"I love the time and in between
the calm inside me
in the space where I can breathe
I believe there is a
distance I have wandered
to touch upon the years of
reaching out and reaching in
holding out holding in
I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as I can be
left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand
I know this love is passing time
passing through like liquid
I am drunk in my desire...
but I love the way you smile at me
I love the way your hands reach out and hold me near...
I believe...
I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as
I can be left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand
Oh the quiet child awaits the day when she can break free
the mold that clings like desperation
Mother can't you see I've got
to live my life the way I feel is right for me
might not be right for you but it's right for me...
I believe...
I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as
I can be left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand it
I would like to linger here in silence
if I choose to
would you understand it
would you try to understand..."
"Elsewhere" by Sarah McLachlan
from the album "Fumbling Toward Ecstasy"
I may have posted these lyrics before. I know they have had a lot of significance to me since I first heard them. Someone played the song for me again yesterday. The words washed over me once more. More than any other song, this one defines me, explains me, describes me...empowers me.
librarianintx
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
Quote from the book Mennonite in a Black Dress
"Is it ever really a waste of time to love someone, truly and deeply, with everything you have?"
Mennonite in a Black Dress is about a woman who goes back to live with her Mennonite parents after her husband of fifteen years leaves her for a man he met on gay.com.
I really like this quote. It has become my philosophy. Regret is as useless in life as worry. Everyone in your life and everything you do in life serves a purpose. Some people come and go and some remain constant for decades, but each person you come in contact with is or was in your life for a reason. Every human being, every situation is meaningful in some way. Some relationships are positive, some are negative, some start out good and end badly, and vice versa. Your life is comprised of experiences, and each one is designed to teach you something.
Your likes and dislikes, your hobbies, what you're passionate about...all of this changes and evolves as you go through life. You might be a Trekkie, or a huge fan of the band Bon Jovi, or you might read every Twilight book ever published. And then you become interested or passionate in something else. And you might think, "Oh, it was silly of me to be so interested in..." "I wasted so much time and money on this." But it wasn't a waste. It was meaningful to you at the time. It brought you happiness and excitement. It made you a part of something. It gave you a sense of belonging. It made you think and feel. You may have even made friends who shared your interest. Why should any of this be considered a waste?
Same with relationships. I have never been through a serious break-up or a divorce, thank goodness. And I can certainly understand how there can be regret in such situations. Regret and pain and lots of second guessing. But it sure would be nice if even in such times of hurt, we can look back on the relationship and remember the love that was there, and always believe that love is never a waste of time.
librarianintx
Mennonite in a Black Dress is about a woman who goes back to live with her Mennonite parents after her husband of fifteen years leaves her for a man he met on gay.com.
I really like this quote. It has become my philosophy. Regret is as useless in life as worry. Everyone in your life and everything you do in life serves a purpose. Some people come and go and some remain constant for decades, but each person you come in contact with is or was in your life for a reason. Every human being, every situation is meaningful in some way. Some relationships are positive, some are negative, some start out good and end badly, and vice versa. Your life is comprised of experiences, and each one is designed to teach you something.
Your likes and dislikes, your hobbies, what you're passionate about...all of this changes and evolves as you go through life. You might be a Trekkie, or a huge fan of the band Bon Jovi, or you might read every Twilight book ever published. And then you become interested or passionate in something else. And you might think, "Oh, it was silly of me to be so interested in..." "I wasted so much time and money on this." But it wasn't a waste. It was meaningful to you at the time. It brought you happiness and excitement. It made you a part of something. It gave you a sense of belonging. It made you think and feel. You may have even made friends who shared your interest. Why should any of this be considered a waste?
Same with relationships. I have never been through a serious break-up or a divorce, thank goodness. And I can certainly understand how there can be regret in such situations. Regret and pain and lots of second guessing. But it sure would be nice if even in such times of hurt, we can look back on the relationship and remember the love that was there, and always believe that love is never a waste of time.
librarianintx
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Response to GQ Down Syndrome Slur
http://childrenshospitalblog.org/mock-my-pants-not-my-sister/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+childrenshospitalblog+%28Thriving%2C+Children%27s+Hospital+Boston%27s+pediatric+health+blog%29
Mock My Pants, Not My Sister
July 18, 2011
The following was written by Brian Skotko , MD, MPP, a Physician at Children’s Hospital Boston’s Down Syndrome Program. It’s in response to a feature in GQ magazine that used insensitive language.
On July 15, John B. Thompson of GQ magazine slammed Bostonians as the worst dressed in the nation. Evidently, our beloved Beantown is actually a “bad-taste storm sewer” where all the worst fashion ideas come to “stagnate and putrefy.” He further decries, “Boston suffers from a kind of Style Down Syndrome , where a little extra ends up ruining everything.”
Go ahead, GQ, and mock my blue whale-emblemed Nantucket-red pants. Laugh if you want at the loud argyles that I prefer to wear with my black suit. I don’t even care if you dismiss the sexy pink polka-dotted tie that I like to wear with my blue-checkered shirt in clinic. But, whatever you do, do not mess with my sister.
My sister, Kristin, has Down syndrome, and let me explain what “Style Down Syndrome” really is. “Style Down Syndrome” is smiling when everyone else prefers to frown. It’s spending three summers, in sheer determination, learning to ride a bike because you want the freedom to be like everyone else. It’s singing tunes from Grease at the top of your lungs with your friends. It’s celebrating a third-place victory at a swim meet with as much gusto as the gold medalist.
Style Down Syndrome is strong-willed, persevering, and forgiving—because it has to be.
People with Down syndrome are ridiculed on a daily basis. Although not as obvious as GQ’s sport, children with Down syndrome do not always get invited to birthday parties just because they have Down syndrome. Young adults, freshly minted from high school, sometimes have trouble finding post-secondary opportunities. And, adults with Down syndrome are often the first to be fired when the economy tanks.
All of this comes at a time when people with Down syndrome are achieving previously unimagined successes. They are graduating, working, living and loving within our communities. So, why do people underestimate their abilities? It must be because they do not know someone with Down syndrome. Because, if they did, they would come to appreciate the life lessons that accompany their extra chromosome.
If my friends who are black were mocked, they would not take it. If my friends who are gay were slurred, they would not take it. My 400,000 fellow Americans with Down syndrome have been cheapened, and I will not take it. I invite GQ magazine to introduce its readers to real people with Down syndrome through the My Great Story campaign of the National Down Syndrome Society.
end of blog post
This is me, standing and cheering! You go, Dr. Skotko! Love this! What a lucky woman Kristin is to have such a sibling in her corner. And what a disgrace for GQ to denigrate a group of people with such a ridiculous, mean-spirited comment.
librarianintx
Mock My Pants, Not My Sister
July 18, 2011
The following was written by Brian Skotko , MD, MPP, a Physician at Children’s Hospital Boston’s Down Syndrome Program. It’s in response to a feature in GQ magazine that used insensitive language.
On July 15, John B. Thompson of GQ magazine slammed Bostonians as the worst dressed in the nation. Evidently, our beloved Beantown is actually a “bad-taste storm sewer” where all the worst fashion ideas come to “stagnate and putrefy.” He further decries, “Boston suffers from a kind of Style Down Syndrome , where a little extra ends up ruining everything.”
Go ahead, GQ, and mock my blue whale-emblemed Nantucket-red pants. Laugh if you want at the loud argyles that I prefer to wear with my black suit. I don’t even care if you dismiss the sexy pink polka-dotted tie that I like to wear with my blue-checkered shirt in clinic. But, whatever you do, do not mess with my sister.
My sister, Kristin, has Down syndrome, and let me explain what “Style Down Syndrome” really is. “Style Down Syndrome” is smiling when everyone else prefers to frown. It’s spending three summers, in sheer determination, learning to ride a bike because you want the freedom to be like everyone else. It’s singing tunes from Grease at the top of your lungs with your friends. It’s celebrating a third-place victory at a swim meet with as much gusto as the gold medalist.
Style Down Syndrome is strong-willed, persevering, and forgiving—because it has to be.
People with Down syndrome are ridiculed on a daily basis. Although not as obvious as GQ’s sport, children with Down syndrome do not always get invited to birthday parties just because they have Down syndrome. Young adults, freshly minted from high school, sometimes have trouble finding post-secondary opportunities. And, adults with Down syndrome are often the first to be fired when the economy tanks.
All of this comes at a time when people with Down syndrome are achieving previously unimagined successes. They are graduating, working, living and loving within our communities. So, why do people underestimate their abilities? It must be because they do not know someone with Down syndrome. Because, if they did, they would come to appreciate the life lessons that accompany their extra chromosome.
If my friends who are black were mocked, they would not take it. If my friends who are gay were slurred, they would not take it. My 400,000 fellow Americans with Down syndrome have been cheapened, and I will not take it. I invite GQ magazine to introduce its readers to real people with Down syndrome through the My Great Story campaign of the National Down Syndrome Society.
end of blog post
This is me, standing and cheering! You go, Dr. Skotko! Love this! What a lucky woman Kristin is to have such a sibling in her corner. And what a disgrace for GQ to denigrate a group of people with such a ridiculous, mean-spirited comment.
librarianintx
Working on Me
Depression, loneliness, frustration, fear....all can affect your physical as well as your emotional well-being. I feel like I spend so much of my life struggling...worrying...ruminating...being afraid. I am the princess of "what if," "should have," "could have," "need to," and "why can't I just."
So I'm trying to work on all of this. I have spent so much of my life mired in negativity. I stop myself from being happy and having what I want. I don't feel like I deserve good things. I constantly delay joy. I push away positivity. I focus on the bad. I look for life to go wrong. I anticipate it, thinking I will deal with it better if I lay in wait for it, and not let it sneak up on me.
I don't want to use the word "struggle" or "task." Its a daily reward. There we go! A daily gift to myself, to succeed in silencing the critical voice within me, the part of me that makes it her occupation to scare me, worry me, frustrate me, tell me that I'll never have what I want and I don't deserve it anyway, and terrible things are going to happen to me and the people I care about.
I'm always waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
So the first step on the way to change...be observant. Notice what you're thinking, and how its affecting you physically as well as emotionally. Realize that your leg muscles are tight, that your whole body is tight. Notice that you're holding your breath slightly, which can exacerbate and even contribute to anxiety. Listen to your thoughts.
And then do something different.
