I Love The Smell of Autism in the Morning

OK - so I woke up today (a good start, yes?) and headed into my bathroom. I clean my bathrooms every week. More often if the girls do something, something, something, icky. I had cleaned my bathroom last Thursday. Should still be fairly clean as I rarely do icky things in my bathroom - I am quite neat and tidy in my toileting habits. Don't laugh, when you have kids with autism you don't take these things lightly.

So - I'm in my bathroom, wondering (as usual) if the folks in the 55+ condos next door can hear me peeing through my window (I'm weird that way.) Let me rephrase that. I do not actually pee into or through my window. I sit on the toilet in a relaxed fashion - no need for the mall squat in your own house, right? Oh, the mall squat? My Mom taught me to never sit on a public toilet. Dirty. So I use my quadriceps and hover over the toilet in public restrooms - which I only used when forced to by Venti Starbucks coffee or a gallon of Dasani. And only to pee. I rarely if ever do anything other than pee in a public restroom. My husband says that's a girl thing. Guess what? I'm a girl. Well, now I've embarrassed myself, so onto my story.

I'm sitting this morning and I sniff sniff sniff something yucky. I look around. Bathroom looks clean. I sniff again. I scratch my... head, you dum dum. Only men scratch their naughty bits. Nothing to be seen. Plenty to smell. I washed my hands and headed downstairs to make breakfasts and lunches for the girls.

I went back into my bathroom. Sniff. Ick. I took out the Scrubbing Bubbles and sprayed the toilet, the floor around the toilet, the sink and the tub, leaving the bubble men to work their magic. Got the kids off to school. Went up to shower. Cleaned bathroom fully. I clean my shower while I shower. That way I reach everywhere. I get out. Sniff. I smell clean. My bathroom smells like ick. I am puzzled. I dress and go out.

I get a call from John Robison who says he'd like to stop in my town for lunch on his way to Random House and BEA in New York. I am right off the Merritt. John has a great memory. And he's a fantastic listener. He remembers I live right on his way to New York. We meet for lunch. We have a lovely time. I come home. I have had the Venti Starbucks and two giant Club Soda's with John. I have to use the bathroom. I go into my bathroom. Sniff. Ick. Yet I know I just cleaned it.

I sit down. I happen to glance over to my scale. My scale is a fancy glass German scale from a company my husband used to work for. The people at the company treated my husband like shit. Which is a fine coincidence, because, there, under the glass scale are two little lumps of shit. Yup. Two marbles. Two pops of poop. The ick. The smell of autism. You see, one of my darling girls sometimes has a small problem (or two) getting to the toilet on time. And if she has a problem, she fixes it by going into the bathroom and tidying up herself. Looks like two tidies got away....... Like the meatballs in that old kids' song. I think it's great she fixes her problem. I'm really proud of her progress. I'm glad I found the ick. And now I don't have to clean my bathroom again until next week.

BOOK EXPO AMERICA

I can't wait to meet my friend and American Title III contest winner and soon to be published author Jenny Gardiner at BEA on Saturday! www.jennygardiner.net Check out Jenny's fabulous book called "SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER" at her site!

John Robison and I plan to meet on Saturday too. Geez, John, one more meeting and I think we're officially dating! Let's not tell our "mates" OK? (You'll have to read John's book, Look Me In The Eye, to get that joke.) You'd better pre-order it now before it sells out. I think a lot of trees are going down for this book! No kidding. www.johnrobison.com

Also, I'm speaking at an event in NYC on Thursday, June 7th in the Empire State Building. John is also speaking at the event. We will not be announcing our engagement. But do pencil us into your calendar! Details to follow.

Are you attending BEA? Tell me! When, where, what booth. I'll drop by.

THANK YOU.

My Dad, Dr. Richard G. Rossi, is a WWII vet. US Navy. How about you? Got anyone you want to thank in addition to the brave men and women currently deployed around the world? About two weeks ago I met a man named George who was a WWII vet selling poppies outside the Stop & Shop. He had lost most of his fingers in the battle of Normandy. He was 93 years old, stood straight and tall and had the glint of a proud soldier in his eye when he told me his story.

File under "DUH!"

Even low exposure to chemicals can harm fetuses

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-05-24-pregnancy_N.htm

An international group of scientists sounded a warning Thursday that exposure to even extremely low doses of some chemicals while a fetus is developing can cause major changes in its future growth, health and ability to reproduce.been linked to increased susceptibility to allergies.

