Help, My Son Won't tell the TRUTH! (and yes, I CAN handle it)

Tuesdays are flashback days around here...which is really just an excuse for recycling a post you might not have seen. This week's post is about my son and the stage he went through with lying. Thankfully, it was short-lived, but at the time? I thought I would lose my mind.

Lately my son has been experimenting with creative truth-telling. Yes, it's a nice way to say he is lying his butt off. And it isn't like the things are that important. These exchanges are taking place with increasing frequency:

Me: Did you clean the cat box?

JBear: Yes, I cleaned the cat box, both the office and the bathroom. [earnest look on his face, not meeting my eyes, but then, with autism, he rarely meets my eyes]

[I check the box, it has not been cleaned]. Son, why did you tell me that you cleaned the litterbox when clearly you had not?

JBear: But I did. I cleaned it!

Me: JBear, I need the truth.

JBear: [scowling defiantly] I didn't clean it. I don't want to.

And then he goes and does whatever he was told to do in the first place. This can be anything from putting his clothes away, brushing his teeth, reading a book vs. playing Nintendo...

Now I know as a mother of a child with autism, I could be pleased by this latest development. Some idiots experts will tell you that a child with autism cannot lie. I present, exhibit #1: my son. And besides, being lied to is damned annoying. I want it to stop.

So I had a Come To Jesus talk with him today, and laid out some ground rules for him.

* You must try not to lie. A man/woman/person is only as good as his word, his honor is all he has. If he cannot be trusted, he will not have friends. (yes, some people hang out with other people who lie to them, but how do you ever know if they are telling you the truth?)

* Honor, meaning whether someone sees you as a person who is good and has integrity (can be trustworthy) will follow you the rest of your life.

* Character is who you are when no one is looking...do you take that cookie? Do you return that wallet?

* Your actions become your habits. If you continue to lie, it will become second-nature and you may not be able to stop.

There are such things as "social lies," and these can be complicated. But some situations are:

* If someone asks you if you like their haircut, I don't care if you think they look worse than a dog with it's butt shaved walking backwards. You do not get to say that to the person. It hurts feelings.

* You are not allowed to call your mother,"Old Lady," even if you do think 42 is old. There is a certain amount of respect that someone gets just for being older than you. Just because you think it doesn't mean you need to say it out loud. Engage your mouth filter.

* There are times you do not have to tell the whole truth to everyone, always. A bit is sufficient. People who call on the phone do not need to know your mother is in the bathroom, pooping.

* Sometimes it is kinder not to share the entire truth. You do not have the right to rub your intellect into others' faces, or make them feel small. Even if you really do know more about medieval weaponry than they do. /

* If you think someone is an idiot, keep it to yourself. Fighting words can get you into a fight. Yes, there are many idiots out there, but believe it or not, few actually know they are idiots. That's why they are idiots. Do not believe you are doing anyone a favor by removing the blinders from their eyes. They won't believe you anyway.

* There are times it is easier to go along with what someone says, rather than argue them into the ground. Exceptions to this are when your values are compromised, laws are broken or you feel uncomfortable in any way. (refer back to when people are idiots)

We have a long way to go in the area of truth-telling, but I believe we have a start now. Now comes the repetition. Did I forget any social lies that he needs to know?

What's the craziest white lie you know of...either your own, or someone else's?

When others didn't share I didn't play with them anymore: twitter, you listening?

Or...it's called social NETWORKING for a reason!

Once again, in a massive twitter fail, twitter has jumped first, asked questions later. (and then not really listened to the answers!)

2800+ follow me. Of those, I follow 1800+ people. I listen to ALL of them. And their friends. If they say something I find interesting, I click over, and often follow them, too. It is how I find new people, and local people, events and tweetups, in order to actually, you know, meet real people and connect in real life. I have met a lot of really great people, both online and off. And a lot of that is attributed to seeing all replies.

And I would hope if you are following my stream, you do the same. But that isn't going to be an option anymore. Because twitter has taken that choice from you. The settings for @replies used to have three toggles:

• all replies
• replies of all you follow
• replies from those you follow to all of their followers.

You had a choice. Now, you don't.

