WITTICISMS

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Cast Offs: British Reality TV's Disabled Survivors - TIME

A reality show about the disabled to show that we are as f...I mean messed...up as everyone else...hmm...

Cast Offs: British Reality TV's Disabled Survivors - TIME

Sarah Palin Rates Obama Job Performance a 4 Out of 10 -- Politics Daily

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Sarah Palin Rates Obama Job Performance a 4 Out of 10 -- Politics Daily

Monday, November 16, 2009

Restful day...

Stayed home all day yesterday. Caught up with our shows - Good Wife, NCIS, NCIS LA, Mad Men season finale. Also watched a couple shows of Jeff Dunham, ventriloquist/comedian...very funny day.

A couple games of chess...forgot who won.

Popeye's Chicken spiced up the day.

OSU Beaver's #19...Rose Bowl bound?

Going Rogue

Looking forward to Sarah Palin's new book, "Going Rogue".

I mean, she can see Russia from her house...and, well, she is so HOT!

Might be an interesting read...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

I took third...bad Dad!

I took third place in a jr. high chess tournament, quad play. Three kids...I was a sub.

Eric took fourth.

Bad dad!

I know...

Thursday, November 12, 2009

"Glee" Wheelchair episode shows why we fight on...

I had never seen the show "Glee", but after seeing a tweet from Glenda about the subject matter, I decided to watch.

The big controversy is why disabled actors aren't used for disabled role. It does bother me, considering there are probably many disabled actors who could us the employment:

"Glee" Wheelchair Episode Upsets Disabled: "For them, the casting of a non-disabled actor to play the paraplegic high school student is another blown chance to hire a performer who truly fits the role."

The line of the show for me was when the the coach of the Glee club tries to encourage the team to raise money needed to rent a bus that would accommodate Artie's wheelchair. The team does not see the need at first. His dad can take him...he takes him everywhere. The team leaves the room and the coach apologizes to Artie for their reaction.

Artie's response is priceless. It summarizes disability awareness, or lack thereof:

"It's okay...they just don't understand."

If you are disabled, you know what I mean. Acceptance of status quo is how we survive. If we fought every injustice and every barrier that we run into, we would have no strength or sanity left.

We pick our battles. Backed into a corner of despair, sometimes we fight. It kills us inside to rock the boat, to not be the smiling inspiration that people admire us for.

We lose many of these battles. The barrier or injustice is seen as minimal, or too expensive, by the people who have the power to fix it.

Some battles we "win"...but really, everybody loses. A fix is made, but the experience is killed for everyone. A meeting is moved from a nice place that 97% of the people could get to, to a plain, maybe undesirable place that everyone can access...but do they want to.

The battles that are truly won are those where "they" really do "understand".

For this I commend the episode of "Glee" last night. All members of the glee club and the cheerleading squad were asked to spend 3 hours a day in a wheelchair.

It led the kids away from the extremes of ignorance and pity, to what should be the goal of all of our human interactions - patient understanding.

Jodie's followup with Dr. Molly

I took Jodie in to see Dr. Molly for a followup visit regarding the tightness in her shoulder. Years of walking on crutches has taken a toll. Her motion has gotten real limited...but using the power chair that is coming will help. Getting older with cp is not a very big issue in this country yet Dr. Molly said.

I asked for her take on the health care bill: "CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN!"

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Cool story...

A paralyzed superdog lifts spirits of sick kids - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "He gets just close enough on his wheelchair for the children to pet his forehead or stroke his coat.

Lance, a 5-year-old dachshund, is a therapy dog at the hospital, where he has been visiting children since he became a patient.

``We decided to turn his situation into something good,'' said Caio Stinchi, Lance's owner, who lives in Coconut Groove."

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Calling all knitters in Portland area

We are in need of mittens, scarves and hats for the kids in State care...foster kids...

The group of ladies who use to provide these items is no more.

If you knit, crochet, or can otherwise provide these items by Dec. 12, please contact me..fb, twitter, or click here.

Monday, November 09, 2009

Just show me the way around it..

We were rocking at church yesterday...

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THAT MOUNTAIN LYRICS by Trisha Yearwood: "You don't have to move that mountain
Just help me Lord to climb it
You don't have to move that stumblin' block
Just show me the way around it"

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Using her ability to help others

I don't know about other people with disabilities, but I know that I get set into a routine. I have adapted my life and my job to my abilities. Change makes me nervous, but not this lady:

Mid-career change to nursing a happy switch for disabled woman | Health and Fitness - cleveland.com - - cleveland.com: "Brigitte Folds, assistant nurse manager on H81, says that a few patients have expressed concern about having Lewis take care of them because of her disability. Other patients are too sick to notice. But most are welcoming, she says.
'They almost look at her as an inspiration, which I think is really cool,' Folds says."