I'm having a good morning so far, so I hate to rant, but I'm listening to "A Gleeful Podcast" - my first time to listen to a Glee podcast. I was so excited to listen to the discussion of the "Grilled Cheezus" episode that I love so much. So far I'm mostly just really annoyed, especially with the guy who's talking, Josh. He is so critical! And he doesn't get his facts straight. Finn didn't sing the Billy Joel song, Puck did. Finn wasn't in the hospital scene at all. And Chris Colfer didn't lose the Emmy to Aaron Paul from "Breaking Bad," because that was the drama category. Chris lost to Eric Stonestreet from "Modern Family." I understand no one's perfect, but if you're going to discuss a show, the characters and the people who play them, at least know what you're talking about most of the time.
I don't expect everyone to have the reactions I do. And I can see some validity to some of his criticisms. But I just felt like he was way too picky. Does he even like the show?
Now I'm listening to the podcast on the Britney Spears episode. Nearly ten minutes into the podcast, and they have not said one word about the episode yet; they're going on and on about other stuff. These people come across as quite self-absorbed. I'm disappointed. I expected people who make a Glee podcast to really like the show, and what I've heard so far is a little praise and a lot of pickiness.
Maybe I need to do a Glee podcast. :)
librarianintx
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
more on Glee
from last week's episode:
Mercedes to Kurt (in the church): "I know you don't believe in G-d. You don't believe in the power of prayer, and that's okay. To each his own. But you've gotta believe in something. Something more than you can touch, taste, or see. Cause life is too hard to go through it alone. Without something to hold on to. And without something that's sacred. Anyway, Kurt, this song is for you."
From this week's episode:
Kurt to his father: "I'm the only openly gay kid in my high school. In this town. I mean, why can't I walk hand-in-hand down the hall with the person that I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom?"
Burt: "You think I don't want those things for you? I do. You know, until you find somebody as open, and as brave, as you are, you're just gonna have to get used to goin' it alone."
Also from this week's episode:
Rachel to Kurt: "I know you're lonely. I cant' even imagine how hard it must be to have feelings in high school you can't act on for fear of being humiliated, ridiculed, or worse...That's 12 people who love you, Kurt, for being exactly who you are. I know you're lonely, but you're not alone."
After last week's spectacular episode, I was a little nervous that this week would be a let down. Luckily, I was wrong. "Duets" gave the audience a little bit of everything we expect from Glee - laughter, heartbreak, surprises, conflict, and show-stopping performances.
Since last week was basically a total Kurt episode, I expected him to be relegated to the background this week. I am so glad I was wrong. Building on the feelings of isolation from last week, one of the major themes from this week's episode was Kurt wanting to sing a duet with the new boy in the club, Sam, as well as Kurt's belief that Sam "bats for his team." With the topics of gay teen suicide and bullying so much in the news these days, as well as the ongoing debate about gay marriage and "Don't Ask Don't Tell," Kurt's loneliness and frustration, communicated so brilliantly by Chris Colfer, were so vital for the viewing audience to witness. Add to this another poignant scene between Kurt and his dad, and a verbal argument between Finn and Kurt, with Finn asking Kurt to back off of Sam for the good of the glee club, and you've got a wonderfully complex mix of emotion and hot button issues for family discussion.
And while I'm on the subject of Chris Colfer (when am I not these days?) :-) let's talk about his two numbers in the show. "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria...are you serious? No professional experience before Glee? So hard to believe. That was one of the biggest production numbers on the show to date, and he NAILED it! Wow!
And then at the end of the show, we are treated to a performance by two of the biggest divas on the show, singing together simply for the love of performing, not because they were trying to win the duets competition. Rachel's supportive comments and finally a smile from Kurt after so much pain made the Streisand/Garland homage of "Happy Days/Get Happy" an absolute joy to experience. Rachel beamed, Kurt exuded confidence, and their voices blended gloriously. It was the kind of performance that you witness with a smile on your face and tears in your eyes. This is what Glee is all about.
There was so much emotional depth to this episode. Kurt's plea for understanding. Rachel's altruism. Quinn's hesistant steps toward a new relationship. Sam's maturity for not breaking his promise to sing with Kurt. And in the surprise of the night, Brittany feeling guilty for taking advantage of Artie in hopes of winning the contest. I did not see that one coming. For Artie, sex is a more complicated issue. Here, the tables were turned, and the man was the vulnerable one who got played. For the first time we get to see Brittany as a person with real feelings, not the dumb blonde cheerleader. Oh, the tangled webs these kids weave. And the next few weeks will only yield further complications.
My main concern at this point is Kurt fatigue. Chris Colfer is so adept at communicating pain, and the writers are giving him numerous opportunities to showcase that talent. The character of Kurt is receiving quite a bit of sympathy and support, and the young man who portrays him is enjoying well-deserved praise and very early Emmy buzz. But there are already rumblings of discontent. "I'm tired of every episode being about Kurt." "I want to be entertained when I watch Glee, not look at Kurt's sour expression every two minutes." "Enough with the gay storyline, I'm sick of it." I'm not too worried yet, though. There have been Kurt-haters from the beginning, as well as Rachel and Quinn-haters as well. The haters are a small and not very vocal subset of the Gleek population.
Another surprise in the episode: Brittany and Santana's little makeout scene. Tame though it was, this is a prime time television show on a major network that families often watch together. While I'm happy to note that I haven't heard much criticism of the scene, I know how our country operates, and it saddens me to firmly believe that Kurt and his boyfriend of the future will not have an opportunity to display such affection for each other. I would be thrilled to be proven wrong on this point.
librarianintx
Mercedes to Kurt (in the church): "I know you don't believe in G-d. You don't believe in the power of prayer, and that's okay. To each his own. But you've gotta believe in something. Something more than you can touch, taste, or see. Cause life is too hard to go through it alone. Without something to hold on to. And without something that's sacred. Anyway, Kurt, this song is for you."
From this week's episode:
Kurt to his father: "I'm the only openly gay kid in my high school. In this town. I mean, why can't I walk hand-in-hand down the hall with the person that I like? Why can't I slow dance at my prom?"
Burt: "You think I don't want those things for you? I do. You know, until you find somebody as open, and as brave, as you are, you're just gonna have to get used to goin' it alone."
Also from this week's episode:
Rachel to Kurt: "I know you're lonely. I cant' even imagine how hard it must be to have feelings in high school you can't act on for fear of being humiliated, ridiculed, or worse...That's 12 people who love you, Kurt, for being exactly who you are. I know you're lonely, but you're not alone."
After last week's spectacular episode, I was a little nervous that this week would be a let down. Luckily, I was wrong. "Duets" gave the audience a little bit of everything we expect from Glee - laughter, heartbreak, surprises, conflict, and show-stopping performances.
Since last week was basically a total Kurt episode, I expected him to be relegated to the background this week. I am so glad I was wrong. Building on the feelings of isolation from last week, one of the major themes from this week's episode was Kurt wanting to sing a duet with the new boy in the club, Sam, as well as Kurt's belief that Sam "bats for his team." With the topics of gay teen suicide and bullying so much in the news these days, as well as the ongoing debate about gay marriage and "Don't Ask Don't Tell," Kurt's loneliness and frustration, communicated so brilliantly by Chris Colfer, were so vital for the viewing audience to witness. Add to this another poignant scene between Kurt and his dad, and a verbal argument between Finn and Kurt, with Finn asking Kurt to back off of Sam for the good of the glee club, and you've got a wonderfully complex mix of emotion and hot button issues for family discussion.
And while I'm on the subject of Chris Colfer (when am I not these days?) :-) let's talk about his two numbers in the show. "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria...are you serious? No professional experience before Glee? So hard to believe. That was one of the biggest production numbers on the show to date, and he NAILED it! Wow!
And then at the end of the show, we are treated to a performance by two of the biggest divas on the show, singing together simply for the love of performing, not because they were trying to win the duets competition. Rachel's supportive comments and finally a smile from Kurt after so much pain made the Streisand/Garland homage of "Happy Days/Get Happy" an absolute joy to experience. Rachel beamed, Kurt exuded confidence, and their voices blended gloriously. It was the kind of performance that you witness with a smile on your face and tears in your eyes. This is what Glee is all about.
There was so much emotional depth to this episode. Kurt's plea for understanding. Rachel's altruism. Quinn's hesistant steps toward a new relationship. Sam's maturity for not breaking his promise to sing with Kurt. And in the surprise of the night, Brittany feeling guilty for taking advantage of Artie in hopes of winning the contest. I did not see that one coming. For Artie, sex is a more complicated issue. Here, the tables were turned, and the man was the vulnerable one who got played. For the first time we get to see Brittany as a person with real feelings, not the dumb blonde cheerleader. Oh, the tangled webs these kids weave. And the next few weeks will only yield further complications.
My main concern at this point is Kurt fatigue. Chris Colfer is so adept at communicating pain, and the writers are giving him numerous opportunities to showcase that talent. The character of Kurt is receiving quite a bit of sympathy and support, and the young man who portrays him is enjoying well-deserved praise and very early Emmy buzz. But there are already rumblings of discontent. "I'm tired of every episode being about Kurt." "I want to be entertained when I watch Glee, not look at Kurt's sour expression every two minutes." "Enough with the gay storyline, I'm sick of it." I'm not too worried yet, though. There have been Kurt-haters from the beginning, as well as Rachel and Quinn-haters as well. The haters are a small and not very vocal subset of the Gleek population.
Another surprise in the episode: Brittany and Santana's little makeout scene. Tame though it was, this is a prime time television show on a major network that families often watch together. While I'm happy to note that I haven't heard much criticism of the scene, I know how our country operates, and it saddens me to firmly believe that Kurt and his boyfriend of the future will not have an opportunity to display such affection for each other. I would be thrilled to be proven wrong on this point.
librarianintx
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Glee
It was a profoundly moving episode of "Glee" last week. I'm still processing my reaction to it. For those of you who haven't seen it, find it on the Internet and watch it!! :)
In the episode, Kurt's dad has a heart attack and nearly dies. As his glee club friends do their best to support him by singing spiritual songs and taking turns praying for his father at his bedside, Kurt struggles with his grief and fear, as well as his firm belief that G-d does not exist. People in pain often lash out when loved ones are trying to help, and Kurt's frustrations with his peers' constant religious interruptions further alienates him at a time when he really needs his friends around him.
This episode was sheer genius to me. The writing was truly inspired. In typical Glee fashion, the dialogue went from laugh out loud funny to achingly poignant to rather odball.
Several of the cast members were given the opportunity to shine, but no one as brightly or dramatically as Chris Colfer. WOW. The level of despair and heartbreak he communicated was overwhelming. His rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was breathtaking. I have said before that he is a scene stealer on this show. On this episode, he brought his craft to a whole new level. I can't believe this is his first acting gig.
So much of this episode resonated with me. Losing one parent and constantly worrying about losing the other. Feeling alone in grief and pain. And being treated negatively because your beliefs are different from the majority.
Kurt singing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was riveting enough. But there was another scene that really affected me. When Finn was singling "Losing My Religion," he walked into the library, and the camera panned to Kurt sitting in a chair, ostensibly reading, with tears on his face, as fellow students moved around him, going on about their lives. I lost a close friend when I was in graduate school. I remember sitting in the dorm study lounge, a book open in front of me, crying quietly, as people chatted and studied and laughed around me. I felt invisible, hurt, and terribly alone.
Glee is a show that can truly make you laugh one minute and cry the next. Its a show that both entertains and makes you think about larger life issues. People who haven't seen it probably think its a silly show about a bunch of high school kids. I think Glee is an important show as well as a fun show. I hope its around for a long, long time.
In the episode, Kurt's dad has a heart attack and nearly dies. As his glee club friends do their best to support him by singing spiritual songs and taking turns praying for his father at his bedside, Kurt struggles with his grief and fear, as well as his firm belief that G-d does not exist. People in pain often lash out when loved ones are trying to help, and Kurt's frustrations with his peers' constant religious interruptions further alienates him at a time when he really needs his friends around him.
This episode was sheer genius to me. The writing was truly inspired. In typical Glee fashion, the dialogue went from laugh out loud funny to achingly poignant to rather odball.
Several of the cast members were given the opportunity to shine, but no one as brightly or dramatically as Chris Colfer. WOW. The level of despair and heartbreak he communicated was overwhelming. His rendition of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was breathtaking. I have said before that he is a scene stealer on this show. On this episode, he brought his craft to a whole new level. I can't believe this is his first acting gig.
So much of this episode resonated with me. Losing one parent and constantly worrying about losing the other. Feeling alone in grief and pain. And being treated negatively because your beliefs are different from the majority.
Kurt singing "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was riveting enough. But there was another scene that really affected me. When Finn was singling "Losing My Religion," he walked into the library, and the camera panned to Kurt sitting in a chair, ostensibly reading, with tears on his face, as fellow students moved around him, going on about their lives. I lost a close friend when I was in graduate school. I remember sitting in the dorm study lounge, a book open in front of me, crying quietly, as people chatted and studied and laughed around me. I felt invisible, hurt, and terribly alone.
Glee is a show that can truly make you laugh one minute and cry the next. Its a show that both entertains and makes you think about larger life issues. People who haven't seen it probably think its a silly show about a bunch of high school kids. I think Glee is an important show as well as a fun show. I hope its around for a long, long time.
Monday, October 04, 2010
failure
"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default" - JK Rowling
Its the fear of failure that often keeps people from truly living. Sometimes its also the fear of success that keeps people from truly living. In each case, its the fear of something.
Is anyone truly fearless? I don't think so. I think every person is afraid of something, but some people are better at handling their fear. And some people are afraid of things that they don't have to encounter on a regular basis, like snakes or giant spiders or something.
I have lived with fear all my life. Big fears and little fears. Everyday fears and one-in-a-million-chance-of-happening fears.
The other day I was watching a reality show, and a young man was about to parachute out of an airplane. As the camera showed him preparing to jump, we hear him saying in a voice-over, "I'm not nervous; I'm trying to get that nervous feeling." Intellectually I understood what he was saying. Nervousness fuels the adrenaline high that comes from engaging in such an activity. But emotionally - it was absolutely mind-boggling to me that someone was actually WISHING to be nervous. When you've spent a good chunk of the forty plus years that you've been on this earth struggling with anxiety, you can not imagine anyone wanting to feel nervous.
Considering how much I have struggled, I would say that I have at least made some strides in my life. I have a Master's Degree, and I have a job. I go out to eat and attend social events. I have more of a handle on my anxiety than I used to. But in other avenues of my life, I still let fear win.
I try to remember that we are all a work in progress.
I'm not the only one who struggles.
I'm not the only one who's stuck.
librarianintx
Its the fear of failure that often keeps people from truly living. Sometimes its also the fear of success that keeps people from truly living. In each case, its the fear of something.
Is anyone truly fearless? I don't think so. I think every person is afraid of something, but some people are better at handling their fear. And some people are afraid of things that they don't have to encounter on a regular basis, like snakes or giant spiders or something.
I have lived with fear all my life. Big fears and little fears. Everyday fears and one-in-a-million-chance-of-happening fears.
The other day I was watching a reality show, and a young man was about to parachute out of an airplane. As the camera showed him preparing to jump, we hear him saying in a voice-over, "I'm not nervous; I'm trying to get that nervous feeling." Intellectually I understood what he was saying. Nervousness fuels the adrenaline high that comes from engaging in such an activity. But emotionally - it was absolutely mind-boggling to me that someone was actually WISHING to be nervous. When you've spent a good chunk of the forty plus years that you've been on this earth struggling with anxiety, you can not imagine anyone wanting to feel nervous.
Considering how much I have struggled, I would say that I have at least made some strides in my life. I have a Master's Degree, and I have a job. I go out to eat and attend social events. I have more of a handle on my anxiety than I used to. But in other avenues of my life, I still let fear win.
I try to remember that we are all a work in progress.
I'm not the only one who struggles.
I'm not the only one who's stuck.
librarianintx
Sunday, October 03, 2010
My Personality
Its cool how little things in life make me happy. Things that I think most people don't think about, or things that are taken for granted. Silly things sometimes. For example, I bought this food container from a friend who sells Avon. Its a three-in-one container; it will hold a sandwich and then two side items, like chips and fruit. The sandwich section has a cover on it, so when you clasp it together the three sections stay separate. Even though its a little bigger than an average sandwich container, it still fits in my lunch tote.
I am really happy with this food container. Now instead of having to take and later wash three separate containers for the cereal, cheese cubes (or hard boiled egg), and bread slices that I take to work nearly every day, I can just use this one container. Its great. I used it for the first time on Friday, and was darn pleased with it. I even bought two of them, so one could be drying while the other one is in use. Its made of plastic and supposedly safe for the microwave, but I'm not going to use it in the microwave. If I did, I could use if for even more types of food, even at home. But that's okay. Using it for lunch with refrigerated or non-refrigerated foods is good enough.
I guess finding ways to make your life easier is probably a cool thing for many people, so maybe I'm not so different. I think this is especially true for people with disabilities. When we find ways to maintain whatever level of independence we have been able to achieve, the result can be very exciting. Or when we have people in our lives that are willing and able to help us without guilt or negativity, that is very important as well.
