that the African American mother's son had actually performed better. However, the African American mother didn't acknowledge or praise her own son's performance. Why didn't she want to show any praise for her son? Because during slavery a colored mother would do so to protect her son or daughter from the slave owner and instead of praising or acknowledging praise they would devalue their own children. It's amazing how decades later, (some) African American mother's unconsciously react the same way when their son/daughter is receiving any form of praise. It's not that they aren't proud, it's just an instinct to protect their child. What's the big deal? These children NEED that praise. They need it so that they can feel appreciated by their OWN mother and family.

I'm just spilling my thoughts on this but I highly recommend that everyone watches this film and takes some time to think about it. Quite insightful!

MSW Program - Week 3

It's week 3 and I'm still adjusting to being a student once more. The main complaint from my cohort is the never ending assigned readings, I agree. Still, I'm enthralled by the discussions in class and find myself participating more often than I would during my undergrad. It's refreshing to (finally) be able to have conversations about issues that matter to me.

Alternately, working part-time at around 15 hours a week feels drastically different. The workload is manageable thus far but I expect things to pick up soon. I'm anticipating that by December I will no longer be a Behavior Specialist. Sad times.

Actually, I posted a picture of my badge from work this weekend on my Facebook. I was intending to poke fun at the fact that I've been working there for 9 months and I finally have my badge. However, poor phrasing made it seem as if I was just hired or promoted. After so many congratulations were had, I didn't have the heart to tell friends and family that it was supposed to be a joke.

Time to go read me some more social work related articles.

Julie Delpy's - A Waltz For A Night

Guilty, Neglectful Blogger Here.

I've been a terrible blogger the last few months. That's probably a generous amount of time, more like the last 4-5 months. After attending my orientation last week at Cal State Dominguez Hills I can no longer use the "I'm too busy" excuse. A professor(forgot her name, must work on this) was giving us her pitch on why we should be involved and join the GSW(campus chapter for social work). She made a compelling argument that we're busy right now, and when we start school we will busy even more busy and when we finish our masters program we will be busy working or looking for work and after that we will be busy as well. Thus, we're always going to be busy but we can manage to take some time out of our routine and dedicate it to the GSW. Didn't join the club just yet but I purchased a well designed shirt as recompense.

A whole new chapter in my life awaits me and I feel as if I'm ending one next week. I'll be working part time as a behavior specialist but I presume I will depart after the fall semester. Either that, or they will terminate me for shortening my schedule and not being "flexible" enough.

I'm currently worn out from working this job but I don't regret joining the ranks. I've had the opportunity to interact with many families and their children on a level that I never anticipated. There are some clients I will be happily departing from and others that I will miss dearly. I've had growth on a professional this year. I went in knowing nothing from this field but with an open mind and now I feel capable. It's not over yet but I feel accomplished at this point.

I'm taking this post as an opportunity to declare my intent to document my experiences and feelings during the next two years. I'm entering my MSW program at Cal State Dominguez Hills as an eager and engaged student that wants to make a positive impact in the community. Hopefully I finish this program with the tools to do so.

In the mean time, back to work for me. I've got a client that requires my attention.

Japan Commuters are AWESOME

Japan commuters free woman trapped under train

What's your go-to comeback?

[–]Tha_Prophet_ 2970 points 7 hours ago (8351|5390)

I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.

[–]Chewbacker 2975 points 5 hours ago (6873|3914)

From a similar thread: "I don't have the time, or the crayons to explain it to you."

[–]Ihavenocomments 2492 points 6 hours ago (5035|2554)

I've been called worse things by better people.

[–]SeaTriscuit 879 points 3 hours ago (969|157)

I hope your day is as pleasant as you are.

Who does this?

This excuse for man tosses the intruding dog by his neck. Tough to watch.

Link

Mr. Roger's - It's You I Like

"It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair--
But it's you I like.
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you--
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys--
They're just beside you.
But it's you I like--
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like"

My Crazy Brown Eyes

So a kiddo in one my sessions is learning to use his words more efficiently and ask questions. He asks me, "hey Felipe, what color are my eyes?" I tell him that they're dark brown. Then I ask him, "How about me, what color are my eyes?" He looks into them very deeply and responds with "Oh, they're light brown AND SCARY. AHHHHH" So there you have it, I have brownish/crazy eyes -__- haha.

Defining Marriage

avise_la_fin 667 points 3 hours ago (765|93)

There's a tremendous responsibility in joining yourself to someone in marriage. You inherit their debts, their neuroses, their family, their love, their pain, their joy...their entire personhood becomes entwined into yours. You each give up a bit of your own identity, so that the two of you can craft a new one.

The first year is trying for most newlyweds. Personal space is a thing of the past. Hobbies that you could spend hours and dollars on are superseded by the need to furnish a life together. You can't check out emotionally. You have to actually talk about things. You have to consider your spouse's side. You have to be an adult.

But...there's an incomparable joy in losing yourself in love. You have a purpose beyond self-satisfaction. You might have children together, greatly diminishing yourself in one way, but adding to yourself in many others. Life is more vibrant, more chaotic, more tiresome, and more rewarding.

It's not for everyone. It's risky, giving a piece of your heart away. But if you choose your lover and best friend wisely, and commit to it with all your heart, it is the greatest adventure you'll ever take.

That Moment.

"Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes, a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment... every part of it... will live on forever."

Quote from Talib Kweli

via a friend on Facebook:

i don't believe in condemning or censoring any art..but i definitely believe in challenging artists to be more responsible with their lyrics..i don't think lyrics ever are the root cause of the problems, ONLY SYMPTOMS OF THE PROBLEM, and i think that if you want to change what the artists are talking about, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE ARTISTS ARE DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM…if you are starting your process to change the way they rap by saying “I’m dismissive of your effort entirely” then why would they listen to you? They have no reason to listen to you…we have to embrace people with love..None of these people are evil trying to bring down our community on purpose…they’re misguided the same as their fans... and when we embrace them, we have to embrace them with love.. -talib kweli

Comics for Children with Autism

Link

Prom at the ICU for this lovely little lady

Story: Katelyn couldn't make it to the personal prom set up for her later that night due to medical complications, so the prom was brought to her as a surprise in a converted room next to hers in the ICU. All photos courtesy Michael Dayah.

Link

Knowledge vs Wisdom

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt

Humanity in Karachi, Pakistan

Link

Self Portrait - Black and White

My Smart Mess

Foot wear collection. Minus my Clark's Desert Boots