Re-direct. Focus your thoughts and energies elsewhere. Remind yourself that worry and fear are the two most useless activities you can engage in, and you're not going to waste your valuable time on them. Negative thoughts and emotions have no power of their own; they are only as strong as you allow them to be. They can never be in control of you unless you let them. So you say, "bye bye" and you do something else, preferably something you like to do. Read. Journal. Do something with a friend. Watch a show. Play a game. Maybe even better...try something new. Something you think you can't do. If you don't feel like you have enough mental energy to focus on something that requires brain power, like reading or journaling, then do something physical. Exercise a little. Clean something. Organize.
I know its not easy.
But its important.
And I know it works.
The key...
I have to care enough about myself to make this a priority.
librarianintx
So I'm trying to work on all of this. I have spent so much of my life mired in negativity. I stop myself from being happy and having what I want. I don't feel like I deserve good things. I constantly delay joy. I push away positivity. I focus on the bad. I look for life to go wrong. I anticipate it, thinking I will deal with it better if I lay in wait for it, and not let it sneak up on me.
I don't want to use the word "struggle" or "task." Its a daily reward. There we go! A daily gift to myself, to succeed in silencing the critical voice within me, the part of me that makes it her occupation to scare me, worry me, frustrate me, tell me that I'll never have what I want and I don't deserve it anyway, and terrible things are going to happen to me and the people I care about.
I'm always waiting for the next bad thing to happen.
So the first step on the way to change...be observant. Notice what you're thinking, and how its affecting you physically as well as emotionally. Realize that your leg muscles are tight, that your whole body is tight. Notice that you're holding your breath slightly, which can exacerbate and even contribute to anxiety. Listen to your thoughts.
And then do something different.
Re-direct. Focus your thoughts and energies elsewhere. Remind yourself that worry and fear are the two most useless activities you can engage in, and you're not going to waste your valuable time on them. Negative thoughts and emotions have no power of their own; they are only as strong as you allow them to be. They can never be in control of you unless you let them. So you say, "bye bye" and you do something else, preferably something you like to do. Read. Journal. Do something with a friend. Watch a show. Play a game. Maybe even better...try something new. Something you think you can't do. If you don't feel like you have enough mental energy to focus on something that requires brain power, like reading or journaling, then do something physical. Exercise a little. Clean something. Organize.
I know its not easy.
But its important.
And I know it works.
The key...
I have to care enough about myself to make this a priority.
librarianintx
Friday, May 06, 2011
Nurturing Dreams workshop
Yesterday and today I attended a workshop called "Nurturing Dreams" at an organization where I serve on an advisory committee through my job. This workshop was a "train the trainer" series designed to assist professionals in working with self-advocates and people with disabilities on identifying and hopefully making their dreams come to fruition.
There were about 15 of us going through the training. It was really really great. It was fun, it was cathartic, at times it was intense, we all really bonded, especially at our individual tables.
When I mentioned that I have a blog, one of the trainers asked for the URL, and asked my permission to write it on the whiteboard so people could visit the blog. I explained that I actually have more than one blog, but I gave the URL for this main blog. Its scary thinking that people I just met are going to possibly come here and read about all the stuff I'm interested in. But really, isn't that why I have a blog...so I can share my thoughts and opinions, and post about topics that are important to me?
So if you're from "Nurturing Dreams" and you're stopping by,,,thanks for visiting! Please say hi in the comments section if you have time. My picture is on the blog, but I don't use my real name. Here I am known as "librarinaintx" or "sweatergrrl."
It was so great to meet everyone at "Nurturing Dreams." Thank you all for sharing so much of yourselves with the group. I think we all learned and felt and grew and had a lot of fun in the process. A special thank you to "T."
librarinaintx
P.S. Hey dreamers...I aaw a beautiful, big, yellow butterfly this afternoon. :)
There were about 15 of us going through the training. It was really really great. It was fun, it was cathartic, at times it was intense, we all really bonded, especially at our individual tables.
When I mentioned that I have a blog, one of the trainers asked for the URL, and asked my permission to write it on the whiteboard so people could visit the blog. I explained that I actually have more than one blog, but I gave the URL for this main blog. Its scary thinking that people I just met are going to possibly come here and read about all the stuff I'm interested in. But really, isn't that why I have a blog...so I can share my thoughts and opinions, and post about topics that are important to me?
So if you're from "Nurturing Dreams" and you're stopping by,,,thanks for visiting! Please say hi in the comments section if you have time. My picture is on the blog, but I don't use my real name. Here I am known as "librarinaintx" or "sweatergrrl."
It was so great to meet everyone at "Nurturing Dreams." Thank you all for sharing so much of yourselves with the group. I think we all learned and felt and grew and had a lot of fun in the process. A special thank you to "T."
librarinaintx
P.S. Hey dreamers...I aaw a beautiful, big, yellow butterfly this afternoon. :)
Friday, April 29, 2011
The James Durbin Radio in My Head
When I really get into a singer or band, I tend to wake up with a different song from them in my head. I won't keep track of this every day, but this morning the song was Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." James sang this as his final song for Hollywood week. Jennifer could not contain herself during the performance. Steven declared "I'll have what he's having!" at the end of the song. We didn't get to hear the whole number of course, but what a beautiful slice of blue-eyed soul that was, with a James' higher-than-high note at the end, executed while in a back-bend. I don't think there was any doubt after that Mr. Durbin would secure a spot in the Season 10 Top 24.
librarianintx
librarianintx
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Songs 4-26 and 4-27
Yesterday I only had time to listen to a few songs...part of a Journey greatest hits cd. "Separate Ways" is an older song that I'm obsessed with right now, so I think I listened to that three times. :)
Today so far its been Idol download day. I listened to James Durbin's songs, and then the songs that Casey James performed on Idol. Casey doesn't have a cd out yet, but he's working on one. Fingers crossed that its more blues than country!
librarianintx
Today so far its been Idol download day. I listened to James Durbin's songs, and then the songs that Casey James performed on Idol. Casey doesn't have a cd out yet, but he's working on one. Fingers crossed that its more blues than country!
librarianintx
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Stefano's quote about James
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2011/04/american-idols-stefano-langone-jokes-james-is-a-little-crybaby.html
American Idol's Stefano Langone Jokes 'James Is A Little Crybaby'
[snip]
On his bromance with James:
"James is a little crybaby. [laughs] James is my brother man, we been roommates since Hollywood. He's a brother to me, I'm going to be the best man at his wedding. He lost it last night, I told him to stay focused and don't even worry about me, I'm gonna be fine ... I was just telling him not to worry about me. I did everything that I set out to do on this show. Every single thing I set out. It's gonna pay off, I'm gonna do great and I told him to keep on focusing on the show. I calmed him down a little bit. He was a wreck, he's a big crybaby." [laughs]
[snip]
James wears his heart on his sleeve. Love that. :)
librarianintx
American Idol's Stefano Langone Jokes 'James Is A Little Crybaby'
[snip]
On his bromance with James:
"James is a little crybaby. [laughs] James is my brother man, we been roommates since Hollywood. He's a brother to me, I'm going to be the best man at his wedding. He lost it last night, I told him to stay focused and don't even worry about me, I'm gonna be fine ... I was just telling him not to worry about me. I did everything that I set out to do on this show. Every single thing I set out. It's gonna pay off, I'm gonna do great and I told him to keep on focusing on the show. I calmed him down a little bit. He was a wreck, he's a big crybaby." [laughs]
[snip]
James wears his heart on his sleeve. Love that. :)
librarianintx
"Uprising"
There is an added reason why I'm so addicted to the song "Uprising" right now. I love James Durbin and I love big anthem songs anyway, but when I listen to this song these days it makes me think of the economic and social situation in this country at the moment, how services to people with disabilities are going to be either drastically reduced or eliminated, how people in my line of work are going to lose their jobs because of budget cuts, and how the LGBT community continues to be treated like second-class citizens.
In my state, children with autism may have their services completely taken away. They would not be eligible for other programs. James Durbin has Asperbergs Syndrome, a type of autism. He has been open about his struggle with both Aspergers and Tourettes. Is he interested in being a role model, a spokesperson? I don't know. I don't think he has to be. The fact that he is on the most popular television show in America, showing us his talent, his determination, and his positive attitude, is enough to both educate the uninformed and give hope and inspiration to the children and adults who live with these conditions. Especially with Tourettes, there is so much misinformation about the disorder. Many people think that everyone with Tourettes bark like dogs and shout obscenities. Simply by living his life in the public eye, James is dispelling myths and shattering stereotypes.
So when I watch James performing "Uprising," I think about the song being an anthem for the most vulnerable in our society.
"They will not force us.
They will stop degrading us.
They will not control us.
We will be victorious...
C'mon!!!"
librarinintx
In my state, children with autism may have their services completely taken away. They would not be eligible for other programs. James Durbin has Asperbergs Syndrome, a type of autism. He has been open about his struggle with both Aspergers and Tourettes. Is he interested in being a role model, a spokesperson? I don't know. I don't think he has to be. The fact that he is on the most popular television show in America, showing us his talent, his determination, and his positive attitude, is enough to both educate the uninformed and give hope and inspiration to the children and adults who live with these conditions. Especially with Tourettes, there is so much misinformation about the disorder. Many people think that everyone with Tourettes bark like dogs and shout obscenities. Simply by living his life in the public eye, James is dispelling myths and shattering stereotypes.
So when I watch James performing "Uprising," I think about the song being an anthem for the most vulnerable in our society.
"They will not force us.
They will stop degrading us.
They will not control us.
We will be victorious...
C'mon!!!"
librarinintx
Songs 4-25-11
Thanks to my roommate, I have a big i-pod full of an eclectic mix of music. I tend to listen to the same songs over and over. So I am trying to branch out more and listen to something different every day, plus the songs that I'm currently into. So I'm going to try to post what I'm listening to. We'll see how long I'm able to keep up with this. :)
So for yesterday, I listened to:
Maroon 5 songs from two of their cd's.
All of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" cd except the remix's. "ET" is currently one of my favorite songs, so I listened to that three times. :)
The first three songs from Ke$ha's "Cannibal" EP.
And I had to listen to James Durbin's "Uprising" multiple times. That song is my current addiction.
librarianintx
So for yesterday, I listened to:
Maroon 5 songs from two of their cd's.
All of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" cd except the remix's. "ET" is currently one of my favorite songs, so I listened to that three times. :)
The first three songs from Ke$ha's "Cannibal" EP.