Unfortunately the flip side of this easy happiness is that I am also easily hurt and frustrated by circumstances and individuals. Sensitivity can be both a blessing and a curse.
librarianintx
I am really happy with this food container. Now instead of having to take and later wash three separate containers for the cereal, cheese cubes (or hard boiled egg), and bread slices that I take to work nearly every day, I can just use this one container. Its great. I used it for the first time on Friday, and was darn pleased with it. I even bought two of them, so one could be drying while the other one is in use. Its made of plastic and supposedly safe for the microwave, but I'm not going to use it in the microwave. If I did, I could use if for even more types of food, even at home. But that's okay. Using it for lunch with refrigerated or non-refrigerated foods is good enough.
I guess finding ways to make your life easier is probably a cool thing for many people, so maybe I'm not so different. I think this is especially true for people with disabilities. When we find ways to maintain whatever level of independence we have been able to achieve, the result can be very exciting. Or when we have people in our lives that are willing and able to help us without guilt or negativity, that is very important as well.
Unfortunately the flip side of this easy happiness is that I am also easily hurt and frustrated by circumstances and individuals. Sensitivity can be both a blessing and a curse.
librarianintx
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Boys
You meet all kinds of people when you ride a city's paratransit service. Some passengers don't stop talking; some never say a word. Same goes with the drivers. The clients hail from all walks of life, and have varying levels of ability.
Sometimes friendships are formed during these rides, especially if you have a permanent trip and travel with the same person or people every day. Currently I have one relationship that has migrated from fellow client to friend. We talk on the phone occasionally. We have met for dinner a few times. We ride together Monday through Friday, except when the schedulers decide to mix things up and put us on different routes. We don't like that. I had another paratransit friend several years ago. I went to her house once, and she came to my birthday party. But she moved away and we did not stay in touch. The rides are much more enjoyable when you have a fellow passenger or driver that you can talk to and joke with.
My trips in the morning are long. I usually ride for about an hour and twenty minutes. After we drop off my friend, we pick up three guys. Two of them (F. and P.) live in a group home, and the other (J.) lives with his father and young niece. My driver and I call them "the boys," even though two of them are older than me. F. and P. are blind, and all three guys have varying degrees of autism and intellectual disabilities.
I have known F. and P. for more than thirteen years, although we have not been fellow passengers for all of those years. They were on my very first route, which probably lasted about a year or so, and then I started riding with them again about two or three months ago. I probably rode with them a few times during the intervening years as well.
Our schedule doesn't vary, unless the schedulers change it of course. We pick up J. first. When she's not running late, the driver takes the time to get out of the car and say hello to J.'s four year old niece. J. rarely talks during this part of the trip, but he waves a lot - to pedestrians, to drivers, and sometimes just to the air. Some people smile and wave back; some look uncomfortable or confused.
As soon as F. and P. get in the car, J. is constantly talking. They all spend time at a multi-purpose rec center for people with disabilities, although F. and P. also work for a few hours each day, performing menial tasks at different restaurants. P. goes to work before going to the rec center, a fact that confuses J. on a daily basis.
J.'s questions and comments are usually the same. "Who coming?" "Where born?" "When born?" "that man there" "Goin' work?" Day after day after day. F. gets frustrated and rarely responds. P. is patient and answers over and over again.
Our driver plays music in the car. We've heard that the radios will be removed next month, and we're all sad about that. We enjoy listening and sometimes singing a little. F. and P. know nearly every song. As soon as a song starts, they'll say, usually in unison, "The Four Tops!" "Oh, that's Chicago." "Stevie Wonder..." F. and P. are quite different. F. is white; P. is black. F. likes country music; P. likes disco. P. sometimes has a girlfriend that he spends time with at the rec center. But the two men are very close. They have had to move to different group homes over the years, and so far they have been able to stay together. P. is higher functioning than F. He looks out for him. Before they lived in group homes, they resided in different institutions. P. said the staff was often mean to him. They would take his food away before he was finished. He endured worse than that, but those stories are his. I haven't asked permission to share them.
One day I knew a song that F. and P. didn't. I couldn't believe it. It was Dexy Midnight Runner's "Come on Eileen." A one hit wonder.
F. has a discman that he listens to a lot. Every few days he'll ask me to change the batteries for him. He'll carefully hand me the player and the batteries from his seat in the front; I sit in the back with J. and P. F.'s hands will flutter the whole time I'm working. He tries to be patient, because sometimes it takes me awhile to dig the batteries out and get the new ones in. One time I put the new batteries in wrong, so of course the discman wouldn't work. F. reminds me often that I got it wrong once. He's not being mean. Its just his way. He always says thank you. Even days later he'll say thank you. His birthday was in August. I gave him a ten pack of batteries. His boss at work gave him an Alan Jackson cd. He is an Alan Jackson fanatic.
P. listens to audio books. I often wonder why he has a menial job. He organizes the silverware at the restaurant. I don't know him that well of course, but I think he can do more than that.
I wouldn't necessarily call myself a morning person. Sometimes I feel frustrated by J.'s constant questions, and having no personal space during the last ten minutes or so of the ride. But usually I'm not bothered at all. I kind of feel like a sister to the boys. When J. gets in the car I make sure he puts his seat belt on. When I get out of the car, P. asks if I'm riding the next day. I let them know in advance if I'm going to be out of town or taking the day off. They get upset too when the schedulers change up the routes. Our driver will usually tell me, "The boys missed you yesterday." Every day both P. and F. admonish J. not to move over until I am out of the car. "Wait J.! Wait!" they say protectively. "Don't push her out."
We take care of each other.
librarianintx
Sometimes friendships are formed during these rides, especially if you have a permanent trip and travel with the same person or people every day. Currently I have one relationship that has migrated from fellow client to friend. We talk on the phone occasionally. We have met for dinner a few times. We ride together Monday through Friday, except when the schedulers decide to mix things up and put us on different routes. We don't like that. I had another paratransit friend several years ago. I went to her house once, and she came to my birthday party. But she moved away and we did not stay in touch. The rides are much more enjoyable when you have a fellow passenger or driver that you can talk to and joke with.
My trips in the morning are long. I usually ride for about an hour and twenty minutes. After we drop off my friend, we pick up three guys. Two of them (F. and P.) live in a group home, and the other (J.) lives with his father and young niece. My driver and I call them "the boys," even though two of them are older than me. F. and P. are blind, and all three guys have varying degrees of autism and intellectual disabilities.
I have known F. and P. for more than thirteen years, although we have not been fellow passengers for all of those years. They were on my very first route, which probably lasted about a year or so, and then I started riding with them again about two or three months ago. I probably rode with them a few times during the intervening years as well.
Our schedule doesn't vary, unless the schedulers change it of course. We pick up J. first. When she's not running late, the driver takes the time to get out of the car and say hello to J.'s four year old niece. J. rarely talks during this part of the trip, but he waves a lot - to pedestrians, to drivers, and sometimes just to the air. Some people smile and wave back; some look uncomfortable or confused.
As soon as F. and P. get in the car, J. is constantly talking. They all spend time at a multi-purpose rec center for people with disabilities, although F. and P. also work for a few hours each day, performing menial tasks at different restaurants. P. goes to work before going to the rec center, a fact that confuses J. on a daily basis.
J.'s questions and comments are usually the same. "Who coming?" "Where born?" "When born?" "that man there" "Goin' work?" Day after day after day. F. gets frustrated and rarely responds. P. is patient and answers over and over again.
Our driver plays music in the car. We've heard that the radios will be removed next month, and we're all sad about that. We enjoy listening and sometimes singing a little. F. and P. know nearly every song. As soon as a song starts, they'll say, usually in unison, "The Four Tops!" "Oh, that's Chicago." "Stevie Wonder..." F. and P. are quite different. F. is white; P. is black. F. likes country music; P. likes disco. P. sometimes has a girlfriend that he spends time with at the rec center. But the two men are very close. They have had to move to different group homes over the years, and so far they have been able to stay together. P. is higher functioning than F. He looks out for him. Before they lived in group homes, they resided in different institutions. P. said the staff was often mean to him. They would take his food away before he was finished. He endured worse than that, but those stories are his. I haven't asked permission to share them.
One day I knew a song that F. and P. didn't. I couldn't believe it. It was Dexy Midnight Runner's "Come on Eileen." A one hit wonder.
F. has a discman that he listens to a lot. Every few days he'll ask me to change the batteries for him. He'll carefully hand me the player and the batteries from his seat in the front; I sit in the back with J. and P. F.'s hands will flutter the whole time I'm working. He tries to be patient, because sometimes it takes me awhile to dig the batteries out and get the new ones in. One time I put the new batteries in wrong, so of course the discman wouldn't work. F. reminds me often that I got it wrong once. He's not being mean. Its just his way. He always says thank you. Even days later he'll say thank you. His birthday was in August. I gave him a ten pack of batteries. His boss at work gave him an Alan Jackson cd. He is an Alan Jackson fanatic.
P. listens to audio books. I often wonder why he has a menial job. He organizes the silverware at the restaurant. I don't know him that well of course, but I think he can do more than that.
I wouldn't necessarily call myself a morning person. Sometimes I feel frustrated by J.'s constant questions, and having no personal space during the last ten minutes or so of the ride. But usually I'm not bothered at all. I kind of feel like a sister to the boys. When J. gets in the car I make sure he puts his seat belt on. When I get out of the car, P. asks if I'm riding the next day. I let them know in advance if I'm going to be out of town or taking the day off. They get upset too when the schedulers change up the routes. Our driver will usually tell me, "The boys missed you yesterday." Every day both P. and F. admonish J. not to move over until I am out of the car. "Wait J.! Wait!" they say protectively. "Don't push her out."
We take care of each other.
librarianintx
Monday, September 13, 2010
Transitioning to College blog
http://blog.govdelivery.com/usodep/2010/09/transitioning-from-high-school-to-college-students-with-disabilities.html
By Guest Blogger Jean Ashmore, President, Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
It’s the time of year again when yellow school buses are on the roads, uniforms and school supplies are everywhere, and students and parents alike are excited and anxious about a new school year. Those years when a student switches schools are particularly salient, with much to be learned and encountered in the new school. This is especially true when a young person transitions to college. All college students bring along academic and social experiences and lots of expectations and concerns – none more, in my thinking, than students with disabilities. Let me share some particulars on why college transition may be extra challenging for students with disabilities and give some suggestions to help make this time a success.
One of the greatest factors impacting a move from high school to college for students, who have received special education services during K-12, is that the laws regarding disability assistance differ substantially between primary and secondary educational systems. In providing resources and services for students with disabilities, colleges are guided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), both of which focus on non-discrimination and rights of access.
On the other hand, special education in public schools follows the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates what is to be done for students identified with disabilities that adversely impact their education. These differences can result in a student with a disability being disappointed and frustrated in college. At the college level, course requirements are not modified as they sometimes are in high school, homework isn’t reduced, tests are not routinely modified and for the most part, professors aren’t notified by the college about a student’s accommodation needs before classes begin. Note, I use the word “accommodations,” not modifications.
In college, accommodations are not modifications. Accommodations aid a student in accessing courses and tests, dormitory living, etc., but success is up to the student. That might sound harsh, but when you really think about it, it’s wonderful. This means in college, a student with a disability does the same work as his or her peers, earns grades of the same value, establishes himself or herself as a student heading to a good future rather than a person defined by a disability.
Because a disability may result in functional limitations for a student, the college will provide reasonable accommodations to reduce the impact of those limitations. Let’s say a person has a disability resulting in the inability to read print efficiently. Working with the student, the college’s disability resource office will explore what the student needs, such as large print, Braille, electronic texts etc. and then will work on providing those accommodations. Notice that the reading material and tests will be the same but the means the student uses to access them may be different. This is not Special Education under IDEA, rather this is at the heart of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as recently amended – providing access so a person with a disability can learn, work and live a full and productive life.
So if the laws governing college are based on non-discrimination and the provision of access through reasonable accommodations, and the laws covering K-12 Special Education are quite different and provide for things not covered by colleges, such as school buses, personal care attendants and modified curriculums, what’s a transitioning student with a disability to do?
First of all, educate yourself about how the differences between high school and college will impact you. Understand your disability and learn to self advocate. If you’re not sure about how to be a self advocate, talk to your parents and teachers. Practice giving a brief “info bite” with people you know to develop confidence for when you need to discuss things like accommodations at your university. Don’t let others do this for you – remember the great saying, “not about us without us.” Being defined by your interests, personality and accomplishments rather than those “dis” things is where you want to be. I really hope you’ve chosen your college because of what it offers academically. It’s important to know about the college’s disability resources, but check those after you know that the school matches your interests.
College can be likened to a job with certain KSAs – knowledge, skills and abilities. Having the right KSAs will make college successful for all students, but especially those with disabilities.
K – knowledge of what disability resources and services are available at the college and how the system works, knowledge of what you need and why and knowledge of your goals.
S – skills with adaptive technology (exposure and training on AT should happen in high school), skills in talking with people about your needs and skills to follow a schedule you develop.
A – ability to work hard to do the academic work, ability to self-advocate and a very important ability, being independent as a college student regardless of the supports or accommodations that you may need.
Although many of these suggestions are geared toward a student who has a disability, I think these words can also be helpful to parents and others inquiring about higher education for students with disabilities. College is the gateway to good careers and lifestyle options that everyone aspires to, but I would venture to say that college is essential for individuals with disabilities, especially those with profound disabilities. Unfortunately, employment statistics of people with disabilities are woefully poor. While a college education will not guarantee solid employment, it definitely will help in that direction.
In my own experiences as a director at a university disability resource department, I’ve met some of the most incredible students. Future doctors, engineers, musicians, teachers, lawyers and so many other exciting careers. The challenges for an engineering student who is blind may seem overwhelming to others but to that student, it’s business as usual – ‘What’s the assignment?’; ‘How will I do it?’; ‘What do I need to get it done?’; ‘When am I going to do it considering everything I need to and want to do?’…voila! The work gets done and a well earned grade results. The student who reads books auditorily or who devotes lots of time to reading print just does that to get the job done. For these students, their learning strategies have incorporated functional elements linked to their disabilities. They do not define them – they are simply the methods these students use to achieve their goals.
There are some great resources about college transition for students with disabilities. The Department of Education‘s brochure, “Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities” (http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html) is a good place to start.
My professional association, AHEAD (www.ahead.org), has a number of helpful resources, too. Add a copy of 100 Things Every College Student with a Disability Ought to Know by Johnson and Hines to those KSAs, and the student will be well poised for success. I can’t recall if the 100 Things book recommends it, but I’ll end this post with “know how to do or get laundry done (without Mom)!” Here’s to a great school year for everyone.
Jean Ashmore is the President of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the former director of Disability Support Services at Rice University where she lectured in Education Certification. With backgrounds in rehabilitation and school counseling, Ashmore’s career has entailed working with people with disabilities in various settings.
Posted by Stephanie B on Sep 7, 2010 8:45:49 PM in Education, Guest Blogger
End of article/blog
Transition is one of my key interests in the work that I do. Transition is so important for students with disabilities, and in my opinion teachers, counselors, and parents are still not doing enough to prepare students for the changes they will face when leaving high school. I received very little transition assistance when I was leaving high school, so I now endeavor to assist students and parents during this important time in their lives.
librarianintx
By Guest Blogger Jean Ashmore, President, Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
It’s the time of year again when yellow school buses are on the roads, uniforms and school supplies are everywhere, and students and parents alike are excited and anxious about a new school year. Those years when a student switches schools are particularly salient, with much to be learned and encountered in the new school. This is especially true when a young person transitions to college. All college students bring along academic and social experiences and lots of expectations and concerns – none more, in my thinking, than students with disabilities. Let me share some particulars on why college transition may be extra challenging for students with disabilities and give some suggestions to help make this time a success.
One of the greatest factors impacting a move from high school to college for students, who have received special education services during K-12, is that the laws regarding disability assistance differ substantially between primary and secondary educational systems. In providing resources and services for students with disabilities, colleges are guided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), both of which focus on non-discrimination and rights of access.
On the other hand, special education in public schools follows the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which mandates what is to be done for students identified with disabilities that adversely impact their education. These differences can result in a student with a disability being disappointed and frustrated in college. At the college level, course requirements are not modified as they sometimes are in high school, homework isn’t reduced, tests are not routinely modified and for the most part, professors aren’t notified by the college about a student’s accommodation needs before classes begin. Note, I use the word “accommodations,” not modifications.
In college, accommodations are not modifications. Accommodations aid a student in accessing courses and tests, dormitory living, etc., but success is up to the student. That might sound harsh, but when you really think about it, it’s wonderful. This means in college, a student with a disability does the same work as his or her peers, earns grades of the same value, establishes himself or herself as a student heading to a good future rather than a person defined by a disability.
Because a disability may result in functional limitations for a student, the college will provide reasonable accommodations to reduce the impact of those limitations. Let’s say a person has a disability resulting in the inability to read print efficiently. Working with the student, the college’s disability resource office will explore what the student needs, such as large print, Braille, electronic texts etc. and then will work on providing those accommodations. Notice that the reading material and tests will be the same but the means the student uses to access them may be different. This is not Special Education under IDEA, rather this is at the heart of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as recently amended – providing access so a person with a disability can learn, work and live a full and productive life.
So if the laws governing college are based on non-discrimination and the provision of access through reasonable accommodations, and the laws covering K-12 Special Education are quite different and provide for things not covered by colleges, such as school buses, personal care attendants and modified curriculums, what’s a transitioning student with a disability to do?
