Dania Jekel, the executive director of the Asperger Association of New England (AANE), will be teaching an introductory course about Asperger's Syndrome at the Mansfield Public Library on January 19, 2006.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
The Most Important New Year's Resolution
Hopefully, I will get my book deal and see my memior, Uncommon Bostonian, appear on bookshelves in 2006. I'm ready to do a book tour.
More Telephone Trouble
I've been having trouble with my telephone line in the last couple of
days. It's been difficult for me to surf the Internet for
articles about Asperger's Syndrome, Non-Vebal Learning Disorder and
Sleep Apnea.
I've called the phone company again, and they say it'll take a week for someone to check the telephone box inside my building. This problem keeps happening often since September, and it takes longer for them to resolve it.
Maybe I should switch to another phone company.
I've called the phone company again, and they say it'll take a week for someone to check the telephone box inside my building. This problem keeps happening often since September, and it takes longer for them to resolve it.
Maybe I should switch to another phone company.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Two Monkee Birthdays on the Same Day!
Happy Birthday to 2 of The Monkees: Davy Jones (1945) and Mike Nesmith (1942)!
Also, Happy Birthday to those who share a birthday with Davy and Mike:
Jack Lord (1920)
Skeeter Davis (1931)
Russ Tamblyn (1934)
Del Shannon (1934)
Patti Smith (1946)
Jeff Lynne (1947)
Also, Happy Birthday to those who share a birthday with Davy and Mike:
Jack Lord (1920)
Skeeter Davis (1931)
Russ Tamblyn (1934)
Del Shannon (1934)
Patti Smith (1946)
Jeff Lynne (1947)
Monday, December 26, 2005
A News Story From The Land Down Under!
The ABC Central Victoria has a story called "Being An Aspie" that talks about Tristan Jones who has Asperger's Syndrome. He is the webmaster of the Bendingo Young Adult Aspergers Group, a group for young people with Asperger's Syndrome.
Live From Upstate New York!
The story of Paige Pierce, who is advocating Timothy's Law (a law to
have health insurance cover mental health bills) in the TimesUnion.com
called "A Child in Need Inspires a Life of Advocacy." She has a 14 year-old-son called Emmet who has Asperger's Syndrome.
Congrats to Jamie Maxfield!
My fellow AANE member, Jamie Maxfield, an animator, is featured in an article by the Lexington Minuteman. Way to go, Jamie! You're famous!
I'm Back!
It's the 26th of December, and I'm back at my blog. I had a good
time down in DC visiting family. I received tons of gifts for
Christmas and my birthday which was on December 17.
Most Enjoyable Birthday Gift: The Beatles, The Biography by Bob Spitz from my brother James
Most Enjoyable Christmas Gift: My new pink robe from my parents.
My flight home was good too. We came in ahead of schedule. Thanks, Air Tran!
Storm and Cap, my two cats, were very pleased to see me. I missed them both the whole time I was away.
Most Enjoyable Birthday Gift: The Beatles, The Biography by Bob Spitz from my brother James
Most Enjoyable Christmas Gift: My new pink robe from my parents.
My flight home was good too. We came in ahead of schedule. Thanks, Air Tran!
Storm and Cap, my two cats, were very pleased to see me. I missed them both the whole time I was away.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Merry Christmas!
I'm heading off to Logan today and will be flying down to DC for
Christmas. I've spend the rest of my birthday weekend shopping
and partying. By Monday, I was very exhausted and stayed in bed
the whole morning.
Since my parents don't have internet access at their house, I will express my holiday greeting today.
Merry Christmas!
I'll be back on the 26th with new posts. Meanwhile, enjoy this blog and check out the links I have under Favorite Sites.
Enjoy!
Since my parents don't have internet access at their house, I will express my holiday greeting today.
Merry Christmas!
I'll be back on the 26th with new posts. Meanwhile, enjoy this blog and check out the links I have under Favorite Sites.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Another Reason Why I Want To Write A Memoir
For many years, actually most of my life, people thought I was either
crazy, stupid or just bad because I would do things that got them
mad. They would believe that I was doing it on purpose to get
their attention, but that was never the case. It was because of
my disorders that I was coming across in a negative way to
others.
The part of my brain that would instinctively know how to behave and communicate properly with others has been developmentally delayed. It may take most of my life to learn how to act and communicate appropriately to others.
The really bizarre part before I found out that I have Asperger's Syndrome was that others, including family, didn't suspect I had a neurological disorder. That concept was just too impossible for them to accept, even after I told them that I didn't have the capablility to do certain things like being able to read faces and body language.
I just want to tell the world the truth that Asperger's Syndrome does exist in me.
The part of my brain that would instinctively know how to behave and communicate properly with others has been developmentally delayed. It may take most of my life to learn how to act and communicate appropriately to others.
The really bizarre part before I found out that I have Asperger's Syndrome was that others, including family, didn't suspect I had a neurological disorder. That concept was just too impossible for them to accept, even after I told them that I didn't have the capablility to do certain things like being able to read faces and body language.
I just want to tell the world the truth that Asperger's Syndrome does exist in me.
Happy Birthday To Me!
Today's my 41st birthday! I'm still not a best-selling author
yet, but I'm working on it everyday. I feel great this
year, which is much better than last year because of that car accident
I had just before my 40th birthday.
I have a lot of ideas that I want to write about, in addition to writing a memoir called Uncommon Bostonian. I am still thinking up ideas to improve my two websites: Uncommon Bostonian and The Uncommentary. Soon, I will be putting those ideas into my computer.
I have a lot of ideas that I want to write about, in addition to writing a memoir called Uncommon Bostonian. I am still thinking up ideas to improve my two websites: Uncommon Bostonian and The Uncommentary. Soon, I will be putting those ideas into my computer.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
A Christmas Fairy Tale About 4 Autistic Boys
The Herald UK has an editorial called The Four Autistic Boys Who Made A True Christmas Fairy Tale by Ian Bell. It's about the TV movie called Maginficient 7
regarding Jacqui Jackson, her three daughters and her four autistic
boys.
Monday, December 12, 2005
More about Jacqui Jackson, the Super Mom!
GMTV has an article about Jacqui Jackson, the mother of seven children, including four boys that are autistic. There's information about her book as well and how to purchase it.
NAS - The Best PR Agent for The Autistic
The National Autism Society in the United Kingdom has just started a
campaign in Scotland to raise awareness of Autism and Asperger's
Syndrome to police and lawyers. It's in the article called "Just a New Way To Help The Autistic."
Sunday, December 11, 2005
R.I.P. Richard Pryor
Last night, I got home from Christmas shopping and turned on the TV set
to watch the news. I learned that Richard Pryor had died of a
heart attack. He had been suffering from MS for many years.
I cried.
I grew up watching him. I loved Silver Streak and Stir Crazy, the two movies he did with Gene Wilder. There was a third one they did, but that wasn't as good as the other two.
He inspired Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock to become comedians as well as many others.
He'll be missed.
I grew up watching him. I loved Silver Streak and Stir Crazy, the two movies he did with Gene Wilder. There was a third one they did, but that wasn't as good as the other two.
He inspired Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock to become comedians as well as many others.
He'll be missed.
Is Too Much Sleep Bad?
Lack of sleep is bad for your health. It seems now that having too much sleep is bad too, according to an article called The Big Sleep from the State newspaper in South Carolina.
It makes me wonder what's safe to do these days.
It makes me wonder what's safe to do these days.
New Treatment for Sleep Apnea
It's called the Pillar Procedure. It requires surgery to the roof of the mouth. The article says there has been some success with this.
Thursday, December 8, 2005
John Lennon's Death, 25 Years Later
It's still one of the worst moments of my life when my father told me
that John Lennon had been shot and murdered in New York City. I
found out shortly after 11:30 pm on the night of December 8,
1980. I was still miserable about losing my brother, Alfred, from
a car crash he was in back of June of that same year.
It felt like a nightmare for me that John Lennon, like Alfred, was dead too. It was just before my 16th birthday. Thinking about that night still upsets me even today.
I still miss you, John, as much as I miss Alfred.
It felt like a nightmare for me that John Lennon, like Alfred, was dead too. It was just before my 16th birthday. Thinking about that night still upsets me even today.
I still miss you, John, as much as I miss Alfred.
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Asperger's Syndrome Turned to a Strong Point
The Kansas City Star has an article about Spencer Hunley, a 19-year-old who is Turning A Disorder To A Strong Point. He has Asperger's Syndrome, just like me.
Another postitive story about Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks, Spencer!
Another postitive story about Asperger's Syndrome. Thanks, Spencer!
Another Autism Expert in The News - Alyson Beytien
The Journal Gazette and Times Courier in Illnois has an article about autism expert Alyson Beytien. It tells about her personal story about being a mother to three sons who have varying degrees of autism.
She also writes a column in The Autism Spectrum Quarterly and has a radio web program.
It's great that we have more advocates to help raise awareness. Thanks, Alyson!
She also writes a column in The Autism Spectrum Quarterly and has a radio web program.
It's great that we have more advocates to help raise awareness. Thanks, Alyson!
The Night Before
Shortly after I set up my very first website called Uncommon Bostonian, I pasted a little essay on its home page called The Night Before
(you have to scroll down the page a bit to find it). It's about
my mentioning John's and Yoko's names at the dinner table right in
front of my parents on the night before John's murder. Their
reaction was very unpleasant. They weren't aware at that time
that I have Asperger's Syndrome and loved to talk about my own
restricted interests.
The other kids at school didn't like the fact that I was constantly talking about a band that broke up. This went on during the entire 1970s. It just was not socially acceptable to talk about a band that broke up, according to one of the kids I went to school with. I didn't mean to get anyone angry, but they wanted to hear me talk. So I did talk and that was the only thing on my mind.
Childhood was hard. That's not an understatement.
The other kids at school didn't like the fact that I was constantly talking about a band that broke up. This went on during the entire 1970s. It just was not socially acceptable to talk about a band that broke up, according to one of the kids I went to school with. I didn't mean to get anyone angry, but they wanted to hear me talk. So I did talk and that was the only thing on my mind.
Childhood was hard. That's not an understatement.
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Sad Anniversary -- the Death of Roy Orbison!
This December 6 marks the 17th anniversary of the death of rock
singer/guitarist Roy Orbison. He had a heart attack when it was a
very good time in his life. He, along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty,
George Harrison and Jeff Lynn, had just release the Traveling Wilburys
first album a mere six weeks before. Roy had was just finishing
his new album, Mystery Girl, as well when the tragedy happened.
Very sad. I still remember when I woke up the next morning and found out on the radio. I was listening to Joe and Andy in the morning at the old WROR (98.5 FM) when I heard Joe sadly announced that Roy had died of a heart attack. I cried heavily that morning.
We still miss you, Roy.
Btw, Roy Orbison was singing "Pretty Paper" on the radio when my car crashed into a fence a year ago this night. The car radio was tuned to WODS, Oldies 103, which was right down the street from where I crashed. Very eerie!
Very sad. I still remember when I woke up the next morning and found out on the radio. I was listening to Joe and Andy in the morning at the old WROR (98.5 FM) when I heard Joe sadly announced that Roy had died of a heart attack. I cried heavily that morning.
We still miss you, Roy.
Btw, Roy Orbison was singing "Pretty Paper" on the radio when my car crashed into a fence a year ago this night. The car radio was tuned to WODS, Oldies 103, which was right down the street from where I crashed. Very eerie!
A Lack of Mirror Neurons
Scientific American has an article called "A Lack of Mirror Neurons May Help Explain Autism."
This might be the evidence of what is causing autistic people to have difficulty socializing and understanding facial expressions and body language. I hope so!
This might be the evidence of what is causing autistic people to have difficulty socializing and understanding facial expressions and body language. I hope so!
One Year Later...
It's been a year since my terrible car accident. I was driving my
Mustang on Market Street towards Shaw's at The Brighton Mills Plaza
which is on Western Avenue. Unfortunately, I never made it to
that destination.
A light snowstorm was coming down around 7 pm that night. When I got to the bridge that went over the Mass Pike, that's when it happened. The bridge had ice on it. I was already going slow, but I got hit from behind and skidded one way. While I was trying to get control of the car, I was hit again from behind. The car whipped around quickly making me lose my bearings for a few seconds. Next thing I knew was that the car was going off the road and onto the sidewalk. I ran into a fence and stopped.
Lucky for me that fence was there. Otherwise, my car and I would have struck that three and tumbled into the Mass Pike. That would have been the end of us both.
I was able to walk away from the crash. It was later that evening when I started feeling the pain of my injured spine and knee. I was more concerned getting my car towed back to my condo and seeing my two cats again.
A year later, I am better. Not completely recovered, but much improved. I'm still seeing my chiropractor for my back and neck. The spine is still healing. I had physical therapy for my right knee over the summer. I am walking a lot now so I can strengthen that knee.
The accident happened just before my 40th birthday. I was glad to be around for it and my upcoming 41st birthday this year.
Nice to still be on this earth.
A light snowstorm was coming down around 7 pm that night. When I got to the bridge that went over the Mass Pike, that's when it happened. The bridge had ice on it. I was already going slow, but I got hit from behind and skidded one way. While I was trying to get control of the car, I was hit again from behind. The car whipped around quickly making me lose my bearings for a few seconds. Next thing I knew was that the car was going off the road and onto the sidewalk. I ran into a fence and stopped.
Lucky for me that fence was there. Otherwise, my car and I would have struck that three and tumbled into the Mass Pike. That would have been the end of us both.
I was able to walk away from the crash. It was later that evening when I started feeling the pain of my injured spine and knee. I was more concerned getting my car towed back to my condo and seeing my two cats again.
A year later, I am better. Not completely recovered, but much improved. I'm still seeing my chiropractor for my back and neck. The spine is still healing. I had physical therapy for my right knee over the summer. I am walking a lot now so I can strengthen that knee.
The accident happened just before my 40th birthday. I was glad to be around for it and my upcoming 41st birthday this year.
Nice to still be on this earth.
Sunday, December 4, 2005
Even Dr. Doom is Blogging
Looks like everybody has a blog now. Even the Lord of Latveria, Dr. Doom, the arch-enemy of the Fantastic Four.
Check out Dispatches From Latveria if you're brave enough to do it.
Check out Dispatches From Latveria if you're brave enough to do it.
My Christmas Tree is Finally Up and Running!
I spent yesterday evening getting my tree out of my storage closet in
my condo and setting it up. That took a couple of hours. I
have so many decorations to put on it. This year I put all of
them up. It's been a long time that I used all the tree
decorations at the same time. In recent years, I only put up some
of them and left others in the box. After all, Storm hasn't
knocked over the tree in the last few years.