And I had to listen to James Durbin's "Uprising" multiple times. That song is my current addiction.
librarianintx
More on James
It is interesting that I have become such a James Durbin fan. In some ways he's very different from who and what I'm interested in today. I'm not really a metal fan anymore. Actually, I was never a metal fan in the pure sense of the term. I was a hard rock fan. James is also hardcore into wrestling, which I am not. But I'm rooting for him because I think he's the best contestant on the show this season. He has been consistently great every week, while showing that he can easily handle a wide range of songs. His creativity is unmatched this season. No one else has created moments on the show like he has. He is exciting and dynamic. He's a risk taker, but he also goes with his gut and doesn't let others change his mind when he knows what he wants to sing or how he wants to stage his performance. "We always tell you kids, just 'do you.'" Randy said. And that's what James does. Some people view that mindset as arrogance. "Who is James Durbin to tell Jimmy Iovine that his ideas aren't good?" people complain. But James isn't saying that. He is making his own decisions and standing up for his artistic vision. It has served him well thus far.
After doing several up-tempo songs in a row, James went with the George Harrison ballad "When My Guitar Gently Weeps." The song has been a treasured favorite of James' for years, and he has performed it several times. Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am worried that the song was too slow for the AI audience. But James knew he had to change things up. Jimmy advised him to at least make sure the ending was good, and James killed it with a long, soaring held note. So far I think his best decision has been the Muse song. It was a surprising selection, and he totally nailed it, vocally and artistically. Randy and Jennifer proclaimed it the best of the night, and he was only the second performer at that point.
Will James win American Idol? Too soon to tell. Scotty McCreery, though stagnate in his country genre, is wildly popular. Casey Abrams is the biggest risk taker next James, and has been applauded for his artistry as well. Haley Reinhart has a smaller fan base and has been in the bottom three multiple times, but she is very talented and a dark horse for the finale. Lauren Alaina has never been in the bottom three, but she has also has not achieved the potential I saw in her when she auditioned. Jacob Lusk is an amazing vocalist but unfortunately also often inconsistent.
Obviously I want James to win, but I believe he will have a career either way. And I hope his first cd is not all metal. I know that's what he likes to sing the best, and I want him to make the kind of album he wants to make. I also don't want his metal fans to feel alienated. I think many of them are looking to James Durbin to resurrect the genre. But James can do so much more than just sing metal. He is so versatile. In the group performances he has sung Michael Jackson and Coldplay. He's a tall, metal dude, but he handled the Idol cheeseball choreography surprisingly well. He also looked very handsome in a suit for the Stevie Wonder / Motown medley. For his final song in Hollywood week he sang Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and absolutely nailed it. The boy has soul. Passion. Fire. And he's got tenderness. Jennifer told him at his audition, "You sing from where you're supposed to sing. From a place of feeling, and wanting to make others feel."
That's why I'm a James Durbin fan.
librarianintx
After doing several up-tempo songs in a row, James went with the George Harrison ballad "When My Guitar Gently Weeps." The song has been a treasured favorite of James' for years, and he has performed it several times. Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am worried that the song was too slow for the AI audience. But James knew he had to change things up. Jimmy advised him to at least make sure the ending was good, and James killed it with a long, soaring held note. So far I think his best decision has been the Muse song. It was a surprising selection, and he totally nailed it, vocally and artistically. Randy and Jennifer proclaimed it the best of the night, and he was only the second performer at that point.
Will James win American Idol? Too soon to tell. Scotty McCreery, though stagnate in his country genre, is wildly popular. Casey Abrams is the biggest risk taker next James, and has been applauded for his artistry as well. Haley Reinhart has a smaller fan base and has been in the bottom three multiple times, but she is very talented and a dark horse for the finale. Lauren Alaina has never been in the bottom three, but she has also has not achieved the potential I saw in her when she auditioned. Jacob Lusk is an amazing vocalist but unfortunately also often inconsistent.
Obviously I want James to win, but I believe he will have a career either way. And I hope his first cd is not all metal. I know that's what he likes to sing the best, and I want him to make the kind of album he wants to make. I also don't want his metal fans to feel alienated. I think many of them are looking to James Durbin to resurrect the genre. But James can do so much more than just sing metal. He is so versatile. In the group performances he has sung Michael Jackson and Coldplay. He's a tall, metal dude, but he handled the Idol cheeseball choreography surprisingly well. He also looked very handsome in a suit for the Stevie Wonder / Motown medley. For his final song in Hollywood week he sang Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and absolutely nailed it. The boy has soul. Passion. Fire. And he's got tenderness. Jennifer told him at his audition, "You sing from where you're supposed to sing. From a place of feeling, and wanting to make others feel."
That's why I'm a James Durbin fan.
librarianintx
Monday, April 25, 2011
Muse, The Name is James Durbin
A double entendre of course.
James Durbin sang the Muse song "Uprising" last Wednesday, and in the immortal words of Randy Jackson, he "slayed it." I know I have become woefully behind on my Idol recaps - just too much going on. But that is where the other meaning comes in.
Because James Durbin has become my new muse.
Every week on American Idol James has upped his game. From the beginning he has shown versatility with his song selections, singing everything from metal to George Harrison to Stevie Wonder to Muse. He has also displayed his artistic vision by creating moments that have never been seen on the Idol stage before: a flaming piano, a mic stand/cane, a troupe of drummers marching onstage, and one of the greatest metal guitarist doing what he does best.
Many of the Idol contestants this season have proven themselves to be great performers and very good singers. But for me, James has been the most successful talent this season. Every week he shows us something new and exciting. No one could ever accuse him of being karaoke, or "phoning in" his performances. Except for the George Harrison song where he sat on a stool during the entire performance, James is a force to be reckoned with onstage. He has been on top of a piano, run up and down stairs, stood on top of the judges' table, and executed several backbends, all without running out of breath or even visibly sweating.
There is so much to love about James Durbin.
First of all, he has an amazing range and can sing a wide variety of music. Metal / hard rock is his favorite genre, and besides what he has sung on the show, I have also seen youtube videos of him performing songs in this category, including "Back in Black," by AC/DC "Kashmir," and "Stairway to Heaven," by Led Zepplin, and "Rainbow in the Dark." by Dio. I've also seen him sing more mainstream rock songs, like "Layla" by Eric Clapton, and "Separate Ways" by Journey. I even found a video of him singing "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles. "I bet you never heard a guy sing this before" he said in the video. Apparently he can sing country too, so if there's a country night on Idol he won't be a fish out of water. I found a video of him singing an amazing version of our national anthem.
Second of all, I love his professionalism onstage. James is only twenty-two, but he displays a maturity beyond his years. In every performance on Idol so far, James has managed to highlight whoever is onstage with him, whether it be backup singers, guitar or bass players, piano players, or drummers. He'll often call out their names during or after a song as well, and clap. I've seen him do this on the youtube videos as well. James communicates that a performance is not just about the lead singer, even when he's a competitor on a reality show.
He will also do all he can to bring the audience into the performance. Except for Paul, no one on Idol has done as much as James this season to get the crowd going. Besides his stage antics, he will urge people to stand up, point at people, wiggle his fingers, and make eye contact. He knows where the camera is and is able to succesfully engage the audience at home without alienating the studio peeps. I think if Simon was still a judge, he would say that James has "the X Factor." He has star quality.
Which is even more remarkable given the fact that James Durbin deals with Tourettes and Aspergers Syndromes on a daily basis. Both are neurological conditions. Aspergers is on the autism spectrum and can cause behavior problems and difficulties with socialization, relationships, and interpersonal communication. Tourettes results in involuntary movements known as tics, and in severe cases vocal outbursts.
James is lucky that he has mild forms of both disorders. But still, imagine being onstage in front of 30 million people every week, singing on a reality tv show, and dealing with conditions that most people know little about. Having both Tourettes and Aspergers is a double whammy because they can feed off each other. Aspergers can cause significant anxiety in social situations, and Tourettes can be exacerbated by stress and anxiety.
I'm certainly no expert in either disorder, but it appears to me that James has made significant progress in his journey with Aspergers. He makes eye contact easily, is very well-spoken, and is demonstrative and affectionate with his fellow contestants. In fact, when his closest friend on the show was eliminated, James was in tears, then ran out at the end of Stefano's song to give him a big hug.
I worried a lot in the beginning of the season about how James would handle all the pressure of being first an American Idol contestant, and then a singer in the public eye. There is so much to consider. The hard work, the long hours, the travel, the constant demands placed on you by both the industry and the public. James is witnessing firsthand the polar opposites of adoration and vitriol that the American public can heap on its celebrities. I have seen complaints about everything from his voice to the size of his ears to of course his facial tics. But James has so much going for him. A tough early life has strengthened him rather than hardening him. He has great support from a loving family, including a fiance and young son. He has a very positive outlook on life. "I have Tourettes and Aspergers, but they don't have me," he says. Singing is what he loves to do, and he's not going to let anything stand in the way of achieving his dreams, for himself and for his family.
librarianintx
James Durbin sang the Muse song "Uprising" last Wednesday, and in the immortal words of Randy Jackson, he "slayed it." I know I have become woefully behind on my Idol recaps - just too much going on. But that is where the other meaning comes in.
Because James Durbin has become my new muse.
Every week on American Idol James has upped his game. From the beginning he has shown versatility with his song selections, singing everything from metal to George Harrison to Stevie Wonder to Muse. He has also displayed his artistic vision by creating moments that have never been seen on the Idol stage before: a flaming piano, a mic stand/cane, a troupe of drummers marching onstage, and one of the greatest metal guitarist doing what he does best.
Many of the Idol contestants this season have proven themselves to be great performers and very good singers. But for me, James has been the most successful talent this season. Every week he shows us something new and exciting. No one could ever accuse him of being karaoke, or "phoning in" his performances. Except for the George Harrison song where he sat on a stool during the entire performance, James is a force to be reckoned with onstage. He has been on top of a piano, run up and down stairs, stood on top of the judges' table, and executed several backbends, all without running out of breath or even visibly sweating.
There is so much to love about James Durbin.
First of all, he has an amazing range and can sing a wide variety of music. Metal / hard rock is his favorite genre, and besides what he has sung on the show, I have also seen youtube videos of him performing songs in this category, including "Back in Black," by AC/DC "Kashmir," and "Stairway to Heaven," by Led Zepplin, and "Rainbow in the Dark." by Dio. I've also seen him sing more mainstream rock songs, like "Layla" by Eric Clapton, and "Separate Ways" by Journey. I even found a video of him singing "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles. "I bet you never heard a guy sing this before" he said in the video. Apparently he can sing country too, so if there's a country night on Idol he won't be a fish out of water. I found a video of him singing an amazing version of our national anthem.
Second of all, I love his professionalism onstage. James is only twenty-two, but he displays a maturity beyond his years. In every performance on Idol so far, James has managed to highlight whoever is onstage with him, whether it be backup singers, guitar or bass players, piano players, or drummers. He'll often call out their names during or after a song as well, and clap. I've seen him do this on the youtube videos as well. James communicates that a performance is not just about the lead singer, even when he's a competitor on a reality show.