First of all, educate yourself about how the differences between high school and college will impact you. Understand your disability and learn to self advocate. If you’re not sure about how to be a self advocate, talk to your parents and teachers. Practice giving a brief “info bite” with people you know to develop confidence for when you need to discuss things like accommodations at your university. Don’t let others do this for you – remember the great saying, “not about us without us.” Being defined by your interests, personality and accomplishments rather than those “dis” things is where you want to be. I really hope you’ve chosen your college because of what it offers academically. It’s important to know about the college’s disability resources, but check those after you know that the school matches your interests.
College can be likened to a job with certain KSAs – knowledge, skills and abilities. Having the right KSAs will make college successful for all students, but especially those with disabilities.
K – knowledge of what disability resources and services are available at the college and how the system works, knowledge of what you need and why and knowledge of your goals.
S – skills with adaptive technology (exposure and training on AT should happen in high school), skills in talking with people about your needs and skills to follow a schedule you develop.
A – ability to work hard to do the academic work, ability to self-advocate and a very important ability, being independent as a college student regardless of the supports or accommodations that you may need.
Although many of these suggestions are geared toward a student who has a disability, I think these words can also be helpful to parents and others inquiring about higher education for students with disabilities. College is the gateway to good careers and lifestyle options that everyone aspires to, but I would venture to say that college is essential for individuals with disabilities, especially those with profound disabilities. Unfortunately, employment statistics of people with disabilities are woefully poor. While a college education will not guarantee solid employment, it definitely will help in that direction.
In my own experiences as a director at a university disability resource department, I’ve met some of the most incredible students. Future doctors, engineers, musicians, teachers, lawyers and so many other exciting careers. The challenges for an engineering student who is blind may seem overwhelming to others but to that student, it’s business as usual – ‘What’s the assignment?’; ‘How will I do it?’; ‘What do I need to get it done?’; ‘When am I going to do it considering everything I need to and want to do?’…voila! The work gets done and a well earned grade results. The student who reads books auditorily or who devotes lots of time to reading print just does that to get the job done. For these students, their learning strategies have incorporated functional elements linked to their disabilities. They do not define them – they are simply the methods these students use to achieve their goals.
There are some great resources about college transition for students with disabilities. The Department of Education‘s brochure, “Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities” (http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html) is a good place to start.
My professional association, AHEAD (www.ahead.org), has a number of helpful resources, too. Add a copy of 100 Things Every College Student with a Disability Ought to Know by Johnson and Hines to those KSAs, and the student will be well poised for success. I can’t recall if the 100 Things book recommends it, but I’ll end this post with “know how to do or get laundry done (without Mom)!” Here’s to a great school year for everyone.
Jean Ashmore is the President of the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and the former director of Disability Support Services at Rice University where she lectured in Education Certification. With backgrounds in rehabilitation and school counseling, Ashmore’s career has entailed working with people with disabilities in various settings.
Posted by Stephanie B on Sep 7, 2010 8:45:49 PM in Education, Guest Blogger
End of article/blog
Transition is one of my key interests in the work that I do. Transition is so important for students with disabilities, and in my opinion teachers, counselors, and parents are still not doing enough to prepare students for the changes they will face when leaving high school. I received very little transition assistance when I was leaving high school, so I now endeavor to assist students and parents during this important time in their lives.
librarianintx
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Biloxi
My first trip out of the state in years....
My mother and I visited Biloxi. We had a great time. Slot machines, gumbo and red snapper, friendly people, and beautiful views like this...
librarianintx
Sunday, August 01, 2010
"Team Everest"
http://www.teameverestthemovie.com/
I watched this movie yesterday: "Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey." The documentary chronicles the adventure of a lifetime for a group of people with disabilities as they spend three weeks attempting to reach the base camp of Mount Everest. Five of the people in the expedition use wheelchairs.
Wow, what a movie. It is right up my alley. Its about perseverance, triumph of the human spirit, it has heart and humor, and it shows the beauty and culture of a faraway land that I will never have the opportunity to visit in my lifetime. I know that many people with disabilities do not like to be considered inspirational, but the people in this group are inspiring. They had a dream and were determined to see it come to fruition, and they didn't let anything stand in their way.
librarianintx gives the movie two thumbs up. :)
I watched this movie yesterday: "Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey." The documentary chronicles the adventure of a lifetime for a group of people with disabilities as they spend three weeks attempting to reach the base camp of Mount Everest. Five of the people in the expedition use wheelchairs.
Wow, what a movie. It is right up my alley. Its about perseverance, triumph of the human spirit, it has heart and humor, and it shows the beauty and culture of a faraway land that I will never have the opportunity to visit in my lifetime. I know that many people with disabilities do not like to be considered inspirational, but the people in this group are inspiring. They had a dream and were determined to see it come to fruition, and they didn't let anything stand in their way.
librarianintx gives the movie two thumbs up. :)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Fruit
I think its interesting how your taste buds change as you get older. I have never been a very good fruit eater. I like bananas and I like cantaloupe and watermelon, but I don't eat any fruit consistently. On a rare occasion I'll eat a few strawberries. I seriously disliked orange juice and oranges. I would eat fruit cocktail as a kid but that was about it. And I thought it was gross to eat fruit with protein like chicken or fish.
Now I find myself experimenting a bit more with food, including fruit. I really like orange juice now. Last night I ate tuna salad with a small bowl of canned peaches on the side...and it was good! I really liked the combination of flavors, the saltiness of the tuna with the sweetness of the peaches.
Did I just sound like a judge on "Top Chef"? LOL
A silly thing to blog about? Perhaps. But I'm trying to be more consistent with my blogging. To share my thoughts and observations - about everything from politics to food, and stuff in between. :)
Not a very thought-provoking post, I agree. But did it make you hungry? :)
librarianintx
Now I find myself experimenting a bit more with food, including fruit. I really like orange juice now. Last night I ate tuna salad with a small bowl of canned peaches on the side...and it was good! I really liked the combination of flavors, the saltiness of the tuna with the sweetness of the peaches.
Did I just sound like a judge on "Top Chef"? LOL
A silly thing to blog about? Perhaps. But I'm trying to be more consistent with my blogging. To share my thoughts and observations - about everything from politics to food, and stuff in between. :)
Not a very thought-provoking post, I agree. But did it make you hungry? :)
librarianintx
Monday, July 26, 2010
Writing
http://www.bloggersunite.org/event/people-first-empowering-people-with-disabilities
BloggersUnite had asked for bloggers and writers to make a commitment to blog on Saturday, July 24th. The goal was to raise awareness about persons with disabilities, two days before the twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I received a message through Facebook, so I went to the BloggersUnite web site, and signed up to participate.
But I didn't blog that day.
And I didn't blog the next day either.
I am embarassed to say that I have not blogged since May 24th. Even though I endeavor to blog at least a few times per week.
I keep a handwritten journal as well. As much as I like computers, my first love will always be archiving my thoughts using pen and paper. It is the only craft I partake in, since I have no artisitic ability, no affinity for music, and my eyesight no longer allows me to do needlework. I do feel guilty that trees are dying to support my addiction, but I must admit that purchasing or receiving a new journal affords me quite an exceptional high. Obviously its not such a bad thing to be hooked on, but I often have to avoid the office and educational supplies section of stores like HEB or Target. Back to School displays are especially dangerous. And lets not even discuss the "fine art of writing" materials at Barnes and Noble. Ornate journals almost too lovely to write in, beautiful pens in assorted colors, have I mentioned the delicate stationery and decorated boxes of notecards in assorted designs?
....deep breath
But I have not written in my journal as much as I'd like to, either.
And why?
Two reasons mainly, one practical, and one emotional.
The practical reason is pure and simple: time.
I have been raised to always compare my life to others, and therefore find myself lacking, so I am a natural at the sport. An example: A friend of mine is raising four children. Yes, he has a partner. No, he does not have a disability. Yes, he has two months off in the summer because he works at a school. Anyway, he arises at some ridiculous hour (4 am? 5 am?) and works out a gym. He tends a garden in his backyard. He actually uses those vegetables in recipes he creates. He performs in local theatre productions, and devotes time to auditioning and rehearsing for aforementioned projects.
I only work half time. No husband, no children. I have a cat, but other than trying to trip me in her quest to reach the refrigerator before me, because I MUST be on a course there with the sole intention of feeding her, she does not ask too much of me otherwise. I just have to keep in mind that the bed is more hers than mine, and if I leave my shoes on the floor that is considered an invitation for her to chew on them. As are my bare feet when they're outside the covers at any time during the night. Since I am sleeping on HER bed, after all. She, Goldie Locks. Me, baby bear.
But instead of blogging or journaling, my weekdays are spent travelling to and from work using the city's paratransit service. Let me see if I can succinctly describe my daily commute. Okay, here we go: one word. LONG. Hours spent, usually in the backseat, of converted police cars. There are no headrests in the backseat of cop cars. Does the police department care about the comfort of alleged criminals? No, and apparently the city's paratransit service doesn't either. Every day I have an important decision to make: try to hold my head up, risking a sore neck and abdominal muscles, or choose to go for the lean and try not look like I've slipped into a coma. The car is much preferable to the paratransit bus, however. I compare those rides to something you'd expereience at a theme park, a carnival, or maybe a bucking bronco at a rodeo. As long as I hold on for dear life to the seat ahead of me and beg the driver to go slow over speed bumps and road humps, I can usually make it to my destination without wondering if I've damaged any vertebrae.
Once I get home, my afternoon and evenings (and some weekends) are usually spent taking care of the daily household duties that my personal care attendant has been hired to do. In the roughly five months that this particular person has been working for me, she has been to the emergency room, one of her five children has been to the emergency room, her other clients have had emergencies, her mother has had an emergency, she has been in more than one car accident, she has run out of gas multiple times...and it has been raining. Not like a tornado or something like that. Just...raining. Even when she does decide to grace me with her presence, she apparently has her clocks set to pacific instead of central time, since our meeting time is three o'clock and she usually arrives around five.
So often there isn't enough physical and mental energy left for writing after the chores are completed. Energy and hours in the day.
So those are the practical reasons for my lapses in writing. I have other excuses too, like the daily phone and web cam chats with my mother, and the barrage of television shows, movies, and music that my entertainment-addicted housemate lures me into. The newest is a BBC show about three roommates who appear human, but in reality they are a vampire, a wherewolf, and a ghost. Ok, I know, but its actually good! Although I guess I shouldn’t use the phrase “in reality.” Even reality shows aren’t real.
But I digress. Moving on to the emotional component. Back to the competition thing (refer to page _ , paragraph _ , section _ ) I'm not good enough. My writing isn't good enough. Why bother? What's the point?
When I think of other people writing, I envision a scene from a romance novel or movie. A beautiful girl with long, flowing hair, in a flowing skirt, sitting on a mountain watching the sun rise (or set, I'm not picky on that detail), a serene look on her face, gliding her pen smoothly over the paper as she writes for hours without pause. Contrast that to how I (and probably many other people) write: in fits and starts, either with wads of paper on the floor and pens thrown across the room, or banging on the keyboard in frustration, howling as I pace the room, and disentagling the strands of hair from my fingers that I've pulled from my head....
Mmmmm...if they ever need a female wherewolf character for that show, I should audition. Except they'd have to hire a voiceover to do the actual howling. Not enough lung capacity.
My journey from childhood where my disability was ignored to present day life as an openly physically-challenged individual continues to evolve. The reasons for the denial are numerous and complex. My father was also affected by the neuromuscular disorder, but was not diagnosed until I was. I was sixteen months old; he was thirty-two.
No one can say I was adopted. Well, my older and only sister tried the baby in a basket on the doorstep story, but I knew it wasn't true. I have always been the female version of my father. Same long, thin face. Same ears - huge. Same sense of humor. Similar limitations.
My father worked long hours managing a jewelry store. His job necessitated moving the family four times in less than ten years. He didn't like vegetables, avoided going to the doctor, and stood for hours each day on leg muscles that weren't strong enough.
In the last image I have of my father, he is sitting at the dining room table, weak and shaking. He has been ill for a few days. My mother hands him a glass of orange juice, but he can't hold it. The glass falls, but does not break, as some of the liquid spreads out on the chocolate-colored carpet. My sister and I are hurried out the front door and off to school. By the next afternoon he is dead of a massive heart attack.
He was forty one years old.
I was nine.
Was my father's death the reason that my mother couldn't even utter the name of my condition until I was in my middle teens, and the accompanying conditions of severe scoliosis and malformed jaws necessitated two major surgeries in the span of three months? Or did the ostrich-like behavior (head in the sand) begin with my father and was simply continued after his death? Was it guilt on the part of my parents, because they knew there was something physically wrong with my dad and they never attempted to investigate? Why did they turn a blind eye to a possible genetic disorder?
I probably will never have an answer to my questions. My grandparents and my father are gone, and my mother has a very difficult time speaking about such matters. She only told me about three years ago that her father died of melanoma. Which of course makes my sister, myself, and my mother at higher risk for the deadly form of cancer. Would have been a good idea to know this, and to take more precautions, such as preventing the significant sunburns I had as a child.
Many people with disabilities talk about the societal struggles they've faced, dealing with mainstreaming in school, lack of friends, social isolation, bullying, employment problems, etc. But my struggles have been more familial rather than societal. Sure, I got teased as a child. I was always the smallest student, I had short, kinky brown hair, and an overbite of Grand Canyon proportions. Dodgeball and Red Rover are nightmares I don't want to re-visit. I rode a bicycle with training wheels until I was in the fifth grade, when I finally gave up on the dream of one day having enough strength and balance to ride a two wheeler. I had guys in high school pretend to ask me out, then laugh themselves silly, believing that I thought they were serious.
I knew they weren't.
And yes, I have had society-based frustrations, transportation and attendant care being the major ones. But by far my greatest journey has been accepting myself as a person with a disability, and learning to overcome both the denial of my immediate family and the hopefully unintentionally insensitive comments expressed by my extended family. Questions like, "When are you going to get a real job?" when I had been employed for several years in the professional, albeit half-time librarian position that I still hold today. Or "You should eat a banana every day" - this uttered by the well-meaning, clueless uncle who has been convinced since I was sixteen years old that my uber thin frame is due to anorexia.
Its very difficult to write about family, to expose these hurts and tell these stories. It was hard the first time I had pains in my chest that resembled pleurisy and my mother told me I was just nervous. I was amazed that when my brother in law's recklessness caused my foot to be run over by my own wheelchair, a security guard saw me crying and came over to inquire as my brother in law, sister, and mother all stood there laughing. Isolated incidents? Unfortunately, no.
Does my family love me? Without a doubt, yes. Do they understand me - my needs, my desires, my viewpoints - no.
I just finished reading a book called Thicker Than Water; it is a collection of essays written by adult siblings of people with disabilities. I have no idea what my sister would say if she contributed a chapter. My sister doesn't communicate her feelings to me, about anything. I am pretty much invisible to her most of the time. It hasn't always been that way. We never shared a room, but there were summer nights growing up when I would sleep in her twin bed and we would giggle long into the night. I don't know what happened to us, and I'm not sure she would be able to articulate a reason for her distance. Its probably complicated, but that's as far as I'm willing to speculate. Somehow I remain hopeful that our relationship could improve. Its never too late.
I think a big part of my optimism stems from the three daughters she and my brother in law have raised. For all the turbulence and lack of care I have often faced in their presence, I have received nothing less than complete acceptance and love by their children. One day I was complaining about how terrible my teeth looked in a picture. My youngest niece said to me, "I like your teeth. They are a part of who you are."
She was twelve years old at the time.
I aspire to be as intelligent, resilient, and capable as they are.
I worry that anyone who reads this will view my words as a pity party. Poor me, look at what I've been through. I hope you can believe me when I say that I am grateful. Grateful for the people in my life, grateful for the life I've been able to carve for myself, grateful for the independence that I've been able to achieve. I have amazing role models. My BFF is a woman who has the same disability I do. She escaped a life of true familial neglect that nearly took her life. She moved halfway across the country on her own, has been employed full time for twenty years, and is happily married to her college sweetheart. She is one of the strongest and bravest people I know, and her example has helped shape my destiny.
Every day I endeavor to practice resiliency, experience happiness, learn, grow, DO.
librarianintx
BloggersUnite had asked for bloggers and writers to make a commitment to blog on Saturday, July 24th. The goal was to raise awareness about persons with disabilities, two days before the twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
I received a message through Facebook, so I went to the BloggersUnite web site, and signed up to participate.
But I didn't blog that day.
And I didn't blog the next day either.
I am embarassed to say that I have not blogged since May 24th. Even though I endeavor to blog at least a few times per week.
I keep a handwritten journal as well. As much as I like computers, my first love will always be archiving my thoughts using pen and paper. It is the only craft I partake in, since I have no artisitic ability, no affinity for music, and my eyesight no longer allows me to do needlework. I do feel guilty that trees are dying to support my addiction, but I must admit that purchasing or receiving a new journal affords me quite an exceptional high. Obviously its not such a bad thing to be hooked on, but I often have to avoid the office and educational supplies section of stores like HEB or Target. Back to School displays are especially dangerous. And lets not even discuss the "fine art of writing" materials at Barnes and Noble. Ornate journals almost too lovely to write in, beautiful pens in assorted colors, have I mentioned the delicate stationery and decorated boxes of notecards in assorted designs?