I checked the tree this morning and it's still standing. Storm is sleeping underneath it.
I checked the tree this morning and it's still standing. Storm is sleeping underneath it.
Update on Sally (The Mustang, my car)
Last Sunday afternoon, the car battery died on me while I was at
Harvard Square. I called AAA to jump-start it and drove it
home. I felt very frustrated which brought on another headache
for me. I get sinus headaches, menstral crap headaches and all
other headaches all the time.
On Monday, I called Brookline Village Gulf and told the mechanic named Jim what happened. Jim told me to leave the car there that night so he could work on it Tuesday. I had to call AAA to jump-start the car again and drove it down there. After I arrived at Brookline Village Gulf, I left a message to Jim to check the battery and give the car an oil filter change because it needed an oil filter change.
During lunch the next day, I called Jim and he told me the fact that the battery was indeed dead and also my fan belt was cracked. Jim told me that the belt could break at anytime. I told him to go ahead and make the repairs that were needed. Jim did that and also the oil filter change.
The car's been driving fine. So far, so good. However, my remote control doesn't work anymore. That's the device the works the locks on the doors and the trunk.
I feel another headache coming...
On Monday, I called Brookline Village Gulf and told the mechanic named Jim what happened. Jim told me to leave the car there that night so he could work on it Tuesday. I had to call AAA to jump-start the car again and drove it down there. After I arrived at Brookline Village Gulf, I left a message to Jim to check the battery and give the car an oil filter change because it needed an oil filter change.
During lunch the next day, I called Jim and he told me the fact that the battery was indeed dead and also my fan belt was cracked. Jim told me that the belt could break at anytime. I told him to go ahead and make the repairs that were needed. Jim did that and also the oil filter change.
The car's been driving fine. So far, so good. However, my remote control doesn't work anymore. That's the device the works the locks on the doors and the trunk.
I feel another headache coming...
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Congrats to Daniel, the New Eagle Scout!
Another one with Asperger's Syndrome is honored for his
achievement. Daniel Judd, a high school senior, has earned the
rank of Eagle Scout. Congrats, Dan!
Read all about it in the Arizona Range News: Daniel Judd, WHS Senior, Achives Rank of Eagle Scout.
Read all about it in the Arizona Range News: Daniel Judd, WHS Senior, Achives Rank of Eagle Scout.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Emotional Abuse is the Real Enemy
I found this at the News & Observer's website. It's called Activists Dispute Misunderstanding. It's regarding the tragedy that happened in California just before Halloween.
Not all the details are in about the teenager who had Asperger's Syndrome, William Fruend. So far, we know he was picked on during his school years. Emotional abuse damages anyone's psyche, whether or not that person has Asperger's Syndrome.
The Emotional Abuse website that I have listed under my Favorite Sites list gives a good comprehensive details about what it can do to a person.
Not all the details are in about the teenager who had Asperger's Syndrome, William Fruend. So far, we know he was picked on during his school years. Emotional abuse damages anyone's psyche, whether or not that person has Asperger's Syndrome.
The Emotional Abuse website that I have listed under my Favorite Sites list gives a good comprehensive details about what it can do to a person.
Dr. Doom & Mr. Fantastic Team-Up!
It seems that I've inspired a new thread over at the John Byrne Forum. Check out Victor & Reed's Catering, if you dare!
Remembering George Harrison
It's hard to believe that four years have passed since former Beatle
George Harrison's death due to cancer. I cried when I woke up and
heard the sad news that he had passed away. The sad part was that
he was the youngest Beatle.
Shortly afterwards, I wrote an essay in honor of him called "Not Guilty." I took the title of a song he wrote for the Beatles for The White Album. The song ended up on the Anthology 3 double CD many years later in the 1990s. George did record a solo version of the song on his self-titled George Harrison album that came out in 1979. That album also included the songs "Faster" and "Blow Away" in it. It is a good album worth checking out.
My essay, "Not Guilty," is radically different from my John Lennon essay, "I'll Never Forget Him." I made it funny because George was a film producer on a couple of Monty Phyton films and the movie classic "Time Bandits."
Thanks for the music and the laughs, George.
Shortly afterwards, I wrote an essay in honor of him called "Not Guilty." I took the title of a song he wrote for the Beatles for The White Album. The song ended up on the Anthology 3 double CD many years later in the 1990s. George did record a solo version of the song on his self-titled George Harrison album that came out in 1979. That album also included the songs "Faster" and "Blow Away" in it. It is a good album worth checking out.
My essay, "Not Guilty," is radically different from my John Lennon essay, "I'll Never Forget Him." I made it funny because George was a film producer on a couple of Monty Phyton films and the movie classic "Time Bandits."
Thanks for the music and the laughs, George.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Happy Birthday to Two Guys Who Died Youn
Happy Birthday to these two celebs:
Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee
We still miss you.
Check out the Komo News article about Remembering Bruce Lee.
Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Lee
We still miss you.
Check out the Komo News article about Remembering Bruce Lee.
Bad Luck Again With My Car
Today, my car wouldn't start this afternoon. I had to call AAA to
have it jump started. I drove it home to my condo. After I
shut off the engine, I tried to re-start it again. Unfortunately,
it wouldn't start again. There's something wrong with the battery.
It seems like my car is always having problems that I can't foresee in advance. Looks like I'll have to get a new battery. Another headache for me.
It seems like my car is always having problems that I can't foresee in advance. Looks like I'll have to get a new battery. Another headache for me.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Good Grief! Two Famous People Having Birthdays Today!
Happy Birthday to:
Charles M. Schulz
(would have been 83 if he hadn't died of cancer in Feb. 2000)
&
Tina Turner
(Still Alive & Kickin' at 66)
Charles M. Schulz
(would have been 83 if he hadn't died of cancer in Feb. 2000)
&
Tina Turner
(Still Alive & Kickin' at 66)
Back From Vacation!
My Thanksgiving holiday went well. No major battles over
dinner. Just minor skimishes. (Mommie yelling at Daddy
about blowing the leaves in the backyard just before dinner, and Mommie
and me disagreeing on the name of one of my father's deceased
aunts. It's Ivy, not Ida.) Everyone loved my Zuccinni and
Summer Squash dish. My sister was so shocked that I cooked
something! That made my day!
Didn't get the chance to go out much and it snowed on Wednesday night. I did get an early birthday present: a Canon Powershot A-520 Digital Camera. Now, I have to spend the rest of this weekend reading the instructions. I never owned a digital camera before. It took me nearly three years to learn to work my scanner.
Didn't get the chance to go out much and it snowed on Wednesday night. I did get an early birthday present: a Canon Powershot A-520 Digital Camera. Now, I have to spend the rest of this weekend reading the instructions. I never owned a digital camera before. It took me nearly three years to learn to work my scanner.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving!
I will be out of town starting on Tuesday, November 22, and won't be
back until Saturday, November 26. I will be staying in the
Washington, DC area for the holiday with my family. They don't
have internet access. They are so behind the times.
I just wanted to wish everyone on the Internet a
Happy
Thanksgiving!
I just wanted to wish everyone on the Internet a
Happy
Thanksgiving!
Met With The Sleep Doctor Again
Friday afternoon, I went over to the Neurology Sleep Disorders Unit at
B.I. in Boston and met with both the Sleep Doctor and his Nurse
Practitioner. I told them about my issues regarding my sinus and
how difficult it is for me to get to bed early. What can I
say? I love having a blog.
I was told to do things early in the evening during the week like eating dinner and surfing the Internet. Also shut off the lights in my condo to get the nighttime feel after 8 PM, especially when I am at the computer.
I have the lights off right now while I'm typing. I'm still worried about eyestrain.
Also, they want me to try some medication for my sinus and helping me get to sleep at night. I told them that I will get the meds after I get back from my Thanksgiving vacation. They were okay with that and told that I don't have to visit them again until six months from now.
I was told to do things early in the evening during the week like eating dinner and surfing the Internet. Also shut off the lights in my condo to get the nighttime feel after 8 PM, especially when I am at the computer.
I have the lights off right now while I'm typing. I'm still worried about eyestrain.
Also, they want me to try some medication for my sinus and helping me get to sleep at night. I told them that I will get the meds after I get back from my Thanksgiving vacation. They were okay with that and told that I don't have to visit them again until six months from now.
Happy Anniversary to Uncommon Bostonian, the Website!
Coming up next week is the 3rd anniversary of the launch of my very
first website to promote my writing and raise awareness about
Asperger's Syndrome. The web address of Uncommon Bostonian is http://www.yvonnechristian.unimstores.com.
Please check it out after you're done checking Outside In out. Then, check out The Uncommon Bostonian's Uncommentary, where I write some of my uncommentaries (they're really editorials). Another outlet to promote myself and raise awareness about life with Asperger's Syndrome. That website's anniversary is next month.
Please check it out after you're done checking Outside In out. Then, check out The Uncommon Bostonian's Uncommentary, where I write some of my uncommentaries (they're really editorials). Another outlet to promote myself and raise awareness about life with Asperger's Syndrome. That website's anniversary is next month.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Does Tim Burton have AS?
Hollywood.com has an article speculating that director Tim Burton may be autistic, according to his girlfriend Helena Bonham Carter.
If it turns out to be true, that would mean that a major celebrity in Hollywood has this condition. Will it raise the awareness of Asperger's Syndrome to new heights? I hope so.
If it turns out to be true, that would mean that a major celebrity in Hollywood has this condition. Will it raise the awareness of Asperger's Syndrome to new heights? I hope so.
The New Magnificient Seven (Sorry No Gunfights Allowed!)
Great new article from the London Evening Standard about actress Helena
Bonham Carter's new role. She plays a mother of seven children,
four of them have varying degrees of autism. The BBC drama, The Magnificient Seven, airs next month.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
At Last! A Chance to Redeem!
Finally, I had time to take some of my empty soda bottles to the store
and redeem them. I earned $3.60! What a profit! The
best news is I still have more empty soda bottles to redeem.
Everytime I wanted to redeem my soda bottles something would happen to me or something would come up that would prevent me from getting rid of those soda bottles. If I wasn't so preoccupied with health problems or other obligations, I would spend more time organizing my condo. Having my cognitive executive function impaired by Asperger's Syndrome is not fun. It's sometimes annoying. There is some many things I like to do, but I can't seem to schedule/coordinate them very well.
At least my kitchen looks normal now and bigger.
Everytime I wanted to redeem my soda bottles something would happen to me or something would come up that would prevent me from getting rid of those soda bottles. If I wasn't so preoccupied with health problems or other obligations, I would spend more time organizing my condo. Having my cognitive executive function impaired by Asperger's Syndrome is not fun. It's sometimes annoying. There is some many things I like to do, but I can't seem to schedule/coordinate them very well.
At least my kitchen looks normal now and bigger.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Going into The Big Sleep?
US News: Sleep Apnea May Double the Risk of Stroke and Death. The article is based on a recent study on Sleep Apnea.
Great Editorial From A High School Senior!
When It's Hard To Fit In by Bryce Hubbard in the newpaper called the Register Guard
in Eugene, Oregon. He provides us with the information about why
it is difficult to fit in socially when you have Asperger's Syndrome.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
The Letter...to the LA Times
Jennifer McIlwee Myers is of great help for those of us with Asperger's
Syndrome. This is her letter to the LA Times regarding the
definition of Asperger's Syndrome. Thank you, Jennifer.
A Syndrome that Sets Them Apart from the Letter To The Editor page of the LA Times.
A Syndrome that Sets Them Apart from the Letter To The Editor page of the LA Times.
Marc Fleisher, Another Good Guy with Asperger's
Bucks Free Press has a positive article about a man with Asperger's
Syndrome called Marc Fleisher. He has written his autobiography
and just finished his second book about how to live with AS
daily. Thank you, Marc, for your kindness and activism.
When Autism isn't a Disability by Jeremy Campbell.
When Autism isn't a Disability by Jeremy Campbell.
Steven Shore is in The Olean Times Herald
Asperger Association of New England President Stephen Shore has an
article about himself in the Olean Times Herald. Way to go, Stephen!
Autism Opened World For Mr. Shore
Autism Opened World For Mr. Shore
And So On...
Happy Birthday,
Kurt Vonnegut!
He's my Writing Idol! It was a thrill to meet him in Boston back in 1995 at a Writer's Festival. Kurt did a speech on opening night. I met him afterwards at the reception in the back of the Arlington Street Church. I got to shake his hand and tell him how much I loved his books.
I even sat in the next day and watch him critique and lecture us about writing stories. I didn't have anything to submit, but I enjoyed the experience. He was very funny.
Now, I'm a writer who's having fun doing this.
Btw, Happy Veteran's Day!
Kurt Vonnegut!
He's my Writing Idol! It was a thrill to meet him in Boston back in 1995 at a Writer's Festival. Kurt did a speech on opening night. I met him afterwards at the reception in the back of the Arlington Street Church. I got to shake his hand and tell him how much I loved his books.
I even sat in the next day and watch him critique and lecture us about writing stories. I didn't have anything to submit, but I enjoyed the experience. He was very funny.
Now, I'm a writer who's having fun doing this.
Btw, Happy Veteran's Day!
Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Ooops!
I was editing my two websites last night: Uncommon Bostonian and Uncommentary.
I almost deleted Uncommentary to nothingness while I was editing.
Unfortunately, I lost my links page and messed up my contact
page. Luckily, the home page and the Confessions page are
okay. The Irvine Webworks tech told me what I did wrong. I
shouldn't be editing both sites at the same time.
Glad I still have that site. It's the one getting the most hits. The month of September had the most of this year: 1,576! Now, I hope they come over here to Outside In and the other site Uncommon Bostonian.
Glad I still have that site. It's the one getting the most hits. The month of September had the most of this year: 1,576! Now, I hope they come over here to Outside In and the other site Uncommon Bostonian.
Sunday, November 6, 2005
Another Ultimate Top Ten List!
This time, it's the autistic adult list. Should we forget Letterman again?
Here's 10 Things An Autistic Adult Wishes You Knew from XTVworld.
Here's 10 Things An Autistic Adult Wishes You Knew from XTVworld.
How Torrential!
Here's an article about Bram Cohen, a person with AS who created BitTorrent software.
Check out this Fortune magazine article called Torrential Reign!
Check out this Fortune magazine article called Torrential Reign!
Go Out And Vote!