He will also do all he can to bring the audience into the performance. Except for Paul, no one on Idol has done as much as James this season to get the crowd going. Besides his stage antics, he will urge people to stand up, point at people, wiggle his fingers, and make eye contact. He knows where the camera is and is able to succesfully engage the audience at home without alienating the studio peeps. I think if Simon was still a judge, he would say that James has "the X Factor." He has star quality.
Which is even more remarkable given the fact that James Durbin deals with Tourettes and Aspergers Syndromes on a daily basis. Both are neurological conditions. Aspergers is on the autism spectrum and can cause behavior problems and difficulties with socialization, relationships, and interpersonal communication. Tourettes results in involuntary movements known as tics, and in severe cases vocal outbursts.
James is lucky that he has mild forms of both disorders. But still, imagine being onstage in front of 30 million people every week, singing on a reality tv show, and dealing with conditions that most people know little about. Having both Tourettes and Aspergers is a double whammy because they can feed off each other. Aspergers can cause significant anxiety in social situations, and Tourettes can be exacerbated by stress and anxiety.
I'm certainly no expert in either disorder, but it appears to me that James has made significant progress in his journey with Aspergers. He makes eye contact easily, is very well-spoken, and is demonstrative and affectionate with his fellow contestants. In fact, when his closest friend on the show was eliminated, James was in tears, then ran out at the end of Stefano's song to give him a big hug.
I worried a lot in the beginning of the season about how James would handle all the pressure of being first an American Idol contestant, and then a singer in the public eye. There is so much to consider. The hard work, the long hours, the travel, the constant demands placed on you by both the industry and the public. James is witnessing firsthand the polar opposites of adoration and vitriol that the American public can heap on its celebrities. I have seen complaints about everything from his voice to the size of his ears to of course his facial tics. But James has so much going for him. A tough early life has strengthened him rather than hardening him. He has great support from a loving family, including a fiance and young son. He has a very positive outlook on life. "I have Tourettes and Aspergers, but they don't have me," he says. Singing is what he loves to do, and he's not going to let anything stand in the way of achieving his dreams, for himself and for his family.
librarianintx
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Reality Stars with Disabilities
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/18/2808750/more-reality-tv-shows-are-featuring.html
More Reality TV Shows are Featuring Players with Physical Disabilties
by Neal Justin
Reality TV has taught us that housewives from certain counties can be vicious, C-list celebrities can be trained to cha-cha and the happiest denizens on the Jersey Shore insist on clean laundry.
But at its best, the genre is providing a more valuable lesson by spotlighting and celebrating people with physical disabilities. This season, deaf actress Marlee Matlin has outwitted the competition on "The Celebrity Apprentice," James Durbin, who has both Tourette and Asperger syndromes, rocked his way into the final eight on "American Idol" and a guy who's deaf (Luke Adams) battled another with Asperger's (Zev Glassenberg) last month on "The Amazing Race."
Television can provide an intimate entry point into the lives of people who are otherwise misunderstood or underestimated, said Andy Dehnart, who teaches at Florida's Stetson University and runs the reality-TV website Realityblurred.com.
"People are seeing that Marlee Matlin can be just as witty and cutthroat as anybody else, and that sometimes she gets frustrated that people are talking to her translator instead of her," said Dehnart. "That's educational. You might not have liked Heather Mills on 'Dancing With the Stars,' but the fact that she only has one leg had nothing to do with it."
Documentary filmmaker Dominic Gill hopes to open eyes with his new Universal Sports cable series "Take a Seat," in which he shares a tandem bike with physically challenged partners during a cross-country trip - but he's also wary of labeling TV as the perfect teacher.
"Viewers tend to kick their shoes off and their guard is down, so you share a really valuable message when they're at their most receptive," he said. "Having said that, you have to really make an effort. Television has the capacity to be the most powerful tool, but because it's so ubiquitous, it can be easily ignored."
One group that's not ignoring the trend are fans who face their own physical challenges.
Brandon DeVincenzi, 12, of Brentwood, Calif., became obsessed with "Idol" this year because he has Tourette syndrome, too.
"It's been like a coming-out party for Brandon," his mother told the Contra Costra Times. "Before this, he found it really difficult to accept his Tourette's, or even talk about it. James (Durbin) has put a face on Tourette's and is showing Brandon that he can be comfortable with himself."
Another reality contestant who's serving as an inspiration is Zach Anner, a comedian with cerebral palsy who will get his own travel series after co-winning "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star." Anner was selected as a contestant after posting a hilarious audition video in which he pitched a show about physically challenged people traveling around the world. The video included his phone number, and Anner said he answered about 100 calls a day from people who'd seen it online, including a man whose son had just been in an accident.
"He was crying because my idea gave him inspiration that he and his son could travel someday," he said. "That was astounding to me. I never thought about the disability angle that much, but I discovered there was this huge community that was waiting for something like this."
Sarah Reinertsen, an amputee who finished seventh on 'The Amazing Race 10," learned the same thing, most strikingly while taking a walk in New York City in a short skirt that exposed her metal prosthetic leg. A stranger recognized her from the show and said his friend had recently had his leg blown off in Iraq.
"His friend had been totally depressed, but watching me on the show had totally renewed his hope," she said. "He thanked me for changing his (friend's) outlook and his life," Reinertsen said. "That's when I realized just how powerful the show really was and that it could help change perceptions and lives."
Of course, reality contestants don't sweat it out just to be role models. They want to succeed, too.
Reinertsen recalls the feeling of triumph when she managed to scale the Great Wall of China.
Rachel Swanson, who has severe cerebral palsy, participated in the Minneapolis-to-Milwaukee leg of "Take a Seat," just the latest in a series of personal adventures that have included downhill skiing and mountain climbing.
"It's important to Rachel to be a model to others, but it's also just another opportunity in her life to participate and gain personally," said her friend Joan Skluzacek.
One of the early reality stars to feel that sense of accomplishment was Josh Blue, who won the NBC comedy competition "Last Comic Standing" in 2006. Blue is more driven to be funny than to be inspirational.
"It's a cool feeling when people come up and thank me for not just presenting cerebral palsy, but disability in general, in an educational fashion," he said. "But ultimately that's not my goal. I just love doing standup."
10 GROUNDBREAKING TV CHARACTERS
TV has occasionally spotlighted physically challenged characters on fictional shows as well. Here are a few who stand out:
"TATE" (1960) - David McLean played a bounty hunter who's the fastest draw in the West even though he lost the use of his left arm in the Civil War.
"IRONSIDE" (1967-75) - Although a sniper's bullet forced Raymond Burr's detective into a wheelchair, he still managed to roll over bad guys.
"LONGSTREET" (1971-72) - He may have been blinded by an explosion, but James Franciscus' insurance investigator could still see through criminals' flimsy stories.
GERI ON "THE FACTS OF LIFE" (1980-84) - Geri Jewell became the first physically disabled actress to portray a recurring character, teaching the girls the facts of cerebral palsy.
CORKY ON "LIFE GOES ON" (1989-93) - Chris Burke, who was born with Down syndrome, won our hearts and admiration as the eternally optimistic Corky Thatcher in this feel-good family drama.
DR. WEAVER ON "ER" (1995-2007) - We learned that Laura Innes' Kerry Weaver was a lesbian and abandoned as a child before discovering that her limp was caused by congenital hip dysplasia.
AUGUSTUS HILL ON "OZ" (1997-2003) - Harold Perrineau Jr.'s character narrates from a maximum-security prison and a wheelchair after a cop threw him off a roof for killing his partner.
JOE SWANSON ON "FAMILY GUY" (1999) - It figures that TV's crudest cartoon would have its most likable character be wheelchair-bound Joe, voiced by Patrick Warburton.
JOEY LUCAS ON "THE WEST WING" (2000-06) - Before battling on "Celebrity Apprentice," deaf actress Marlee Matlin took on Josh Lyman as a savvy political consultant.
BECKY ON "GLEE" (2009-) - Wheelchair-bound Artie (Kevin McHale) may be a bigger character, but we'll save our biggest cheer for Sue Sylvester's protegee, played by Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome.
end of article
Except for the use of the term "wheelchair-bound," this is a good article.
librarianintx
More Reality TV Shows are Featuring Players with Physical Disabilties
by Neal Justin
Reality TV has taught us that housewives from certain counties can be vicious, C-list celebrities can be trained to cha-cha and the happiest denizens on the Jersey Shore insist on clean laundry.
But at its best, the genre is providing a more valuable lesson by spotlighting and celebrating people with physical disabilities. This season, deaf actress Marlee Matlin has outwitted the competition on "The Celebrity Apprentice," James Durbin, who has both Tourette and Asperger syndromes, rocked his way into the final eight on "American Idol" and a guy who's deaf (Luke Adams) battled another with Asperger's (Zev Glassenberg) last month on "The Amazing Race."
Television can provide an intimate entry point into the lives of people who are otherwise misunderstood or underestimated, said Andy Dehnart, who teaches at Florida's Stetson University and runs the reality-TV website Realityblurred.com.
"People are seeing that Marlee Matlin can be just as witty and cutthroat as anybody else, and that sometimes she gets frustrated that people are talking to her translator instead of her," said Dehnart. "That's educational. You might not have liked Heather Mills on 'Dancing With the Stars,' but the fact that she only has one leg had nothing to do with it."
Documentary filmmaker Dominic Gill hopes to open eyes with his new Universal Sports cable series "Take a Seat," in which he shares a tandem bike with physically challenged partners during a cross-country trip - but he's also wary of labeling TV as the perfect teacher.
"Viewers tend to kick their shoes off and their guard is down, so you share a really valuable message when they're at their most receptive," he said. "Having said that, you have to really make an effort. Television has the capacity to be the most powerful tool, but because it's so ubiquitous, it can be easily ignored."
One group that's not ignoring the trend are fans who face their own physical challenges.
Brandon DeVincenzi, 12, of Brentwood, Calif., became obsessed with "Idol" this year because he has Tourette syndrome, too.
"It's been like a coming-out party for Brandon," his mother told the Contra Costra Times. "Before this, he found it really difficult to accept his Tourette's, or even talk about it. James (Durbin) has put a face on Tourette's and is showing Brandon that he can be comfortable with himself."
Another reality contestant who's serving as an inspiration is Zach Anner, a comedian with cerebral palsy who will get his own travel series after co-winning "Your OWN Show: Oprah's Search for the Next TV Star." Anner was selected as a contestant after posting a hilarious audition video in which he pitched a show about physically challenged people traveling around the world. The video included his phone number, and Anner said he answered about 100 calls a day from people who'd seen it online, including a man whose son had just been in an accident.