The entire reason for social media is, well, social. To limit the options is not the wisest course for twitter to have taken. Power users like @chrisbrogan,@kevinrose @GeekMommy and others, who ooze social media and tweet things I really want to know? I will miss replies unless I am following all 10,000+ of their followers. I don't have time for that. This is just short-sighted on twitter's part. The value of twitter has always been discovery of new users, and the conversations that arise. Twitter has effectively crippled themselves. And explain how this will help those who do social media business on twitter?

What set twitter apart was the ability to hear ALL of the conversations or as much as you would like. It is like drinking from a firehose...not all want to do it, but some of us enjoy getting soaked in the conversation. Now, our streams became significantly less wet. If I wanted a drinking fountain, I would do iChat. I am looking to be immersed in the fountain of social media. I want to be soaked to the skin! So twitter has miscalculated here. Judging from the way #fixreplies is trending, I am thinking they will have to address this, whether they want to or not!

And twitter isn't the only option out there. There is Facebook, a platform that is gaining popularity with the last update. I can still see the things my friends (and theirs!) are up to. I can follow their friends, if I choose to do so. I have said before that Facebook feels like I am cheating on my boyfriend, Twitter, but breaking up is hard to do...not impossible.

Or there is @Scobleizer's baby, friendfeed, which uses all types of feeds to create a "superfeed" that is customized by you. You can add RSS, all of your social media sites...lots of choices.

Part of the problem here is that twitter has never cared what their user base wants...unless we are Ashton Kutcher. We have never been important to them, and they have made that clear from the beginning. Every time they change things, they announce, and that's it. Take it, and like it.

Facebook changed their user agreements based upon feedback. Entrecard changed their policies based upon what their users said. But twitter has remained unresponsive. I suspect this isn't about "convenience" for users, as much as scaling a terrible and shaky foundation. Twitter has always maintained it is not a messaging platform. And it was never created to be. And yet... that's exactly what it is. See: Identi.ca ...the open-source system that actually gets it right from the ground up.

Rather than punish users, the very users who have made twitter a household name, that gets them recognized on CNN and has Oprah following, they need to turn towards the myriad of build problems, the fail whales and the missteps, rather than remove features that users are actually well...using.

And, they need to listen to their users. Or their users just might not be there when push comes to shove.

Agree with me? GET SATISFACTION and tell Twitter exactly how you feel about this new change.

ETA: there is a work-around. start tweets without the @, so it becomes a mention rather than a reply. Then everyone will see it. As in, "Hey @namegoes here,..." But it's annoying, and the point is, we shouldn't have to do that. Also, it breaks threading on messages (so you can actually go back and figure out what someone was talking about!) and doesn't allow for RT through the web interface. We had the option, now we don't. And that's limiting. How many will not change their tweets as they post, and how many conversations will we miss out on because of it?

UPDATE: Twitter listened, and brought back @replies, sort of. But ony if EVERYONE doesn't start with either the replies arrow or tab, or doesn't start with the @... still not there yet, twitter, but we can see you are trying. Kind of.

T, who is beyond frustrated by their idiocy

Twitter Blog: Whoa, Feedback!

Who Is To Blame For Bullying?

teh funny will be back tomorrow...but I had to comment about this..

Apparently an 11 year old boy hanged himself because he was being bullied daily by classmates, called names, and accused of being gay. His mother repeatedly tried to get the school to do something. Now, it's too late. When will these schools learn?

If you create a culture of hate, you are directly responsible for the aftermath.

Mom needs to sue the school. For one reason: to send a message. Bullying is not "boys being boys." It's not "what kids do." It's wrong, it creates a dangerous environment. It makes it impossible to learn. It steals a child's soul. No, I do not think I am being overly dramatic. No one has the right to be evil to one another.

Bullying comes in many forms, It can be physical, it can be emotional (outcast,fighting words, intimidation), it can be cyber-bullying...it's all designed for one purpose: to cause the target pain.

Until schools get the message, we need to keep fighting. There needs to be a ZERO TOLERANCE policy on bullying. Period. It is never ok. It is our job as parents to protect our children. And this child's mother tried. She wasn't taken seriously. Enough is enough.

