h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks for coming along, Schmooze - I loook forward to hearing ofyour exploits. What kind of counsellor are you - substance abuse, youth issues, mental health,disability? (I work in special ed., ESOL)

i'm a counsellor of all the first three ... that was incoherent ... i am a dual diagnosis youth clinician which means i do counselling with teenagers with mental health disorders and substance use disorders. bit of a mouthful!

the schmooze

In 1999/2000 I did the Human Services Diploma at ACE, and it was very valuable - before that, I wouldn't even have known what 'dual diagnosis' means!
BTW, I've listened this morning, to ACT types boring on, on the radio about people who are "bad" and "evil" and how such people as the boy who just pled guilty to killing two men in Mangere Bridge should be "euthanised", "put down" etc., when, I gather, the boy clearly has a history of substance abuse! (Who knows what other problems he may have. But they are bleating on about "cold blooded killers, showing no remorse" (all the usual cliches!))

yeah - i find people extremely narrow minded and short sighted when it comes to people doing things wrong - they don't want to know about the whys and wherefores - they just want to labe the person evil or whatever without even trying to understand why they might have done what they've done. people seem to think that "trying to understand" somehow means you're condoning what the person has done. it's pathetic really. and being election year, the little politicians in particular will grab hold of any emotive current event to have a whinge about . . .

anyway, far more exciting is that i'm flying off to singapore tomorrow!!!!! so cool, i'm looking forward in a big way. my hubby's just found out his foot is broken, he did it a week ago. good one! they don't do anything for a broken foot (it's just one little bone), just has to heal by itself.

anyway - lots to do. byeeeee.

the schmooze

Woo-hoo, have a marvellous trip! Your poor husband, he's not going to be much use for carrying bags... how did he break his foot? Sounds terrible!
Anyway, have a marvellous time! We'll hear from you, looking fwd to it.