The message is not a new one, but scientists have tended to quietly suggest more research was needed, rather than shouting there's a problem that needs to be dealt with."What's important is that they're saying it," said Andrea Gore,professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas, whohas helped organize previous meetings on the topic.

"This says 'Wake up!' " said Brenda Eskenazi, a professor ofepidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley who attended theconference. "This is not about us any more, this is about futuregenerations."

Why aren't they shouting? Autism, Peanut Allergies, Asthma, Food Allergies, Infertility, ADHD, mental illness are through the roof and the scientists are "quietly suggesting" we look into it??? Some Autism Moms SCREAM it every day! Where's my Reeeecola????
###

Healthbeat: Autistic Man Speaks For First Time In Over 50 Years (KSDK) -

In case you ever want to ask me why I work so hard for my girls? In case you ever question my love and devotion for my girls? In case you think I don't accept my girls for who they are? In case you think for one minute I will ever stop fighting for the best treatments for my girls? Read on my friends. My girls, like Danny Will, are locked inside their autism. I will search for the key until I take my last breath. Don't agree? Ask Danny what he wishes his family had been able to do so many years ago before we had the knowledge we have today.

Also, I'd love to know if Danny Will took a med before his surgery that opened up his ability to speak? Was it fear that brought out the words?

I remember the day that Mia said something similar. She was a toddler, said very little. No sentences. We were at the Ralph Lauren Outlet in The Laurel Mountains of PA. Mia was standing up in her stroller and I said, "MIA! SIT DOWN!" to which she responded "I CAN'T SIT DOWN!" It was the first spontaneous sentence she'd ever uttered. Mia is in there. Gianna is in there. Bella is in there. Mama's coming, girls. Hang on.

Here's the article.

Imagine not speaking for more than 50 years.By Kay QuinnHealthbeat ReporterThat was the case for Danny Will, a local man with autism. Will will turn 60 in August and hadn't spoken for nearly 55 years.Will functioned normally during his first few years of life. Around the age of five he was diagnosed with autism. His father died when he was seven. By the time he was 13 and his mother had to institutionalize him atFulton State Hospital. "He didn't speak the entire time he was in that institution," saidMary Vanderklok, a training specialist at the Judevine Center forAutism.In 1993, at the age of 43, Will came to live at Calverton House, a home for people with autism run by the Judevine Center.

Like many people with autism, he works and does chores, but also gestures andengages in repetitive behavior."Receptively, he understands directives," said Vanderklok. "He understands what you're saying to him, what's expected of him but a deficit for most people with autism spectrum disorder is that expressive language.

"In all of his time at Calverton House, Will still wouldn't speak --until last summer. He was taken to a local hospital for a test on his heart and he spoke his first words in more than 50 years." And that was, 'I don't want that -- get away,' which was amazing,"said Vanderklok.Will still only speaks occasionally and only to those caregivers heknows well.

"That's a remarkable man. There's just no other way to put it," saysDeVona Miner, a caregiver at Calverton House.In spite of his silence, those who know him said Will is happy. Theyalso said he is living proof that we should all keep highexpectations for people with autism."We really didn't think Danny would ever speak. He surprised us in that, so I think our motto is never give up," said Vanderklok.

Note to self.

People, even people I don't always care for, are people. People, even people with whom I disagree adamantly, are people. People have familes. People are more than what the public sees. People want to be liked and loved. Even people I think Iwould have a hard time liking, let alone loving. This photo is nice. A healthy child. Happy grandparents. People. I hope I refer back to this post from time to time. Remind me if I don't, please, won't you?

By the way, I chose this photo because it made me stop and think, not because of any love for this second family. Here's this innocent child, the son of two women and the grandson of a man who will go down in history as..... well, I won't go too far into politics here. Just take note of the color of this ink and you'll know my perspective. Maybe I'll post one day about what a neighbor in Ohio said to me after Mark and I put up a presidential candidate's sign in our yard in 2004 - suffice it to say the sign did not include the man in the photograph's name. And the neighbor let me have an earful, here in the land of free speech.

Everything I need to know about medicine I learned from a margarine advertisement.

There's talk of a new pill that will allow women to "turn off" their period. It's a pill made from hormones that you take every day, no break. No break? No annoying period.

Remember oh, about twenty years ago when docs started telling women they'd figured out how to hit the "pause" button on menopause? "Shucks, we'll just turn it off with hormone replacement!" Then about three years ago, the studies said "Oops! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea." and the very same docs back pedalled faster than Dick Cheney getting caught at a Greenpeace rally.

