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.

He's 50 Today!

Happy Birthday

Billy Idol!

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.

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.

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.


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.

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)

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.

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!

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.

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.

Making Clint Eastwood's Day!

Another honor has been given to my favorite actor, Clint Eastwood.

Way to go, Clint!

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.


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.

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.

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.


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




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!

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.

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.


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!

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!

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.

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!