Sending the message to the school district, (and others that continue to look the other way) in the form of a Big Fat Check won't bring mama's baby back. But it will cause schools to think twice about pretending not to see what goes on. They bear a responsibility for this. They were aware it was happening, and did nothing.

Knowing bullying is going on and letting it go is tacitly approving it.

That child's blood is on their hands.

T, who believes a child has a right to be safe

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• Eight steps for overcoming a bully: A guide for parents (nationalpost.com)
• Motherlode: Dealing With Bullying (parenting.blogs.nytimes.com)

Hey Entrecarders! I hate your blog!

To those who do Entrecard:

I recently lost all my bookmarks in Flock (long story, having to do with beta version and not saving from one version to the other.) In any case, recently Entrecard banned the generators that I used to use to drop cards. So I am starting over, making my folders of 10 bookmarks and dropping on people. I have to get this off my chest, or I will explode. I have come to this conclusion:

There's a lot of crap out there

So, this is the post I have been trying not to write. But I finally had to do it.

Don't expect a return visit from me:

• if you do paid posts and don't divulge that until the end of the post
• you have embedded music. Period. It is extremely annoying!
• if your blog is all about making money, and you aren't in the money-making blogs section
• you don't have a decent command of the English language
• if you don't write good content; don't spend five minutes and post with typos just to get "something" up
• if all you have on your blog is negative posts. I have my own shit to deal with, I don't want a steady ration of yours as well

• you're just a repository for ads and want page views, not readers
• you are simply a giveaway clearinghouse. I read blogs as a Slice of Life, not to get stuff
• you have no original content, simply recycled from elsewhere
• the template is too busy and interferes with the posts
• if the badge on Entrecard has nothing to do with your blog

That's my rant, add your own. Do you do Entrecard? Do you think it adds quality traffic, or is your bounce rate high?

And, just so you know that I am not completely all about the negative, the next post is how to write a good blog post.

what drives you nuts about a blog? What are some of the biggest blog mistakes you've seen (or made!)

T, who says just because monkeys CAN create Shakespeare, should they?

Technorati: Entrecard, blogging, blog_traffic

The Best Thing You Can Make Me Is Reservations

My son is obsessed with Bear Grylls. (ok, well, what isn't he obsessed with, truthfully?) He has seen almost every episode. I cannot get into this particular show. Despite the fact he looks passable without a shirt, I just can't do it. It's a survival guide for couch potatoes. 99% of the people who watch it will never be faced with even one iota of the situations presented on the show. Do you know it?

From the website:

In each episode of Man vs. Wild Bear strands himself in popular wilderness destinations where tourists often find themselves lost or in danger. As he finds his way back to civilization, he demonstrates local survival techniques, including escaping quicksand in the Moab Desert, navigating dangerous jungle rivers in Costa Rica, crossing ravines in the Alps and surviving sharks off Hawaii.

And I suppose all of that is true. But what they don't tell you? You watch him eating really gross stuff and then peeing on himself. I am not kidding! Today in the car, my children were relaying the synopsis of the last episode. Apparently, he was "stranded" in the deep south, and to eat, he caught a water snake, ripped its head off (being careful to squeeze the putrid fish out of it so, he didn't get sick) and then ate the snake carass. Mmm, gimme summa dat!.

In another segment, he went fishing for catfish using himself as bait. Seriously! He couldn't find a stick?? He stuck his hand in the water, the fish gnawed on it, bit and he had lunch. He also had a gnarly mangled hand. It had teeth marks and everything. And well, since antibiotics don't grow in the wild, he used the natural solution. He peed on himself! It seems the ammonia is good for the wound. Yeah, I know! He seems to do that a lot. Maybe it's a compulsion.

I am telling you, my hand would fall off before I would pee on it. I just can't imagine. If someone saw you do that, wouldn't they think you were some kind of pervert? And we sit on the couch and watch this...why? Now, I know, urine is supposed to be sterile...but eeeew? It is one thing to pee in the shower Oh what? Like you haven't done it? Eh, it's ok, I don't expect you to admit it... but it is quite another to pee on yourself, on purpose! That?