This coming Tuesday is Election Day. In Boston, we have the
mayorial race between incumbent Tom Menino and challenger Maura
Hennigan. Menino has bee the mayor for the past 12 years. I
have met him a few times and he's a good guy.
So I'm endorsing Mayor Tom Menino!
Wherever you are on Tuesday, November 8, don't forget to vote. Remember: Power to the People!
So I'm endorsing Mayor Tom Menino!
Wherever you are on Tuesday, November 8, don't forget to vote. Remember: Power to the People!
Saturday, November 5, 2005
Disclose or Not to Disclose
I did have a thought about mentioning that I have Asperger's Syndrome
to the mechanic who fixed the brakes on my car when he gave me back my
car on October 27th. He was busy lecturing me about car
care. He even brought up the fact that I don't take Sally (my
Mustang) to the car wash often. There's still brake dust on the
right rear wheel hubcab. Yuck!
However, I kept quiet because he is the father of one of my co-workers. My career counselor insisted when I got my present job not to disclose that I have Asperger's Syndrome. Karen, my career counselor, wanted me to keep that private (I forget her reasons). Yet, I now have been there for more than a year. I am grateful that my co-worker gave me her father's name and number in order to get my car repaired.
This past week has been tough for my co-worker because her father had a heart attack last Sunday night on October 30th. Fortunately, he's going to be okay and will be home soon. He got a stint inserted into his heart. I told her that my own father has three stints in his heart and is doing well. The first one was inserted in 2000 after my father visited his doctor for a check-up. The other two went in after my father had his heart attack just before Thanksgiving 2002.
Fifteen years ago yesterday, November 4th, was the day my grandmother died of a fatal heart attack. It upsetted me very much because I had visited her in July of that year. It was the first time we had seen each other in five years. I had been very busy pursuing my career in broadcasting which left me very frustrated and depressed. I wish I knew back then that I had Asperger's Syndrome. Things would have been different.
I wonder how she would have reacted if she were alive today and I told her that I have Asperger's Syndrome. She thought I was perfect.
However, I kept quiet because he is the father of one of my co-workers. My career counselor insisted when I got my present job not to disclose that I have Asperger's Syndrome. Karen, my career counselor, wanted me to keep that private (I forget her reasons). Yet, I now have been there for more than a year. I am grateful that my co-worker gave me her father's name and number in order to get my car repaired.
This past week has been tough for my co-worker because her father had a heart attack last Sunday night on October 30th. Fortunately, he's going to be okay and will be home soon. He got a stint inserted into his heart. I told her that my own father has three stints in his heart and is doing well. The first one was inserted in 2000 after my father visited his doctor for a check-up. The other two went in after my father had his heart attack just before Thanksgiving 2002.
Fifteen years ago yesterday, November 4th, was the day my grandmother died of a fatal heart attack. It upsetted me very much because I had visited her in July of that year. It was the first time we had seen each other in five years. I had been very busy pursuing my career in broadcasting which left me very frustrated and depressed. I wish I knew back then that I had Asperger's Syndrome. Things would have been different.
I wonder how she would have reacted if she were alive today and I told her that I have Asperger's Syndrome. She thought I was perfect.
Wednesday, November 2, 2005
Liz and Dick at their Best & Worst!
I've been watching my latest Netflix rental, "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (who, as everyone
knows, were married to each other back in the 1960s). Also
starring George Segal and Sandy Dennis. It's based on the Edward
Albee play of the same name. It came out in 1966. It was a
hit and was responsible for the creation of the movie ratings
code. There's a lot of trivia about this movie that even astonished me. Robert Redford turned down the role of Nick, George Segal's part, for starters.
Impressive performances from the whole cast of four. I wonder why I have never seen this movie before. It's very adult. The plot is a case study in human behavior to the extreme. A lot of raw emotions explode out of Liz and Dick in a whirling frenzy for more than two hours. What a ride!
I wasn't very familiar with their work when Liz and Dick (who had been divorced for many years) came to Boston in the spring of 1983 to do Noel Coward's "Private Lives." A lot of my teachers were excited that they were in town. I wasn't interested in seeing them at all. They even did the play in Washington, DC, my hometown, later that summer. That was the last time they worked to together because on August 5, 1984, Richard Burton passed away. That was sad news.
When I saw Richard Burton in the movie, "1984", which came out several months after his death, I really enjoyed his work as O'Brien. I really regret not going to see him and his ex-wife, Liz Taylor, when they were in Boston.
When I went to my first AANE Conference in October 2002, Dr. Ami Klin of the Yale Development Disabilities Clinic was the guest speaker. He talked about his recent research with volunteers who were diagnosed with autism. He had them watch a movie while hooked up to a head gear device to track their eye movements. He pointed out that the volunteers with autism liked to look at the actors' mouths instead of their eyes while watching them. He also mentioned that they liked to look at the objects in the room.
What was the film the volunteers were watching? It was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Dr. Klin also mentioned that he had the chance to meet Liz Taylor who learned that he was using her film for his research study. He really enjoyed meeting her!
Impressive performances from the whole cast of four. I wonder why I have never seen this movie before. It's very adult. The plot is a case study in human behavior to the extreme. A lot of raw emotions explode out of Liz and Dick in a whirling frenzy for more than two hours. What a ride!
I wasn't very familiar with their work when Liz and Dick (who had been divorced for many years) came to Boston in the spring of 1983 to do Noel Coward's "Private Lives." A lot of my teachers were excited that they were in town. I wasn't interested in seeing them at all. They even did the play in Washington, DC, my hometown, later that summer. That was the last time they worked to together because on August 5, 1984, Richard Burton passed away. That was sad news.
When I saw Richard Burton in the movie, "1984", which came out several months after his death, I really enjoyed his work as O'Brien. I really regret not going to see him and his ex-wife, Liz Taylor, when they were in Boston.
When I went to my first AANE Conference in October 2002, Dr. Ami Klin of the Yale Development Disabilities Clinic was the guest speaker. He talked about his recent research with volunteers who were diagnosed with autism. He had them watch a movie while hooked up to a head gear device to track their eye movements. He pointed out that the volunteers with autism liked to look at the actors' mouths instead of their eyes while watching them. He also mentioned that they liked to look at the objects in the room.
What was the film the volunteers were watching? It was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Dr. Klin also mentioned that he had the chance to meet Liz Taylor who learned that he was using her film for his research study. He really enjoyed meeting her!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Classroom Noise was Distracting!
This article from New Zealand
did bring back a memory for me about classroom noise. It was
distracting! Sometimes, it caused confusion for me, and my grades
would suffer for it. Bringing home a bad report card was frowned
upon in the house I grew up in.
Happy Halloween and Happy 55th Birthday, John Candy!
Happy
Halloween!
=========================================
Happy 55th Birthday
John Candy!
I still miss you. It's been 11 years since you left this world. :-(
Halloween!
=========================================
Happy 55th Birthday
John Candy!
I still miss you. It's been 11 years since you left this world. :-(
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Happy 60th Birthday, Fonzie!
Happy 60th Birthday,
Henry Winkler!
The Fonz of "Happy Days" and the star of "Out of Practice"
Henry Winkler!
The Fonz of "Happy Days" and the star of "Out of Practice"
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Propects London Calling!
A Diabilities article about Prospects London's Transition initiative
for students and graduates with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, in
order to help with finding jobs.
New Job Prospects For People with Autism
New Job Prospects For People with Autism
Take a Wild Road to This Book!
The East Bay Rhode Island online newpaper has an article about Ann Baur, the arthur of A Wild Road Up The Cupboards.
It's the story of a mother who has a son with Asperger's Syndrome,
written by a mother who has a son with Asperger's Syndrome. This
sounds like a great book.
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/18226746229197.php
http://www.eastbayri.com/story/18226746229197.php
A Positive Story About Employment for a Person With AS
From the New River Valley Current (part of the Roanoke Times) in Virginia:
Employment Brings Independence
At this workplace, everyone accepts him as who he is, and that's great.
Employment Brings Independence
At this workplace, everyone accepts him as who he is, and that's great.
Autism Research From The Land Down Under!
Information from an Austrailian Research Institute regarding the
impairment of the executive function in the brains of children with
autism.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32541
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=32541
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Finally My Car is Back!
Tonight I got my car back after a co-worker's father took it on Sunday
to have repaired. He happens to be a mechanic. It took a
few days because he wanted cash only. Payday was today for
me. :-)
My car, the Mustang aka Sally, drives smoothly now without any of those bothersome noises. It was the brakes this time. I know so little about car care that I'm lucky my car hasn't fallen to pieces like the Blues Brothers' car at the end of their movie.
Of course, Leroy, the mechanic, lectured me about bringing in the car whenever it starts making noises. Also I should wash it often. I never have time to go to the carwash. I wonder how he would have reacted if I told him how many months it's been since the last oil filter change.
I've had Sally for nine years and hardly drove it for the first five years. It's been in recent years that I had to uses it often than not at all. When I bought the car at the time, I had hoped I would be married and allow my husband to handle the car care issues. So far I don't have any candidate for husband. Unfortunately, I'm still single, so I'm stuck trying to remember to take care of my own car.
I got to worry about my health right now. I have to go in for lung x-rays because I am still coughing a lot. The antibiotics helped somewhat, but I still have a cough.
This Sunday is the Holistic Health Fair in Newton. Maybe I can get some tips about getting rid of this cough.
My car, the Mustang aka Sally, drives smoothly now without any of those bothersome noises. It was the brakes this time. I know so little about car care that I'm lucky my car hasn't fallen to pieces like the Blues Brothers' car at the end of their movie.
Of course, Leroy, the mechanic, lectured me about bringing in the car whenever it starts making noises. Also I should wash it often. I never have time to go to the carwash. I wonder how he would have reacted if I told him how many months it's been since the last oil filter change.
I've had Sally for nine years and hardly drove it for the first five years. It's been in recent years that I had to uses it often than not at all. When I bought the car at the time, I had hoped I would be married and allow my husband to handle the car care issues. So far I don't have any candidate for husband. Unfortunately, I'm still single, so I'm stuck trying to remember to take care of my own car.
I got to worry about my health right now. I have to go in for lung x-rays because I am still coughing a lot. The antibiotics helped somewhat, but I still have a cough.
This Sunday is the Holistic Health Fair in Newton. Maybe I can get some tips about getting rid of this cough.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
RIP Rosa Parks
Last night I heard the breaking news that Rosa Parks had passed away
from natural causes at 92 years old. That put tears in my
eyes. I never had the chance to meet her. She was one of my
idols.
She was the pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement. Back on December 1, 1955, Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. Her arrest was the catalyst for the Alabama Bus Boycott that went on for more than a year. It also started the Civil Rights Movement as well. The whole nation finally noticed that segregation was wrong.
Here in 2005, the Asperger Association of New England and other orgainzations are working hard everyday to raise awareness of Asperger's Syndrome and autism. Most importantly to make people understand what autism spectrum disorders are. Not all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome are alike, just like black people. Although I have an autism spectrum disorder, I am very different from Raymond Babett, the character with autism Dustin Hoffman played in Rain Man.
I have met a lot of people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. We have struggles. Many have trouble living independently and getting jobs to support themselves. Even the ones who are employed like myself still have many struggles with everyday things that people who don't have autism or Asperger's take for granted.
There is a movement going on to educate the public. This blog is part of it. That's why I created it. When I decided to do this blog, I thought of Rosa Parks. She did one small thing and the whole nation noticed.
RIP Rosa Parks
She was the pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement. Back on December 1, 1955, Rosa refused to give up her seat on the bus for a white passenger. Her arrest was the catalyst for the Alabama Bus Boycott that went on for more than a year. It also started the Civil Rights Movement as well. The whole nation finally noticed that segregation was wrong.
Here in 2005, the Asperger Association of New England and other orgainzations are working hard everyday to raise awareness of Asperger's Syndrome and autism. Most importantly to make people understand what autism spectrum disorders are. Not all people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome are alike, just like black people. Although I have an autism spectrum disorder, I am very different from Raymond Babett, the character with autism Dustin Hoffman played in Rain Man.
I have met a lot of people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. We have struggles. Many have trouble living independently and getting jobs to support themselves. Even the ones who are employed like myself still have many struggles with everyday things that people who don't have autism or Asperger's take for granted.
There is a movement going on to educate the public. This blog is part of it. That's why I created it. When I decided to do this blog, I thought of Rosa Parks. She did one small thing and the whole nation noticed.
RIP Rosa Parks
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Happy Birthday, Johnny
Happy 80th Birthday,
Johnny Carson!
You were one of my idols who inspired me to pursue broadcasting as a career. I miss you so much. I cried a lot when you passed away last January. I'll never forget you and many others will remember you until the end of time. You were the ultimate TV icon.
We never had the chance to meet face-to-face, but I did send a happy birthday card to your fan club who forwarded it to you three years ago. So you did know about me.
Johnny Carson!
You were one of my idols who inspired me to pursue broadcasting as a career. I miss you so much. I cried a lot when you passed away last January. I'll never forget you and many others will remember you until the end of time. You were the ultimate TV icon.
We never had the chance to meet face-to-face, but I did send a happy birthday card to your fan club who forwarded it to you three years ago. So you did know about me.
My Famous Quote! I'm Published!
This weekend I received a copy of Ellen Notbohm's new book, Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew. On the top of the back cover is the quote from this blog. It says in big letters:
Forget Letterman! This is the Ultimate Top Ten List!
--Yvonne Christian, adult with Asperger's and writer of the blog "Outside In"
Many thanks to Ellen Notbohm, Kelly Gilpin and Future Horizons!
Forget Letterman! This is the Ultimate Top Ten List!
--Yvonne Christian, adult with Asperger's and writer of the blog "Outside In"
Many thanks to Ellen Notbohm, Kelly Gilpin and Future Horizons!
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Unresolved
My car, the Mustang a.k.a. Sally, is still without brakes. I have
been talking to mechanics for the last two weeks about getting this
taken care of.
What's the delay? Well, I have my schedule with work and a cold to recover from. Meanwhile the rest of the world have their own schedules. So there's been a lot of phone tag going on.
Then, there's the cost of the repairs. Life is not so simple when it comes to car care. I just hope my car passes the state safety inspection. I have until Halloween to get it inspected.
Stay tuned.
What's the delay? Well, I have my schedule with work and a cold to recover from. Meanwhile the rest of the world have their own schedules. So there's been a lot of phone tag going on.
Then, there's the cost of the repairs. Life is not so simple when it comes to car care. I just hope my car passes the state safety inspection. I have until Halloween to get it inspected.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Visited The Doctor
After having a bad cough for almost three weeks, I decided to see a
doctor over at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston this afternoon. Dr.