Have we become a society obsessed with convenience and dedicated to avoiding anything unpleasant, at least in the short term, with no regard to long term ramifications? Would you men trust Toyota if they said, "Trust us! You never have to change the oil in the new Camry!"

Oh, I can see turning off your period for convenience in many instances. Your wedding day. (That's the serious one, yes?) Or, you're skating in the Olympics and don't think your lumpy pad will razzle dazzle the judges. Maybe the boys at The Bada Bing got a glimpse of your tampon string peeking out of your G-string and you feel embarrassed? Perhaps you want to go for a swim and haven't figured out how to use a tampon..... I'm teasing, here. You get that, right?

I really do realize there are times when you might want to not have your period. But for years at a time? Don't we need the monthly blood loss? Don't our watoozies (see previous post comment trail on the definition of a douche) need the monthly flush?

I have three girls with special needs. One of whom has crossed into puberty. With two to follow. Believe me, I'd LOVE to get rid of her period. It's messy, a lot of work for the week for me, for her Dad (who has learned how to change a pad like a pro, bless his heart) and her teachers who care for her at school. But at what cost to her longterm health? I couldn't do it to her.

Remember that old Imperial Margarine commercial, "It's not NICE to fool with mother nature!" Duck! There's a lightning bolt coming.

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

She's retiring the clue gun. :(

Thanks, Miss Snark.

CHECK OUT THESE GORGEOUS PINS!!!

A lovely lady named Natalie sent me the most wonderful gift this week. Thank you, Natalie! These two handmade pins, shaped with a puzzle (for autism) with three children, to represent my own sweet girls. The red one has Mom and Dad. The pink one is to wear when I'm pissed off at Mark and pretending he doesn't exist.... (Just kidding, hon!)

These pins are from a company called http://lucinda.com. You can order them in all shapes, sizes, colors for fundraisers or for your own use.

Here's their "EUREKA MOMENT."

"Knowing there was something she could do to help herself overcome poverty and homelessness, Lucinda Yates used her creativity and drive to launch a successful line of fashion jewelry. One day Lucinda designed a simple pin in the shape of a house. That was the moment Lucinda knew she could help others. The House Pin she created that day became the perfect fundraiser for a local shelter. It gave the shelter greater visibility. And financial support. It started a business dedicated to helping non-profits succeed."

How cool is that?? Please do check out her site and buy 50, 100, 1000 pins....

Botox* benefit to raise money for autism research .

How's this for a fundraiser premise? "Let's inject a known poison into our faces so we look 37 instead of 42 (yeah, cuz that'll atttract that hottie mechanic at the Hummer dealership where you get "Big Hummin' Hank" serviced.) under the guise of raising money for a national epidemic that may be caused by injecting a known poison into babies."

Someone hold me up under my arms! I am falling down laughing! Put on your best Manolos! Grab your favorite Lily dress! "Why, yes! I am a philanthropist! I am raising money for autism! Look, my forehead is SO smooth you can know longer see the terror, worry and concern I feel every day for my girls! Success!"

Gosh, maybe next month I can get breast implants to raise money for breast cancer! Or a tummy tuck for colon cancer! Sweet Jesus, I'm going to look great and sleep well at night too knowing I've done my part for society. Assuming the doc can write me a scrip for Ambien..... Wait! Ambien? Lunesta! We can raise money for narcolepsy too! Oh, the possibilities! There's just one wrinkle......

Here's the article from Flint Michigan. Don't they have car companies to save out there in the Motor City???

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITIONMonday, May 14, 2007

By Shantell M. Kirkendollskirkendoll@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6366
QUICK TAKE

Smooth for summer


An annual Botox Benefit begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Silverton Skin Institute, 8245 N. Holly Road, Grand Blanc Township. The cost for the injected wrinkle smoother is $275, about a 40 percent discount. Appointments: (810) 606-7500.


GRAND BLANC TWP. - It's been five years, $60,000 and some progress since Dr. Kimball Silverton and his wife, Jennifer, began an unusual benefit to help autistic children like their son, Aidan, 9.


Silverton's annual Botox Benefit is Saturday, and using the popular wrinkle eraser donated by Allergan, manufacturers of Botox, he's helping smooth the way for research and a cure for a little-known genetic disorder.


"Beauty does not have to be selfish," Silverton said of the benefit.


Proceeds go to three organizations helping families and researching Fragile X Syndrome, which son Aidan was diagnosed with at age 2 1/2.


Aidan's diagnosis led the Silvertons to become advocates for research of Fragile X, a genetic disorder that's the only known cause of autism.