"He was crying because my idea gave him inspiration that he and his son could travel someday," he said. "That was astounding to me. I never thought about the disability angle that much, but I discovered there was this huge community that was waiting for something like this."
Sarah Reinertsen, an amputee who finished seventh on 'The Amazing Race 10," learned the same thing, most strikingly while taking a walk in New York City in a short skirt that exposed her metal prosthetic leg. A stranger recognized her from the show and said his friend had recently had his leg blown off in Iraq.
"His friend had been totally depressed, but watching me on the show had totally renewed his hope," she said. "He thanked me for changing his (friend's) outlook and his life," Reinertsen said. "That's when I realized just how powerful the show really was and that it could help change perceptions and lives."
Of course, reality contestants don't sweat it out just to be role models. They want to succeed, too.
Reinertsen recalls the feeling of triumph when she managed to scale the Great Wall of China.
Rachel Swanson, who has severe cerebral palsy, participated in the Minneapolis-to-Milwaukee leg of "Take a Seat," just the latest in a series of personal adventures that have included downhill skiing and mountain climbing.
"It's important to Rachel to be a model to others, but it's also just another opportunity in her life to participate and gain personally," said her friend Joan Skluzacek.
One of the early reality stars to feel that sense of accomplishment was Josh Blue, who won the NBC comedy competition "Last Comic Standing" in 2006. Blue is more driven to be funny than to be inspirational.
"It's a cool feeling when people come up and thank me for not just presenting cerebral palsy, but disability in general, in an educational fashion," he said. "But ultimately that's not my goal. I just love doing standup."
10 GROUNDBREAKING TV CHARACTERS
TV has occasionally spotlighted physically challenged characters on fictional shows as well. Here are a few who stand out:
"TATE" (1960) - David McLean played a bounty hunter who's the fastest draw in the West even though he lost the use of his left arm in the Civil War.
"IRONSIDE" (1967-75) - Although a sniper's bullet forced Raymond Burr's detective into a wheelchair, he still managed to roll over bad guys.
"LONGSTREET" (1971-72) - He may have been blinded by an explosion, but James Franciscus' insurance investigator could still see through criminals' flimsy stories.
GERI ON "THE FACTS OF LIFE" (1980-84) - Geri Jewell became the first physically disabled actress to portray a recurring character, teaching the girls the facts of cerebral palsy.
CORKY ON "LIFE GOES ON" (1989-93) - Chris Burke, who was born with Down syndrome, won our hearts and admiration as the eternally optimistic Corky Thatcher in this feel-good family drama.
DR. WEAVER ON "ER" (1995-2007) - We learned that Laura Innes' Kerry Weaver was a lesbian and abandoned as a child before discovering that her limp was caused by congenital hip dysplasia.
AUGUSTUS HILL ON "OZ" (1997-2003) - Harold Perrineau Jr.'s character narrates from a maximum-security prison and a wheelchair after a cop threw him off a roof for killing his partner.
JOE SWANSON ON "FAMILY GUY" (1999) - It figures that TV's crudest cartoon would have its most likable character be wheelchair-bound Joe, voiced by Patrick Warburton.
JOEY LUCAS ON "THE WEST WING" (2000-06) - Before battling on "Celebrity Apprentice," deaf actress Marlee Matlin took on Josh Lyman as a savvy political consultant.
BECKY ON "GLEE" (2009-) - Wheelchair-bound Artie (Kevin McHale) may be a bigger character, but we'll save our biggest cheer for Sue Sylvester's protegee, played by Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome.
end of article
Except for the use of the term "wheelchair-bound," this is a good article.
librarianintx
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Mel Levine
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/26/us/26levine.html
Pediatrician in Abuse Case Kills Himself
by Tamar Lewin
February 25, 2011
Dr. Melvin D. Levine, a nationally known pediatrician who was found dead last week, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a medical examiner said on Friday.
Dr. Levine, 71, was found in the woods near his Rougemont, N.C., home with a gunshot wound to his forehead. His death was reported a day after a class-action sexual abuse and malpractice suit was filed against him in Boston.
A report by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina said officers went to Dr. Levine’s home the night of Feb. 17 after his wife reported finding a suicide note, but they were not initially able to find his body. The contents of the note have not been released.
The Boston lawsuit charges that Dr. Levine performed unnecessary genital exams on 40 boys while at Children’s Hospital Boston from 1966 to 1985.
Although Dr. Levine, a Rhodes scholar, had long been dogged by charges of sexually abusing young male patients, he had maintained that he was innocent. He was never convicted on any abuse charge, and never faced criminal charges.
On Friday The Boston Globe reported that several men who said they had been molested as young boys had described encounters in which they said Dr. Levine groped, fondled or performed oral sex on them. One recalled a trip on which he and Dr. Levine were in the same bed, saying that when the doctor took off his clothes, he put his arm around the boy and fondled him.
Christopher Dean, now a 50-year-old architect in Roslindale, Mass., said Friday that for four years, starting when he was 9, he went twice a year to Dr. Levine’s office for a “checkup” that was simply an occasion for molestation.
“It started when he came to my school in Brookline, saw me in the nurse’s office, fondled me, and then said he would like to see me as a private patient,” said Mr. Dean, a plaintiff in the Boston suit, which will proceed against Mr. Levine’s estate. “I came out in tears and in shock, but didn’t tell anyone.”
Several plaintiffs said that Dr. Levine’s abuse had clouded their lives, and that they hoped for resolution in the lawsuit.
“It left me feeling very awkward; I never forgot it, and I always kept track of Dr. Levine,” said Donald Roy, now 46, who said he was abused by Dr. Levine at age 10, when he was having surgery at Children’s Hospital. “My mother knew what was going on because Dr. Levine invited me to visit his house, and I said I just wasn’t going to go, and I explained why. But she didn’t know what to do with it.”
Carmen Durso, a Boston lawyer for the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit, filed his first suit against Dr. Levine in 2005, and followed with four more complaints before holding a news conference in 2008 at which he announced the charges. Those charges were resolved, but last week Mr. Durso held a news conference announcing the new complaints.
Until the sexual abuse charges, Dr. Levine was a leading advocate for children with learning disabilities whose fame spread through his books, including “A Mind at a Time,” as well as through a PBS documentary, “Misunderstood Minds,” and a nationwide schedule of lectures.
With Charles Schwab, Dr. Levine founded a nonprofit group, All Kinds of Minds, that has trained thousands of teachers. Dr. Levine’s approach stressed that whatever their learning disabilities — learning differences, he called them — all children also had strengths to build on.
In 2004, the New York City Department of Education gave All Kinds of Minds a $12.5 million contract to train 20,000 teachers, without the normal competitive bidding process, because, it said, there were no comparable programs.
In 2005, Scholastic Press named Dr. Levine the most admired person in education.
While some experts criticized Dr. Levine’s work as depending on observation and anecdote instead of replicable scientific investigation, teachers and parents flocked to his entertaining, multihour lectures.
“He brought optimism into the world of families by helping to demystify learning, helping kids put borders around their learning issues, so they no longer felt pervasively damaged,” said Claire Wurtzel, who worked with Dr. Levine and is now director of professional development at Churchill School and Center in New York.
Dr. Levine contributed to a paradigm shift, she said, getting teachers to explore what stopped children from learning, rather than just dismissing them.
“Before Mel, it used to be, for most teachers, ‘Why is this lazy kid in my room? He’s not learning and he doesn’t belong here,’ ” she said.
A basic tenet of Dr. Levine’s was that no child should ever be humiliated.
“From the moment a child gets out of bed until she is tucked in at night, she has one central mission: avoiding humiliation at all costs,” Dr. Levine often said in his lectures.
Some former colleagues, including Dr. William B. Carey of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said they could not reconcile that Mel Levine, their “brilliant, honest, kind, caring” friend, with the doctor charged with humiliating so many boys.
After Dr. Levine moved to North Carolina, sexual abuse complaints arose there, too. In March 2009, as the North Carolina medical board was investigating such charges, Dr. Levine agreed that he would never again practice medicine. At the time, the state medical board said it was prepared to show that Dr. Levine had conducted examinations that were not medically indicated or properly documented.
Mr. Dean said that when Dr. Levine moved to North Carolina, his mother told him that Dr. Levine had molested two young sons of a friend of hers, who believed he had left Massachusetts to flee complaints.
“My mother asked if he’d ever done anything to me,” Mr. Dean said. “I was 25, but I was still so humiliated that I said, no, he never touched me. The shame was so great that I didn’t tell my mother about it until last week, and I still haven’t told my father.”
End of article
I was shocked to find this article this morning while I was searching for something else. I never heard Dr. Levine speak, but I know he has been a highly respected voice in the LD community for years. We have his book "A Mind at a Time" in our reference center, and his approach was one of the reasons why I titled the publication I created "A Guide to Learning Differences" instead of "A Guide to Learning Disabilities."
How do you reconcile the two sides of Dr. Levine...the respected professional with the apparent child molester? Can someone be both good and evil? I mean, I believe that we all have good and bad within us, but can someone have the degree of polar opposite within him as Dr. Levine apparently did? When I really think about it, the answer is easy, given the fact that other doctors, men of the cloth, teachers, etc have been convicted of such crimes. It just still seems shocking to me, given all the work he did on behalf of children. This sentence from the article is especially jarring: "A basic tenet of Dr. Levine’s was that no child should ever be humiliated."
His emphasis was that children who struggled with learning were not disabled, they simply learned in different and sometimes uncoventional ways. And those learning styles should be explored and nurtured. And yet if the allegations are true, Dr. Levine humiliated his patients in the worst possible way.
So do I remove Dr. Levine's book from the reference collection? The work he did continues to be important and relevant and I think his findings have the capability of changing the lives of children for the better. But will parents and educators say to me, "How can you have a book in your center that's written by a child molester?" How do I feel about having a book in the reference center that's written by an apparent child molester?
librarinintx
Pediatrician in Abuse Case Kills Himself
by Tamar Lewin
February 25, 2011
Dr. Melvin D. Levine, a nationally known pediatrician who was found dead last week, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a medical examiner said on Friday.
Dr. Levine, 71, was found in the woods near his Rougemont, N.C., home with a gunshot wound to his forehead. His death was reported a day after a class-action sexual abuse and malpractice suit was filed against him in Boston.
A report by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina said officers went to Dr. Levine’s home the night of Feb. 17 after his wife reported finding a suicide note, but they were not initially able to find his body. The contents of the note have not been released.