....deep breath
But I have not written in my journal as much as I'd like to, either.
And why?
Two reasons mainly, one practical, and one emotional.
The practical reason is pure and simple: time.
I have been raised to always compare my life to others, and therefore find myself lacking, so I am a natural at the sport. An example: A friend of mine is raising four children. Yes, he has a partner. No, he does not have a disability. Yes, he has two months off in the summer because he works at a school. Anyway, he arises at some ridiculous hour (4 am? 5 am?) and works out a gym. He tends a garden in his backyard. He actually uses those vegetables in recipes he creates. He performs in local theatre productions, and devotes time to auditioning and rehearsing for aforementioned projects.
I only work half time. No husband, no children. I have a cat, but other than trying to trip me in her quest to reach the refrigerator before me, because I MUST be on a course there with the sole intention of feeding her, she does not ask too much of me otherwise. I just have to keep in mind that the bed is more hers than mine, and if I leave my shoes on the floor that is considered an invitation for her to chew on them. As are my bare feet when they're outside the covers at any time during the night. Since I am sleeping on HER bed, after all. She, Goldie Locks. Me, baby bear.
But instead of blogging or journaling, my weekdays are spent travelling to and from work using the city's paratransit service. Let me see if I can succinctly describe my daily commute. Okay, here we go: one word. LONG. Hours spent, usually in the backseat, of converted police cars. There are no headrests in the backseat of cop cars. Does the police department care about the comfort of alleged criminals? No, and apparently the city's paratransit service doesn't either. Every day I have an important decision to make: try to hold my head up, risking a sore neck and abdominal muscles, or choose to go for the lean and try not look like I've slipped into a coma. The car is much preferable to the paratransit bus, however. I compare those rides to something you'd expereience at a theme park, a carnival, or maybe a bucking bronco at a rodeo. As long as I hold on for dear life to the seat ahead of me and beg the driver to go slow over speed bumps and road humps, I can usually make it to my destination without wondering if I've damaged any vertebrae.
Once I get home, my afternoon and evenings (and some weekends) are usually spent taking care of the daily household duties that my personal care attendant has been hired to do. In the roughly five months that this particular person has been working for me, she has been to the emergency room, one of her five children has been to the emergency room, her other clients have had emergencies, her mother has had an emergency, she has been in more than one car accident, she has run out of gas multiple times...and it has been raining. Not like a tornado or something like that. Just...raining. Even when she does decide to grace me with her presence, she apparently has her clocks set to pacific instead of central time, since our meeting time is three o'clock and she usually arrives around five.
So often there isn't enough physical and mental energy left for writing after the chores are completed. Energy and hours in the day.
So those are the practical reasons for my lapses in writing. I have other excuses too, like the daily phone and web cam chats with my mother, and the barrage of television shows, movies, and music that my entertainment-addicted housemate lures me into. The newest is a BBC show about three roommates who appear human, but in reality they are a vampire, a wherewolf, and a ghost. Ok, I know, but its actually good! Although I guess I shouldn’t use the phrase “in reality.” Even reality shows aren’t real.
But I digress. Moving on to the emotional component. Back to the competition thing (refer to page _ , paragraph _ , section _ ) I'm not good enough. My writing isn't good enough. Why bother? What's the point?
When I think of other people writing, I envision a scene from a romance novel or movie. A beautiful girl with long, flowing hair, in a flowing skirt, sitting on a mountain watching the sun rise (or set, I'm not picky on that detail), a serene look on her face, gliding her pen smoothly over the paper as she writes for hours without pause. Contrast that to how I (and probably many other people) write: in fits and starts, either with wads of paper on the floor and pens thrown across the room, or banging on the keyboard in frustration, howling as I pace the room, and disentagling the strands of hair from my fingers that I've pulled from my head....
Mmmmm...if they ever need a female wherewolf character for that show, I should audition. Except they'd have to hire a voiceover to do the actual howling. Not enough lung capacity.
My journey from childhood where my disability was ignored to present day life as an openly physically-challenged individual continues to evolve. The reasons for the denial are numerous and complex. My father was also affected by the neuromuscular disorder, but was not diagnosed until I was. I was sixteen months old; he was thirty-two.
No one can say I was adopted. Well, my older and only sister tried the baby in a basket on the doorstep story, but I knew it wasn't true. I have always been the female version of my father. Same long, thin face. Same ears - huge. Same sense of humor. Similar limitations.
My father worked long hours managing a jewelry store. His job necessitated moving the family four times in less than ten years. He didn't like vegetables, avoided going to the doctor, and stood for hours each day on leg muscles that weren't strong enough.
In the last image I have of my father, he is sitting at the dining room table, weak and shaking. He has been ill for a few days. My mother hands him a glass of orange juice, but he can't hold it. The glass falls, but does not break, as some of the liquid spreads out on the chocolate-colored carpet. My sister and I are hurried out the front door and off to school. By the next afternoon he is dead of a massive heart attack.
He was forty one years old.
I was nine.
Was my father's death the reason that my mother couldn't even utter the name of my condition until I was in my middle teens, and the accompanying conditions of severe scoliosis and malformed jaws necessitated two major surgeries in the span of three months? Or did the ostrich-like behavior (head in the sand) begin with my father and was simply continued after his death? Was it guilt on the part of my parents, because they knew there was something physically wrong with my dad and they never attempted to investigate? Why did they turn a blind eye to a possible genetic disorder?
I probably will never have an answer to my questions. My grandparents and my father are gone, and my mother has a very difficult time speaking about such matters. She only told me about three years ago that her father died of melanoma. Which of course makes my sister, myself, and my mother at higher risk for the deadly form of cancer. Would have been a good idea to know this, and to take more precautions, such as preventing the significant sunburns I had as a child.
Many people with disabilities talk about the societal struggles they've faced, dealing with mainstreaming in school, lack of friends, social isolation, bullying, employment problems, etc. But my struggles have been more familial rather than societal. Sure, I got teased as a child. I was always the smallest student, I had short, kinky brown hair, and an overbite of Grand Canyon proportions. Dodgeball and Red Rover are nightmares I don't want to re-visit. I rode a bicycle with training wheels until I was in the fifth grade, when I finally gave up on the dream of one day having enough strength and balance to ride a two wheeler. I had guys in high school pretend to ask me out, then laugh themselves silly, believing that I thought they were serious.
I knew they weren't.
And yes, I have had society-based frustrations, transportation and attendant care being the major ones. But by far my greatest journey has been accepting myself as a person with a disability, and learning to overcome both the denial of my immediate family and the hopefully unintentionally insensitive comments expressed by my extended family. Questions like, "When are you going to get a real job?" when I had been employed for several years in the professional, albeit half-time librarian position that I still hold today. Or "You should eat a banana every day" - this uttered by the well-meaning, clueless uncle who has been convinced since I was sixteen years old that my uber thin frame is due to anorexia.
Its very difficult to write about family, to expose these hurts and tell these stories. It was hard the first time I had pains in my chest that resembled pleurisy and my mother told me I was just nervous. I was amazed that when my brother in law's recklessness caused my foot to be run over by my own wheelchair, a security guard saw me crying and came over to inquire as my brother in law, sister, and mother all stood there laughing. Isolated incidents? Unfortunately, no.
Does my family love me? Without a doubt, yes. Do they understand me - my needs, my desires, my viewpoints - no.
I just finished reading a book called Thicker Than Water; it is a collection of essays written by adult siblings of people with disabilities. I have no idea what my sister would say if she contributed a chapter. My sister doesn't communicate her feelings to me, about anything. I am pretty much invisible to her most of the time. It hasn't always been that way. We never shared a room, but there were summer nights growing up when I would sleep in her twin bed and we would giggle long into the night. I don't know what happened to us, and I'm not sure she would be able to articulate a reason for her distance. Its probably complicated, but that's as far as I'm willing to speculate. Somehow I remain hopeful that our relationship could improve. Its never too late.
I think a big part of my optimism stems from the three daughters she and my brother in law have raised. For all the turbulence and lack of care I have often faced in their presence, I have received nothing less than complete acceptance and love by their children. One day I was complaining about how terrible my teeth looked in a picture. My youngest niece said to me, "I like your teeth. They are a part of who you are."
She was twelve years old at the time.
I aspire to be as intelligent, resilient, and capable as they are.
I worry that anyone who reads this will view my words as a pity party. Poor me, look at what I've been through. I hope you can believe me when I say that I am grateful. Grateful for the people in my life, grateful for the life I've been able to carve for myself, grateful for the independence that I've been able to achieve. I have amazing role models. My BFF is a woman who has the same disability I do. She escaped a life of true familial neglect that nearly took her life. She moved halfway across the country on her own, has been employed full time for twenty years, and is happily married to her college sweetheart. She is one of the strongest and bravest people I know, and her example has helped shape my destiny.
Every day I endeavor to practice resiliency, experience happiness, learn, grow, DO.
librarianintx
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lost
For six seasons I have liked and disliked, been frustrated and captivated by this show. For years I have sat quietly and listened while my sci-fi friends dissected, discussed, and theorized about Babylon 5, Dr. Who, the various Star Trek shows, etc. My first foray into these conversations was with Battlestar Galactica, as we talked about the social, political, and religious themes of the show.
And then came Lost.
I don't do scary. And I don't do gross. So the show almost lost me from the very beginning. But I was fascinated. I wanted to understand what was going on. I wanted to make sense of it all. I enjoyed being surprised every week, even though I don't usually enjoy surprises. I liked being confused, also rare for me.
I didn't always like it, though. I broke up with Lost as least twice that I can remember. I just got too frustrated with all the twists and turns. Too many questions and no answers. Too many new characters and new situations to keep up with. I gave up.
But I went back. I willingly got lost again.
At the heart of any show for me, sci fi or otherwise, is character development. You're going to hook me if you present me with characters that I can fall in love with, that I can care about, that make me want to tune in every week to see what happens to them. And Lost absolutely did that. Every character was so interesting, so compelling, so multi-dimensional. As one fan wrote, "There is a smoke monster in all of us." I don't necessarily like to believe that is true, but it probably is. Actually, I'd rather believe there is a Hurley in all of us.
Lost WAS about the smoke monster and the polar bears and the donkey wheel for me. But it was even more about Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Locke, Claire, Charlie, Aaron, Sun, Jin, Juliet, Desmond, Penny, Shannon, Boone, Rose, Bernard, Michael, Walt, Russo, Libby, Mr. Ecko, and the rest. And yes, it was even about Ben, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, Charles Whitmore, and Eloise. It was about Jacob and the Man in Black. And of course it was about Vincent! Dare I say it was even about Nikki and Paolo? :)
I wish we knew the real name of the Man in Black.
Before anyone is amazed that I remembered all those names, I'll admit that I didn't. Even though in every episode they continually say each others names, I still had to look several of them up in wikipedia. :) And I still can't remember Ben's daughter's name. Arg!! Oh wait, its Alex. Yea! I remembered without having to look it up!
I have always said I'm not smart enough to be watching this show. I was confused all the time, including at the end. I don't know enough about mythology. I'm not a Christian. I was an English major for awhile in college, but I didn't get most of the literature references. But I kept watching. Because I wanted to understand it. And because I wanted to see what would happen next.
The way I coped with not understanding was to at least think I could try to remember everything that happened. So I started taking notes. I currently have notes for seasons one through four. I don't know if I'll go back and take notes on the last two seasons. I wonder if the story will become more clear if I do that.
So thank you Lost, for six seasons of incredibly smart, innovative, engrossing television. It was all worth the ride.
librarianintx
And then came Lost.
I don't do scary. And I don't do gross. So the show almost lost me from the very beginning. But I was fascinated. I wanted to understand what was going on. I wanted to make sense of it all. I enjoyed being surprised every week, even though I don't usually enjoy surprises. I liked being confused, also rare for me.
I didn't always like it, though. I broke up with Lost as least twice that I can remember. I just got too frustrated with all the twists and turns. Too many questions and no answers. Too many new characters and new situations to keep up with. I gave up.
But I went back. I willingly got lost again.
At the heart of any show for me, sci fi or otherwise, is character development. You're going to hook me if you present me with characters that I can fall in love with, that I can care about, that make me want to tune in every week to see what happens to them. And Lost absolutely did that. Every character was so interesting, so compelling, so multi-dimensional. As one fan wrote, "There is a smoke monster in all of us." I don't necessarily like to believe that is true, but it probably is. Actually, I'd rather believe there is a Hurley in all of us.
Lost WAS about the smoke monster and the polar bears and the donkey wheel for me. But it was even more about Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Hurley, Locke, Claire, Charlie, Aaron, Sun, Jin, Juliet, Desmond, Penny, Shannon, Boone, Rose, Bernard, Michael, Walt, Russo, Libby, Mr. Ecko, and the rest. And yes, it was even about Ben, Miles, Charlotte, Daniel, Charles Whitmore, and Eloise. It was about Jacob and the Man in Black. And of course it was about Vincent! Dare I say it was even about Nikki and Paolo? :)
I wish we knew the real name of the Man in Black.
Before anyone is amazed that I remembered all those names, I'll admit that I didn't. Even though in every episode they continually say each others names, I still had to look several of them up in wikipedia. :) And I still can't remember Ben's daughter's name. Arg!! Oh wait, its Alex. Yea! I remembered without having to look it up!
I have always said I'm not smart enough to be watching this show. I was confused all the time, including at the end. I don't know enough about mythology. I'm not a Christian. I was an English major for awhile in college, but I didn't get most of the literature references. But I kept watching. Because I wanted to understand it. And because I wanted to see what would happen next.
The way I coped with not understanding was to at least think I could try to remember everything that happened. So I started taking notes. I currently have notes for seasons one through four. I don't know if I'll go back and take notes on the last two seasons. I wonder if the story will become more clear if I do that.
So thank you Lost, for six seasons of incredibly smart, innovative, engrossing television. It was all worth the ride.
librarianintx
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Yea, wifi!
Okay, it only took me nearly six months to do it, but I finally got the AT&T uverse wifi to work in the apartment! YEA! Three reasons why it took so long:
1) I've been busy
2) I tried a few times and couldn't figure it out.
3) Historically I can't figure things out on my own so I put off trying to do it.
Now before I get too excited, I d0 have to remind myself that:
1) The uverse installation man actually wrote out exactly what information I needed, but I overlooked it, and...
2) My wonderful computer friend gave me a big hint that helped me figure it out.
So I did not figure it out 100% on my own. But hey, 75% is still pretty exciting. I can count it as 75%, can't I?
Wifi rocks. I can now blog anywhere in the apartment. Well, I could do that anyway with my Blackberry. But typing is easier on a laptop than on a smartphone. I'm not the greatest typist on a laptop, but now I'll have more opportunities to practice. :)
It feels so good to figure something out by myself, at least mostly by myself. I was probably working on it for only about 20 minutes so far today. But when that webpage finally appeared after several failed attempts, I cried out, "Ahhh! Its working! I got it!"
Feels good to have something to cheer about today.
librarianintx
1) I've been busy
2) I tried a few times and couldn't figure it out.
3) Historically I can't figure things out on my own so I put off trying to do it.
Now before I get too excited, I d0 have to remind myself that:
1) The uverse installation man actually wrote out exactly what information I needed, but I overlooked it, and...
2) My wonderful computer friend gave me a big hint that helped me figure it out.
So I did not figure it out 100% on my own. But hey, 75% is still pretty exciting. I can count it as 75%, can't I?
Wifi rocks. I can now blog anywhere in the apartment. Well, I could do that anyway with my Blackberry. But typing is easier on a laptop than on a smartphone. I'm not the greatest typist on a laptop, but now I'll have more opportunities to practice. :)
It feels so good to figure something out by myself, at least mostly by myself. I was probably working on it for only about 20 minutes so far today. But when that webpage finally appeared after several failed attempts, I cried out, "Ahhh! Its working! I got it!"
Feels good to have something to cheer about today.
librarianintx
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Technology and autism
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/personal-tech/apple/for-autistic-kids-idevices-are-life-changers/article1530164/
When you enter Emily Buczek’s Toronto classroom, it’s like Times Square: Everywhere you look, there’s a new visual distraction.
A picture of each student is tacked onto a large, colourful map above his or her country of origin (Emily’s mug hovers over Poland).
There’s a shelf of well-loved toys – a slumped-over clown, a plush frog – and rows of picture books, among them Emily’s favourite: a cardboard volume of Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
All these diversions are there to keep up with students’ fleeting attention spans: Emily and her peers at Beverley School all have developmental and/or physical disabilities.
Emily, a profoundly autistic 13-year-old with an overgrown pixie cut and fingernails that have been cut or chewed to the quick, doesn’t fit the stereotype of an early adopter of the iPad.
But parents and educators of children with developmental disabilities – particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD) – have celebrated its release. While the device was created mostly for media consumption, it has plenty of surprising uses for children with such disabilities.
Emily doesn’t have an iPad in her hands yet, but the learning curve won’t be very steep when it’s released in Canada at the end of the month – she’s already mastered the iPod Touch at school and at home.
It’s been a godsend, her mother Christina says. With an autistic child, even the simplest tasks can be emotionally and physically draining.
She recalls many days when Emily, who is mostly non-verbal, indicated she wanted to go shopping – but wouldn’t say where.