It's just gross. Especially because he has an entire camera crew there with him, how hard would it be for someone to run to Walgreens for Neosporin? Or even just carry a piece of moldy bread? He could eat it when no one was looking...penicillin is good for you! I am pretty sure I would eat a piece of moldy bread before I would pee on myself. Then again, I wouldn't be caught dead doing either!

My idea of roughing it? I like room service. In a 4 Star Hotel. With a little chocolate on the pillow, please. In a pickle, I will use a porta potty. But it isn't something I want to do often. I went to Spirit West Coast last month. Let me tell you, it was rustic! We camped in tents, ate over a propane stove and peed in a large plastic box. Once a day, a truck came and emptied the box, but honestly? It still wasn't any place you wanted to spend time in. And we had three meals a day, not one was a snake. And though we had to fight bees who wanted to eat with us, none of them wanted to actually eat us. We stood in a line to take a shower, which was a big trailer with metal stalls. Still the water was hot, so I didn't complain much.

And I swear I didn't pee in there, either.

T, who likes indoor plumbing

How about you? What's the most bizarre thing you have done in the name of survival? What would you do? (and are you surprised I didn't ask you about your shower habits?)

Technorati: bizarre, Bear_Grylls, humor

On Olmsted and Autism

When is a Word not just a Word?

Have you said it? In a fit of pique? Or frustration? In just normal conversation? Have you referred to your children with the "A Word?" Does it define who they are at that particular moment? Dan Olmsted, over at Age of Autism has been ruffling feathers because he believes we need to abolish the use of the word, "autistic." He is on the right track.

I have two children, as you know. They have autism. They are not autistic. Why do I differentiate it in my head? Because autism is part of who they are. It does not define them. They are more than just their disorder or disability or whatever we are calling it this week. I prefer to just call them my children. Who have autism. Though I am not crazy about the puzzle analogy, it fits here. Not because autism is a puzzle, but because autism is a piece of the puzzle.

Dan believes that the word "autistic" is similar in connotation to "retard." He's not far off. It is akin to talking about the "Short Bus", (a slang term for the bus that transports special education students by those who wish to disparage it). It is a negative term, guffawed over lunch by kids who don't understand differences.

Autistic is a very limiting word. It defines the person's limitations. Sometimes, the reputation of a word is enough...it doesn't matter what the actual definition is. No one wants to be called ignorant. And yet, the definition in itself is not offensive. Autistic simply means "of or pertaining to autism." But the gestalt of the word means so much more. Words can be used to educate, but is that necessary all of the time? Sometimes, is it ok to just be?

I have chosen not to refer to my children as autistic. They may change that at any point. It is completely up to them how they will refer to themselves. I have talked to my son about this, and, with no coaching from me, he laughed and said exactly what I had said,

"Why would I want to be known by only one word? I am so much more than autistic!"

(emphasis was his)

I understand there is a movement in the adult world of autism to embrace the word. Take it back, if you will. It seems to me like the N word. Young black men reclaimed the word, and the power that went with it, as their own. But it's a word that is acceptable within the context of their community. (One could argue about whether or not it is an appropriate word for any group to use...) Regardless, it doesn't cross color lines.

That is how I see Autistic. It is a charged word. An in-your-face word. A "we're here, get used to it", word. And I can't make my children part of a political movement. It is time for them to just be children. Without limits.

T, who imagines I've started something

How about you? What do you think about autism vs. autistic?

Technorati: autism, Aspergers, labels

photo by Carey Tilden

Confessions of a Non-Cook

I just want you to know, it's a vicious lie. I cook. I do. I feed my family and everything. So if some skinny guy claiming to be my husband shows up and tells you that I don't... you can't believe him. Why, just tonight we had taquitos for dinner! With sour cream, salsa and guacamole! And last night was Annie's mac n' cheese and even...salad!

Ok, so yeah it's true that I don't cook as much in the summer. I mean, really, do you like to heat the house all up with the oven when it is 90 degrees outside? Me, either. And it just makes our air conditioner work that much harder. Tell him to quit sniveling. Besides, the only reason for a job is so you can buy food. Food that you personally don't have to cook or clean up after.

Don't get me wrong, I like to cook I really do. But some cosmic joker thought it would be real funny to time my childrens' meltdowns with the dinner hour. It is really difficult to wax poetic about creation and EVOO when you are trying to keep the little darlings from pulling each others' hair out by the roots.