Interest in autism - how to recognize it early and what treatments are available - has skyrocketed, as have numbers of children diagnosed with it.


New federal studies show one in 150 children is autistic. But Aidan, a second-grader, is among those for whom doctors can at least pinpoint a reason it developed, even if there's no cure.
"Knowing the cause of his autism puts us in the direction of diagnosis and a cure," said Jennifer Levine Silverton.


Researchers funded by one of the organizations the Silvertons support - Fragile X Research Foundation, or FRAXA - have gained federal approval to accelerate testing of drug that can reverse the impaired cognition, anxiety and autistic behaviors of those with Fragile X.


"Although it's not a cure, it is a treatment for the cognitive impairment and may help children learn in more normal ways," said Kimball Silverton, a board-certified dermatologist.
Fragile X results from lack of a protein, and as a result of the deficiency brain cells don't communicate properly.


FRAXA has put its hope in a drug called Fenobam to block the signaling errors in Fragile X brains, a mechanism underlying other autistic disorders.


"We are very hopeful that this drug could get normal brain development back on track in people with Fragile X - and possibly autism as well," Dr. Michael Tranfaglia, co-founder of FRAXA, said when testing was approved in February.


Jennifer Silverton advocates newborn screening and more awareness among women to determine if they carry the Fragile X gene. The gene can be passed to their children, usually boys.


The Silvertons' daughter, Camryn, 7, does not have Fragile X.


Researchers are making progress, and so is Aidan.

* By the way, I understand that Botox may show promise as a treatment for certain debilitating diseases. I have no problem with the use of Botox. I just get a real guffaw out of the whole "If I look 5 years younger I will be a happier person" drama of cosmetic surgery. It's so shallow compared to the life we autism Moms live. Don't like my opinion? (Shrug.)

Good Vibrations

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Connecticut. I have a beer in my hand. My kids are happily playing. Mark is on the deck with a better quality beer than the light dreck I am drinking. And a song just came on Sirius satellite radio that launched me back many years.

In 1988, I worked in sales promotions. I had a number of clients in the record industry. I created promotional item campaigns to help launch new releases. So this song, that is playing on my Bose radio, was about to hit and MCA records called on me. There was nothing I couldn't dream up, source and produce. I was quite good at my job.

The song? Sylvester, You Make Me Feel Mighty Real. Usually I came up with the promo item ideas for the client. Not this time. MCA knew just what they wanted. Vibrators (the real deal, not this personal neck massager bullcrap) also known as dildos - with the logo printed on the side no less. I found the "product" (no telling you how easy THAT was) and the screen printer who could work on plastic. The hang up? Couldn't find FDA approved inks that would adhere to plastic. I kid you not. No one wanted to risk using a plastisol peepee.

Well, You Make Me Feel Might Real is over. Listen! It's Blondie's RAPTURE playing! Reminds me of drinking creamsicles in Faneuil Hall in some upstairs bar/dance club with a boyfriend and a boy friend.

Music takes me all over my life. Good times. (Like a Prayer by Madonna in the little red Jetta with Gen and Sharona in Newport.) Sad times. (How Great Thou Art at Dave Palmers funeral, a 44 year old friend who left 3 kids behind.) Love times (Love Cat by the Cure, Mark's and my wedding song.) Pissed off times. (I'm Gonna Run To You, by Bryan Adams that always made me grit my teeth over a cheating boyfriend.)

How about you - got a song that takes you somewhere??

Lunch with John Robison

Pinch me! Two lunches out in one week!

Today I had the great pleasure of meeting John Robison, author of Look Me In The Eye due out in September from Crown. LMITE is his memoir about his life growing up with brother Augusten Burroughs as a child with Asperger's syndrome. (Don't tell anyone - he gave me a galley copy to read!) You can find his blog at the link below.

How's this for crazy? Remember how I had lunch with Pat Wood, whose debut novel LOTTERY is also taking the publishing world by storm, like John's book? Their books are cross promoted on Amazon! Pats' blog is http://pkwood.blogspot.com/ . John's is at http://jerobison.blogspot.com/ Someday I'll learn how to do those linky things on blogger. Drop by and tell them Kim sent you.

John is 6' 4" tall and quite handsome, as you can see. Very Christopher Reeve. I'm 5' 5" on my tiptoes so I wore heels - he still dwarfs me! We talked of autism, Asperger's, publishing, aspirations, goals, ups, downs. A glorious two hours. I think the best description of him is "Renaissance man." He's worked in Rock n Roll, Is a photographer, writes, works on cars, so much!