“I’d be driving her toward one store and pulling in and she’d be really upset because it wasn’t the one she wanted,” she says. “It’s wasting a lot of time, it’s a lot of frustration.”
But then she downloaded the iConverse app on Emily’s iPod Touch. One of many assisted communication programs available for people with disabilities, it allowed Ms. Buczek to load photos of her daughter’s favourite stores, set to audio recordings of their names. Now all Emily has to do is run the app and click on the button that corresponds with her choice.
While Apple has not yet revealed Canadian prices for the iPad (it starts at $500 in the U.S.), Ms. Buczek says a price tag of even several hundred dollars would be significantly cheaper (not to mention more portable) than some of the assisted communication devices currently on the market, which can cost more than $10,000.
Emily, like many kids with ASD, struggles with her fine motor skills, and a larger screen would help her navigate the apps with greater precision, Ms. Buczek says.
At Emily’s school, six teachers are using the iPod Touch with their developmentally-disabled students, as part of a University of Toronto study led by faculty of information professor Rhonda McEwen. Professor McEwen wants to see how it can help them communicate.
So far, their greatest use is easing anxiety among students, says Emily’s teacher, Ian Stuart.
The iPod Touch that he uses with his class has been outfitted with speakers.
“Touch the bee,” says a tinny female voice in one app. Displayed on the screen is a chocolate bunny, a bee and a shopping cart. Emily’s hooked index finger hovers over all three options before it presses down on the bee.
Mr. Stuart frequently uses apps like this to help Emily focus before she moves on to a new activity in class, since transitions can be very difficult for kids with ASD.
There’s a stack of deep blue one-inch binders in his classroom that are collecting dust. Before, whenever he’d head out with his students, he’d have to bring them along.
Inside each binder are pages of picture cards arranged in various sequences. A picture of a ball and swing followed by a computer means recess is followed by computer time.
Since Mr. Stuart has used the iPod Touch, he’s done away with the binders. All those sequences can be stored in apps on the device, which has become a magic wand of sorts.
“[When we transition], some won’t even look at me,” he says. “But then I’ll pull out the iPod and when they look at it and hear sounds it’s like an epiphany.”
Software developers who enjoyed success with accessibility apps for the iPhone and iPod Touchhave now focused their attention on the iPad.
The latest version of Proloquo2Go, the most popular AAC app in the iTunes store, was released at the start of the month to work on the iPad. As of Friday, it was ranked No. 34 overall in the United States among all 185,000-plus apps.
It can be used by people with disabilities – particularly non-verbal ones, many of whom have strong visual memories – to express their wants and needs.
“It’s just a game changer,” Samuel Sennott, co-creator of the app, says of the iPad. “It’s … [a] portable, table-top solution for people with physical impairments, people with visual impairments. You can see more on the screen.”
For Stacie Carroll, another teacher at Beverley School, there’s another perk to using these gadgets with students: “It’s the cool factor,” she says.
“This is their world. They pick up a cell [phone] and they know what to do with it.”
Whether they’re using an iDevice for scheduling, learning or easing anxiety, the key is that they blend in with other kids, she says.
She uses eight apps regularly with her students, including a few unusual ones. She shows off iSeismo, which graphs even the slightest movements. She’s used it teach her class – a rather fidgety bunch – how to sit still and control their body movements.
Both she and Mr. Stuart say they see great potential in their classrooms for the iPad and its larger interface.
“A camera on [the iPad] would make it nearly perfect,” Ms. Carroll says.
Anissa Hersh, a speech-language pathologist on the ASD team at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board in Hamilton, says she’s interested in seeing how the device might benefit the students she works with as well.
“You have a whole generation of adults now who were never taught independence,” Ms. Hersh says. “If you have this technology, and know how to use it, the idea is that down the road, [they] can use it in their work field.”
Alex Stephens’s five-year-old son Luc has ASD and is “completely infatuated with computers,” he says. He’s an expert with his father’s iPhone, which works as both an entertainment device and an educational tool.
Mr. Stephens can barely keep up with all the unanticipated expenses that come with his son’s disability: special vitamins, speech therapy and social therapy.
At the moment, an iPad is a luxury he can’t afford, he says. “But if I were convinced it would help Luc, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.”
End of article
When you enter Emily Buczek’s Toronto classroom, it’s like Times Square: Everywhere you look, there’s a new visual distraction.
A picture of each student is tacked onto a large, colourful map above his or her country of origin (Emily’s mug hovers over Poland).
There’s a shelf of well-loved toys – a slumped-over clown, a plush frog – and rows of picture books, among them Emily’s favourite: a cardboard volume of Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
All these diversions are there to keep up with students’ fleeting attention spans: Emily and her peers at Beverley School all have developmental and/or physical disabilities.
Emily, a profoundly autistic 13-year-old with an overgrown pixie cut and fingernails that have been cut or chewed to the quick, doesn’t fit the stereotype of an early adopter of the iPad.
But parents and educators of children with developmental disabilities – particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD) – have celebrated its release. While the device was created mostly for media consumption, it has plenty of surprising uses for children with such disabilities.
Emily doesn’t have an iPad in her hands yet, but the learning curve won’t be very steep when it’s released in Canada at the end of the month – she’s already mastered the iPod Touch at school and at home.
It’s been a godsend, her mother Christina says. With an autistic child, even the simplest tasks can be emotionally and physically draining.
She recalls many days when Emily, who is mostly non-verbal, indicated she wanted to go shopping – but wouldn’t say where.
“I’d be driving her toward one store and pulling in and she’d be really upset because it wasn’t the one she wanted,” she says. “It’s wasting a lot of time, it’s a lot of frustration.”
But then she downloaded the iConverse app on Emily’s iPod Touch. One of many assisted communication programs available for people with disabilities, it allowed Ms. Buczek to load photos of her daughter’s favourite stores, set to audio recordings of their names. Now all Emily has to do is run the app and click on the button that corresponds with her choice.
While Apple has not yet revealed Canadian prices for the iPad (it starts at $500 in the U.S.), Ms. Buczek says a price tag of even several hundred dollars would be significantly cheaper (not to mention more portable) than some of the assisted communication devices currently on the market, which can cost more than $10,000.
Emily, like many kids with ASD, struggles with her fine motor skills, and a larger screen would help her navigate the apps with greater precision, Ms. Buczek says.
At Emily’s school, six teachers are using the iPod Touch with their developmentally-disabled students, as part of a University of Toronto study led by faculty of information professor Rhonda McEwen. Professor McEwen wants to see how it can help them communicate.
So far, their greatest use is easing anxiety among students, says Emily’s teacher, Ian Stuart.
The iPod Touch that he uses with his class has been outfitted with speakers.
“Touch the bee,” says a tinny female voice in one app. Displayed on the screen is a chocolate bunny, a bee and a shopping cart. Emily’s hooked index finger hovers over all three options before it presses down on the bee.
Mr. Stuart frequently uses apps like this to help Emily focus before she moves on to a new activity in class, since transitions can be very difficult for kids with ASD.
There’s a stack of deep blue one-inch binders in his classroom that are collecting dust. Before, whenever he’d head out with his students, he’d have to bring them along.
Inside each binder are pages of picture cards arranged in various sequences. A picture of a ball and swing followed by a computer means recess is followed by computer time.
Since Mr. Stuart has used the iPod Touch, he’s done away with the binders. All those sequences can be stored in apps on the device, which has become a magic wand of sorts.
“[When we transition], some won’t even look at me,” he says. “But then I’ll pull out the iPod and when they look at it and hear sounds it’s like an epiphany.”
Software developers who enjoyed success with accessibility apps for the iPhone and iPod Touchhave now focused their attention on the iPad.
The latest version of Proloquo2Go, the most popular AAC app in the iTunes store, was released at the start of the month to work on the iPad. As of Friday, it was ranked No. 34 overall in the United States among all 185,000-plus apps.
It can be used by people with disabilities – particularly non-verbal ones, many of whom have strong visual memories – to express their wants and needs.
“It’s just a game changer,” Samuel Sennott, co-creator of the app, says of the iPad. “It’s … [a] portable, table-top solution for people with physical impairments, people with visual impairments. You can see more on the screen.”
For Stacie Carroll, another teacher at Beverley School, there’s another perk to using these gadgets with students: “It’s the cool factor,” she says.
“This is their world. They pick up a cell [phone] and they know what to do with it.”
Whether they’re using an iDevice for scheduling, learning or easing anxiety, the key is that they blend in with other kids, she says.
She uses eight apps regularly with her students, including a few unusual ones. She shows off iSeismo, which graphs even the slightest movements. She’s used it teach her class – a rather fidgety bunch – how to sit still and control their body movements.
Both she and Mr. Stuart say they see great potential in their classrooms for the iPad and its larger interface.
“A camera on [the iPad] would make it nearly perfect,” Ms. Carroll says.
Anissa Hersh, a speech-language pathologist on the ASD team at the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board in Hamilton, says she’s interested in seeing how the device might benefit the students she works with as well.
“You have a whole generation of adults now who were never taught independence,” Ms. Hersh says. “If you have this technology, and know how to use it, the idea is that down the road, [they] can use it in their work field.”
Alex Stephens’s five-year-old son Luc has ASD and is “completely infatuated with computers,” he says. He’s an expert with his father’s iPhone, which works as both an entertainment device and an educational tool.
Mr. Stephens can barely keep up with all the unanticipated expenses that come with his son’s disability: special vitamins, speech therapy and social therapy.
At the moment, an iPad is a luxury he can’t afford, he says. “But if I were convinced it would help Luc, I’d buy it in a heartbeat.”
End of article
Thursday, April 08, 2010
My "hair trigger" effect
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/07/ultra-sensitive-its-in-your-brain/?hpt=T2
Ultra-sensitive? Its in your brain.
By Elizabeth Landau
CNN.com Health Writer/Producer
If you are particularly sensitive to the world around you - whether it's music, caffeine, other people's emotions, you may have a personality trait called "sensory processing sensitivity."
People who are highly sensitive in this way tend to look and observe and process things deeply, as opposed to boldly going ahead, says Elaine Aron, professor of psychology at Stony Brook University, who helped pioneer research on the subject in the 1990s. Having vivid dreams and being aware of subtleties in your environment are also characteristic of this temperament, she said. Take this quiz to see if this fits you.
Now, Aron's group has shown evidence in the brain that these people are more detail-oriented. The study is published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the brains of 18 participants. They found that people with sensory processing sensitivity tended to have more brain activity in the high-order visual processing regions, and in the right cerebellum, when detecting minor details of photographs presented to them.
"They are better at noticing subtle details in their environments than people without the trait," said Jadzia Jagiellowicz, lead author and doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Stony Brook University.
Sensory processing sensitivity has been associated with introversion, but only loosely - about 30 percent of highly sensitive people are extroverts, Aron said.
Highly sensitive people probably make good counselors and recruiters, said Jagiellowicz, because of their attention to detail. They are able to more deeply process details as well as emotions, which are good skills in these professions. Accounting, which requires taking in a lot of information at once, may also be a relevant field, she said.
But the study showed that highly sensitive people do not quickly take in these details; in fact, they spend more time looking at them, so a job that requires a quick assessment of minutiae may not be the best fit, she said.
End of article
My comments: This article confirms what I finally figured out a few months ago. I'm simply wired differently. Its not my fault and I don't think I can fix it, but I can work on my reactions to the stimuli.
I can't remember a time when I haven't been on a "hair trigger." I've always been super sensitive. You look at me wrong and I feel like crying (and often do). Loud noises freak me out. I have a severe weather phobia. I have never reacted well to change. I worry obsessively.
But I'm working on all of this. I'm not autistic, but I can understand how scary changes in routine are to someone with autism. I used to be a slave to routine. I'm endeavoring to be more spontaneous. I'm finding that change can be exciting. I'm learning to roll with life.
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. IT GOES ON."
Robert Frost
librarianintx
Ultra-sensitive? Its in your brain.
By Elizabeth Landau
CNN.com Health Writer/Producer
If you are particularly sensitive to the world around you - whether it's music, caffeine, other people's emotions, you may have a personality trait called "sensory processing sensitivity."
People who are highly sensitive in this way tend to look and observe and process things deeply, as opposed to boldly going ahead, says Elaine Aron, professor of psychology at Stony Brook University, who helped pioneer research on the subject in the 1990s. Having vivid dreams and being aware of subtleties in your environment are also characteristic of this temperament, she said. Take this quiz to see if this fits you.
Now, Aron's group has shown evidence in the brain that these people are more detail-oriented. The study is published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to look at the brains of 18 participants. They found that people with sensory processing sensitivity tended to have more brain activity in the high-order visual processing regions, and in the right cerebellum, when detecting minor details of photographs presented to them.
"They are better at noticing subtle details in their environments than people without the trait," said Jadzia Jagiellowicz, lead author and doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Stony Brook University.
Sensory processing sensitivity has been associated with introversion, but only loosely - about 30 percent of highly sensitive people are extroverts, Aron said.
Highly sensitive people probably make good counselors and recruiters, said Jagiellowicz, because of their attention to detail. They are able to more deeply process details as well as emotions, which are good skills in these professions. Accounting, which requires taking in a lot of information at once, may also be a relevant field, she said.
But the study showed that highly sensitive people do not quickly take in these details; in fact, they spend more time looking at them, so a job that requires a quick assessment of minutiae may not be the best fit, she said.
End of article
My comments: This article confirms what I finally figured out a few months ago. I'm simply wired differently. Its not my fault and I don't think I can fix it, but I can work on my reactions to the stimuli.
I can't remember a time when I haven't been on a "hair trigger." I've always been super sensitive. You look at me wrong and I feel like crying (and often do). Loud noises freak me out. I have a severe weather phobia. I have never reacted well to change. I worry obsessively.
But I'm working on all of this. I'm not autistic, but I can understand how scary changes in routine are to someone with autism. I used to be a slave to routine. I'm endeavoring to be more spontaneous. I'm finding that change can be exciting. I'm learning to roll with life.
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. IT GOES ON."
Robert Frost
librarianintx
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Glee cast on "Oprah"
This was a question from the audience that didn't air on the show:
Q: "For me it's refreshing to see someone who's not able-bodied, as it were, on TV. I'm curious about the reaction you've gotten from viewers in terms of your character [Artie]."
Kevin McHale (Artie): "I'll reference a story that happened last weekend. A woman came up to me and she was saying her 16-year-old son is in a wheelchair, and he became obsessed with the show. She's like, 'I started reading books after the 10th time [he watched] the pilot episode, because I was over it. ... Me being the mom, I couldn't figure out why he liked the show so much.' It was the first time that her 16-year-old son had seen somebody in a wheelchair, representing his people, on TV. He'd watch the show and be like: 'That's my boy. That's my boy.' That right there, that's what it's all about. We are all playing somebody that somebody can relate to, and it's great. I'm so honored and proud to play that part. And they do an incredible job writing it, and it's just fun to sit back and do what they say."
I am very proud to say I am a "Gleek." I have been a fan of the show since I saw the first commercial for it. I love everything about it...the humor, the fun, the singing, the dancing, the heart, and of course the message...that its okay to be different, that everyone is different in their own way, and when we celebrate our differences, we often find our commonalities. I think just about everyone who watches the show can find a character they relate to, and that's one reason why the show is beloved by people ages seven to seventy.
I think all the characters are great, I have a very healthy crush on Mr. Shu, but my favorites are Artie and Kurt. Even though I did not start using a mobility device until I was in college, and even then I didn't use it all the time, I still feel such a connection to Artie. I am so proud of the show every time I see Artie front and center in the choreography, moving around the stage like everyone else in the choir, including participating in partner dancing. I love the fact even though he's not considered one of the "hunks" of the show, he is arguably one of the strongest male singers in the cast, and receives more than his share of the solos. It is so important having a major character with a disability in such a popular show. Its important for people with disabilties to see someone they can relate to, and its important for able-bodied people to see a portrayal of a healthy, active, intelligent, creative, talented person with a disability. No, the actor who plays Artie does not have a disability, and yes, I wish the show would have hired an actor with a disability. But Kevin McHale does a terrific job.
The character of Kurt, played by the talented Chris Colfer, is another important character to have on this popular show. Kurt is a proud, strong, confident gay young man, and arguably the most popular student in the choir. He steals every scene he's in, whether it be with a wink, a snappy one liner, or his incredible voice. The scenes with his widowed father are groundbreaking, whether his father is fighting for his son to have the opportunity to sing the usually female solo in a performance, or Kurt is saying he needs to remove his designer sweater before he lends a hand at his dad's auto repair shop. Kurt even joined the football team for a short time as the kicker.
Its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, with and without a disability, to see someone like Artie on their tv screens. And its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, gay and straight, to see someone like Kurt on their tv screens.
None of these characters are stereotypical. They have been created and are portrayed week after week in the way that reminds me of the famous quote from the movie "The Breakfast Club": "But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal."
librarianintx
Q: "For me it's refreshing to see someone who's not able-bodied, as it were, on TV. I'm curious about the reaction you've gotten from viewers in terms of your character [Artie]."
Kevin McHale (Artie): "I'll reference a story that happened last weekend. A woman came up to me and she was saying her 16-year-old son is in a wheelchair, and he became obsessed with the show. She's like, 'I started reading books after the 10th time [he watched] the pilot episode, because I was over it. ... Me being the mom, I couldn't figure out why he liked the show so much.' It was the first time that her 16-year-old son had seen somebody in a wheelchair, representing his people, on TV. He'd watch the show and be like: 'That's my boy. That's my boy.' That right there, that's what it's all about. We are all playing somebody that somebody can relate to, and it's great. I'm so honored and proud to play that part. And they do an incredible job writing it, and it's just fun to sit back and do what they say."