The Boston lawsuit charges that Dr. Levine performed unnecessary genital exams on 40 boys while at Children’s Hospital Boston from 1966 to 1985.
Although Dr. Levine, a Rhodes scholar, had long been dogged by charges of sexually abusing young male patients, he had maintained that he was innocent. He was never convicted on any abuse charge, and never faced criminal charges.
On Friday The Boston Globe reported that several men who said they had been molested as young boys had described encounters in which they said Dr. Levine groped, fondled or performed oral sex on them. One recalled a trip on which he and Dr. Levine were in the same bed, saying that when the doctor took off his clothes, he put his arm around the boy and fondled him.
Christopher Dean, now a 50-year-old architect in Roslindale, Mass., said Friday that for four years, starting when he was 9, he went twice a year to Dr. Levine’s office for a “checkup” that was simply an occasion for molestation.
“It started when he came to my school in Brookline, saw me in the nurse’s office, fondled me, and then said he would like to see me as a private patient,” said Mr. Dean, a plaintiff in the Boston suit, which will proceed against Mr. Levine’s estate. “I came out in tears and in shock, but didn’t tell anyone.”
Several plaintiffs said that Dr. Levine’s abuse had clouded their lives, and that they hoped for resolution in the lawsuit.
“It left me feeling very awkward; I never forgot it, and I always kept track of Dr. Levine,” said Donald Roy, now 46, who said he was abused by Dr. Levine at age 10, when he was having surgery at Children’s Hospital. “My mother knew what was going on because Dr. Levine invited me to visit his house, and I said I just wasn’t going to go, and I explained why. But she didn’t know what to do with it.”
Carmen Durso, a Boston lawyer for the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit, filed his first suit against Dr. Levine in 2005, and followed with four more complaints before holding a news conference in 2008 at which he announced the charges. Those charges were resolved, but last week Mr. Durso held a news conference announcing the new complaints.
Until the sexual abuse charges, Dr. Levine was a leading advocate for children with learning disabilities whose fame spread through his books, including “A Mind at a Time,” as well as through a PBS documentary, “Misunderstood Minds,” and a nationwide schedule of lectures.
With Charles Schwab, Dr. Levine founded a nonprofit group, All Kinds of Minds, that has trained thousands of teachers. Dr. Levine’s approach stressed that whatever their learning disabilities — learning differences, he called them — all children also had strengths to build on.
In 2004, the New York City Department of Education gave All Kinds of Minds a $12.5 million contract to train 20,000 teachers, without the normal competitive bidding process, because, it said, there were no comparable programs.
In 2005, Scholastic Press named Dr. Levine the most admired person in education.
While some experts criticized Dr. Levine’s work as depending on observation and anecdote instead of replicable scientific investigation, teachers and parents flocked to his entertaining, multihour lectures.
“He brought optimism into the world of families by helping to demystify learning, helping kids put borders around their learning issues, so they no longer felt pervasively damaged,” said Claire Wurtzel, who worked with Dr. Levine and is now director of professional development at Churchill School and Center in New York.
Dr. Levine contributed to a paradigm shift, she said, getting teachers to explore what stopped children from learning, rather than just dismissing them.
“Before Mel, it used to be, for most teachers, ‘Why is this lazy kid in my room? He’s not learning and he doesn’t belong here,’ ” she said.
A basic tenet of Dr. Levine’s was that no child should ever be humiliated.
“From the moment a child gets out of bed until she is tucked in at night, she has one central mission: avoiding humiliation at all costs,” Dr. Levine often said in his lectures.
Some former colleagues, including Dr. William B. Carey of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said they could not reconcile that Mel Levine, their “brilliant, honest, kind, caring” friend, with the doctor charged with humiliating so many boys.
After Dr. Levine moved to North Carolina, sexual abuse complaints arose there, too. In March 2009, as the North Carolina medical board was investigating such charges, Dr. Levine agreed that he would never again practice medicine. At the time, the state medical board said it was prepared to show that Dr. Levine had conducted examinations that were not medically indicated or properly documented.
Mr. Dean said that when Dr. Levine moved to North Carolina, his mother told him that Dr. Levine had molested two young sons of a friend of hers, who believed he had left Massachusetts to flee complaints.
“My mother asked if he’d ever done anything to me,” Mr. Dean said. “I was 25, but I was still so humiliated that I said, no, he never touched me. The shame was so great that I didn’t tell my mother about it until last week, and I still haven’t told my father.”
End of article
I was shocked to find this article this morning while I was searching for something else. I never heard Dr. Levine speak, but I know he has been a highly respected voice in the LD community for years. We have his book "A Mind at a Time" in our reference center, and his approach was one of the reasons why I titled the publication I created "A Guide to Learning Differences" instead of "A Guide to Learning Disabilities."
How do you reconcile the two sides of Dr. Levine...the respected professional with the apparent child molester? Can someone be both good and evil? I mean, I believe that we all have good and bad within us, but can someone have the degree of polar opposite within him as Dr. Levine apparently did? When I really think about it, the answer is easy, given the fact that other doctors, men of the cloth, teachers, etc have been convicted of such crimes. It just still seems shocking to me, given all the work he did on behalf of children. This sentence from the article is especially jarring: "A basic tenet of Dr. Levine’s was that no child should ever be humiliated."
His emphasis was that children who struggled with learning were not disabled, they simply learned in different and sometimes uncoventional ways. And those learning styles should be explored and nurtured. And yet if the allegations are true, Dr. Levine humiliated his patients in the worst possible way.
So do I remove Dr. Levine's book from the reference collection? The work he did continues to be important and relevant and I think his findings have the capability of changing the lives of children for the better. But will parents and educators say to me, "How can you have a book in your center that's written by a child molester?" How do I feel about having a book in the reference center that's written by an apparent child molester?
librarinintx
Idol: Elton John nite
It was another night of very good performances on American Idol. Once again, everyone sang well, but some of the performances were more dynamic than others.
For the third week in a row, James was tops for me. He sounded great, and his performance absolutely blew me away. How did he run around like that and not run out of breath? Down the stairs, around the judges table, up the stairs, up the piano, jumping off the piano - WOW! Very impressive. James owns the stage every time, and as Randy said, he looks like he's having the time of his life. Go James! You rock!
Just like last week, Jacob was second for me. I know a lot of people think he's overly dramatic, but I like the passion and the emotion he brings to his performances. Just like on Motown nite, he was able to reign in the drama just enough so he didn't crash and burn. His voice is amazing, so rich and powerful. Great work, Jacob.
Third place was a surprise this week. Lauren raised her game and delivered her best performance since her audition. Her rendition of "Candle in the Wind" was lovely and I really enjoyed the emotion she put into the performance. I still wish she would sing more like Kelly Clarkson and less like Carrie Underwood, but I really really enjoyed her tonight.
So those were my top three of the night. Pia, Haley, Casey, Naima, and Stefano would be the middle of the pack for me. Once again Pia's vocals were stellar, but I felt next to no emotion in her peformance. She is the LaToya London of season ten. Haley sounded quite good, but there were a few spots when the song seemed to stagnate. I think her voice is very good though. Casey redeemed himself with a lovely, restrained version of "Your Song," although without all the growling and stomping I found his vocals a bit lacking. Naima sold her reggae version of "I'm Still Standing" with her enthusiasm and strong performing skills, and it worked for me, but I don't think it worked for the audience as a whole. Stefano worked hard on fixing some of his bad habits; he kept his eyes open for most of the song, and didn't oversing. He has a very good voice, but he's still middle of the pack for me.
My bottom three would be Scotty, Paul, and Thia. Again, with Scotty and Paul its a matter of taste. I don't care for Paul's voice; he's too "Bob Dylan" for me. Scotty is very talented and will be highly successful as a country recording artist, but he's not my cup of tea. Thia is a sweet girl with a lovely voice, but the talent on Idol this season is overpowering her.
So I would like Scotty, Paul, and Thia to be in the bottom three, with Paul and Thia going home. But I think it will be Naima, Paul, and Thia in the bottom three, with Naima and Thia going home.
librarianintx
For the third week in a row, James was tops for me. He sounded great, and his performance absolutely blew me away. How did he run around like that and not run out of breath? Down the stairs, around the judges table, up the stairs, up the piano, jumping off the piano - WOW! Very impressive. James owns the stage every time, and as Randy said, he looks like he's having the time of his life. Go James! You rock!
Just like last week, Jacob was second for me. I know a lot of people think he's overly dramatic, but I like the passion and the emotion he brings to his performances. Just like on Motown nite, he was able to reign in the drama just enough so he didn't crash and burn. His voice is amazing, so rich and powerful. Great work, Jacob.
Third place was a surprise this week. Lauren raised her game and delivered her best performance since her audition. Her rendition of "Candle in the Wind" was lovely and I really enjoyed the emotion she put into the performance. I still wish she would sing more like Kelly Clarkson and less like Carrie Underwood, but I really really enjoyed her tonight.
So those were my top three of the night. Pia, Haley, Casey, Naima, and Stefano would be the middle of the pack for me. Once again Pia's vocals were stellar, but I felt next to no emotion in her peformance. She is the LaToya London of season ten. Haley sounded quite good, but there were a few spots when the song seemed to stagnate. I think her voice is very good though. Casey redeemed himself with a lovely, restrained version of "Your Song," although without all the growling and stomping I found his vocals a bit lacking. Naima sold her reggae version of "I'm Still Standing" with her enthusiasm and strong performing skills, and it worked for me, but I don't think it worked for the audience as a whole. Stefano worked hard on fixing some of his bad habits; he kept his eyes open for most of the song, and didn't oversing. He has a very good voice, but he's still middle of the pack for me.
My bottom three would be Scotty, Paul, and Thia. Again, with Scotty and Paul its a matter of taste. I don't care for Paul's voice; he's too "Bob Dylan" for me. Scotty is very talented and will be highly successful as a country recording artist, but he's not my cup of tea. Thia is a sweet girl with a lovely voice, but the talent on Idol this season is overpowering her.
So I would like Scotty, Paul, and Thia to be in the bottom three, with Paul and Thia going home. But I think it will be Naima, Paul, and Thia in the bottom three, with Naima and Thia going home.
librarianintx
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Idol: Results
Well, I don't think anyone saw THAT comin'!! Wow!! Casey almost going home. Definitely shocking. No, I didn't think he was great on Wednesday night, but he did not deserve the lowest number of votes. I really find it extremely hard to believe that he actually did get the lowest number of votes. But supposedly Idol is not rigged, so...