Reale had me doing deep breaths to determine what was wrong. I
had to do those several times because I was coughing a lot during the
examination.
She heard my lungs and they didn't sound good. "A lot of tightness," she said. She gave me a prescription for antibiotics and cough syrup with codine. Really strong stuff. It might be a bronchital infection or a mild case of penumonia, according to her.
So now I'm taking some stronger medicine. I hope this works.
She heard my lungs and they didn't sound good. "A lot of tightness," she said. She gave me a prescription for antibiotics and cough syrup with codine. Really strong stuff. It might be a bronchital infection or a mild case of penumonia, according to her.
So now I'm taking some stronger medicine. I hope this works.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Mind Blindness
Mind Blindness means the one with Asperger's Syndrome doesn't know what
the other person is thinking. Not to be confused with Face
Blindness which means not being able to see and interpret facial
expressions.
In the Herald Dispatch's recent article, a mother advocates when her son is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. It's great that Asperger's Syndrome is being recognized in children, but what about the adults out there like me? No one figured out for years that I have Asperger's Syndrome.
In the Herald Dispatch's recent article, a mother advocates when her son is diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. It's great that Asperger's Syndrome is being recognized in children, but what about the adults out there like me? No one figured out for years that I have Asperger's Syndrome.
Just The Thing!
From the Charlotte Observer:
Just The Thing To Help Unique School
A home school for children with dyslexia and autism. Every little thing helps.
Just The Thing To Help Unique School
A home school for children with dyslexia and autism. Every little thing helps.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Still Sick and My Car's Sick Too!
I'm still struggling with this head, chest and nasal cold. I was
very feverish over the weekend. I took some vitamin C, cough
syrup, and other remedies. It seemed like I was getting better,
but I am still coughing a lot and blowing my nose often.
Monday night I had trouble with the brakes with my car. For the past few weeks, they had been squeaking loudly, but because of my cold I didn't have the chance to get them checked out sooner. I had the brakes fixed three years ago, but I don't know what's caused the brakes to fail Monday night. Also, one of my hubcaps turned brown. One of the mechanics that looked at my car last night said that it's called brake dust. Never heard of that term when I was in Driver's Ed.
I'm going have another mechanic look at my car to see what caused this to happen and figure out how to fix it without draining my finances. My car has do its annual state safety inspection this month, or I'll get in trouble if my car doesn't pass the test.
I already had enough car trouble earlier this year and it was just last December when I had the car accident. I'm not able to afford a new car right now.
Monday night I had trouble with the brakes with my car. For the past few weeks, they had been squeaking loudly, but because of my cold I didn't have the chance to get them checked out sooner. I had the brakes fixed three years ago, but I don't know what's caused the brakes to fail Monday night. Also, one of my hubcaps turned brown. One of the mechanics that looked at my car last night said that it's called brake dust. Never heard of that term when I was in Driver's Ed.
I'm going have another mechanic look at my car to see what caused this to happen and figure out how to fix it without draining my finances. My car has do its annual state safety inspection this month, or I'll get in trouble if my car doesn't pass the test.
I already had enough car trouble earlier this year and it was just last December when I had the car accident. I'm not able to afford a new car right now.
Sunday, October 9, 2005
I'll Never Forget John Lennon!
Five years ago, I wrote "I'll Never Forget Him," an essay about where I
was when I heard about John Lennon's murder. I read it for the
first time at the Club Beatles of New England's Happy 60th Birthday to John Lennon
convention they had in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Alf
Bicknell, the Beatles's chaffeur, was in attendance that day and
loved my essay. I got huge praise for it as everyone in the
convention hall applauded when I was done reading it.
I wrote that essay a few years before I learned that I have Asperger's Syndrome and that the Beatles are one of my restricted interests. I am still attempting to get "I'll Never Forget Him" published. It's hard to focus on a writing career when you have a full time job to focus on at the same time though. Hard to find balance there.
In my essay I was in high school. My father was the one who told me about John's murder that terrible night. I also write about what went on in high school the next day. Then I write about the murder of my grandfather who I hardly knew. His murder happened six months after John's. I write about my becoming a disc jockey years later. Very short essay.
What I didn't mention in that essay was how depressing my life was at that point when John Lennon was murdered. I kept the stuff about my being teased constantly at school and the death of my brother Alfred out of that essay because I would have been crying a lot when I read it out loud at that convention in 2000.
Now I am seriously thinking about doing a rewrite of that essay and adding in all the depressing stuff. Why? I feel more open about myself since I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2002.
I wrote that essay a few years before I learned that I have Asperger's Syndrome and that the Beatles are one of my restricted interests. I am still attempting to get "I'll Never Forget Him" published. It's hard to focus on a writing career when you have a full time job to focus on at the same time though. Hard to find balance there.
In my essay I was in high school. My father was the one who told me about John's murder that terrible night. I also write about what went on in high school the next day. Then I write about the murder of my grandfather who I hardly knew. His murder happened six months after John's. I write about my becoming a disc jockey years later. Very short essay.
What I didn't mention in that essay was how depressing my life was at that point when John Lennon was murdered. I kept the stuff about my being teased constantly at school and the death of my brother Alfred out of that essay because I would have been crying a lot when I read it out loud at that convention in 2000.
Now I am seriously thinking about doing a rewrite of that essay and adding in all the depressing stuff. Why? I feel more open about myself since I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 2002.
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Wish You Were Here, John Lennon!
Happy 65th Birthday,
John Lennon!
There's a new book out called LENNON REVEALED by Larry Kane, a journalist who went with the Beatles on tour back in the 1960s that was chronicled in his book, TICKET TO RIDE. Larry had a friendship with John Lennon for many years after the Beatles broke up. This new book features new interviews of Yoko Ono Lennon, friends and family about the life of John Lennon.
Highly recommended.
John Lennon!
There's a new book out called LENNON REVEALED by Larry Kane, a journalist who went with the Beatles on tour back in the 1960s that was chronicled in his book, TICKET TO RIDE. Larry had a friendship with John Lennon for many years after the Beatles broke up. This new book features new interviews of Yoko Ono Lennon, friends and family about the life of John Lennon.
Highly recommended.
Wednesday, October 5, 2005
I Hate Having Colds!
I came down with a cold last Friday. It seems to have gotten worse,
despite all the fluids I've been drinking. I have taken cough syrup
and cold tablets, but the bad cough still persists. I've gargled with
salt water in the morning and before bed, but I still have a hoarse
throat.
I'm still using my CPAP with the humidifier, but I am still getting very congested anyway in one nostril while I'm sleeping. It's ususally the right nostril than the left one. I don't know why. As soon as I get in bed and hook myself up to that CPAP, my right nostril (or, sometimes, the left nostril) clogs up instantly before my head hits the pillow. It seems so unnatural.
I've always had problems with my sinuses, even though I don't have any allergies. I get plagued with sinus headaches year round now. This has been going on for years.
I definately need to see a doctor about this to find out why I am having more problems with my sinus as I get older.
I'm still using my CPAP with the humidifier, but I am still getting very congested anyway in one nostril while I'm sleeping. It's ususally the right nostril than the left one. I don't know why. As soon as I get in bed and hook myself up to that CPAP, my right nostril (or, sometimes, the left nostril) clogs up instantly before my head hits the pillow. It seems so unnatural.
I've always had problems with my sinuses, even though I don't have any allergies. I get plagued with sinus headaches year round now. This has been going on for years.
I definately need to see a doctor about this to find out why I am having more problems with my sinus as I get older.
Cha-Chi's Back
WZLX didn't waste any time looking for a replacement to host Breakfast with the Beatles after former host John Laurenti's abrupt departure. The new host is actually the former host, Cha-Chi Loprete, the Promotions Director of WZLX and WBCN.
Cha-Chi did his first show the week after John Laurenti did his final show. Not bad at all. I first met him back in 1994 when I started volunteering at WBCN on the weekends. He always gave a movie pass. Boy, how I miss those passes!
My best memory of Cha-Chi was during the spring of 1995 when I went to the WBOS Earth Day concert on the Esplanade and saw him in the VIP section next to the stage. I asked the security guard if I could go in because I was also with WBCN like Cha-Chi. She looked at me surprised when I explained to her that Cha-Chi isn't an employee of WBOS-FM and that he worked for a rival radio station.
"Wait-a-minute! I thought he showed me a pass! You're saying that man is with another radio station?" she asked me.
"Yes, he works at WBCN, the Rock of Boston," I replied.
People were gathering around us as we talked about him. One person asked me for his name.
"That's Cha-Chi, the Promotions Director," I answered.
The whole crowd exclaimed, "That's Cha-Chi!"
The security guard went over to Cha-Chi and he showed her his VIP pass. She told him that I was asking for him. He went over and said "Hi" to me. Unfortunately, he didn't have an extra pass to give me.
While we were talking, one of the celebrity guest hosts, Christopher Reeve, walked around the Hatch Shell stage. The concert was several weeks before he had his tragic horse riding accident.
I came so close to meeting the actor who played Superman.
Btw, the other Cha-Chi, Scott Baio, is now on Arrested Development.
Cha-Chi did his first show the week after John Laurenti did his final show. Not bad at all. I first met him back in 1994 when I started volunteering at WBCN on the weekends. He always gave a movie pass. Boy, how I miss those passes!
My best memory of Cha-Chi was during the spring of 1995 when I went to the WBOS Earth Day concert on the Esplanade and saw him in the VIP section next to the stage. I asked the security guard if I could go in because I was also with WBCN like Cha-Chi. She looked at me surprised when I explained to her that Cha-Chi isn't an employee of WBOS-FM and that he worked for a rival radio station.
"Wait-a-minute! I thought he showed me a pass! You're saying that man is with another radio station?" she asked me.
"Yes, he works at WBCN, the Rock of Boston," I replied.
People were gathering around us as we talked about him. One person asked me for his name.
"That's Cha-Chi, the Promotions Director," I answered.
The whole crowd exclaimed, "That's Cha-Chi!"
The security guard went over to Cha-Chi and he showed her his VIP pass. She told him that I was asking for him. He went over and said "Hi" to me. Unfortunately, he didn't have an extra pass to give me.
While we were talking, one of the celebrity guest hosts, Christopher Reeve, walked around the Hatch Shell stage. The concert was several weeks before he had his tragic horse riding accident.
I came so close to meeting the actor who played Superman.
Btw, the other Cha-Chi, Scott Baio, is now on Arrested Development.
Sunday, October 2, 2005
Thoughts on AANE's 10th Anniversary Conference
I went to the AANE 10th Anniversary Conference in Marlborough,
Massachusetts, at the Royal Plaza Hotel. The attendance this year was
more than 600 people. I sat at a table that had the sign "Adults with
Asperger's Syndrome" which at the front of the room next to the big
panel where the speakers were.
It was great to meet new members of the Asperger Assocation of New England. Cory, who is a young black man currently going to school at Bunker Hill Community College, rode in the carpool with me and my social worker, Jamie Freed, to the conference. We all gathered at the Riverside T station for our ride in Jamie's mini-van.
Dr. Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings and other books, talked about the history of discovering disorders and growing awareness of this disorders over the years. He mentioned his work with Tourette's Syndrome patients and also about his relationship with Temple Grandin, a woman with autism who has written books: Thinking in Pictures and Animal Translations. At the beginning of his speech, Dr. Sacks was given a portrait of himself drawn by fellow AANE member, Jamie Maxfield who is an animater with Asperger's Syndrome.
Other guest speakers in the morning part of the conference were Dena Gassner and Stephen Shore. Dena is the second of three generations of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is from Kentucky and is an adovacte for people with disabilities. Her speech was great. She talked about her struggles which were a lot like my own. AANE president, Stephen Shore, was great also. He talked about the difference that ten years make since the formation of AANE. He pointed out how he and others have taught people about what people with AS are really like.
The afternoon part of the conference featured a discussion panel with people who have been involved with bringing awareness about Asperger's Syndrome and helping people with AS over the last ten years. The panelists were Daniel Rosen, Scott McLeod, Teresa Bolick, David Pauls, Dorothy Lucci, Elsa Abele and Richard F. Howard. Their professions are in medicine, psychology, speech-language pathology and law. Their individual speeches and answers to the audience's questions were helpful and informative.
Exhitbitors were many. Lots of books about autism/Asperger's were on sale and some sold out very quickly.
I had a good time. This makes my fourth conference so far since joining AANE back in 2002.
It was great to meet new members of the Asperger Assocation of New England. Cory, who is a young black man currently going to school at Bunker Hill Community College, rode in the carpool with me and my social worker, Jamie Freed, to the conference. We all gathered at the Riverside T station for our ride in Jamie's mini-van.
Dr. Oliver Sacks, author of Awakenings and other books, talked about the history of discovering disorders and growing awareness of this disorders over the years. He mentioned his work with Tourette's Syndrome patients and also about his relationship with Temple Grandin, a woman with autism who has written books: Thinking in Pictures and Animal Translations. At the beginning of his speech, Dr. Sacks was given a portrait of himself drawn by fellow AANE member, Jamie Maxfield who is an animater with Asperger's Syndrome.
Other guest speakers in the morning part of the conference were Dena Gassner and Stephen Shore. Dena is the second of three generations of people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is from Kentucky and is an adovacte for people with disabilities. Her speech was great. She talked about her struggles which were a lot like my own. AANE president, Stephen Shore, was great also. He talked about the difference that ten years make since the formation of AANE. He pointed out how he and others have taught people about what people with AS are really like.
The afternoon part of the conference featured a discussion panel with people who have been involved with bringing awareness about Asperger's Syndrome and helping people with AS over the last ten years. The panelists were Daniel Rosen, Scott McLeod, Teresa Bolick, David Pauls, Dorothy Lucci, Elsa Abele and Richard F. Howard. Their professions are in medicine, psychology, speech-language pathology and law. Their individual speeches and answers to the audience's questions were helpful and informative.
Exhitbitors were many. Lots of books about autism/Asperger's were on sale and some sold out very quickly.
I had a good time. This makes my fourth conference so far since joining AANE back in 2002.
12-Year-Old Football Fan with AS
From the Noblesville Daily Times in Indiana:
12-Year-Old Boy is Millers Biggest Fan
Great article. It's a great relationship between a boy with Asperger's Syndrome and a local football team called the Noblesville Millers.
12-Year-Old Boy is Millers Biggest Fan
Great article. It's a great relationship between a boy with Asperger's Syndrome and a local football team called the Noblesville Millers.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
The Uncommentary - What is it?