I am very proud to say I am a "Gleek." I have been a fan of the show since I saw the first commercial for it. I love everything about it...the humor, the fun, the singing, the dancing, the heart, and of course the message...that its okay to be different, that everyone is different in their own way, and when we celebrate our differences, we often find our commonalities. I think just about everyone who watches the show can find a character they relate to, and that's one reason why the show is beloved by people ages seven to seventy.
I think all the characters are great, I have a very healthy crush on Mr. Shu, but my favorites are Artie and Kurt. Even though I did not start using a mobility device until I was in college, and even then I didn't use it all the time, I still feel such a connection to Artie. I am so proud of the show every time I see Artie front and center in the choreography, moving around the stage like everyone else in the choir, including participating in partner dancing. I love the fact even though he's not considered one of the "hunks" of the show, he is arguably one of the strongest male singers in the cast, and receives more than his share of the solos. It is so important having a major character with a disability in such a popular show. Its important for people with disabilties to see someone they can relate to, and its important for able-bodied people to see a portrayal of a healthy, active, intelligent, creative, talented person with a disability. No, the actor who plays Artie does not have a disability, and yes, I wish the show would have hired an actor with a disability. But Kevin McHale does a terrific job.
The character of Kurt, played by the talented Chris Colfer, is another important character to have on this popular show. Kurt is a proud, strong, confident gay young man, and arguably the most popular student in the choir. He steals every scene he's in, whether it be with a wink, a snappy one liner, or his incredible voice. The scenes with his widowed father are groundbreaking, whether his father is fighting for his son to have the opportunity to sing the usually female solo in a performance, or Kurt is saying he needs to remove his designer sweater before he lends a hand at his dad's auto repair shop. Kurt even joined the football team for a short time as the kicker.
Its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, with and without a disability, to see someone like Artie on their tv screens. And its important for 16 year olds and 42 year olds, and everyone in between, gay and straight, to see someone like Kurt on their tv screens.
None of these characters are stereotypical. They have been created and are portrayed week after week in the way that reminds me of the famous quote from the movie "The Breakfast Club": "But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal."
librarianintx
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Librarian 2.0 Step 11: The Wide World of Podcasting
My thoughts:
I have some experience with podcasts. My roommate subscribes to several podcasts on I-tunes, and I have listened to the ones for the tv show "Lost." Some of them have been podcasts and some of them have been vidcasts. Also I recently listened to Resiliency Radio, a podcast developed by Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe, on BlogTalkRadio www.blogtalkradio.com.
Since I am more engaged by video than audio, I prefer vidcasts. But I like podcasts too. I don't know if I would ever make one, since I think no one should be subjected to my voice for long periods of time. :) But it might be fun to do it at least once, to show myself that I could learn how. Maybe eventually I'll embed a pod or vidcast in my blog. You never know. :)
librarianintx
I have some experience with podcasts. My roommate subscribes to several podcasts on I-tunes, and I have listened to the ones for the tv show "Lost." Some of them have been podcasts and some of them have been vidcasts. Also I recently listened to Resiliency Radio, a podcast developed by Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe, on BlogTalkRadio www.blogtalkradio.com.
Since I am more engaged by video than audio, I prefer vidcasts. But I like podcasts too. I don't know if I would ever make one, since I think no one should be subjected to my voice for long periods of time. :) But it might be fun to do it at least once, to show myself that I could learn how. Maybe eventually I'll embed a pod or vidcast in my blog. You never know. :)
librarianintx
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thicker Than Water
I have quoted a few times already from the book Thicker Than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities. I am finding many of the essays very compelling. The one I'm quoting here sounds so much like me:
The author is writing an imaginary conversation between G-d, a guardian angel, and St. Michael:
[Yes, I'm Jewish and there are no saints in Judaism, but work with me here] :)
"G-d: Well, I have sent [name] just about as many signs as I could send - without showing up in person - to let her know that she needs to...
Guardian Angel: I've tried my best to whisper words of encouragement. And I have even whispered advice into her friends' ears so she could hear it from them. But she answers EVERY piece of advice with another fear, another 'what if..' She's wearing me out.
St. Michael: It is looking pretty hopeless, G-d. I can't even begin to penetrate the wall of fear she's built around herself to give her a shot of faith and courage. She has no idea I am even around!
G-d: We tried the easy way by laying the whole path out in front of her, and by bringing people into her life who could help her and lead the way. But she's not getting it! There's only one way to help her now. I am going to have to resort to...
G-d, St. Michael, and Guardian Angel in unison: The HARD WAY!"
And later in the essay:
"And during the year that was my chasm, I faced a thousand tiny fears I had saved up since I was three...
Fears about having enough money...
Fears about not being to care for...
[in the essay it was her brother. In my case it would be myself.]
Fears I had no family. I found that families are made from the heart, not from blood.
Fears that my fear would kill me. I am still here"
From the essay, "The Chasm," by Antoinette Errante
librarianintx
The author is writing an imaginary conversation between G-d, a guardian angel, and St. Michael:
[Yes, I'm Jewish and there are no saints in Judaism, but work with me here] :)
"G-d: Well, I have sent [name] just about as many signs as I could send - without showing up in person - to let her know that she needs to...
Guardian Angel: I've tried my best to whisper words of encouragement. And I have even whispered advice into her friends' ears so she could hear it from them. But she answers EVERY piece of advice with another fear, another 'what if..' She's wearing me out.
St. Michael: It is looking pretty hopeless, G-d. I can't even begin to penetrate the wall of fear she's built around herself to give her a shot of faith and courage. She has no idea I am even around!
G-d: We tried the easy way by laying the whole path out in front of her, and by bringing people into her life who could help her and lead the way. But she's not getting it! There's only one way to help her now. I am going to have to resort to...
G-d, St. Michael, and Guardian Angel in unison: The HARD WAY!"
And later in the essay:
"And during the year that was my chasm, I faced a thousand tiny fears I had saved up since I was three...
Fears about having enough money...
Fears about not being to care for...
[in the essay it was her brother. In my case it would be myself.]
Fears I had no family. I found that families are made from the heart, not from blood.
Fears that my fear would kill me. I am still here"
From the essay, "The Chasm," by Antoinette Errante
librarianintx
Librarian 2.0 Step 10: This Wiki World
Wikis are cool, but problematic for me. A wiki is like a pathfinder, and I really enjoy creating pathfinders. I like the fact that you can find a wiki on just about any topic these days. It makes finding information very easy. What I don't like is how easily people can make changes to a wiki. Incorrect or subjective information can find its way into a wiki. If I created a wiki, I wouldn't necessarily want people I don't know adding to it or changing it. So I would want some control over that. However, I really like the fact that you don't have to know HTML or have any kind of technical webpage knowledge to be able to create or maintain a wiki. At work, I don't have the ability or the authority to update our agency web page; the office manager is in charge of that. I think it would be so much easier to have a wiki for the reference center that I could create and manage myself.
PB Works looks pretty cool; I want to learn more about it. I had some trouble at first adding to the LD wiki, but then I got the hang of it. I even created a new section, although I don't think anyone else has added to it yet. Its a section on favorite tv shows. Surprising, right? :)
librarianintx
PB Works looks pretty cool; I want to learn more about it. I had some trouble at first adding to the LD wiki, but then I got the hang of it. I even created a new section, although I don't think anyone else has added to it yet. Its a section on favorite tv shows. Surprising, right? :)
librarianintx
Friday, March 19, 2010
quote
“Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Christopher Robin to Pooh” - A.A. Milne
Friday, March 12, 2010
Essay Excerpt
"Todd's disability was never a tragedy in my eyes. Todd was always just Todd...I consider it a tragedy that most of Todd's classmates and teachers over the years missed out on the privilege of getting to know him as we do. Spending time with him is my favorite thing to do in the world. He has so much to offer - he is outgoing and smart and funny. He is playful and sarcastic and interesting. He is unique. And yet, very few people know this."
From the essay "Don't Apologize for Being a Brother," by Zachary Rossetti, from the anthology Thicker Than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People With Disabilities
From the essay "Don't Apologize for Being a Brother," by Zachary Rossetti, from the anthology Thicker Than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People With Disabilities
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Notes from first Resiliency Radio Show
I'm such a librarian. :)
Here are notes I took while listening to Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe's first BlogTalk Radio show:
Resiliency Radio
Episode One
Make a choice to use your life experience to inspire.
Resiliency is a choice you have to make every day.
We all need a spark of inspiration.
“ability to weather life’s storms”
“endure, adapt, overcome”
Question: Resiliency for kids aged 6 - 10
Ideas: rhythm, breathing, visualization, and working together as a group
Question: Will Raven Drum release a drum circle on dvd?
Releasing an audio (drum rhythms) this year and video next year hopefully.
Drum rhythms can change, affect heart and brain rhythms.
Whole foods and nutritional supplements can assist resiliency.
Show #3 will be about chronic pain.
Question: How does financial comfort affect resliliency?
Creating resiliency is an inside job. Its your mindset, your perspective that makes the difference. Some people are born with a positive attitude; for others its more of an effort.
21 Ways to Build Resliency on the Raven Drum web site
www.ravendrumfoundation.org
Question: Can Raven Drum help with addiction?
Yes. The circles support everyone. Playing together makes you feel supported, you begin to identify with each other, no matter what your problem or situation is.
Sense of belonging and acceptance – drum circles
Drumming with intent
You can create your own drum circles, create your own rhythms. Families can do this as well as organizations, groups, etc.
Community feeling, bringing old and young people together.
Know and understand your path, what you’re meant to do in life, connect with your purpose, ask for guidance if you don’t know yet what your purpose is.
Question: Any advice for young musicians?
Play from your heart, listen to the greats, those that have inspired others, make the music your own
We’re all unique. Embrace your uniqueness.
21 Ways to Build Resiliency
Copied from the Raven Drum Foundation
www.ravendrumfoundation.org
Nourish positive relationships
Avoid isolation
Share your feelings
Be mindful
Don't believe everything you think
Accept the things you cannot change
Focus on forgiveness and gratitude
Have faith in something other than yourself
Make healthy choices
Be open to learning
Create your own sacred space
Be of service
Avoid trying to understand why
Be a part of community
Breathe and meditate
Listen to nature
Create calming rituals in your home
Avoid thinking of challenges as impossible to bear
Laugh deeply
Connect to your purpose in life every day
Be patient
www.ravendrumfoundation.org
Nourish positive relationships
Avoid isolation
Share your feelings
Be mindful
Don't believe everything you think
Accept the things you cannot change
Focus on forgiveness and gratitude
Have faith in something other than yourself
Make healthy choices
Be open to learning
Create your own sacred space
Be of service
Avoid trying to understand why
Be a part of community
Breathe and meditate
Listen to nature
Create calming rituals in your home
Avoid thinking of challenges as impossible to bear
Laugh deeply
Connect to your purpose in life every day
Be patient
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Hockey
Hadn't planned to watch the gold medal match between the U.S. and Canada. But its now tied 2-2 in overtime. So I'm watching. :)
Librarianintx
Update: That was quick! Canada won.
Librarianintx
Update: That was quick! Canada won.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Learning
I just learned how to put CNN and Weather Channel apps on my BB for quicker access. Blogger doesn't seem to offer that, but I've saved the page to my bookmarks, so that will help. Fun stuff!
librarianintx
librarianintx
Friday, February 26, 2010
Spectacular!
I was most excited to see the men's figure skating at the Olympics this year, and it certainly was an exciting night of great performances (Johnny Weir was robbed!) But I must apologize to the ladies for underestimating their competition. WOW! A thrilling night of unprecedented performances! History was made three times during the ladies figure skating section of this Olympics. Kim Yu-Na won the first Olympic gold medal in ladies figure skating for South Korea, AND she posted the highest score ever witnessed in the sport, with a combined score of short program / free skate of 228.56.
Her rival, Mao Asada, took the silver medal for Japan, and skated into the history books as well. She is the first woman ever to land THREE triple axles at the Olympics, one in the short program and two in the free skate. I don't think a woman has ever even landed one triple axle at the Olympics.
Our American ladies did very well, even though they didn't medal. Sixteen year old Mirai Nagasu skated an excellent routine to finish in fourth place, edging out Miki Ando from Japan. And Rachael Flatt also skated a great routine. She finished in seventh place because several of her jumps were downgraded due to boot placement when she landed.
Congratulations to all the ladies!
librarianintx
Her rival, Mao Asada, took the silver medal for Japan, and skated into the history books as well. She is the first woman ever to land THREE triple axles at the Olympics, one in the short program and two in the free skate. I don't think a woman has ever even landed one triple axle at the Olympics.
Our American ladies did very well, even though they didn't medal. Sixteen year old Mirai Nagasu skated an excellent routine to finish in fourth place, edging out Miki Ando from Japan. And Rachael Flatt also skated a great routine. She finished in seventh place because several of her jumps were downgraded due to boot placement when she landed.
Congratulations to all the ladies!
librarianintx
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Johnny Weir
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=444997.html#weir+wants+critics+think+make+apologies
Weir wants critics to think, not make apologies
VANCOUVER (AP) -- Johnny Weir
var hb4 = new HelpBalloon({dataURL: '/athletes/athlete=2368/library/_flyout.html'});
is looking for understanding, not an apology.
Broadcasters on French-language RDS who made derogatory comments about the American figure skater's masculinity need to consider the impact their words will have on others, particularly impressionable youngsters, Weir said Wednesday.
"I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they're talking about, but also other people like that person," he said. "What people as a majority need to do is think, and think about who they're affecting. ... I don't want, 50 years from now, more boys and girls to go through this same thing."
The Quebec Gay and Lesbian Council demanded a public apology from RDS after one commentator said Weir hurts figure skating's image and another said Weir should be made to take a gender test. The remarks were "outrageous" and "homophobic," CQGL said in a statement on its Web site.Mark Tewskbury, a gold medalist in swimming at the Barcelona Olympics, called the remarks "totally unacceptable."
"I think Johnny Weir adds a fantastic element to men's figure skating," Tewskbury said at a news conference at Whistler Pride House, a venue designed to support gay and lesbian athletes and coaches. "It doesn't send the message that you have to be Johnny or be like him. It shows that all kinds of people take up figure skating, and all kinds of people can be excellent at figure skating.
"I was actually quite shocked that that is still happening in 2010."Although Weir said he found the comments "offensive," he supports free speech and doesn't think the broadcasters should be punished. He also doesn't really care if people criticize him.
But he does worry that the broadcasters' comments and the attitudes they foster will hurt kids who are different and are trying to find their place in the world. Or cause parents of those children to be less supportive.
"I hope more kids can grow up like I did and more kids can feel the freedom to express themselves," he said. "Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful."
Weir is one of skating's most oversized personalities, and he enjoys challenging convention. He was targeted by animal-rights activists after adding white fox fur to his free skate costume for last month's U.S. championships, and he once posed for a photo shoot in a skirt and stilettos.
But he repeatedly has avoided questions about his sexual orientation, and did so again Wednesday. People shouldn't be defined by labels, Weir said.
"I don't think the fact I'm a figure skater matters. I don't think who I sleep with matters. I don't think where I'm from matters. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am," he said. "I don't feel there's anything that anybody has to be out and about about. I think you should be out about being yourself. You need to be out and really own who you are."
End of article
I put in red the quotes I liked the most. Johnny expresses himself so well, both on and off the ice. If only all of his talent was respected, and he could be who he is without being ridiculed. Every person deserves that. I'm glad he has very supportive family, friends, and fans.
librarianintx
Weir wants critics to think, not make apologies
VANCOUVER (AP) -- Johnny Weir
var hb4 = new HelpBalloon({dataURL: '/athletes/athlete=2368/library/_flyout.html'});
is looking for understanding, not an apology.
Broadcasters on French-language RDS who made derogatory comments about the American figure skater's masculinity need to consider the impact their words will have on others, particularly impressionable youngsters, Weir said Wednesday.
"I want them to think before they speak. I want them to think about not only the person they're talking about, but also other people like that person," he said. "What people as a majority need to do is think, and think about who they're affecting. ... I don't want, 50 years from now, more boys and girls to go through this same thing."
The Quebec Gay and Lesbian Council demanded a public apology from RDS after one commentator said Weir hurts figure skating's image and another said Weir should be made to take a gender test. The remarks were "outrageous" and "homophobic," CQGL said in a statement on its Web site.Mark Tewskbury, a gold medalist in swimming at the Barcelona Olympics, called the remarks "totally unacceptable."
"I think Johnny Weir adds a fantastic element to men's figure skating," Tewskbury said at a news conference at Whistler Pride House, a venue designed to support gay and lesbian athletes and coaches. "It doesn't send the message that you have to be Johnny or be like him. It shows that all kinds of people take up figure skating, and all kinds of people can be excellent at figure skating.
"I was actually quite shocked that that is still happening in 2010."Although Weir said he found the comments "offensive," he supports free speech and doesn't think the broadcasters should be punished. He also doesn't really care if people criticize him.
But he does worry that the broadcasters' comments and the attitudes they foster will hurt kids who are different and are trying to find their place in the world. Or cause parents of those children to be less supportive.