I understand why the judges used the save, but I think they used it way too early. Casey has been a front runner, but I think his Nirvana gamble really hurt him, and he didn't do well enough on Motown nite to redeem himself. But now this means the judges have lost their save opportunity. So in a week or two a talented frontrunner could wind up in the bottom and that's it...they're gone. I guess there is that danger every season though. is this only the second season for the save option?
librarianintx
I understand why the judges used the save, but I think they used it way too early. Casey has been a front runner, but I think his Nirvana gamble really hurt him, and he didn't do well enough on Motown nite to redeem himself. But now this means the judges have lost their save opportunity. So in a week or two a talented frontrunner could wind up in the bottom and that's it...they're gone. I guess there is that danger every season though. is this only the second season for the save option?
librarianintx
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Idol: Motown Nite
Motown Nite is often a hit on Idol, and this year was no exception. I think the Top 11 did Motown proud. At least everyone sang well. But some had better performances than others.
Picking a bottom three this week is going to be very difficult because I think basically everyone did well. My personal bottom three would be Thia, Paul, and Scotty. Paul and Scotty are just not my cup of tea. But I know Scotty is very popular, so he will be safe.
My top three for Motown nite were Jacob, Naima, and James. Jacob and Naima really listened to the judges this week. Jacob was the most restrained he’s ever been, and Naima was able to control her breathing without sacrificing her performance level. Both of them picked very good songs that showed off their strengths. And James is consistently great in my opinion. His song choice was excellent, and I loved how comfortable he was on stage. He got the crowd going before, during, and after the song.
My prediction for bottom three this week are Haley, Thia, and Paul. But honestly, it’s really hard to know. I don’t think Haley belongs in the bottom; I think her lack of a fan base will put her there. If we are strictly judging last night’s performances, I think Thia does belong in the bottom three. She was okay, but not up to the caliber of the other performers. I actually did like Paul last night more than I did the other weeks, but not by much. I think he could be in trouble. Lauren might be too. I think Haley will go home, but if it were up to me I would send Thia home.
Here’s how I would rank the performances last night:
James
Jacob
Naima
Pia
Casey
Haley
Stefano
Lauren
Scotty
Paul
Thia
librarianintx
Picking a bottom three this week is going to be very difficult because I think basically everyone did well. My personal bottom three would be Thia, Paul, and Scotty. Paul and Scotty are just not my cup of tea. But I know Scotty is very popular, so he will be safe.
My top three for Motown nite were Jacob, Naima, and James. Jacob and Naima really listened to the judges this week. Jacob was the most restrained he’s ever been, and Naima was able to control her breathing without sacrificing her performance level. Both of them picked very good songs that showed off their strengths. And James is consistently great in my opinion. His song choice was excellent, and I loved how comfortable he was on stage. He got the crowd going before, during, and after the song.
My prediction for bottom three this week are Haley, Thia, and Paul. But honestly, it’s really hard to know. I don’t think Haley belongs in the bottom; I think her lack of a fan base will put her there. If we are strictly judging last night’s performances, I think Thia does belong in the bottom three. She was okay, but not up to the caliber of the other performers. I actually did like Paul last night more than I did the other weeks, but not by much. I think he could be in trouble. Lauren might be too. I think Haley will go home, but if it were up to me I would send Thia home.
Here’s how I would rank the performances last night:
James
Jacob
Naima
Pia
Casey
Haley
Stefano
Lauren
Scotty
Paul
Thia
librarianintx
"Dancing with the Stars" week 1
I wasn’t going to watch “Dancing with the Stars” this season. Other than Kirstie Alley, I didn’t have a big interest in any of the contestants. And I am already watching WAY too much tv.
But the show is just too much fun; I couldn’t stay away. I love to watch dancing, and Tom B. is such a great host. I enjoy watching people step out of their comfort zones and bravely learn to do something new in front of millions of people.
Obviously Kirstie and Ralph Macchio were the best this week, but overall it was a pretty good start to the season. Bruno, Len, and Carrie Ann were in fine form as well. Bruno “scared” Len at least twice, which always makes me giggle.
I know it’s only the first week and anything can happen, but I think we could be headed for a Karina v Maks showdown in the finale. How interesting that would be! It’s definitely time for Maks and one of his partners to snag that mirrorball trophy!
librarianintx
But the show is just too much fun; I couldn’t stay away. I love to watch dancing, and Tom B. is such a great host. I enjoy watching people step out of their comfort zones and bravely learn to do something new in front of millions of people.
Obviously Kirstie and Ralph Macchio were the best this week, but overall it was a pretty good start to the season. Bruno, Len, and Carrie Ann were in fine form as well. Bruno “scared” Len at least twice, which always makes me giggle.
I know it’s only the first week and anything can happen, but I think we could be headed for a Karina v Maks showdown in the finale. How interesting that would be! It’s definitely time for Maks and one of his partners to snag that mirrorball trophy!
librarianintx
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Idol: Results
I got two of the bottom three correct. Hayley was in the bottom three instead of Thia. But Karen still went home.
librarianintx
librarianintx
Idol: Year of Their Birth
Rough night on Idol for me. I know several of the contestants were sick; some played that up more than others. Sick or not, pitchy was the word of the night.
James, Pia, and Jacob were my top three. I know Jacob went wildly off at least once, but I really like his intensity. I like that song a lot too, and thought it was a bold choice for him. I also liked the dance remix of "Where do broken hearts go" by Pia. James was consistently good in my opinion. I liked his interaction with the audience.
My bottom three is a tough choice; there are many contenders. Thia has a lovely voice but her performance was quite snooze-worthy. Karen is not a strong enough singer to tackle Taylor Dayne. Naima was VERY pitchy. And sick or well...I'm sorry, I just don't get the appeal of Paul's voice. Casey was one of my favorites...and still is for now...but his version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a disaster. It sounded like he was trying to butcher it, like he was mocking the song. It sounded like a joke version, and I don't think it was supposed to.
My prediction for the bottom three: Thia, Karen, and Naima. Hayley may escape the bottom three this week because she was so close to going home last week, and her effort was passable. Maybe. Naima's pitch was really bad, and I'm not sure she has the fan base to keep her out of the bottom three. Casey will not be in the bottom three because his fan base is too big. Paul will probably be okay as well. I predict Karen will go home.
librarianintx
James, Pia, and Jacob were my top three. I know Jacob went wildly off at least once, but I really like his intensity. I like that song a lot too, and thought it was a bold choice for him. I also liked the dance remix of "Where do broken hearts go" by Pia. James was consistently good in my opinion. I liked his interaction with the audience.
My bottom three is a tough choice; there are many contenders. Thia has a lovely voice but her performance was quite snooze-worthy. Karen is not a strong enough singer to tackle Taylor Dayne. Naima was VERY pitchy. And sick or well...I'm sorry, I just don't get the appeal of Paul's voice. Casey was one of my favorites...and still is for now...but his version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was a disaster. It sounded like he was trying to butcher it, like he was mocking the song. It sounded like a joke version, and I don't think it was supposed to.
My prediction for the bottom three: Thia, Karen, and Naima. Hayley may escape the bottom three this week because she was so close to going home last week, and her effort was passable. Maybe. Naima's pitch was really bad, and I'm not sure she has the fan base to keep her out of the bottom three. Casey will not be in the bottom three because his fan base is too big. Paul will probably be okay as well. I predict Karen will go home.
librarianintx
Friday, March 11, 2011
Idol Results
Wow, I was totally right! The bottom three were Hayley, Karen, and Ashton, and Ashton went home.
Wow, that is quite a mansion those kids are living in. I bet they don't have a whole lot of time to enjoy it though.
The first group medley of the season wasn't terrible. It definitely wasn't good in places, but I've heard worse in other seasons.
librarianintx
Wow, that is quite a mansion those kids are living in. I bet they don't have a whole lot of time to enjoy it though.
The first group medley of the season wasn't terrible. It definitely wasn't good in places, but I've heard worse in other seasons.
librarianintx
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Idol Top 13 performances
Okay, I promise, I have been out to dinner tonight and have not seen the results show or read anything about it. I'll keep it extremely short this time:
My top 3: James, Casey, and Pia
My bottom 3: Ashton, Karen, and Hayley
My prediction for who will go home: Ashton
librarianintx
My top 3: James, Casey, and Pia
My bottom 3: Ashton, Karen, and Hayley
My prediction for who will go home: Ashton
librarianintx
Friday, March 04, 2011
Idol Top 13
Well, I had better luck predicting the girls than the guys this time. I was right on 6 of the girls, but I didn't know there would be a 7th. I correctly predicted Lauren Alaina, Naima, Pia, Thia, Karen, and Ashton, but Hailey wasn't on my radar. For the guys, I guessed right on Scotty, Casey, James, and Jacob. I also thought Paul would make it, but I don't think I included his name in my blog, so ya'll probably don't believe me on that one. :) Stefano wasn't on my radar. And I was surprised that Brett didn't get to try for a wildcard position.
For the most part there were few surprises, and I think America and the judges got it mostly right. My roommate wanted the other Lauren instead of Ashton, but I want to see what Ashton can do. She's no Jennifer Hudson, but her "And I'm Telling You" was still pretty good. I like her intensity.
Its a long season, and anything can happen. I would say my hopes (but not necessarily my prediction) for top 3 would be Casey, James, and Pia. I would be happy at this point if any of those three won.
librarianintx
For the most part there were few surprises, and I think America and the judges got it mostly right. My roommate wanted the other Lauren instead of Ashton, but I want to see what Ashton can do. She's no Jennifer Hudson, but her "And I'm Telling You" was still pretty good. I like her intensity.
Its a long season, and anything can happen. I would say my hopes (but not necessarily my prediction) for top 3 would be Casey, James, and Pia. I would be happy at this point if any of those three won.
librarianintx
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Survivor Week 3
Hallelujah, Russell was voted off! Of course, he's not gone yet, he's been banished to Redemption Island for now. Hopefully Matt can put us out of our misery and boot that big-headed fool off the show for good.
Fingers crossed that I get to say "B-Bye Russell!" very soon!!
librarianintx
Fingers crossed that I get to say "B-Bye Russell!" very soon!!
librarianintx
Idol Top 24: The Girls
I don't know what it is about the girls this season. They're trying too hard? Trying to be sexy, trying to be cutesy, I don't know. I barely remember any of their names; some of them I don't remember seeing at all. Like some of the guys, the ladies also suffered from poor song choices. I think especially with the ladies, the song choices were bad because they didn't pick a song that fit with their style and/or range. Example: Julie. There was also too much Broadway, which caused Randy to channel Simon more than once.