I should explain what The Uncommentary
website is that I have listed in the Favorite Sites section. This
site used to be my blog. When I started it in December 2002 with
the Uncommon Bostonian website, AOL didn't have blogs. They started those in 2003.
When I started with the two websites, I called the first one, Uncommon Bostonian, because that is the working title of my memoir. The second one I had no idea what to do with it. The webhost, Unim, suggested that I make it into an online shopping mall. I did and named it Uncommon Collectables featuring The Uncommentary, but I didn't get any sales. So I made the mall disappear and renamed it just The Uncommentary.
So I have been using that at an irregulat basis as a blog for the last couple of years until I started this blog. It's hard to edit the two websites because the software is not compatable to my eMac. I usually have to go to the Boston Public Library to do the fancy editing changes on the two.
So the big question here is: Do I still use Uncommentary as a blog? No, but I'll use it as my own online magazine. So I have to do some major changes there.
Stay tuned.
When I started with the two websites, I called the first one, Uncommon Bostonian, because that is the working title of my memoir. The second one I had no idea what to do with it. The webhost, Unim, suggested that I make it into an online shopping mall. I did and named it Uncommon Collectables featuring The Uncommentary, but I didn't get any sales. So I made the mall disappear and renamed it just The Uncommentary.
So I have been using that at an irregulat basis as a blog for the last couple of years until I started this blog. It's hard to edit the two websites because the software is not compatable to my eMac. I usually have to go to the Boston Public Library to do the fancy editing changes on the two.
So the big question here is: Do I still use Uncommentary as a blog? No, but I'll use it as my own online magazine. So I have to do some major changes there.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Another Hard Day's Sleep Study
Last Saturday night, I went over to the Sleep Clinic at B.I. Hospital
for my scheduled sleep study. I called ahead and asked if I could
come in a half hour early, and they didn't mind at all. When I
got there, I was surprised that they had me in a different room this
time around. I was even more surprised when the technologist
asked if I brought my nasal pillow and CPAP with me.
"But it wasn't mentioned to me," I said back. Ron, the technologist, did find a duplicate of my nasal pillow with the proper head gear. I used the CPAP that was already in the room.
After being hooked up with the electrodes all over my body, it took awhile for me to fall asleep. Then again, who would fall asleep early on a Saturday night? I watched the Saturday Night Live rerun with Will Farrell as the guest host. The real coincedence is that the last time I did a sleep study was back in May when that show was done live. The new season starts next Saturday, October 1.
The room was very cold. I had to wake up in the middle of the night and ask for an extra blanket and turn up the heat. I had been feeling sick that whole weekend and being in that cold room made me feel worse the next day. Ron, the technologist, was nice enough to give me some toothpaste and a toothbrush because I forgot mine this time around.
I felt well rested when I woke despite feeling a little congested from my slight cold. I filled out the survey sheet, shampooed and dried my hair, and left for home.
Now I have to wait and see what my sleep doctor says about this sleep study.
"But it wasn't mentioned to me," I said back. Ron, the technologist, did find a duplicate of my nasal pillow with the proper head gear. I used the CPAP that was already in the room.
After being hooked up with the electrodes all over my body, it took awhile for me to fall asleep. Then again, who would fall asleep early on a Saturday night? I watched the Saturday Night Live rerun with Will Farrell as the guest host. The real coincedence is that the last time I did a sleep study was back in May when that show was done live. The new season starts next Saturday, October 1.
The room was very cold. I had to wake up in the middle of the night and ask for an extra blanket and turn up the heat. I had been feeling sick that whole weekend and being in that cold room made me feel worse the next day. Ron, the technologist, was nice enough to give me some toothpaste and a toothbrush because I forgot mine this time around.
I felt well rested when I woke despite feeling a little congested from my slight cold. I filled out the survey sheet, shampooed and dried my hair, and left for home.
Now I have to wait and see what my sleep doctor says about this sleep study.
Would You Believe...Don Adams Has Died at age 82
I figured that Secret Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, would make it to the age
of 86 before dying. Unfortunately, his real life alter ego, Don
Adams, missed it by that much. He was 82 years old last Sunday
night when he passed away from a lung infection. Last year, he
broke his hip and had been ill health ever since.
Don Adams was born Donald James Yarmey in 1923. He took the last name Adams from his first wife's stage name. He rose to fame back in 1965 portraying Maxwell Smart on the TV series, "Get Smart." He won three Emmys for acting.
I grew up watching the reruns of "Get Smart." He made me laugh every time. I never found the show to be repetitious at all. I loved hearing the jokes again and again. I remember seeing Don Adams appear on game shows and other variety shows during the 70s. I remember his "Don Adams' Screen Test" show fondly. I even loved his cartoon characters: Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget. Back in the 1980s, I loved watching his syndicated TV series, "Check It Out," where he played Howard Bannister who was the manager of a grocery store.
He was a big part of my childhood. He'll be deeply missed by this loyal fan.
RIP Don Adams. Say "Hi" to the Chief (Ed Platt).
:-(
Don Adams was born Donald James Yarmey in 1923. He took the last name Adams from his first wife's stage name. He rose to fame back in 1965 portraying Maxwell Smart on the TV series, "Get Smart." He won three Emmys for acting.
I grew up watching the reruns of "Get Smart." He made me laugh every time. I never found the show to be repetitious at all. I loved hearing the jokes again and again. I remember seeing Don Adams appear on game shows and other variety shows during the 70s. I remember his "Don Adams' Screen Test" show fondly. I even loved his cartoon characters: Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget. Back in the 1980s, I loved watching his syndicated TV series, "Check It Out," where he played Howard Bannister who was the manager of a grocery store.
He was a big part of my childhood. He'll be deeply missed by this loyal fan.
RIP Don Adams. Say "Hi" to the Chief (Ed Platt).
:-(
Friday, September 23, 2005
A New Honor For Me: Nicest Person at the JBF
This week, I was awarded with a new honor as the Nicest Person on The Board at the John Byrne Forum.
Thanks, Everybody! :-)
Thanks, Everybody! :-)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Life Interference
I've been busy with personal stuff for the last few days that I haven't
had much of the chance to write about AS, NLD and SA. In fact, I
haven't had much time to look over any recent news articles about those
topics. I also have been feeling under the weather. Nothing
severe, but it's distracting.
I have done some rewriting on the query letter for my memoir, Uncommon Bostonian. I am thinking of how to clarify what I've written so far in Chapter 1 and the following chapters. I did rework my chapter outline a bit last Saturday night. At least, I am staying focus on that creative project.
Coming up this weekend, I have to go back to the sleep clinic for another sleep study. My doctor needs to determine how I am doing since I started using a CPAP machine. Last week, the company that gave me the CPAP sent me the wrong nasal mask by mistake. Fortunately, they mailed me my new nasal pillow mask as soon as I told them about the mistake. They even gave me a return address label to mail back the other mask.
Next Monday, I see my primary care doctor who wants to test me for diabetes because I looked out of shape when she saw me in July. I am trying to get back in shape with walking around outdoors whenever I can. That car accident I had back in December 2004 put a big dent in my health.
I have done some rewriting on the query letter for my memoir, Uncommon Bostonian. I am thinking of how to clarify what I've written so far in Chapter 1 and the following chapters. I did rework my chapter outline a bit last Saturday night. At least, I am staying focus on that creative project.
Coming up this weekend, I have to go back to the sleep clinic for another sleep study. My doctor needs to determine how I am doing since I started using a CPAP machine. Last week, the company that gave me the CPAP sent me the wrong nasal mask by mistake. Fortunately, they mailed me my new nasal pillow mask as soon as I told them about the mistake. They even gave me a return address label to mail back the other mask.
Next Monday, I see my primary care doctor who wants to test me for diabetes because I looked out of shape when she saw me in July. I am trying to get back in shape with walking around outdoors whenever I can. That car accident I had back in December 2004 put a big dent in my health.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
AHA! John's With WBOS!
I went to Boston Radio Watch and learned about John
Laurenti's new job. It's an afternoon shift at WBOS-FM in
Boston. That means he doesn't have to work at the Rhode Island
radio station during the week anymore.
Good Luck, John!
Try to sneak in as many Beatles songs as you like during your new show!
Good Luck, John!
Try to sneak in as many Beatles songs as you like during your new show!
Saturday, September 17, 2005
What A Shock! John's Leaving The Beatles!
I was listening to "Breakfast With The Beatles" this morning on WZLX-FM
in Boston when the host, John Laurenti, announced that this was his
last show. He said something about an opportunity came up (my
guess is a radio job offer at another station). He played his
favorite Beatles songs as well as his favorite John Lennon and Paul
McCartney solo songs during the show. He did a long speech.
I was stunned. I wonder what's going to happen with "Breakfast With The Beatles" now. Will they get a new host? Or will Cha-Chi, the original host, come back? Or will they dump the show?
Don't touch that dial!
I was stunned. I wonder what's going to happen with "Breakfast With The Beatles" now. Will they get a new host? Or will Cha-Chi, the original host, come back? Or will they dump the show?
Don't touch that dial!
Friday, September 16, 2005
Coming Soon! The Annual AANE Conference
On October 1, 2005, Asperger Association of New England (AANE) is
having their annual conference in Marlborough, Massachusetts, at the
Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel. AANE is also celebrating their
10th anniversary. The conference title is Asperger Syndrome Connections 2005: Celebrating a Decade of Discovery and Growth.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Oliver Sacks, writer of An Anthropologist on Mars and other books.
For more details, check out www.aane.org or aane.administrator@rcn.com. Phone number is 617-393-3824.
The keynote speaker is Dr. Oliver Sacks, writer of An Anthropologist on Mars and other books.
For more details, check out www.aane.org or aane.administrator@rcn.com. Phone number is 617-393-3824.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Telephone Line
I've having trouble getting online in the last couple of weeks.
For the last couple of days I was constantly restarting my computer and
switching AOL access numbers just to get online. Last night I
couldn't even stay online for even a minute without the modem quitting
on me.
I called the telephone company this afternoon from work. They tested the line and found the problem. I've always had telephone line problems since I've moved into this condo nine years ago. Lately the line had static, but it wasn't causing problems with my getting online until recently.
Seems to be working okay now. So far, so good.
I called the telephone company this afternoon from work. They tested the line and found the problem. I've always had telephone line problems since I've moved into this condo nine years ago. Lately the line had static, but it wasn't causing problems with my getting online until recently.
Seems to be working okay now. So far, so good.
Friday, September 9, 2005
It's Great To Be Noticed!
I got an e-mail last Thursday, September 8, from Kelly Gilpin of Future
Horizons Publishing. Yes, I did send her a reply with my
info. This is an honor. She's refering to the Forget
Letterman/Top Ten List entry that I made a few days back about Ellen Notbohm's article. Kelly told me that Ellen loved my comments.
Thank you very much, Kelly and Ellen. Visit my blog often.
=====================
Editorial Coordinator, Future Horizons
800.489.0727
kelly@futurehorizons-autism.com
Thank you very much, Kelly and Ellen. Visit my blog often.
=====================
Hello!
My name is Kelly Gilpin and I am the Editorial Coordinator at
Future Horizons, a publishing company that publishes materials concerning autism
and Asperger’s Syndrome.
I am writing in regards to the very positive review you wrote on AOL Journals of Ellen Notbohm’s “Ten Things” article. We are in the process of publishing an extended version of the article in book format, to be released this fall. Since the article has been so well-received, we know that the book will benefit countless children on the spectrum.
Ellen Notbohm read your review and is very flattered by
it. She brought it to my attention this morning, actually. We are
interested in using your quote for the back cover of the book. I would
need your name, of course, and how you are connected to the autism community.
Would you be interested in this? Please let me know as soon as possible as we are on a deadline. Thank you for your time, and we hope to hear from you soon!
All the best,
Kelly GilpinEditorial Coordinator, Future Horizons
800.489.0727
kelly@futurehorizons-autism.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
We Lost Another TV Icon
First Scotty. Now this.
I saw the sad news tonight about Bob Denver who played Maynard G. Krebs on "Dobie Gillis" and Gilligan on "Gilligan's Island." He passed away last Friday due to cancer. He had been ill in recent years.
Rest In Peace, Little Buddy. You're with the Skipper and the Howells now in Heaven.
I saw the sad news tonight about Bob Denver who played Maynard G. Krebs on "Dobie Gillis" and Gilligan on "Gilligan's Island." He passed away last Friday due to cancer. He had been ill in recent years.
Rest In Peace, Little Buddy. You're with the Skipper and the Howells now in Heaven.
Monday, September 5, 2005
Laboring Away
My proposal for Uncommon Bostonian, my memoir, is keeping me
busy right now. I have someone looking at my rough drafts
right now, and I'm getting her comments in order to fix things
up. Thanks, Maia.
Not much of a three-day weekend for me. I didn't do much, but I did see a couple of movies on the big screen: "Broken Flowers" and "2001: A Space Odyssey." On my DVD machine, I watched the Hitchcock movie, "Spellbound." Interesting movie there. I've seen that one before and it was great seeing it again. The audio commentary was very thought provoking as was the other special features on the DVD.
Not much of a three-day weekend for me. I didn't do much, but I did see a couple of movies on the big screen: "Broken Flowers" and "2001: A Space Odyssey." On my DVD machine, I watched the Hitchcock movie, "Spellbound." Interesting movie there. I've seen that one before and it was great seeing it again. The audio commentary was very thought provoking as was the other special features on the DVD.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
Desperately Seeking Gas!
Thursday night (September 1) was hectic. First I was watching the
latest news about New Orleans and its citizens. I was already in
tears in a matter of moments. That's been a ritual for me every
night this week.
I went online to saw the news about Fats Domino being missing. That created more tears because I am a fan of his music ("Ain't That A Shame" "Blueberry Hill" "I'm Walking" and so many others). After surfing the 'Net for awhile I remembered that I had to get some groceries and gas. Also I had my free energy healing appointment at Open Doors in Brighton.
As I drove I saw a lot of cars out and was shocked to see a line of cars at one gas station. The price of regular gas was $2.99! I wanted to put my car in line but I had my appointment at 8:30 so I headed towards the grocery store.
I saw so many gas stations with the prices going over $3 made my head spin. Seeing cars in line made think about the 1970s when Nixon and Carter were Presidents and had their own energy crises. Never thought I see cars in line again at the gas stations.
I had such a busy night because I also had to get something to eat because I didn't bother to make myself dinner before going out. I was too distracted by the TV news.