"I hope more kids can grow up like I did and more kids can feel the freedom to express themselves," he said. "Out of ugly, I think the most important thing in life is to make something beautiful."
Weir is one of skating's most oversized personalities, and he enjoys challenging convention. He was targeted by animal-rights activists after adding white fox fur to his free skate costume for last month's U.S. championships, and he once posed for a photo shoot in a skirt and stilettos.
But he repeatedly has avoided questions about his sexual orientation, and did so again Wednesday. People shouldn't be defined by labels, Weir said.
"I don't think the fact I'm a figure skater matters. I don't think who I sleep with matters. I don't think where I'm from matters. I want people to see me for who I am, not what I am," he said. "I don't feel there's anything that anybody has to be out and about about. I think you should be out about being yourself. You need to be out and really own who you are."
End of article
I put in red the quotes I liked the most. Johnny expresses himself so well, both on and off the ice. If only all of his talent was respected, and he could be who he is without being ridiculed. Every person deserves that. I'm glad he has very supportive family, friends, and fans.
librarianintx
Clay
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35569821/ns/entertainment-celebrities/
RALEIGH, N.C. - More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown.
Aiken will deliver a speech about gay rights this weekend at the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas gala in Raleigh, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Wednesday. Actress Meredith Baxter, who recently said she is a lesbian, also will deliver a speech.
The 31-year-old Raleigh native, pop singer and 2003 "American Idol" runner-up said he wrote his own speech after remarks provided for him proved too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.
"I don't feel like this is the place to be horribly politically charged and bash people and talk about the wrongs that have been done," he said. "My goal is to be hopeful, that it's time for everyone to have equal rights."
Aiken says his goal is to urge Americans to support equal rights for all. He says that means allowing homosexuals to marry and enjoy rights that heterosexual couples take for granted like inheritance and hospital visitation. Aiken said that goal may take decades.
"It's more important to me, as a parent, that my son have all the rights — if he's gay — than it is for me. I don't want to do anything today that's going to inhibit, or be a detriment to, his rights," he said.
Aiken's son, Parker, was conceived via in vitro fertilization and born in August 2008. Parker's mother is music producer Jaymes Foster.
Foster, who lives in California and Aiken, who lives in the Raleigh area, share custody.
Aiken said he would probably attend Saturday's event with his bodyguard and without family members or friends.
Some family members have handled news of Aiken's homosexuality better than others, he said.
"Some Southern families like to sweep things under the rug," he said. "We just don't talk about it."
End of article.
I think this is fine. I don't think you have to be political in the fight for equality. Actually, I think some people will listen more if you leave politics out of it. Obviously Clay will be speaking to an audience that is already on board with his cause. However, if his comments are made more public through his fanbase, I think keeping politics out of his speech might help him reach a wider, more diverse audience...one that would not be receptive to Republican bashing.
I do have to say, what a difference a few years can make. Clay spent so long trying to convince everyone he was straight, including mocking homosexuality on television shows and in his concerts, which never sat well with me. I am impressed that only a little more than a year after coming out, he is making a speech for the HRC. Good job Clay.
librarianintx
librarianintx
RALEIGH, N.C. - More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown.
Aiken will deliver a speech about gay rights this weekend at the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas gala in Raleigh, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Wednesday. Actress Meredith Baxter, who recently said she is a lesbian, also will deliver a speech.
The 31-year-old Raleigh native, pop singer and 2003 "American Idol" runner-up said he wrote his own speech after remarks provided for him proved too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.
"I don't feel like this is the place to be horribly politically charged and bash people and talk about the wrongs that have been done," he said. "My goal is to be hopeful, that it's time for everyone to have equal rights."
Aiken says his goal is to urge Americans to support equal rights for all. He says that means allowing homosexuals to marry and enjoy rights that heterosexual couples take for granted like inheritance and hospital visitation. Aiken said that goal may take decades.
"It's more important to me, as a parent, that my son have all the rights — if he's gay — than it is for me. I don't want to do anything today that's going to inhibit, or be a detriment to, his rights," he said.
Aiken's son, Parker, was conceived via in vitro fertilization and born in August 2008. Parker's mother is music producer Jaymes Foster.
Foster, who lives in California and Aiken, who lives in the Raleigh area, share custody.
Aiken said he would probably attend Saturday's event with his bodyguard and without family members or friends.
Some family members have handled news of Aiken's homosexuality better than others, he said.
"Some Southern families like to sweep things under the rug," he said. "We just don't talk about it."
End of article.
I think this is fine. I don't think you have to be political in the fight for equality. Actually, I think some people will listen more if you leave politics out of it. Obviously Clay will be speaking to an audience that is already on board with his cause. However, if his comments are made more public through his fanbase, I think keeping politics out of his speech might help him reach a wider, more diverse audience...one that would not be receptive to Republican bashing.
I do have to say, what a difference a few years can make. Clay spent so long trying to convince everyone he was straight, including mocking homosexuality on television shows and in his concerts, which never sat well with me. I am impressed that only a little more than a year after coming out, he is making a speech for the HRC. Good job Clay.
librarianintx
librarianintx
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
AWESOME!!
Whoo-hoo! Another reason to love my CrackBerry suppliers! Thank you!
A very excited
librarianintx
A very excited
librarianintx
Will it work?
I'm trying to blog using my BlackBerry. Is it going to work? We're about to find out. I'm just using a browser, not an app. Here goes...
From the sublime...
...to call this person ridiculous would give him too much credit, and be way too nice. I hate to even soil my blog with his demagoguery, but the way I see it, unfortunately sometimes you have to bring evil into the spotlight. If you don't, people will not know about the danger that lurks, possibly until its too late. How many times in history has religion been used to spread such filth?
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100222/NEWS01/2220318
State Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says disabled children are God's punishment to women who have aborted their first pregnancy.
He made that statement Thursday at a press conference to oppose state funding for Planned Parenthood.
"The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children," said Marshall, a Republican.
"In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There's a special punishment Christians would suggest."
Marshall was among more than 20 people, mostly Christian pastors and clergy, who gathered for the press conference in the General Assembly Building.
They called on Virginia officials to eliminate state funding for Planned Parenthood because the organization provides abortions...
I'm not signing my name after this, even a screen name.
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100222/NEWS01/2220318
State Delegate Bob Marshall of Manassas says disabled children are God's punishment to women who have aborted their first pregnancy.
He made that statement Thursday at a press conference to oppose state funding for Planned Parenthood.
"The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children," said Marshall, a Republican.
"In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There's a special punishment Christians would suggest."
Marshall was among more than 20 people, mostly Christian pastors and clergy, who gathered for the press conference in the General Assembly Building.
They called on Virginia officials to eliminate state funding for Planned Parenthood because the organization provides abortions...
I'm not signing my name after this, even a screen name.
Quote
"Kristin will show us all how to laugh when others are frowning, how to dance when others are sitting in the corner, how to keep trying when we have all not gotten it right on the third or fourth tries. Kristin will continue to be a life coach, defining me, calibrating me, inspiring me. I know that she has given me gifts that I could never repay over a lifetime, no matter how hard I try."
by Brian Skotko, M.D., M.P.P, from his essay, "Driving Forward," included in the book Thicker Than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities, edited by Don Mayer (Woodbine House, 2009, ISBN: 978-1-890627-91-1)
In a perfect world, all siblings who have brothers or sisters with disabilties would feel this way...and would be able to express themselves so beautifully.
librarianintx
by Brian Skotko, M.D., M.P.P, from his essay, "Driving Forward," included in the book Thicker Than Water: Essays by Adult Siblings of People with Disabilities, edited by Don Mayer (Woodbine House, 2009, ISBN: 978-1-890627-91-1)
In a perfect world, all siblings who have brothers or sisters with disabilties would feel this way...and would be able to express themselves so beautifully.
librarianintx
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Abilities Expo
http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/houston/index.html
This is a national exhibit of products and services for persons with disabilities and also features workshops. There are usually four exhibits a year throughout the country. The link is for the Houston show during the weekend of August 27th - 29th.
librarianintx
This is a national exhibit of products and services for persons with disabilities and also features workshops. There are usually four exhibits a year throughout the country. The link is for the Houston show during the weekend of August 27th - 29th.
librarianintx
Monday, February 22, 2010
new tagging sites
They may not be new, but they're new to me. I saw these and thought I would mention them. I think they're similar to delicious.
Reddit
www.reddit.com
from the site:
reddit is a source for what's new and popular online. vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what's popular, or submit your own!
StumbleUpon
www.stumbleupon.com/
from the site:
StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great websites. As you click Stumble!, we deliver high-quality pages matched to your personal preferences. These pages have been explicitly recommended by your friends or one of 8 million+ other websurfers with interests similar to you. Rating these sites you like [with a thumbs up icon] automatically shares them with like-minded people – and helps you discover great sites your friends recommend.
librarianintx
www.reddit.com
from the site:
reddit is a source for what's new and popular online. vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what's popular, or submit your own!
StumbleUpon
www.stumbleupon.com/
from the site:
StumbleUpon helps you discover and share great websites. As you click Stumble!, we deliver high-quality pages matched to your personal preferences. These pages have been explicitly recommended by your friends or one of 8 million+ other websurfers with interests similar to you. Rating these sites you like [with a thumbs up icon] automatically shares them with like-minded people – and helps you discover great sites your friends recommend.
librarianintx
Librarian 2.0 Step 9: Chat and Instant Messaging
I skipped another section for now. Here are my thoughts on chat and instant messaging:
This was a quick section for me to finish, because I have some experience with chatting. I have chatted using AIM and Yahoo! Messenger. I have chatted in a message board chat room. And I have chatted using Facebook and Facebook games. I have also chatted (texted) on my cell phone.
With the exception of the message board, everyone I have chatted with is someone I know personally, not through the computer. The message board was a fan site of a singer I like, and I consider the people I chatted with there to be safe. Otherwise I do not chat with people I don't know. Its just a personal decision. I think chatting with people you don't know in person can be done safely; I just choose not to do it.
Chatting can be a lot of fun! My nights of message board chatting were often quite hilarious. I also have a lot of fun texting on my phone with my nieces and two of my friends from Houston. Its immediate, and it helps you feel close to the people you're chatting with. One of my nieces doesn't like to talk on the phone, but she enjoys chatting. One of my friends is disabled and talking is often tiring for her; its easier for her to chat.
Also, sometimes you might want to call someone, but you're concerned that its too late or too early in the day. If you see them online through chat, you know they're awake and its okay to call.
These days many people no longer have land line phones, and they may be limited on their daytime cell phone minutes, so texting is a good alternative. My nieces chat so much that my sister has a family plan for their cell phones that features unlimited texting and a smaller number of talk minutes.
Chatting can be very beneficial for people with disabilities or health problems that prevent them from attending social activities. Night or day, there is always someone in a chat room somewhere who is ready to have a conversation. Chatting can be a social outlet, a place for advice, a source of comfort, an area to discuss common interests, a platform for debate...and in all of these situations, all parties involved need to consider personal safety issues when chatting with people they don't know offline.
I also have skype. Skype is great!! You can see and hear the person, just like you're in the same room with them. Skype can open up a whole new world for people, especially people with disabilities. Oprah uses skype. :) I'm sure many businesses use skype. It can cut down on the need for travel. There is even a chat function in skype, in case the audio is having problems, or for the transmission of links and other information.
I am a big fan of skype. The software is free. You only have to pay for the webcam, and some computers have a web cam already built in. Web cams can be used with both laptops and desktops, so you can skype with people from anywhere. I have a friend whose college-age daughter was in a long distance relationship for more than a year. She would take her laptop to the library, to Starbucks, to Panera, and have study/coffee/lunch "dates" with her boyfriend via skype. :)
librarianintx
This was a quick section for me to finish, because I have some experience with chatting. I have chatted using AIM and Yahoo! Messenger. I have chatted in a message board chat room. And I have chatted using Facebook and Facebook games. I have also chatted (texted) on my cell phone.
With the exception of the message board, everyone I have chatted with is someone I know personally, not through the computer. The message board was a fan site of a singer I like, and I consider the people I chatted with there to be safe. Otherwise I do not chat with people I don't know. Its just a personal decision. I think chatting with people you don't know in person can be done safely; I just choose not to do it.
Chatting can be a lot of fun! My nights of message board chatting were often quite hilarious. I also have a lot of fun texting on my phone with my nieces and two of my friends from Houston. Its immediate, and it helps you feel close to the people you're chatting with. One of my nieces doesn't like to talk on the phone, but she enjoys chatting. One of my friends is disabled and talking is often tiring for her; its easier for her to chat.
Also, sometimes you might want to call someone, but you're concerned that its too late or too early in the day. If you see them online through chat, you know they're awake and its okay to call.
These days many people no longer have land line phones, and they may be limited on their daytime cell phone minutes, so texting is a good alternative. My nieces chat so much that my sister has a family plan for their cell phones that features unlimited texting and a smaller number of talk minutes.
Chatting can be very beneficial for people with disabilities or health problems that prevent them from attending social activities. Night or day, there is always someone in a chat room somewhere who is ready to have a conversation. Chatting can be a social outlet, a place for advice, a source of comfort, an area to discuss common interests, a platform for debate...and in all of these situations, all parties involved need to consider personal safety issues when chatting with people they don't know offline.
I also have skype. Skype is great!! You can see and hear the person, just like you're in the same room with them. Skype can open up a whole new world for people, especially people with disabilities. Oprah uses skype. :) I'm sure many businesses use skype. It can cut down on the need for travel. There is even a chat function in skype, in case the audio is having problems, or for the transmission of links and other information.
I am a big fan of skype. The software is free. You only have to pay for the webcam, and some computers have a web cam already built in. Web cams can be used with both laptops and desktops, so you can skype with people from anywhere. I have a friend whose college-age daughter was in a long distance relationship for more than a year. She would take her laptop to the library, to Starbucks, to Panera, and have study/coffee/lunch "dates" with her boyfriend via skype. :)
librarianintx
Librarian 2.0 Step 7: Tagging, Folksonomies, and Social Bookmarking
I've skipped a few sections, but here are my thoughts on tagging using delicious:
Honestly, I'm still confused by delicious. It seems really cool, but it also seems confusing to me. It feels too unstructured. I like folders. I like compartmentalization. To have a list of random bookmarks seems unorganized to me. Maybe I just need to learn more about it. I like LibraryThing a lot, and I like the idea of patrons being able to add links and reviews and make the library experience more interactive. I enjoy creating guides and pathfinders, so the idea that tagging and bookmarking might make those documents obsolete doesn't sit well with me. But having information be timely, accessible, and easily updatable is important to me. So I'm keeping an open mind and I want to understand tagging better.
librarianintx
Honestly, I'm still confused by delicious. It seems really cool, but it also seems confusing to me. It feels too unstructured. I like folders. I like compartmentalization. To have a list of random bookmarks seems unorganized to me. Maybe I just need to learn more about it. I like LibraryThing a lot, and I like the idea of patrons being able to add links and reviews and make the library experience more interactive. I enjoy creating guides and pathfinders, so the idea that tagging and bookmarking might make those documents obsolete doesn't sit well with me. But having information be timely, accessible, and easily updatable is important to me. So I'm keeping an open mind and I want to understand tagging better.
librarianintx
Friday, February 19, 2010
Olympics
Johnny Weir was ROBBED!
Johnny Weir was ROBBED!
*deep breath*
Seriously. Two solid, beautiful programs. He landed every jump. He did two triple axles in his long program. Wonderful artistry. And he finished in SIXTH place, behind TWO skaters who both fell in their long programs. WTF?!
Sigh. I am happy for Evan Lysechek. He skated two fantastic programs. He deserved the gold medal. And in my opinion, Johnny deserved the bronze. He certainly didn't deserve sixth place.
Keep smiling, Johnny. You're fabulous!
librarianintx
Johnny Weir was ROBBED!
*deep breath*
Seriously. Two solid, beautiful programs. He landed every jump. He did two triple axles in his long program. Wonderful artistry. And he finished in SIXTH place, behind TWO skaters who both fell in their long programs. WTF?!
Sigh. I am happy for Evan Lysechek. He skated two fantastic programs. He deserved the gold medal. And in my opinion, Johnny deserved the bronze. He certainly didn't deserve sixth place.
Keep smiling, Johnny. You're fabulous!
librarianintx
Rick Allen
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/resiliency-radio
I didn't get a chance to listen last night (see my next post for the reason why) so I hope it will be available this weekend.
For more on Rick and his wife Lauren's foundation, visit http://www.ravendrumfoundation.org/
When I have some time, (this weekend?) I want to blog some thoughts about resiliency.
Update: I'm updating this post on 2/22 with a big "Duh!" The radio show hasn't happened yet. Its scheduled for THIS Thursday. However, I probably won't get to listen this Thursday either, again because of the Olympics. Its ruling my life! :) I bet it will be available to listen to after, though. Hopefully.
librarianintx
I didn't get a chance to listen last night (see my next post for the reason why) so I hope it will be available this weekend.
For more on Rick and his wife Lauren's foundation, visit http://www.ravendrumfoundation.org/
When I have some time, (this weekend?) I want to blog some thoughts about resiliency.