I've liked Ashton since Hollywood week, but I didn't like her song choice. I also thought she was trying too hard to be sexy.
My best bets for top five are Pia, Thia, and Lauren Alaina. I would also like to see Ashton and Naima make it. Otherwise, I really don't have an opinion. I thought Karen Rodriguez did a decent job with "Hero" and singing part of the song in Spanish is something that's never been done on the Idol stage that I can remember, so kudos to her for that. But does that make her worthy of being Top 12?
librarianintx
I've liked Ashton since Hollywood week, but I didn't like her song choice. I also thought she was trying too hard to be sexy.
My best bets for top five are Pia, Thia, and Lauren Alaina. I would also like to see Ashton and Naima make it. Otherwise, I really don't have an opinion. I thought Karen Rodriguez did a decent job with "Hero" and singing part of the song in Spanish is something that's never been done on the Idol stage that I can remember, so kudos to her for that. But does that make her worthy of being Top 12?
librarianintx
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Idol Top 24: The Boys
I doubt I'll have time to comment every week about Idol, but I'm going to try. I almost decided not to watch this season, but now I'm glad I did. I like Jennifer and Stephen as judges, although I felt they were a little too happy with some of the contestants last night.
I won't go into details on each guy, but overall I think many of them suffered from poor song choices, most notably two of my early faves: Robbie and Brett.
My top three last night were James, Casey, and Jacob. I also find them the most interesting of the twelve.
Definitely there are some big personalities among the guys this season. And on Idol, personality counts just as much, if not more, than singing ability.
My prediction for the top 5 guys? Its tough, but I'll say Scotty, Casey, and James for sure. Hopefully Jacob as well. After that its a bit of a toss up. There's a wild card position too. I would like to see Brett make it. Also Tim. And maybe Clint?
librarianintx
I won't go into details on each guy, but overall I think many of them suffered from poor song choices, most notably two of my early faves: Robbie and Brett.
My top three last night were James, Casey, and Jacob. I also find them the most interesting of the twelve.
Definitely there are some big personalities among the guys this season. And on Idol, personality counts just as much, if not more, than singing ability.
My prediction for the top 5 guys? Its tough, but I'll say Scotty, Casey, and James for sure. Hopefully Jacob as well. After that its a bit of a toss up. There's a wild card position too. I would like to see Brett make it. Also Tim. And maybe Clint?
librarianintx
Stephen Abram
http://stephenslighthouse.com/
Had the pleasure of hearing a talk by Mr. Abram last week. I was already familiar with him because of a self-paced webinar series I did sometime ago about social networking tools and libraries.
Mr. Abram's talk was interesting, funny, and thought-provoking. I want to read more of his blog when I have time. It was so nice to be in a room full of librarians, listening to someone speak about the importance of libraries in society. I felt happy that for the most part I was able to follow most of what he said, because he is obviously extremely intelligent, and I am involved enough in social networking and technology that I was able to laugh at his jokes.
librarianintx
Had the pleasure of hearing a talk by Mr. Abram last week. I was already familiar with him because of a self-paced webinar series I did sometime ago about social networking tools and libraries.
Mr. Abram's talk was interesting, funny, and thought-provoking. I want to read more of his blog when I have time. It was so nice to be in a room full of librarians, listening to someone speak about the importance of libraries in society. I felt happy that for the most part I was able to follow most of what he said, because he is obviously extremely intelligent, and I am involved enough in social networking and technology that I was able to laugh at his jokes.
librarianintx
"R-word" Day
http://www.r-word.org/
Today is "Spread the Word to End the Word" Day.
Please don't use the word "retarded."
It's hurtful and offensive.
librarianintx
Today is "Spread the Word to End the Word" Day.
Please don't use the word "retarded."
It's hurtful and offensive.
librarianintx
Zach Anner
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/02/26/viral-victory-zach-anner-wins-his-own-show/
Viral Victory! Zach Anner Wins His 'OWN' Show
Step aside, Oprah: there's a new talk show host rolling into town.
An inspiration to us all, Zach Anner has been vying since June for his own show on Oprah's new channel. He quickly became an Internet sensation, and now Anner has been given the opportunity to become a television star.
The wheelchair-bound Anner has cerebral palsy – “the sexiest of the palsies,” he says. He entered Oprah's ‘OWN' show competition with dreams of hosting a travel show, and the Internet (along with his own hilarity) propelled him quickly through the ranks. Anner even overcame rumors that the competition was rigged, emerging with a very positive attitude. “No mountain is too high… and no Atlantis is too underwater or fictional!” he proclaimed in one of his audition tapes.
He found himself as one of the final two contestants on Friday night's finale – where Oprah gave both Anner and Kristina Kuzmic-Crocco their own shows. Anner will now head to production on his very own television show, titled “Rollin' Around the World with Zach Anner.”
Upon hearing the news late Friday, he tweeted: “Tonight, we made history. Tomorrow, we'll make a much sexier future! Onward to Atlantis!” NewsFeed predicts that'll be the first stop on Zach's world tour.
End of article
Three cheers for Zach!! SO excited that he won! I've only known about Zach for a few months. I watched the competition, and I know I'm biased because I like him, but Zach really was the best. He's got a fantastic personality, he's laugh out loud funny, he's smart, and he worked very well with everyone. I think he is an exceptional role model for the disability community and will do much to break down stereotypes and misconceptions that people have. Oprah's comments brought to light her own lack of knowledge about people with disabilities and individual abilities. She expressed concern about Zach's ability to travel and questioned whether he would have the strength for such a hectic lifestyle. Zach's reply? "I sit in a chair all day, that's not too strenuous." Gotcha, Oprah! LOL
Zach's show will debut on the OWN network sometime this summer. Can't wait!
And did I mention he's a Texas boy? :)
librarianintx
Viral Victory! Zach Anner Wins His 'OWN' Show
Step aside, Oprah: there's a new talk show host rolling into town.
An inspiration to us all, Zach Anner has been vying since June for his own show on Oprah's new channel. He quickly became an Internet sensation, and now Anner has been given the opportunity to become a television star.
The wheelchair-bound Anner has cerebral palsy – “the sexiest of the palsies,” he says. He entered Oprah's ‘OWN' show competition with dreams of hosting a travel show, and the Internet (along with his own hilarity) propelled him quickly through the ranks. Anner even overcame rumors that the competition was rigged, emerging with a very positive attitude. “No mountain is too high… and no Atlantis is too underwater or fictional!” he proclaimed in one of his audition tapes.
He found himself as one of the final two contestants on Friday night's finale – where Oprah gave both Anner and Kristina Kuzmic-Crocco their own shows. Anner will now head to production on his very own television show, titled “Rollin' Around the World with Zach Anner.”
Upon hearing the news late Friday, he tweeted: “Tonight, we made history. Tomorrow, we'll make a much sexier future! Onward to Atlantis!” NewsFeed predicts that'll be the first stop on Zach's world tour.
End of article
Three cheers for Zach!! SO excited that he won! I've only known about Zach for a few months. I watched the competition, and I know I'm biased because I like him, but Zach really was the best. He's got a fantastic personality, he's laugh out loud funny, he's smart, and he worked very well with everyone. I think he is an exceptional role model for the disability community and will do much to break down stereotypes and misconceptions that people have. Oprah's comments brought to light her own lack of knowledge about people with disabilities and individual abilities. She expressed concern about Zach's ability to travel and questioned whether he would have the strength for such a hectic lifestyle. Zach's reply? "I sit in a chair all day, that's not too strenuous." Gotcha, Oprah! LOL
Zach's show will debut on the OWN network sometime this summer. Can't wait!
And did I mention he's a Texas boy? :)
librarianintx
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Perseverance
Over the holidays I was staying with my mom and an interesting thing happened. She has this big drawer attached to her television stand that holds her dvds and VHS tapes. She had piled up too many of the VHS tapes on top of each other, and one of them slid off and fell into the bottom of the drawer so the drawer couldn't close. The way the drawer is designed, you can't get your arm in there to retrieve the tape. A large arm won't fit and a small arm will fit but isn't long enough. My brother in law told her she would have to empty out the entire drawer and then he could take the drawer apart and get the tape. Not the worst thing in the world to have to do, but not fun either.
So I was determined to find another solution. I thought if I could find something that I could slide under the tape and stand it up, then I could reach it. I asked Mom if she had a working flashlight so I could see where the tape was, but her flashlight didn't have batteries in it. So I just had to feel around for it. First I tried this back-scratcher thingy that Mom had. But it was too thin and the claws on it couldn't grab the tape.
So then I thought of a spatula. My mom had one with a wide base, like for omelettes. I felt around for the tape, slid the spatula under it, lifted it up, reached my other hand in, and...success! I got it!!
I probably worked at it for about fifteen minutes. During that time Mom kept urging me to quit. She didn't want me to get frustrated. But I didn't get frustrated. I told her I was fine; I wanted to keep trying. It probably sounds stupid, but I was excited when I got that tape out. Not only because I actually retrieved it, but also because I figured out how. And I did it by myself.
I wasn't raised to be resilient. I was raised to whine when I couldn't do something and it would be done for me. I didn't have to ask and I didn't have to try at anything. Now I am discovering the joy in trying, and succeeding. How good it feels to figure something out for myself, and not having to rely on anyone else.
librarianintx
So I was determined to find another solution. I thought if I could find something that I could slide under the tape and stand it up, then I could reach it. I asked Mom if she had a working flashlight so I could see where the tape was, but her flashlight didn't have batteries in it. So I just had to feel around for it. First I tried this back-scratcher thingy that Mom had. But it was too thin and the claws on it couldn't grab the tape.
So then I thought of a spatula. My mom had one with a wide base, like for omelettes. I felt around for the tape, slid the spatula under it, lifted it up, reached my other hand in, and...success! I got it!!
I probably worked at it for about fifteen minutes. During that time Mom kept urging me to quit. She didn't want me to get frustrated. But I didn't get frustrated. I told her I was fine; I wanted to keep trying. It probably sounds stupid, but I was excited when I got that tape out. Not only because I actually retrieved it, but also because I figured out how. And I did it by myself.
I wasn't raised to be resilient. I was raised to whine when I couldn't do something and it would be done for me. I didn't have to ask and I didn't have to try at anything. Now I am discovering the joy in trying, and succeeding. How good it feels to figure something out for myself, and not having to rely on anyone else.
librarianintx
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Steve Clark
Hard to believe, but co-lead guitarist for Def Leppard, Steve Clark, died twenty years ago today. He was a brilliant guitarist and a kind soul, and his legacy lives on in the music he helped to create.
librarianintx
librarianintx
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