"JBear, no, you can't throw your sister off the loft bed! No! I don't care if she took your stuffed animal. Maiming her in retaliation is NOT okay!"

Given this onslaught, is it any wonder I don't play more Food Network Fanatic? I am a decent cook. I can find my way around in my kitchen. I don't often burn food. People like what I cook. But have you ever tried to stir fry anything with a cacophony of

"GIVE IT BACK! I'M TELLING! YOU BETTER NOT! MOOOOMMMY! NO! DON'T DO.... SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!"

in the background? I swear, Alton Brown never had to contend with that! I can't tell you how many times I have been jarred into spilling food all over myself based upon that car-alarm scream! At some point, after the third time of turning the heat off on stir-fry, mind you! in order to go running down the hall, hoping to divert a disaster, you end up throwing the whole soggy mess down the sink and fetch fast food!

Someday, I am going to cook again. Life will be more than, "Quick, what can I make them before they can tear the house apart?" I broil a good piece of fish, and I serve that frequently. I marinate chicken, and they like that. But everything I do is fast and dirty. It has to be. The last thing I need to be is hauled into court as the prosecutor looks at me and asks, eyes beady over his horn-rimmed glasses: "And what were you doing while the children killed one another/burned the house down/streaked naked through the neighborhood??" Fixing dinner seems like a lame excuse.

I need to keep my wits about me. So for now, it's cook as fast as I can. Spaghetti, fish, chicken, things that require a minimum of prep. And the occasional fast food run is thrown in for good measure. (not that the kids mind that) As they get older, there will be more gourmet-type fare. Until then, maybe I will see you at Taco Bell. I'll be the one with sauce down my shirt and the wild look in my eye.

Here is where you come in. What are some, quick and tasty, tried-and-true meal ideas that work for you? I neeed your help!

T, who would like an Alice like in the Brady Bunch

Technorati: family, children, cooking

It's Been One of THOSE Days

Anyone who ever said that life being a barrel of monkeys meant it was fun, well, I have a bone to pick with you. Do you have any idea how LOUD monkeys are?? Today is one of those days where you wonder, "WHY am I a parent?" JBear and JBean have been at each other all day. Lots of tears and screaming (and when I say screaming, I am talking air-raid-siren-quality tinged with Bonobo monkey..the kind of noise that makes your teeth itch and desire to find the nearest bridge to jump from. or maybe that's just me In any case, they have just been obnoxious to one another. Witness this exchange:

JBean: You stole my Playmobil bandana!
JBear: Did NOT. You probably lost it (as it is behind his back)
JBean: You're MEAN! You are so mean. You grow on a mean TREE!
JBear: I know you are, but what am I?
JBug: You are MEAN. You are ugly mean! I WANT MY TOY!
JBear: ok, you can have it.
JBean: ::waiting:: then: where is it?
JBear: I don't haaaaaa-aaaave it, I lied. (again, with toy behind back)
JBean: SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!

[transmission redacted], as my head explodes...

Send chocolate... please? You'll be able to find me. I'll be the one in the corner, curled into a fetal position..

T, who knows what drives some people to drink in the afternoon

How about you? How has your day been?

Technorati: family", parenting", horror"

The One Where I Have a Meltdown

I got nuttin creative for you today.

I have so much to do before Blogher I am running around with my hair on fire. Haven't had time to do any writing.

Here's why:

Tomorrow:

1. I have a La Leche League meeting. That will take most of the morning. And yes, I have to be there.

2. I have to finish my laundry, make a packing list, pick my final outfits and shoes (oh, the shoes!) and accessories.. Figure out what the HELL I am going to wear to the two parties on Thursday night and the other parties the rest of the weekend. I am pretty much a jeans/heels person, but I have a couple of dresses, so I have to make a decision..not my strong suit

This is worse than my high school reunion!

3. I have a therapist appointment one of the ways I stay "mostly sane" with the family that I have which means dropping my kids off at my in laws, then going to my appointment, picking them up and battling evening traffic home.

