Sunday, April 17, 2011
"It's not easy connecting with Nick"
Robert MacNeil goes back to reporting for a special on his 6-year-old autistic grandson.
MacNeil narrates the comments of Nick’s mother: “I couldn’t be more sick of the word awareness. If I were any more aware of autism, I’d be dead,” she said. “I think we’ve moved beyond the point where awareness is necessary. I think it’s time we moved to action.”
Amazing statement. And how can anyone not agree..?
There is autism in my own family—and with one in a hundred or so kids having the condition, I’m sure your family too.
And I agree with the mom in this situation.. Awareness. What a word. AIDS awareness, Cancer awareness..autism awareness. Domestic violence awareness. We are all aware of these situations. It’s sad that have to compartmentalize and dedicate a block of time for the particular situation we need to have awareness of. Who does that help? And does it work to solve immense problems that autism, AIDS, cancer, and anything else supply us?
No.
I have heard a number of people argue that autism is over-diagnosed now, that it was always the same as it is now, and that there really aren’t more cases today than there were years ago. I have no hard evidence to tell me what opinion to have, but I’d defer to the startling numbers of a rising rate of autism. I just don’t believe ‘it was always this way’ and just not diagnosed the right way. Sure, you can argue that mental health clinics and eugenics programs were fully stocked with kids in time gone by, but I just can’t get myself to agreeing that autism is not a more severe problem than it was decades or so ago. I just can’t.
I see the challenges that my own family faces with autistic kids. The toughest part is getting to know them. After all, they are kids, and they like and do things kids like to do. They are not a new species.. they are not ‘pathetic’ or ‘unfortunates’. They are people.. individuals with habits, happiness, tears, and hunger pains.. They go to the bathroom. They get potty trained. They learn to read, write, and in the case of my nephews, they probably are a lot better at math and learning than I am. As a matter of fact, they may be a lot better at many things than their adult counterparts.
Perhaps the scariest thing for any parent is understanding that, despite a Google search result of the question finding millions of websites, no one really absolutely knows for sure what causes autism. No one.. There are theories. Most famous, of course, is the MMR shot. And then lots of people attacked Doctor Wakefield over his study they say was shoddy from the beginning. Interesting Wakefield stands by his 1990s research—and the journalist who constantly writes about him continues to do so.. Autism got political. When vaccines were put into the limelight of criticism, big drug companies came out in full force to tell us everyone saying their product caused the learning disorder was wrong. And then they silently too thimerosal out of their product.. I guess just in case.
Plus, who really wants to argue with Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, who like many others, believe vaccines are a factor in autism.
Vaccines would be simple.. If only we can correlate the date together exact. It would be a relief.. But what of the kids who get vaccines and do not get autism? And why boys more than girls getting it? And why..? And how? .. the questions go on.
It would be great to have an easy answer..
Maybe it’s a lot of things.. perhaps our kids’ brains have become a stew of over-advertising on TV, chemicals on toys from China, GMO crops from Monsanto, kids food not being healthy.. too much WIFI… to little early learning? And why so many higher numbers in the United States? What is different here compared to other places?
I just don’t know.
So there you go. We’re aware. Lots of people are. Awareness.
Awareness has yet to solve the problem. However, I guess the first step is admitting there is one.
SO WHY DO SO LITTLE PEOPLE CARE THAT 1 IN 100 CHILDREN GET AUTISM!?
So there you go. My thoughts. My awareness. My confusion, my anger.. All in this long post.
The lack of answers cause me to fear the MMR shot.. a lot.
Saturday night mayhem
Severe weather hit Saturday in many states, with the most severe being in 6 where 35 people (at least) lost their lives from storms..
In North Carolina alone, 62 tornadoes have been reported—this may be one of the worst early spring storms in at least two decades for the state.
The AP dispatches report it this way:
"In Virginia, disaster officials said one apparent tornado ripped across more than 12 miles through Gloucester County, uprooting trees and pounding homes to rubble while claiming three lives. Another person was confirmed dead and another remained missing early Sunday after flash flooding elsewhere in Virginia.
Scenes of destruction across the South looked eerily similar in many areas.
In North Carolina, rooftops were ripped off stores, trees were plucked from the ground and scores of homes were damaged, Hoell said.”
Thunderstorms were felt in the Northeast, including Coal Speaker home base, by late in the night Saturday.. but the severe killing storms were confined to the South.. A horrid day in weather history.. A terrible day for so many.. My empathy is with them all..
Saturday, April 16, 2011
You may not know it, but this is not the rear end of Natalie Portman, even though it’s her in the scene. A strange controversy suddenly breaks out between Portman and her body double about just how much work the star actually did.
Epic flop? Final numbers are no where near close to being in, but if things stay on the path they are on, RIO will finish a strong first at the weekend box office with SCREAM 4 numbers being surprisingly weak .. many thought the return to late 20th Century horror would bring a rebound for Wes Craven and company.. however the new numbers reported by Nikki Finke show a one weekend wonder in possible for the newest and hopefully last in the fractured franchise..
Things get better with age. Except when it's rotted maggot-infested meat.
But mostly things like wine and kids.. Not meat.
However, news of the weird being read around the world today about a butcher in Naples being arrested for selling meat that was a decade old!Some may in fact think that things were better in the early part of the 21st century, but everyone will agree on one thing: Meat from then isn’t. At least not meat from then being served now..
But the report on the strange butcher’s skills are abhorent to the senses, even carinvours would recoil in disgust at the attempt to digest the news. Food safety workers discovered bisquits with parasites, rotting meat and dairy, and even olives covered in thick mold.
“
The butcher tampered with expiry dates on the products in order to keep on selling the items, even though some were a decade old, the report said
World's oldest man passes away at 114
His secrets to a long life? Embrace change, help others, eat twice a day, and accept death. It sounds pretty well rounded to me. A nice long life.. If only all of us can be so lucky—maybe more so if all of us can take his words if wisdom maybe we would in fact live longer, and even if not longer, but healthier..
World's oldest man passes away at 114
Friday, April 15, 2011
An ode to the past
There was a very cold spring wind that blew tonight, and it made me think of two things.. First it made me think of late night trips to Perkins with friends.. and secondly it made me think of a cold spring day in April 1996 at my friend Katie’s house, swinging around pool tools at her house.. not sure if she remembers, but I do.
It’s amazing to me how fast time goes. It often makes me wonder where exactly it goes… Does time exist as an element? Is there a way to measure time? …maybe by the wrinkles on the face, or the amount of stress someone has during a lifetime.
I just wish it didn’t go so damn fast.. so fast.
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