When I got back over to the gas station that had the $2.99 regular gas, the price went up to $3.10. Then I saw the hand-written sign on the pump I pulled up next to. It said "Out of Regular Gas." I had to drive some other station that had a larger price for regular gas.
Eventually I got some gas into my car, but I didn't fill it all the way. I am starting to have visions of my car sitting somewhere with an empty gas tank that I won't able to pay for because of the high costs.
Btw, I got home by 10:30 pm. Better late than never.
After I woke up the next morning, I heard good news. Fats Domino was rescued from his flooded house in New Orleans. I cried tears of relief.
I went online to saw the news about Fats Domino being missing. That created more tears because I am a fan of his music ("Ain't That A Shame" "Blueberry Hill" "I'm Walking" and so many others). After surfing the 'Net for awhile I remembered that I had to get some groceries and gas. Also I had my free energy healing appointment at Open Doors in Brighton.
As I drove I saw a lot of cars out and was shocked to see a line of cars at one gas station. The price of regular gas was $2.99! I wanted to put my car in line but I had my appointment at 8:30 so I headed towards the grocery store.
I saw so many gas stations with the prices going over $3 made my head spin. Seeing cars in line made think about the 1970s when Nixon and Carter were Presidents and had their own energy crises. Never thought I see cars in line again at the gas stations.
I had such a busy night because I also had to get something to eat because I didn't bother to make myself dinner before going out. I was too distracted by the TV news.
When I got back over to the gas station that had the $2.99 regular gas, the price went up to $3.10. Then I saw the hand-written sign on the pump I pulled up next to. It said "Out of Regular Gas." I had to drive some other station that had a larger price for regular gas.
Eventually I got some gas into my car, but I didn't fill it all the way. I am starting to have visions of my car sitting somewhere with an empty gas tank that I won't able to pay for because of the high costs.
Btw, I got home by 10:30 pm. Better late than never.
After I woke up the next morning, I heard good news. Fats Domino was rescued from his flooded house in New Orleans. I cried tears of relief.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Cry for New Orleans
I've been watching the news reports about the devastation done by
Hurricane Katrina. It's tough to watch without crying a lot for
what's happened to New Oreleans. Most of it (80%) is
underwater. The Superdome has two big holes in it.
I once visited New Orleans back in 1976 when I was little. My family was driving through there on the way to Florida. It was August. We first drover from DC to Houston (my mother's hometown) to visit my sick great-grandmother (who died a month later). We stopped off in New Orleans for a day or so. I really can't remember much because this was almost 30 years ago. I remember touring the Superdome. That place was huge!
Haven't had the chance to go back there to visit but want to. Still do. I even thought about living there once, but I didn't have the income to move down there myself.
I can't help but cry. Some articles say that people with Asperger's Syndrome don't have empathy, but they are wrong. We do.
I once visited New Orleans back in 1976 when I was little. My family was driving through there on the way to Florida. It was August. We first drover from DC to Houston (my mother's hometown) to visit my sick great-grandmother (who died a month later). We stopped off in New Orleans for a day or so. I really can't remember much because this was almost 30 years ago. I remember touring the Superdome. That place was huge!
Haven't had the chance to go back there to visit but want to. Still do. I even thought about living there once, but I didn't have the income to move down there myself.
I can't help but cry. Some articles say that people with Asperger's Syndrome don't have empathy, but they are wrong. We do.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Forget Letterman! This is the Ultimate Top Ten List!
Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm
A great article. This really opens the doors of understanding for both Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. We're just different by nature, not choice.
A great article. This really opens the doors of understanding for both Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. We're just different by nature, not choice.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Poor Charles - Part 2
It seems that news of Charles' motorcycle accident has reach the attention of the Boston Herald's Inside Track
this Sunday. They also mention that Charles was doing an internet
radio show just before he had his accident. Nice of them to remember
Charles and write about him in their column.
Charles is recovering at home in Maui where he lives since retiring from WZLX five years ago.
Charles is recovering at home in Maui where he lives since retiring from WZLX five years ago.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Happy 20th Anniversary WZLX-FM!
Last night WZLX had their own 20th anniversary bash at the Steve Miller
concert. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend because I was
under the weather. Besides the cost of gasoline is so high now
and the event was in Mansfield, Massachusetts, which is a long distance
away from Boston. It takes an hour to get out there.
I remember back in 1985 that I was starting my senior year at Emerson College in Boston. Many times I have tried to get a job there, but I was unsuccessful everytime (thanks to Asperger's Syndrome). At least I was able to do job interviews there, but that was always my downfall because I wasn't able to do eye contact correctly (Yes, AS got in the way again).
I listened to WZLX over the years off and on. I knew almost every Program Director there during its 20-year existance except for two: John Shombly (sp?) and the current PD Beau Raines. They have some great morning DJs (Charles Laquidara, Annalisa, Ken Shelton, George Taylor Morris and Jeff Gonzer) and a few bad morning DJs (Bill Smith, Tai and Steve Sweeney).
Here's to the next 20 years of Classic Rock!
I remember back in 1985 that I was starting my senior year at Emerson College in Boston. Many times I have tried to get a job there, but I was unsuccessful everytime (thanks to Asperger's Syndrome). At least I was able to do job interviews there, but that was always my downfall because I wasn't able to do eye contact correctly (Yes, AS got in the way again).
I listened to WZLX over the years off and on. I knew almost every Program Director there during its 20-year existance except for two: John Shombly (sp?) and the current PD Beau Raines. They have some great morning DJs (Charles Laquidara, Annalisa, Ken Shelton, George Taylor Morris and Jeff Gonzer) and a few bad morning DJs (Bill Smith, Tai and Steve Sweeney).
Here's to the next 20 years of Classic Rock!
Marnie
My latest NetFlix DVD rental is "Marnie" - a classic Alfred Hitchcock
film that came out in 1964. It starred Tippi Hedron (Melonie Griffith's Mom) as Marnie,
the lead character, and Sean Connery as Mark, her husband. When
it came out, it was advertised as a sex mystery.
I'll admit that I've seen these movie before, but I just hadn't seen it in such a long time. It's still one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. This movie was made after Hitchcock and Hedron did "The Birds." Sean Connery had just finished making "Dr. No," his first James Bond movie.
In my memoir, I have a serious conversation with a dear friend where I bring up the movie "Marnie" because I was explaining to him what a suppressed memory can do to a person's life. During the 1990s I have recovered a couple of my own repressed memories from childhood and it helped a great deal to me. Of course, that will all be explained in my memoir.
Btw, my all time favorite Hitchcock film is "Psycho" starring Anthony Perkins.
I'll admit that I've seen these movie before, but I just hadn't seen it in such a long time. It's still one of my favorite Hitchcock movies. This movie was made after Hitchcock and Hedron did "The Birds." Sean Connery had just finished making "Dr. No," his first James Bond movie.
In my memoir, I have a serious conversation with a dear friend where I bring up the movie "Marnie" because I was explaining to him what a suppressed memory can do to a person's life. During the 1990s I have recovered a couple of my own repressed memories from childhood and it helped a great deal to me. Of course, that will all be explained in my memoir.
Btw, my all time favorite Hitchcock film is "Psycho" starring Anthony Perkins.
Been Working on My Book Proposal
I spent most of last night re-writing Chapter 3 of my memoir, Uncommon Bostonian.
A lengthy task to say the least. It's an important chapter for me
because it was a very serious time in my life. It's important to
have my sample chapters look good in my book proposal so I can get a
great book deal.
I have so many reasons to write this memoir because it explains how I discovered that I have Asperger's Syndrome and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. The clues that I have these conditions were obvious to everyone around me, but everyone including me were not familiar with AS and NLD during the 1990s. I recall on several occasions in the past telling others that I wasn't good at socializing and had trouble reading facial expressions, but they dismissed my statements and said that I did have these skills and knew how to use them.
They were very wrong.
I have so many reasons to write this memoir because it explains how I discovered that I have Asperger's Syndrome and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder. The clues that I have these conditions were obvious to everyone around me, but everyone including me were not familiar with AS and NLD during the 1990s. I recall on several occasions in the past telling others that I wasn't good at socializing and had trouble reading facial expressions, but they dismissed my statements and said that I did have these skills and knew how to use them.
They were very wrong.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
A Cup of Comfort Seeks Submissions!
A Cup of Comfort is seeking parents of children on the autism spectrum to submit their stories for a new book.
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34805.asp
The link to the submission guidelines is in the article also. This is an opportunity to increase awareness about autism spectrum disorders. Spread the word!
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art34805.asp
The link to the submission guidelines is in the article also. This is an opportunity to increase awareness about autism spectrum disorders. Spread the word!
Other Sites Where You Can Find Me
When I'm not here at my blog, I am at either one of my two favorite forums:
The John Byrne Forum
IMWAN
Other sites that have mentioned my name and sites:
A Directory for Asperger's Syndrome
Neurodiversity
Aspires-Relationships
Autistic Picture Project
Thanks for including me on your sites, people! :-)
The John Byrne Forum
IMWAN
Other sites that have mentioned my name and sites:
A Directory for Asperger's Syndrome
Neurodiversity
Aspires-Relationships
Autistic Picture Project
Thanks for including me on your sites, people! :-)
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Everyone's Here in Massachusetts This Weekend
For starters, the Rolling Stones are here to kick off their new tour
tonight with the Black Eye Peas as their opening act. Last night
I saw KC and The Sunshine Band with The Tavares as their opening
act. Journey was at the Pavilion on the Waterfront last
night. Huey Lewis was in town a few days ago as was Meatloaf,
Neil Diamond, Tori Amos, and Frankie Avalon.
A friend of mine told me that my favorite Monkee, Peter Tork, was somewhere in Massachusetts doing a few shows with his own band.
Should I mention that birthday boy, Bill Clinton (the former President), is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard this weekend?
It's very crowded here today.
A friend of mine told me that my favorite Monkee, Peter Tork, was somewhere in Massachusetts doing a few shows with his own band.
Should I mention that birthday boy, Bill Clinton (the former President), is vacationing on Martha's Vineyard this weekend?
It's very crowded here today.
An Article About Misdiagnosing
This article is interesting, but does it explain how easy it is for me
(a person with Asperger's) to talk to Charles Laquidara, who seems to
have NPD?
Misdiagnosing Narcissim - Asperger's Disorder
Misdiagnosing Narcissim - Asperger's Disorder
Friday, August 19, 2005
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Poor Charles!
I just checked out Charles Laquidara's blog, the Big Mattress, and
learned that he was in a serious motorcycle accident on Sunday.
He is resting at the Maui Medical Center and will be there for a few
days.
Please go to his blog and enter some get well wishes in the comments section. The address is http://www.bigmattress.com/weblog/
Get Well Soon, Ragoon!
Please go to his blog and enter some get well wishes in the comments section. The address is http://www.bigmattress.com/weblog/
Get Well Soon, Ragoon!
Remembering Elvis Presley 1935-1977
While watching a rerun of the Monkees' TV show one afternoon just
before 5:30 pm in Washington, DC, I was looking at Mickey Dolenz sing
and abruptly saw the TV station's anchor man interupt the show while
the shocking news that Elvis Presley had died in Memphis,
Tennessee. Next thing I saw was the closing credits of the
Monkees' show.
I went downstairs and found my mother in the garage. "Elvis Presley died, Mommie!" I told her in shock. She was surprised when I said that. She asked me how did I know and I told her what happened.
Every channel had their news shows talking about Elvis' death. Over the days all the details came in about him being overweight and taking pills. The newspapers, magazines and radio stations were filled with talk about Elvis. Everyone, including me, was upset that he had died. He was only 42.
Today he's still remembered.
I went downstairs and found my mother in the garage. "Elvis Presley died, Mommie!" I told her in shock. She was surprised when I said that. She asked me how did I know and I told her what happened.
Every channel had their news shows talking about Elvis' death. Over the days all the details came in about him being overweight and taking pills. The newspapers, magazines and radio stations were filled with talk about Elvis. Everyone, including me, was upset that he had died. He was only 42.
Today he's still remembered.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
From England With Love
This story I can relate to a lot. I had the same struggles growing up.
Saved From A Life Of Lonely Misery
Saved From A Life Of Lonely Misery
Friday, August 12, 2005
Temple Grandin Was Right On The Money With This One!
Temple Grandin wrote an excellent article for choosing jobs for people with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
I once had a horrible job as a cashier at Filene's Basement in Boston's
Downtown Crossing for eight months in 1987. Cashier is listed on the bad
jobs list.
Why I Got Interested in Broadcasting
When I was 15 years old, I had my first job: answering the telephone in
an office. It was difficult because I was very nervous every time
I answered. In fact, I still feel anxious whenever I get a
telephone call today.
At this particular job, I had a supervisor who stood over me everytime I was on the telephone. On one particular day, I was reaching for the ringing telephone when she screamed at me, "Give me that phone, Girl!" I said back not shouting at her, "But I'm the receptionist."
Next thing I felt was her hand against my face. I got up and cried while she answered the telephone. That's why I hate telephone jobs.
The following summer, I started to think about broadcasting as a career while still in high school. However, I ended up in jobs that involved answering the telephone and having an abusive supervisor. Ironic, isn't it?
It's odd that I ended up doing a volunteer job at WBCN answering the telephone. The only reason I did that for almost six years was to help me get my foot in the door of the broadcasting industry. It didn't. At least no one abused me at WBCN.
Even stranger is that I remember while I was still in high school, a friend of my parents who worked at Channel 9 in Washington, DC, escorted me to the newsroom where she worked. I spoke to her co-workers about their careers and how they got started. No one there mentioned anything about doing a job that involved answering the telephone in order to get into the industry.
That's why I'm writing a memoir about my career problems and how Asperger's Syndrome and my other disorders interfered with my finding the right career path.
At this particular job, I had a supervisor who stood over me everytime I was on the telephone. On one particular day, I was reaching for the ringing telephone when she screamed at me, "Give me that phone, Girl!" I said back not shouting at her, "But I'm the receptionist."
Next thing I felt was her hand against my face. I got up and cried while she answered the telephone. That's why I hate telephone jobs.
The following summer, I started to think about broadcasting as a career while still in high school. However, I ended up in jobs that involved answering the telephone and having an abusive supervisor. Ironic, isn't it?
It's odd that I ended up doing a volunteer job at WBCN answering the telephone. The only reason I did that for almost six years was to help me get my foot in the door of the broadcasting industry. It didn't. At least no one abused me at WBCN.