Update: I'm updating this post on 2/22 with a big "Duh!" The radio show hasn't happened yet. Its scheduled for THIS Thursday. However, I probably won't get to listen this Thursday either, again because of the Olympics. Its ruling my life! :) I bet it will be available to listen to after, though. Hopefully.
librarianintx
Amazing Race
I shouldn't be watching since I already have more than 25 shows to watch. But its such a good reality show. This season one of the teams is a grandmother / granddaughter pair. The grandmother is 71 years old...and she runs half marathons! Great inspiration when I'm being a couch potato.
A quote on the first episode made me laugh out loud. One of the teams was getting into a cab, and a guy said to the driver, "Drive it like you stole it, brother!" Probably not the best thing to say to a stranger in a foreign country, but I thought it was really funny.
librarianintx
A quote on the first episode made me laugh out loud. One of the teams was getting into a cab, and a guy said to the driver, "Drive it like you stole it, brother!" Probably not the best thing to say to a stranger in a foreign country, but I thought it was really funny.
librarianintx
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Kudos to Vancouver!
...for including a paralympian in the torch carrying ceremony! Rick Hansen, an eight-time paralympic medalist, was the first person to bring the flame into the stadium, with the torch mounted to an apparatus on his wheelchair. As far as I know this is the first time that a paralympian has been included in an opening cermony for the Olympics, although technically this is not the first time a person with a disability has been a torch bearer. Muhammed Ali, a person with Parkinson's Disease and a former heavyweight champion, carried the torch at the summer games in Atlanta in 1996.
Way to go Canada!
I also really liked how highlighted and involved the indigenous people of Canada were in the ceremony.
librarianintx
Way to go Canada!
I also really liked how highlighted and involved the indigenous people of Canada were in the ceremony.
librarianintx
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Quick thoughts on recent sci-fi shows
"Dollhouse":
The finale was kind of "meh" for me...Seemed quite different from the other episodes, and if you didn't watch the never-aired part 1 that was only available on the Season 1 DVD, you would have been really confused. That being said, there were some standout moments for me. I was of course very happy that Pria and Anthony (Sierra and Victor) got their happy ending. I loved watching Adele evolve during the last few episodes into the caring human that deep down she always has been. Her scenes with Tofer were so gentle and motherly. And my darling, wonderful Tofer...I figured he would be the one to save the world, and that he would have to die to do it. Sigh. I loved wacky, brilliant, adorable Tofer. I also loved Anthony/Victor as the "Tofer doll." Man, he was GOOD! He had the manerisms, the voice tone and cadence, everything. Hilarious, and VERY impressive!
The episodes leading up the finale rocked my world! I so enjoyed all the twists and turns. I started watching soap operas at a very young age, and even though I enjoy them, I am almost always able to figure out the plot twists before they occurr. So its very exciting when any show can surprise me, and Dollhouse definitely did that.
"Caprica"
I'm still in mourning for BSG. I did not like most of the BSG finale, but that's for another blog. I like Caprica so far. Its very different from BSG, but there's enough of a BSG influence to hook me. Its intriguing. And Eric Stoltz is one of my fave actors. I'm sure I'll have more to say later. I still want to go back and re-watch all of BSG. In my spare time, along with the 25 shows I'm currently watching. (Okay, I just counted on my fingers. I may have missed a few, but I counted 20 right now. And five shows that have been on hiatus will be returning in March and April, so soon it will actually be 25.) Yikes. :)
"Lost"
I'm a Lostie. I have all the DVD sets. I'm so obsessive, I take notes on the episodes. Do I love the show? YES. Do I understand the show? Not a bit. Do I "get" all the literature/biblical/scientific references? Heck no. Does it keep me from enjoying the show? Uh..uh-uh. :)
All that being said, I do get frustrated sometimes. I have given up on the show in seasons past, but I came back. This season didn't kick in for me until we saw Claire at the end of this week's episode. I mean, I thought the premiere was good, but I wasn't happy to be introduced to yet MORE characters, more others, and all the toggling back and forth between the plane not crashing and what was happening on the island...
I'm sad that its almost over. I'm going to miss the ride. But I think there are some people out there that will need professional help when this show ends; that is how "into it" they are. This may sound weird, but I don't care that much about how it ends. I'm actually not watching for the resolution, for the answers. I'm interested in the characters, what happens to everyone. I don't have expectations for the finale, and I certainly don't have any theories as to what's going on and what it all means. I just enjoy being surprised every week, even though many times I say, "What the heck?!" (Actually, I usually say "WTF?!") :)
Its very interesting that I have become so involved in sci fi. I was never a sci fi kid growing up. I was a "Little House on the Prairie" girl. Seriously! I wasn't even into fantasy, and I'm still not. I have not seen a single "Harry Potter" movie or read any of the books. But I do like a lot of science fiction - BSG, Babylon 5, and Star Trek especially. Its all because of my friends, beginning in undergrad and continuing through graduate school. They got me hooked.
librarianintx
The finale was kind of "meh" for me...Seemed quite different from the other episodes, and if you didn't watch the never-aired part 1 that was only available on the Season 1 DVD, you would have been really confused. That being said, there were some standout moments for me. I was of course very happy that Pria and Anthony (Sierra and Victor) got their happy ending. I loved watching Adele evolve during the last few episodes into the caring human that deep down she always has been. Her scenes with Tofer were so gentle and motherly. And my darling, wonderful Tofer...I figured he would be the one to save the world, and that he would have to die to do it. Sigh. I loved wacky, brilliant, adorable Tofer. I also loved Anthony/Victor as the "Tofer doll." Man, he was GOOD! He had the manerisms, the voice tone and cadence, everything. Hilarious, and VERY impressive!
The episodes leading up the finale rocked my world! I so enjoyed all the twists and turns. I started watching soap operas at a very young age, and even though I enjoy them, I am almost always able to figure out the plot twists before they occurr. So its very exciting when any show can surprise me, and Dollhouse definitely did that.
"Caprica"
I'm still in mourning for BSG. I did not like most of the BSG finale, but that's for another blog. I like Caprica so far. Its very different from BSG, but there's enough of a BSG influence to hook me. Its intriguing. And Eric Stoltz is one of my fave actors. I'm sure I'll have more to say later. I still want to go back and re-watch all of BSG. In my spare time, along with the 25 shows I'm currently watching. (Okay, I just counted on my fingers. I may have missed a few, but I counted 20 right now. And five shows that have been on hiatus will be returning in March and April, so soon it will actually be 25.) Yikes. :)
"Lost"
I'm a Lostie. I have all the DVD sets. I'm so obsessive, I take notes on the episodes. Do I love the show? YES. Do I understand the show? Not a bit. Do I "get" all the literature/biblical/scientific references? Heck no. Does it keep me from enjoying the show? Uh..uh-uh. :)
All that being said, I do get frustrated sometimes. I have given up on the show in seasons past, but I came back. This season didn't kick in for me until we saw Claire at the end of this week's episode. I mean, I thought the premiere was good, but I wasn't happy to be introduced to yet MORE characters, more others, and all the toggling back and forth between the plane not crashing and what was happening on the island...
I'm sad that its almost over. I'm going to miss the ride. But I think there are some people out there that will need professional help when this show ends; that is how "into it" they are. This may sound weird, but I don't care that much about how it ends. I'm actually not watching for the resolution, for the answers. I'm interested in the characters, what happens to everyone. I don't have expectations for the finale, and I certainly don't have any theories as to what's going on and what it all means. I just enjoy being surprised every week, even though many times I say, "What the heck?!" (Actually, I usually say "WTF?!") :)
Its very interesting that I have become so involved in sci fi. I was never a sci fi kid growing up. I was a "Little House on the Prairie" girl. Seriously! I wasn't even into fantasy, and I'm still not. I have not seen a single "Harry Potter" movie or read any of the books. But I do like a lot of science fiction - BSG, Babylon 5, and Star Trek especially. Its all because of my friends, beginning in undergrad and continuing through graduate school. They got me hooked.
librarianintx
profile pic
Okay, I am now only semi-anonymous. I added a profile pic yesterday. I was tired of that outline that didn't look a thing like me. :) Well, the picture I used is almost two years old, and I've cut my hair since then, so it looks a little less like me. It looks better than me, though, so that's why I used it.
If I'm going to be a blogger, I need to learn how to compose quickly and not be so perfectionistic (I deleted part of this sentence twice, trying to get it to sound the way I wanted it to.) Stop that! :) Think it, and type it, and let it be out there for anyone who chooses to read it. I'm realizing that I have a lot to say, and not enough time in the day for all I want to do, including blogging, so I need to learn to say it fast and be happy with whatever way it sounds.
That's a run-on sentence.
Who cares! Its a blog, not a research paper!
Is anything I have to say important...meaningful? Probably not. But I'm going to say it anyway.
librarianintx
If I'm going to be a blogger, I need to learn how to compose quickly and not be so perfectionistic (I deleted part of this sentence twice, trying to get it to sound the way I wanted it to.) Stop that! :) Think it, and type it, and let it be out there for anyone who chooses to read it. I'm realizing that I have a lot to say, and not enough time in the day for all I want to do, including blogging, so I need to learn to say it fast and be happy with whatever way it sounds.
That's a run-on sentence.
Who cares! Its a blog, not a research paper!
Is anything I have to say important...meaningful? Probably not. But I'm going to say it anyway.
librarianintx
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Librarian 2.0 Step 4: RSS Feeds
I like RSS. Its cool. I like the idea of the news coming to me. I check CNN and MSNBC several times a day, so I plan to subscribe to their general feeds in the near future. I hope to not sign up for too many feeds, however, because I think it could get overwhelming. One factor I already find myself struggling with is do I sign up for a popular feed that is really active and might take a lot of time to scroll through, or do I sign up for a less popular feed with fewer postings? I have already unsubscribed to one feed because I realized it has not been updated in months. So I plan to try to hit a happy medium between the two options.
Update: I've added a few more feeds, but they're not work related.
There is a reader application for Blackberrys, but its not free. Darn. I'd like to have that, but I'm not going to pay for it.
librarianintx
Update: I've added a few more feeds, but they're not work related.
There is a reader application for Blackberrys, but its not free. Darn. I'd like to have that, but I'm not going to pay for it.
librarianintx
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Technology rocks!
http://www.livescribe.com/
SO cool! Its a pen that can translate what it writes into digital text that can be uploaded to a computer by a USB port. It can even upload audio! And to further the coolness factor...you can buy one at Target! No having to search for a specialty assistive technology company!
If I was still trying to be a writer, I would SO want one of these! I mean, it would still be great to have one, but since I'm a throwback who creates much more easily with pen and paper than composing on the keyboard, this pen would be a dream come true. Since my writing is confined to journaling, blogging, and posting these days, the pen isn't worth the high price for me.
Its still way cool though.
librarianintx
SO cool! Its a pen that can translate what it writes into digital text that can be uploaded to a computer by a USB port. It can even upload audio! And to further the coolness factor...you can buy one at Target! No having to search for a specialty assistive technology company!
If I was still trying to be a writer, I would SO want one of these! I mean, it would still be great to have one, but since I'm a throwback who creates much more easily with pen and paper than composing on the keyboard, this pen would be a dream come true. Since my writing is confined to journaling, blogging, and posting these days, the pen isn't worth the high price for me.
Its still way cool though.
librarianintx
Social Media and People with Disabilities article
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100126/ARTICLES/100129756/1177?Title=Social-media-opens-social-world-to-elderly-disabled-
Social media opens social world to elderly, disabled
by David Morrison
Social media is developing into more than a pastime for the elderly and disabled. If implemented properly, it could become their social lifeline.
For some residents at Davis Health Care Center and Champions Assisted Living in Porters Neck, this is already the case.
Davis recently installed computer stations equipped with Skype, a free software that allows users to “call” and see anyone around the world using a Web cam.
Twenty-three people of varying abilities at both Davis and the adjacent Champions Assisted Living have full access to computers. Staff hope to improve this figure through the installation of wireless Internet in all rooms when they remodel the facility later this year.
One resident, Vel Evans, 90, uses this system to speak with her daughter Deb Evans as often as they can. Deb, who Skyped her mom from her home in Texas last week, called the program “reliable” and said, “Skype is fantastic for when my husband and I are teaching in China.”
Not everyone at Davis has the capabilities to use a standard system, but that hardly stops them from accessing the information superhighway.
Sixty-nine-year-old Edsel Odom suffered two simultaneous strokes on May 2, 2003. He now uses a wheelchair and clicks a mouse with his single functioning thumb. To type, he uses an infrared device mounted on a baseball cap.
Odom uses all types of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, and blogs.
“Of all the tools available, I enjoy MySpace the most. You really get a chance to know people there as opposed to the glimpse you get from looking at Facebook,” he said.
Social media is about more than just family and friends for Odom.
“I want to share my message with the world!” he said.
Others, like Laura Still, a 49-year-old Davis resident, just want to have fun.
Still was involved in a serious car accident 16 years ago that left her with brain damage.
Within the past five years, her true technological abilities have surfaced. She uses a fully functioning Macintosh computer set up in her room to play games, draft e-mail and listen to her favorite tunes.
Her message to others with disabilities is, “Never give up!”
As more and more people with disabilities enter the social media arena, disability resources and organizations are having to stay one step ahead.
For example, information from the Web site Disability.Gov, which provides resources on topics such as traveling with a disability or how to apply for benefits, can now be found on Facebook as well as Twitter.
Bethaney Ferguson, a sociology instructor at Cape Fear Community College, emphasized the importance of awareness about these tools. Now more than ever as society transitions into the post-industrial technology era, people must find ways to remain connected, she said.
“Social media provides isolated individuals of any age group with a socializing outlet. It is not uncommon for the elderly in our society to feel as if they have lost their social voice, and the use of social media restores this voice, oftentimes from the comfort of one's home. The value in maintaining this voice for the elderly individual is undeniable.” Ferguson said.
A person's age and work status might be barriers to that technology, a UNCW professor said.
Eleanor Covan, professor of gerontology and sociology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said people become used to the technology with which they grow up.
“Once people leave the workforce, they tend not to learn new elements of technology, and that is one reason why the oldest old are not likely to be on Facebook,” Covan said.
“This is the population that prefers reading a newspaper, rather than an electronic news report, no matter who authored the article,” she said.
At Davis Health Care Center, Vel Evans and Edsel Odom are among the exceptions, joining the 38 percent of those 65 and older who use the Web, according to 2009 Internet trend data from the Pew Research Center.
Social media opens social world to elderly, disabled
by David Morrison
Social media is developing into more than a pastime for the elderly and disabled. If implemented properly, it could become their social lifeline.
For some residents at Davis Health Care Center and Champions Assisted Living in Porters Neck, this is already the case.
Davis recently installed computer stations equipped with Skype, a free software that allows users to “call” and see anyone around the world using a Web cam.
Twenty-three people of varying abilities at both Davis and the adjacent Champions Assisted Living have full access to computers. Staff hope to improve this figure through the installation of wireless Internet in all rooms when they remodel the facility later this year.
One resident, Vel Evans, 90, uses this system to speak with her daughter Deb Evans as often as they can. Deb, who Skyped her mom from her home in Texas last week, called the program “reliable” and said, “Skype is fantastic for when my husband and I are teaching in China.”
Not everyone at Davis has the capabilities to use a standard system, but that hardly stops them from accessing the information superhighway.
Sixty-nine-year-old Edsel Odom suffered two simultaneous strokes on May 2, 2003. He now uses a wheelchair and clicks a mouse with his single functioning thumb. To type, he uses an infrared device mounted on a baseball cap.
Odom uses all types of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, and blogs.
“Of all the tools available, I enjoy MySpace the most. You really get a chance to know people there as opposed to the glimpse you get from looking at Facebook,” he said.
Social media is about more than just family and friends for Odom.
“I want to share my message with the world!” he said.
Others, like Laura Still, a 49-year-old Davis resident, just want to have fun.
Still was involved in a serious car accident 16 years ago that left her with brain damage.
Within the past five years, her true technological abilities have surfaced. She uses a fully functioning Macintosh computer set up in her room to play games, draft e-mail and listen to her favorite tunes.
Her message to others with disabilities is, “Never give up!”
As more and more people with disabilities enter the social media arena, disability resources and organizations are having to stay one step ahead.
For example, information from the Web site Disability.Gov, which provides resources on topics such as traveling with a disability or how to apply for benefits, can now be found on Facebook as well as Twitter.
Bethaney Ferguson, a sociology instructor at Cape Fear Community College, emphasized the importance of awareness about these tools. Now more than ever as society transitions into the post-industrial technology era, people must find ways to remain connected, she said.
“Social media provides isolated individuals of any age group with a socializing outlet. It is not uncommon for the elderly in our society to feel as if they have lost their social voice, and the use of social media restores this voice, oftentimes from the comfort of one's home. The value in maintaining this voice for the elderly individual is undeniable.” Ferguson said.
A person's age and work status might be barriers to that technology, a UNCW professor said.
Eleanor Covan, professor of gerontology and sociology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said people become used to the technology with which they grow up.
“Once people leave the workforce, they tend not to learn new elements of technology, and that is one reason why the oldest old are not likely to be on Facebook,” Covan said.
“This is the population that prefers reading a newspaper, rather than an electronic news report, no matter who authored the article,” she said.
At Davis Health Care Center, Vel Evans and Edsel Odom are among the exceptions, joining the 38 percent of those 65 and older who use the Web, according to 2009 Internet trend data from the Pew Research Center.
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