4.There will be no time for me to get my snaggly toes done professionally before I fly out on Thursday, so hopefully, tomorrow night I will have time to at least paint the darn things.

5. My son, who had his braces tightened on Friday was in so much pain with canker sores that he literally laid at my feet, holding them for most of the day. when he wasn't begging like a crazy man to play Nintendo to take his mind off the pain Also, little one, who is just "out of sorts" glommed on to me like a barnacle, all day long. She was either sprawled across my lap, or glued to my side. Pretty funny for a person like me who has closeness issues.

"FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING HOLY, GET THE HELL OFF ME!"

which I said in my head...

6. I was not able to get much of anything done today. The same items on the list that were there this morning are there now. I wanted to run screaming, into traffic today. How much screaming and fits am I required to endure? And at what point does my head explode? I can barely think, JBean has this high-pitched scream when she is angry, it turns my blood to syrup. It makes me crazy. It makes me want to drive a spike through my ears. It makes me unable to think. So I didn't print out my iitnerary or my invitations and I haven't gone to get my swag, either.

7. I need to go get new Spanx, the ones I have have done spanked all they are gonna spank. This body, after three kids, well it needs some help. And if I wear a slinky black knit dress (which I am considering) I will have to superglue everything into place. If I don't manage to get to the store...well, it might get ugly. And you will see me wear my jeans on Thursday night with all the hot bloggers. (Yes,I have considered that the invitation came to the wrong person..) Yes, I will look like a gradeschooler next to the cheerleading squad... so I have to make time to get to the store.

Autism Sucks in a serious way

Let's hope I have time to finish doing all the things I need to get done, make my flight and get to the hotel. I am having a panic attack just thinking about it. And that's not even touching on the fact that I know no one in real life that will be there, and I am completely out of my depth, and and and... That's enough for tonight. I have to go and find a fire extinguisher now...

T, who really wants to go, but is feeling very overwhelmed by circumstances

Technorati: BlogHer, stress, preparations

The Skies Are Only Friendly If You Don't Have Autism

Anyone who has flown anywhere with a toddler, autistic or not, will get this. A mom, flying with a child who had autism was kicked off a plane in Raleigh, North Carolina. Why? The child didn't want to wear his seatbelt tightly. He kept it on, but didn't want it as tight as it would go. The flight attendant engaged in a power struggle, and called in the pilot. After that, the child had a meltdown. Rather than understanding how difficult it is to deal with a child (compounded by the fact the child has autism, and the various sensory issues that it involves), the pilot made an announcement that was a judgment on her parenting, turned the plane around and left them standing at the gate. Was this wrong?

Talk to any flight attendant, and you will hear about how their first duty is to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers. Anyone that poses a hazard needs to be evaluated and left behind. And while I get that view, I don't buy it. How many times have you been seated next to someone who has bad breath? Or is sleeping on your side of the seat? Or, the person is just taking up too much room? How about the kid behind you or in front of you that constantly *knocks *the *seat until you want to get up and throttle them? And all of those people stay on the plane.

A mother with a toddler needs to be treated with understanding. She is having a hard enough time without derision and judgment. A mother who is dealing with autism? Should get a medal...

Should the mother have alerted the airline to the fact that her son had autism? Probably. Did she? We don't know. We also don't know if they had early-boarding. What we do know is that rather than try to help the mother or the little boy calm down, they simply took the hard-nosed approach and kicked them off the plane.

I am sorry that passengers were inconvenienced, and funny how easy it is to judge when one hasn't a clue about the issue. Would we ask someone who is overweight to get off the plane? How about someone in a wheel chair? Autism? IS A DISABILITY, people! It is not a catch-all for crappy parenting, or an excuse to let a child run amok. Believe me, as a parent of a children with autism when I say,

"I don't WANT my child to act in a way that embarrasses the snot out of me and makes me want to climb under a rock."

Kids with autism really don't have a lot of choice in many of their behaviors. And? Neither do their parents.

What would I have done in the mother's situation? I am pretty sure I would have cried, just like she did. Enough of the shaming. When did we declare war on mothers of small children? When did they become second-class citizens? They have just as much right to travel as anyone, and a harder time of it. What the pilot did was chicken shit inexcusable. As a parent, I am tired of being judged because my children have a NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER!