Even stranger is that I remember while I was still in high school, a friend of my parents who worked at Channel 9 in Washington, DC, escorted me to the newsroom where she worked. I spoke to her co-workers about their careers and how they got started. No one there mentioned anything about doing a job that involved answering the telephone in order to get into the industry.
That's why I'm writing a memoir about my career problems and how Asperger's Syndrome and my other disorders interfered with my finding the right career path.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Another One Lost To Lung Cancer: Dallas Star Barbara Bel Geddes
I was sad to learn tonight about the passing of actress Barbara Bel
Geddes who played Miss Ellie Ewing on the TV Show, "Dallas." She
played JR's mom. She also had a long career in film and
stage. Most memorable movie: "Vertigo" and "I Remember Mama.
RIP Miss Bel Geddes
AOL News - 'Dallas' Star Barbara Bel Geddes Dies
RIP Miss Bel Geddes
AOL News - 'Dallas' Star Barbara Bel Geddes Dies
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
Another Sleep Study on the Horizon
Yesterday afternoon, I made an appointment to do another sleep study in
September. It's the doctor's idea. I'm not too crazy about
getting my hair messed up again with all that glue. It's tough
enough to get all that glue off my body the last two times.
The first time was in February on President's Day. I was very nervious all day and had a sinus headache. I stupidly took ibuprofen on an empty stomach for the headache and got really sick that afternoon. I threw up continously for an hour.
Fortunately I felt a little better around 7:30 pm. My arrival time at the sleep clinic was 8:30 pm so I went over there on time, despite the new snowstorm that started just before I drove away from my condo. I actually had to shovel away some snow in order to get the car out of my condo's parking lot.
Once I got there I asked the technician if I got over to the drug store next door to Beth Israel and get some sinus medicine, crackers and ginger ale. She said it was okay and I slowly walked through the snow wearing my sneakers. At least I didn't slip. The technician hooked me up in all that electrodes and stuff about an hour after I came back.
It took me awhile that first time for me to fall asleep because it's hard for me to go to bed early. So I got to watch David Letterman.
It wasn't so bad the first time. The electrodes on my left leg kept coming off during the night and I had to awakened everytime it happened. I was very groggy in the morning when the study was done.
The second time I did the sleep study back in May wasn't so bad. It was a lot easier that time because they hooked me up to a CPAP, and I was more relaxed.
The first time was in February on President's Day. I was very nervious all day and had a sinus headache. I stupidly took ibuprofen on an empty stomach for the headache and got really sick that afternoon. I threw up continously for an hour.
Fortunately I felt a little better around 7:30 pm. My arrival time at the sleep clinic was 8:30 pm so I went over there on time, despite the new snowstorm that started just before I drove away from my condo. I actually had to shovel away some snow in order to get the car out of my condo's parking lot.
Once I got there I asked the technician if I got over to the drug store next door to Beth Israel and get some sinus medicine, crackers and ginger ale. She said it was okay and I slowly walked through the snow wearing my sneakers. At least I didn't slip. The technician hooked me up in all that electrodes and stuff about an hour after I came back.
It took me awhile that first time for me to fall asleep because it's hard for me to go to bed early. So I got to watch David Letterman.
It wasn't so bad the first time. The electrodes on my left leg kept coming off during the night and I had to awakened everytime it happened. I was very groggy in the morning when the study was done.
The second time I did the sleep study back in May wasn't so bad. It was a lot easier that time because they hooked me up to a CPAP, and I was more relaxed.
Peter Jennings RIP
I was sad to hear about Peter Jennings yesterday morning while I was
getting ready for work. I used to watch him back in the early
1980s when I was a teenager. In fact I remember Frank Reynolds
and Max Robinson, his co-workers. They both died tragically too.
With Jennings death due to lung cancer, this does mean that a new era of news anchors is upon us.
He'll be missed.
With Jennings death due to lung cancer, this does mean that a new era of news anchors is upon us.
He'll be missed.
Sunday, August 7, 2005
Saturday, August 6, 2005
Follow-Up With The Sleep Doctor
Yesterday afternoon before the thunderstorms hit Boston, I met with my
sleep doctor and his new assitant regarding the use of my CPAP.
The assistant asked me a ton of questions how my sleep has
changed. I did mention the problem of the first mask I used when
I started using the CPAP on June 12. The mark on my forehead is
still visible and has hardly faded away. The nostril pillow that
replaced the mask is better and more comfortable at night though.
I am using the small nostrils size instead of the meduim and large
sizes.
It's always been hard for me to tell how good or bad my sleep is or at least remember how my sleep went in general. I have so many other concerns right now: Work, blog, memoir, my two cats, etc. Living alone with two cats leaves me with cleaning up after them and feeding them. They always have to remind me of giving them fresh water. Otherwise they wake me up in the middle of the night.
Now the sleep doctor wants me to turn off most of the lights at my condo after 8:00 pm and get to bed at 11:00 pm. This leaves me little time to put entries in the blog during the week and work on my memoir. I hope this improves my sleep.
I had a headache and my sinuses were bothering all day yesterday. It might have been stress related. When I finally got home (I went to the store after seeing the doctor), I was very tired the whole evening. I actually got to bed around 11:30 PM.
It's always been hard for me to tell how good or bad my sleep is or at least remember how my sleep went in general. I have so many other concerns right now: Work, blog, memoir, my two cats, etc. Living alone with two cats leaves me with cleaning up after them and feeding them. They always have to remind me of giving them fresh water. Otherwise they wake me up in the middle of the night.
Now the sleep doctor wants me to turn off most of the lights at my condo after 8:00 pm and get to bed at 11:00 pm. This leaves me little time to put entries in the blog during the week and work on my memoir. I hope this improves my sleep.
I had a headache and my sinuses were bothering all day yesterday. It might have been stress related. When I finally got home (I went to the store after seeing the doctor), I was very tired the whole evening. I actually got to bed around 11:30 PM.
Thursday, August 4, 2005
Coincedences
Regarding that awful car accident I had, it was on December 6, 2004,
the 16th anniversary of Roy Orbison's death. Two cars hit my Mustang
from behind causing it to skid on the icy bridge. The car radio was on
when it hit the wire fence and I just sat there feeling relieved that I
was still alive despite my injuries to my neck, back and right knee. I
recognized the song "Pretty Paper" by Roy Orbison!
After smelling the burnt rubber of the tires, I scrambled out of the car and look across at the two other cars. After talking to the other drivers, I looked down the street opposite of where my Mustang had crashed and saw the radio station my car radio was tuned to: WODS, Oldies 103.
Then I couldn't help but remember WHTT, the radio station I interned at in early part of 1986 in the Prudential Tower. WHTT later became WMRQ in July 1986 before moving to Downtown Crossing later that year and then became WODS in October 1987. I can't remember when they moved to Leo Birmingham Parkway in Brighton, their current location.
After smelling the burnt rubber of the tires, I scrambled out of the car and look across at the two other cars. After talking to the other drivers, I looked down the street opposite of where my Mustang had crashed and saw the radio station my car radio was tuned to: WODS, Oldies 103.
Then I couldn't help but remember WHTT, the radio station I interned at in early part of 1986 in the Prudential Tower. WHTT later became WMRQ in July 1986 before moving to Downtown Crossing later that year and then became WODS in October 1987. I can't remember when they moved to Leo Birmingham Parkway in Brighton, their current location.
Freddie Mercury, Somebody Still Loves You!
Last night, I got my latest NetFlix DVD, Queen - Live at Wembley
Stadium. I enjoyed it immensely! In the past I have only
seen the videos from this movie, but not the whole thing. I
didn't have the opportunity to buy the VHS when it came out back in
1990, a year before Freddie's untimely death because of AIDS.
That's because I bought my first VCR in September 1992. I didn't
feel like buying the VHS because videotape, just like audio tape,
breaks. In fact, I don't have a lot of VHS tapes in my
possession. I don't play the ones I have very often these
days. I am definately going to put this Queen DVD on my
birthday/X-Mas wishlist.
In the memoir I'm working on, I mention Freddie's name a lot. In fact, I title one of my chapters, "Radio Ga-Ga." I show flashbacks to where I was when I heard my very first Queen song, how I found out about his death in 1991and what was happening to me on the 10th anniversary of his death (November 24, 2001).
One of my biggest regrets in life is that I never had the chance to see Queen in person. It devastated me tremendously when I heard the sad news that Freddie had died. When I was a disc jockey, I played a lot of Queen's songs.
Favorite Queen song: Tie between "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions"
In the memoir I'm working on, I mention Freddie's name a lot. In fact, I title one of my chapters, "Radio Ga-Ga." I show flashbacks to where I was when I heard my very first Queen song, how I found out about his death in 1991and what was happening to me on the 10th anniversary of his death (November 24, 2001).
One of my biggest regrets in life is that I never had the chance to see Queen in person. It devastated me tremendously when I heard the sad news that Freddie had died. When I was a disc jockey, I played a lot of Queen's songs.
Favorite Queen song: Tie between "We Will Rock You" and "We Are The Champions"
Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Articles That Helped Me Realize That I Have AS and NLD
While I was being diagnosed, I discovered the OASIS website (the link
to its home page is in My Favorite Websites Section). I read
these articles and the experience was the discovery of my authentic
self - a person with neurological disorders.
Asperger's Syndrome
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder
Asperger's Syndrome
Non-Verbal Learning Disorder
Wow! That Was Fast!
Starting this week, WZLX has a new morning team called Karlson & McKenzie.
In the late 1990's they were doing a morning show at Boston's Eagle,
which later became Star 93.7 in 1999 and now just became Mike FM in
2005. They are the replacements for Steve Sweeney
who was let go last month. They have been in Upstate New York
during the last six years in Rochester and Poughkeepsie doing morning
radio.
I didn't expect to see WZLX to find a new morning team in less than a month's time. My guess is they must have them in mind when they dumped Steve. I've listened to the first two shows and liked them. At least they're funny. I didn't have the chance to listen to them when they were at Eagle before it crash landed. Hope they are longer than the last time they were here.
I didn't expect to see WZLX to find a new morning team in less than a month's time. My guess is they must have them in mind when they dumped Steve. I've listened to the first two shows and liked them. At least they're funny. I didn't have the chance to listen to them when they were at Eagle before it crash landed. Hope they are longer than the last time they were here.
Monday, August 1, 2005
Climb Every Mountain!
Here's a great story about a 7-year old boy with Aspeger's Syndrome who climbed Mt. Rainer.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002397548_climbers23e.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002397548_climbers23e.html
Sunday, July 31, 2005
I'll Cry Instead
Things didn't work out for me when I pursued both radio and
television as a career after graduation from Emerson College in 1986. I'll
admit that for years I was hurt and angry about it, but just before I
got my diagnosis in 2002 I did decide to move on to a writing career.
In fact it was during an assignment for a writing class when I
learned that I really have Asperger's Syndrome and Non-Verbal Learning
Disorder (the Sleep Apnea diagnosis came later in 2005).
When I now think about the years I pursued a career in both those two broadcasting fields, tears do come. At least I am glad that I don't get angry anymore because that can be very destructive, energy draining and erode your soul.
That's another reason I want to write my memoir, Uncommon Bostonian. Anger is the wrong way to react.
I'm happy I got my freedom from the anger.
When I now think about the years I pursued a career in both those two broadcasting fields, tears do come. At least I am glad that I don't get angry anymore because that can be very destructive, energy draining and erode your soul.
That's another reason I want to write my memoir, Uncommon Bostonian. Anger is the wrong way to react.
I'm happy I got my freedom from the anger.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
iPod Killed The Radio Star?
I recently read the Kill The DJ article in the latest Weekly Dig.
The story is about Mike FM (formerly Star 93.7 in Boston, MA) which is
just an iPod playing on shuffle 24/7 with no disc jockeys. So does
that mean the disc jockey is going the way of the Dodo? When I was a
disc jockey, I usually kept my talking to a minimum because the music
was the star of the radio.
Most people have come up to me over the years and complained about what was going on the radio: Endless contests, ridiculous polls, and mindless banter. I lost count on the many times people told me that they couldn't stand Charles Laquidara, Joe Martelle, or any other disc jockey for saying or doing something on the air during their shows.
One interesting thing I should mention is that nobody ever complained about Dude Walker (the disc jockey I listed first in my favorite DJ category).
So does that mean the Disc Jockey is going to become an extinct job position in the future? Only Time Will Tell. That 's a song I heard on Mike FM recently. Asia was the name of the band who did that song.
[Edited on 7/31/ to add]
I forgot to mention that the article had a photo and comment from one of my teachers from Emerson College, Jack Casey, who is currently the General Manager at WERS, the FM Emerson radio station. Looking good, Jack! :-)
Most people have come up to me over the years and complained about what was going on the radio: Endless contests, ridiculous polls, and mindless banter. I lost count on the many times people told me that they couldn't stand Charles Laquidara, Joe Martelle, or any other disc jockey for saying or doing something on the air during their shows.
One interesting thing I should mention is that nobody ever complained about Dude Walker (the disc jockey I listed first in my favorite DJ category).
So does that mean the Disc Jockey is going to become an extinct job position in the future? Only Time Will Tell. That 's a song I heard on Mike FM recently. Asia was the name of the band who did that song.
[Edited on 7/31/ to add]
I forgot to mention that the article had a photo and comment from one of my teachers from Emerson College, Jack Casey, who is currently the General Manager at WERS, the FM Emerson radio station. Looking good, Jack! :-)
Thursday, July 28, 2005
To Raise Awareness, I Must Invite Others
In addition to showcasing my writing on this blog, I am also raising
awareness of Asperger's Syndrome and Non-Verbal Learning
Disorder. In order to do that I have to send out more e-mail
invitations to people, including the media (one of my interests).
In fact, just about everybody has an e-mail address now.
So for the people seeing my blog for the first time after getting an e-mail invite,
HELLO!
So for the people seeing my blog for the first time after getting an e-mail invite,
HELLO!
But Is He Already In An Institution On Maui?
This is an essay I wrote for a writing class in 2000, a few weeks before Charles Laquidara announced his retirement.
A BOSTON INSTITUTION, OR SHOULD HE BE INSTITUTIONALIZED?
A veteran of Boston radio since 1969, Charles Laquidara is outspoken and outrageous. The first time I saw him in public was in 1994 when he was the morning disc jockey at WBCN-FM. The New England Broadcast Association (NEBA) was holding a workshop that featured guest speakers from the broadcasting industry who would talking about their careers. Although NEBA didn’t advertise who the guest speakers were ahead of time, I attended and was surprised to see Charles walking around.
How did I recognize him? Easily? The year before he was on the cover of the Improper Bostonian magazine wearing nothing but a pair of multi-colored boxer shorts over his hairy body.
