Back in my day we used carbon paper

As I rapidly approach 40 I feel that I have embraced the technological boom of the past 20 years with enthusiasm and awe. I was thrilled to go from a bulky Walkman to a slim i pod. I used computer programs at work that were maddeningly temperamental in my twenties.. Remember AS400? One wrong keystroke and I was kicked out of the program I needed.I used to write up reports on carbon paper and have inky fingertips at the end of the day.

Lately I am feeling a pull of nostalgia for the way life was before. Slower and more tangible.

I adore the feel of a new hardcover book..The texture of the binder..the smell of the paper. The small and satisfying sound of a crackle as I turn each page. There are sensory sensations that a kindle would never I give to me. My books upon my shelf are like past loves.. they all mean something to me, taught me, humbled me. Grabbing my tattered copy of The Shining I remember how I was ten years old and was reading it on the sly whenever my Dad would lay it down somewhere.

That book scared the shit out of me. I remember my visceral reaction at one chapter where I flung the book away from me. Of course two seconds later I was scrambling to retrieve it and find out why all work and no play made Jack a dull boy.

My favorite iphone application is called Ambiance.. It has recordings of outdoor sounds that I love to listen to when I sleep. My favorite ones are of the ocean and of rain in a forest. Of course whats missing is one of the most wonderful parts of these sound experiences. The smell of the rain and the ocean are the most heady scents in the world to me. I am slowly being lulled into this flat screen life.

I won't go gentle into that matrix night! For every part of the day you experience via electronic miracle there should be a down and dirty immersion in the real world. I will build my own fires and play my vinyl records..I occasionally write a real letter seal it with wax..just because.

We are supposed to get papercuts..its part of the joie de vivre!

Celebs? Left Wing Self righteous media? Where art thou?

The BP oil spill threatens coastal Louisiana, Gulf Coast fisheries, Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, and perhaps the East Coast, as the spill reaches the loop current.

What is the President doing? How long do we have to wait for action?

When FEMA dropped the ball after Hurricane Katrina the news was plastered with angry celebrities calling Bush evil.Where the hell is Spicolli now? Brad and Angelina?

Anyone? Bueller?

Shouldn't Obama be calling all of the greatest scientific and engineering minds in the world to stop everything and help find a way to staunch the flow of oil before it kills an entire ecosystem of ocean life and pollutes our seafood supply?

Nah, maybe James Cameron will know what to do. He is a pretty good film director.

Is Michael Moore making a movie lampooning Obama for his sluggish impotence?

I ain't holdin my breath on that.

My Gahmin

I decided this morning as I missed a turn and my Garmin started to yell at me how much better it would be if it spoke to me in my mother tongue, the wicked Boston accent.

Hey Kelly, you went too faah, bang a wicked shaahp left ova heah. Ya thats bettah.Stay cleah of the summah people on the rohtary

Garmin would automatically show you where the nearest Dunks was and update Red Sox scores as they happen. The words added in that only we understand,

packie

west a woostah

bang a yuey

Ptown

breakdown lane

calm ya livah you loosah

sketchy

pissa

irish rivearah

the old gahden

Hey Stupid! It's not about you.

Your children are under no obligation to be an extension or representation of you. If you are embarrassed when your Autistic child does something in public that is not considered appropriate, you need to check yourself.

A true advocate is accepting and dignified. Your reactions and responses are being watched by the public and noted. If you explain that your child is Autistic don't you dare apologize!

Do not let a stranger say something your child can hear and not respond.

Be brave, be loving, be a voice your child can be proud of.

I should say now I will jump off my soapbox but I won't.

Ever

Autism and Mood Disorder

The perception and regulation of emotions are obviously challenging for Autistic people.

Genetics and physiology are linked..as many persons with Autism are also diagnosed with mood disorders.

There is a lot of incidences of people with Autism having mood disorders and or depression and anxiety. People with autism are bombarded with sensory overloads, social confusion, bullying, and so many other daily challenges which are depressing.
So perhaps we could deduce that Autism causes the mood disorder but treating the mood swings with medication can reduce anxiety and allow for learning adaptive skills that make daily life easier and more enjoyable.

I dont even think it really matters if they are co morbid disorders. As long as treatment of some symptoms makes quality of life better.

It's my blog and I can rant if I want to....

Can you tell someone has an inner brilliance when you meet them? It crackles behind their eyes and can even feel electric if they are discussing something that excites them.

I feel drawn to these people and repelled by stagnant and negative people. This would seem sensible and most people would say they do the same. But what if the stagnant negative person happened to be stunningly attractive? Perfect body and face, looks that can stop traffic. Would you put up with the self absorbed aspects to soak in the surface beauty?

Many people do and I see them vainly try to assign some noble traits to justify it. The beautiful person makes one tiny unselfish gesture and you have to hear about it for weeks.

It's my blog and I can rant if I want to, rant if I want to........

Carnie Wilson Addict Postergirl

I loved her when she was a big girl and had her own talk show...when she would spar with Howard Stern and hold her own. When she had Gastric Bypass I bought her book and I loved it. She inspired me to have the same surgery years later.

I struggle with addiction to food and wine and so does she. So why do I now look at her on TV and feel dissapointed? She is on Dr Oz, on any reality show that will have her,country singing, celebrity fit club,even pimping her family on tv...selling cookbooks..hustling.Jesus Girl have an ounce of decorum keep your kids off the tv.

When celebrities bring a part of their real life into the public arena to help others it is touchy. Wilson has crossed over into train wreck D list territory again and again..Still I rooted for her.

I saw her this morning on my Fox New Local Station and her answers to Gene were so defensive..

I'm VERY healthy

I did not gain ALL of it back.

Then it hit me why she turns me off now. She sounds like an addict. Defensive, full of shit, excuses, self absorbed. She sounds like me!

It is helpful to me to hear her and use it for my own self improvement. You can't talk your way out of addictions. She is a beautiful girl who seems to care more about maintaining a celeb lifestyle than living a simple life with her family.

That pace and lifestyle is so unappealing to me and seems to be so dangerous for people with addictive personalities.