But, you know? At least, even with kids who have autism, I haven't lost my sense of civility. This is, after all, a kind blog. There is another blog out there that said some really rotten things about the child and the mother, and how "she" shouldn't have to be inconvenienced. She compared autism with a child to an adult with bipolar disorder. First of all, bipolar adults have a choice in whether they want to be where they are. She also mentioned that many kids are being diagnosed with autism when really they are just "flaming brats." Excuse me? I didn't comment there, what's the point? (I am not linking to the blog, simply because

1) I don't want to give her the hits

2) Ignorance cannot be rewarded

But really? If you haven't lived special needs parenting? If you don't know what it is to live with an out-of-control, neurologically-damaged kid?

SHUT THE HELL UP!

As far as a child who is throwing a fit? Talk about feeling helpless! A two year old is along for the ride, he doesn't get a choice. This giant tin can is going to lift off the ground, it makes noise and makes your ears feel funny. Explain it to a two year old? And an autistic one at that? Have some compassion for those who just don't get it.

The airline industry is floundering. With airlines discriminating against moms with small children (there was another incident of a mom thrown off a plane with a toddler last year), who wants to fly? This kind of negative press can do nothing but hurt them in the long run. I suggest some sensitivity training for the flight attendants, at the very least. I won't be flying American until they apologize to the mother. Clearly, they cannot admit a mistake. And that to me is what is inexcusable.

T, who realizes that we have a long way to go on autism awareness

Technorati: autism, travel, discrimination

Some People Should Not Have a Driver's License

I was turning. I had the right of way. He whipped around me, and smacked my car. Not Happy. He took off.

T, who says he hit, and ran

Technorati: Wordless_Wednesday, memes, rant

In Other News...DUH!

It was with cheering and applause that I read this headline today. I can't say I am surprised. I live in Southern California, and there are way too many of these hulking behemoths being driven by selfish, gas-guzzling consumers. They are a status symbol here. And apparently if the truck is large enough, you can write it off if used for business. No wonder we see so many here with logos emblazoned all over the windows. That's certainly one way to avoid the luxury tax. I have hated Hummers since before gas was $4 a gallon. I actually love a certain site, one I cannot promote here, because they drop the F-bomb, and I am going for a semi-family friendly site, here myself. But I digress.

In the beginning, the only consumers of the Hummer that I saw were small-minded men who were trying to er, overcompensate for some weakness. But as time went on, I saw women driving them. It warmed the cockles of my heart to get behind one in traffic, as she cut others off, and yakked on the phone.

But perhaps I am not being fair. Maybe not everyone who buys a gas-guzzling monster of a truck that costs more than my mortgage to fill up and gets 3 mpg is a selfish prig who is bent upon destroying the environment. They just look like it.

According to GM, they are closing factories and rethinking their line:

Wagoner said the change in the U.S. market to smaller vehicles likely is permanent. “We at GM don’t think this is a spike or a temporary shift,” Wagoner said.

Gee, could it be that people don't like getting a personal loan to fill up the gas tank?

So long, Hummer whose double-entendre meaning was always disgusting and beyond obvious I can't say that I will miss you. Maybe GM will see the writing on the wall and actually make an affordable hybrid vehicle that holds more than two people.

T, who is sorry for the people affected and jobs lost, but GOOD RIDDANCE to that monstrosity

Technorati: Hummer, hybrid, car

If I'm Not Here In a Week, You Know Why

Argh, this makes my blood boil! This is crazy. With Big Business horning its way into the Blogosphere (Blogoverse, Introverse, you figure out what you want to call it), I suppose this was inevitable. But it stinks that little guys with big sticks can bully others, simply because they have more money than you do. To get the poop, click here:

The Bloggess

And, in solidarity, I would take off my skirt, but I have kids, and that's not cool. (besides, can you imagine the expression on the face of my 14 yr old? Almost makes it worth it.) Said skirt, is, however, definitely in a bunch!

Also, go and check out these brave and loyal women, trying to make the Blogging World a better place! Kirtsy is a social networking site for blogging women. Check it out, see what the brouhaha is about.

T, who really hates bullying

Technorati: rant, blogging