On the day of the workshop he was fully clothed, of course. He was dressed in black from head to toe, although his shirt had thin white vertical stripes. He wore no tie. I’ve never seen him wear one. He’s a bit under 6 feet tall, but I’m taller. He was in his mid-50’s at the time when his dark hair and beard were graying. Years later, it would go completely gray. Recently, though, he dyed it blond. He did it to embarrass his daughter at her high school graduation by making himself look like a “Surfer Dude.” He’s married and also has a son.
Charles comes from a large Italian family in Milford, Massachusetts, where his father was a barber like Charlie Brown’s Dad. At the NEBA workshop, he talked about his original career choice: acting. He lived in Hollywood back in the early 1960’s. When he got the chance to play the lead in the movie The Boston Strangler, the director got a call from Tony Curtis and fired him from the role. That’s how Charles ended up in radio.
Charles’ voice makes him sound like a wise guy, especially when he disagrees about something, and it has gotten him in trouble over the years. When he boycotted Shell Oil on the air and burned his Shell credit card back in 1988, he refused to play any of their commercials because of their ties to Apartheid. It almost cost him his job.
A few years back, he got in trouble with me once when he picked on Three Dog Night, a famous1970s Rock’n’Roll band, because the band didn’t write their own songs. I was incensed because I gave him a copy of my college radio documentary that I made about them about a year before he moved to WZLX. I wrote a couple of letters to him telling him that he was wrong to say that. I doubted that I would change his mind because he’s not the first stubborn disc jockey I’ve met. But he was kind enough to read one of my letters on the air.
I called him up and thanked him. He asked me not to tell anyone that I love Three Dog Night as a favor to him. Of course, I refused. Although I called his remarks stupid, I think he’s a little crazy.
A BOSTON INSTITUTION, OR SHOULD HE BE INSTITUTIONALIZED?
A veteran of Boston radio since 1969, Charles Laquidara is outspoken and outrageous. The first time I saw him in public was in 1994 when he was the morning disc jockey at WBCN-FM. The New England Broadcast Association (NEBA) was holding a workshop that featured guest speakers from the broadcasting industry who would talking about their careers. Although NEBA didn’t advertise who the guest speakers were ahead of time, I attended and was surprised to see Charles walking around.
How did I recognize him? Easily? The year before he was on the cover of the Improper Bostonian magazine wearing nothing but a pair of multi-colored boxer shorts over his hairy body.
On the day of the workshop he was fully clothed, of course. He was dressed in black from head to toe, although his shirt had thin white vertical stripes. He wore no tie. I’ve never seen him wear one. He’s a bit under 6 feet tall, but I’m taller. He was in his mid-50’s at the time when his dark hair and beard were graying. Years later, it would go completely gray. Recently, though, he dyed it blond. He did it to embarrass his daughter at her high school graduation by making himself look like a “Surfer Dude.” He’s married and also has a son.
Charles comes from a large Italian family in Milford, Massachusetts, where his father was a barber like Charlie Brown’s Dad. At the NEBA workshop, he talked about his original career choice: acting. He lived in Hollywood back in the early 1960’s. When he got the chance to play the lead in the movie The Boston Strangler, the director got a call from Tony Curtis and fired him from the role. That’s how Charles ended up in radio.
Charles’ voice makes him sound like a wise guy, especially when he disagrees about something, and it has gotten him in trouble over the years. When he boycotted Shell Oil on the air and burned his Shell credit card back in 1988, he refused to play any of their commercials because of their ties to Apartheid. It almost cost him his job.
A few years back, he got in trouble with me once when he picked on Three Dog Night, a famous1970s Rock’n’Roll band, because the band didn’t write their own songs. I was incensed because I gave him a copy of my college radio documentary that I made about them about a year before he moved to WZLX. I wrote a couple of letters to him telling him that he was wrong to say that. I doubted that I would change his mind because he’s not the first stubborn disc jockey I’ve met. But he was kind enough to read one of my letters on the air.
I called him up and thanked him. He asked me not to tell anyone that I love Three Dog Night as a favor to him. Of course, I refused. Although I called his remarks stupid, I think he’s a little crazy.
RADIO DAZE
This is an essay I read to the
audience at the 2004 Boston Beanstalks Miss Tall Boston Pageant.
I was a contestant, but I didn't win. Oh, well!
Radio Daze
By
Yvonne E. Christian
One night in February 1994 my friends and I went to a seminar about wanting to break into broadcasting.
The first speaker, Charles Laquidara of WBCN-FM, talked about how he got into radio, and that speech got me interested in pursuing radio again. I had been a disc jockey back in the mid-1980s at Emerson College’s two radio stations: WECB-AM and WERS-FM. After graduation in 1986, I worked briefly at a very tiny radio station that went financially bankrupt soon afterwards.
In the following years, I couldn’t get another radio job. In the meantime, I started hanging out with Joe and Andy at WROR for a few years. They were a lot of fun, but my days of hanging out with them ended in the early 1990s because their radio station changed music formats, and their call letters became WBMX.
With the help of my fellow Emerson alumni Shred who works at WBCN, I had the opportunity to go to WBCN one morning and fill out an application for Listener Line Volunteer. I was very familiar with WBCN, the Rock of Boston, because I had listened to that station many times while I was an Emerson student back in the 1980s. I remember listening to Ken Shelton, Mark Parenteau, Carter Alan, Carla Razwyck, Albert O and, last but not least, Charles Laquidara.
Weeks later I became a volunteer on the weekends helping out Melissa, a weekend disc jockey and one of Charles Laquidara’s Big Mattress producers. So here I was an ex-DJ helping out another DJ with song requests and contest giveaways. Our callers were mainly teenagers. The boys were asking me out for a date while Melissa talked to the girls.
One day, Melissa invited a 13-year old girl named Christine to the station. When I opened the front door to let Christine and her family in, I was surprised to see how tall she was. She was taller than her own mother and almost as tall as me.
After I introduced myself, Christine asked me about how tall Melissa was and I said, “They call her ‘Little Melissa’ around here. Don’t accidentally trip over her.”
By the way, the only disc jockey taller than me was Mark Parenteau.
I was with WBCN from October 1994 to April 2000. Nearly six years. I had a lot of fun with Melissa, Charles and the others. I left because I was tired of answering phone calls and not having much to do there. I finally realized that the radio business was the wrong career path and now I am a writer.
What do I write about? Well I have six years of being with WBCN to write about. Just check out my website that’s listed in your programs (http://www.yvonnechristian.unimstores.com). Soon I’ll be writing my tell all book, “Laquidara Dearest.”
Radio Daze
By
Yvonne E. Christian
One night in February 1994 my friends and I went to a seminar about wanting to break into broadcasting.
The first speaker, Charles Laquidara of WBCN-FM, talked about how he got into radio, and that speech got me interested in pursuing radio again. I had been a disc jockey back in the mid-1980s at Emerson College’s two radio stations: WECB-AM and WERS-FM. After graduation in 1986, I worked briefly at a very tiny radio station that went financially bankrupt soon afterwards.
In the following years, I couldn’t get another radio job. In the meantime, I started hanging out with Joe and Andy at WROR for a few years. They were a lot of fun, but my days of hanging out with them ended in the early 1990s because their radio station changed music formats, and their call letters became WBMX.
With the help of my fellow Emerson alumni Shred who works at WBCN, I had the opportunity to go to WBCN one morning and fill out an application for Listener Line Volunteer. I was very familiar with WBCN, the Rock of Boston, because I had listened to that station many times while I was an Emerson student back in the 1980s. I remember listening to Ken Shelton, Mark Parenteau, Carter Alan, Carla Razwyck, Albert O and, last but not least, Charles Laquidara.
Weeks later I became a volunteer on the weekends helping out Melissa, a weekend disc jockey and one of Charles Laquidara’s Big Mattress producers. So here I was an ex-DJ helping out another DJ with song requests and contest giveaways. Our callers were mainly teenagers. The boys were asking me out for a date while Melissa talked to the girls.
One day, Melissa invited a 13-year old girl named Christine to the station. When I opened the front door to let Christine and her family in, I was surprised to see how tall she was. She was taller than her own mother and almost as tall as me.
After I introduced myself, Christine asked me about how tall Melissa was and I said, “They call her ‘Little Melissa’ around here. Don’t accidentally trip over her.”
By the way, the only disc jockey taller than me was Mark Parenteau.
I was with WBCN from October 1994 to April 2000. Nearly six years. I had a lot of fun with Melissa, Charles and the others. I left because I was tired of answering phone calls and not having much to do there. I finally realized that the radio business was the wrong career path and now I am a writer.
What do I write about? Well I have six years of being with WBCN to write about. Just check out my website that’s listed in your programs (http://www.yvonnechristian.unimstores.com). Soon I’ll be writing my tell all book, “Laquidara Dearest.”
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
My Strong Interest Inventory Results
I also took the Strong Interest Inventory. These are my results.
General Occupation Themes: describe interests in six broad areas, including interest in work and leisure activities, kinds of people, and work settings.
These are my six broad areas from top to bottom:
A – Artistic: Creating or enjoying art
C – Conventional: Accounting, processing data
E – Enterprising: Selling, managing
R – Realistic: Building, repairing
I – Investigative: Researching, analyzing
S – Social: Helping, instructing
My Theme Code: ACE (The top three Interests)
Basic Interest Scales: measure my interests in 25 specific areas or activities. Here is my Top 5 List:
Computer Activities – Working with computers
Writing – Reading or writing
Art – Appreciating or creating art
Music/Dramatics – Performing or enjoying music
Applied Arts – Producing or enjoying visual art
Occupational Scales: measure how similar my interests are to the interests of people who are satisfied working in those occupations. Here is my Top 10 List:
Technical Writer
Paralegal
Musician
Translator
Advertising Executive
Broadcaster
Librarian
Artist, Fine
Photographer
Banker
General Occupation Themes: describe interests in six broad areas, including interest in work and leisure activities, kinds of people, and work settings.
These are my six broad areas from top to bottom:
A – Artistic: Creating or enjoying art
C – Conventional: Accounting, processing data
E – Enterprising: Selling, managing
R – Realistic: Building, repairing
I – Investigative: Researching, analyzing
S – Social: Helping, instructing
My Theme Code: ACE (The top three Interests)
Basic Interest Scales: measure my interests in 25 specific areas or activities. Here is my Top 5 List:
Computer Activities – Working with computers
Writing – Reading or writing
Art – Appreciating or creating art
Music/Dramatics – Performing or enjoying music
Applied Arts – Producing or enjoying visual art
Occupational Scales: measure how similar my interests are to the interests of people who are satisfied working in those occupations. Here is my Top 10 List:
Technical Writer
Paralegal
Musician
Translator
Advertising Executive
Broadcaster
Librarian
Artist, Fine
Photographer
Banker
I Wish I Took These Tests When I Was A Kid
Recently I took a few tests for a researcher who’s done a study about
Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. These are two of the results.
From the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (generally used to assess children between the ages of 5 through 18, but was used for the purpose of the researcher’s study to assess adult subjects).
The Scale of ASQ
>110 – Very Likely
90-110 – Likely
80-89 – Possibly
70-79 – Unlikely
≤69 – Very Unlikely
My Asperger Syndrome Quotient is 124
The probability of Asperger Syndrome is Very Likely.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Description of a person’s personality type. There are four dichotomies:
Extraversion-Introversion: describes where people prefer to focus their attention and get their energy – from the outer world of people and activity or their inner world of ideas and impressions.
Sensing-Intuition: describes how people prefer to take in information – focused on what is real and concrete information gained from their senses or focus on the future and on patterns and meanings in data.
Thinking-Feeling: describes how people prefer to make decisions – based on logical analysis or guided by concern for their impact on others.
Judging-Perceiving: describes how people prefer to deal with the outer world – in a planned and organized way or in a flexible spontaneous way.
My personality type is INTP (I = Introversion, N= Intuition, T=Thinking, P=Perceiving)
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
I first took the Myers-Brigg test back in 1995 and it came back as INTP. The tester at the career counselor office had no idea that I had Asperger's Syndrome.
From the Asperger Syndrome Diagnostic Scale (generally used to assess children between the ages of 5 through 18, but was used for the purpose of the researcher’s study to assess adult subjects).
The Scale of ASQ
>110 – Very Likely
90-110 – Likely
80-89 – Possibly
70-79 – Unlikely
≤69 – Very Unlikely
My Asperger Syndrome Quotient is 124
The probability of Asperger Syndrome is Very Likely.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Description of a person’s personality type. There are four dichotomies:
Extraversion-Introversion: describes where people prefer to focus their attention and get their energy – from the outer world of people and activity or their inner world of ideas and impressions.
Sensing-Intuition: describes how people prefer to take in information – focused on what is real and concrete information gained from their senses or focus on the future and on patterns and meanings in data.
Thinking-Feeling: describes how people prefer to make decisions – based on logical analysis or guided by concern for their impact on others.
Judging-Perceiving: describes how people prefer to deal with the outer world – in a planned and organized way or in a flexible spontaneous way.
My personality type is INTP (I = Introversion, N= Intuition, T=Thinking, P=Perceiving)
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
I first took the Myers-Brigg test back in 1995 and it came back as INTP. The tester at the career counselor office had no idea that I had Asperger's Syndrome.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
My Poor Knees!
I went to see my Physical Therapist, Barbara, today. She's
helping me regain strength in my right leg because I hurt my knee in
the car accident. She said the right knee is doing better.
Unfortunately, she noticed that my left knee was swollen. I told her what happened last Thursday night. My left knee popped loudly while I was busy getting my cats and myself ready for bed. This happened after I came home from meeting Temple Grandin at the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge.
I told Barbara that I put an ice pack on my left knee shortly after it popped that night. However there was a lot of swelling on the knee that had Barbara worried. So she put an ice pack on my left knee and wrapped it up while she helped me exercize my right knee with some weights.
Now I have to spend the rest of the week putting my ice pack on my left knee. Lucky me.
Unfortunately, she noticed that my left knee was swollen. I told her what happened last Thursday night. My left knee popped loudly while I was busy getting my cats and myself ready for bed. This happened after I came home from meeting Temple Grandin at the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge.
I told Barbara that I put an ice pack on my left knee shortly after it popped that night. However there was a lot of swelling on the knee that had Barbara worried. So she put an ice pack on my left knee and wrapped it up while she helped me exercize my right knee with some weights.
Now I have to spend the rest of the week putting my ice pack on my left knee. Lucky me.
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