I noticed something at lunch and I have to comment on it. In my book, I have a scene where a tip is left at a restaurant. My character says something like, "You can learn a lot about someone by how they tip. Do they take off a few pennies for service or piss and moan about not tipping on tax or do they just leave a good tip?' John left our server a VERY good tip. He's a generous spirit. I love that.

So, John is reading my book as I'm reading his. Mind you, my book is fiction, funny, has my voice and an autistic nine year old who is telepathic. What on EARTH will John think of it! LOL! I'll let you know.

Tomorrow I'll snap a photo with yet another tall, good looking man, David Kirby, author of Evidence of Harm and one of my beta readers.

Geez, I LIKE being a writer! :)

Lunch! Out of the house! Whoohoo! I'm there.

The Connecticut Chiropractic Association is pleased to announce that Author David Kirby will be the luncheon speaker at their annual 2007 Spring Conference on Thursday, May 10 at the Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk Connecticut.

David wrote Evidence of Harm. www.evidenceofharm.com . He was a beta reader for me and the second "real" writer (after Susan Senator, www.susansenator.com) to tell me my book was indeed sellable. Susan read the book as I wrote it and encouraged me at every step.

I don't care if the event serves rubber chicken and cold pea soup. Someone else will be putting a plate of food in front of me! I hope the gal next to me doesn't mind if I wipe her mouth for her!

What's Cookin'?

Sunday morning fun. Pot of Sunday gravy bubbling? Check. Chicken cutlets fried? Check. Batch of treats baked? Checked. Everything is gluten/casein free? Check. My parents are on their way from Massachusetts for a visit. Here's a little trick to knowing Kim. If I cook good food for you, I like you, probably love you. If I order take out? I like you but not enough to cook for you. :) Food is love, yes?


Notice that I said all the foods are GFCF. That means no wheat, no oats, no dairy in any of the food. It's a diet common in the autism world. GFCF. For my girls the diet has made a HUGE difference in behavior, GI functioning and overall health. I often meet autism parents who say "Oh, I could never do that diet. My child only eats.... the list is usually the same: chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches and cereal. And all of these are almost exclusively gluten and casein. The body seems to crave the food to which it is intolerant. Another of God's little jokes. Pull the foods (easier said than done) and suddenly the child is eating fruits and veggies and proteins and a far better overall diet.

Before I pulled dairy from Miss G. she was nutty. Ran around, screamed, had red cheeks, runny nose. Bella? Give her wheat then watch her bit her little fingers bloody and wake up several times a night screaming. Mia? Either makes her completely stoned and zoned out. I've seen it and lived it for years and I know what happens. That there's no double blind study for doctors to concur with me matters not a fig to me. Who the hell is going to pay for and conduct a study about REMOVING FOOD from the diet for health? Ain't no money to be made there. So parents take charge and do their own "study." Oh, the docs who pooh pooh the GFCF diet are the same ones likely to tell a parent to try the ketogenic diet for seizures - to alter brain functioning. But they refuse to acknowledge that GFCF can alter brain functioning. Look Alice! There's the Caterpillar smoking a hookah! (Can I have a hit?)

The GFCF diet takes work, time, home cookin' and is expensive. It's a pain in the ass, frankly, and I hate that we're on the diet. But I'd hate if my girls felt and acted like crap because of what I was feeding them even more. For us? The diet is a must.

Kim 2.0? I BEG YOUR PARDON?????

OK, without getting into too much detail here (my Mom visits my blog you know) I had an interesting Friday night. (Hi, Mom!) Last night my husband Mark got home from a week-long business trip. Kids went to bed by 8:15 pm. ALL THREE! You following me?

Husband pays me a lovely, lovely compliment. "Kim, you look beautiful. Really. Just beautiful." Appropriate talk between married adults, yes? I am pleased. Then he adds, "You've really upgraded yourself." Can you hear the marital bed train wheels screeeeeeching to a halt?

Now I realize he in no way meant to imply that I was skankasaurus rex in the past. He has always found me attractive. He married me for God's sake!

And if I really think about his comment, he's right! Don't sic the feminists on me!


For many years in my 30's I was having babies, learning that my babies had autism, fighting tooth and nail to figure out how to help them, living far, far from family and friends (I realize now that I am back in New England how much that really affected me) dealing with four long years of a seizure disorder in one of kids, had a husband for thought that golf was the most important thing in the world (he has since come around on that one) had the same husband who was out of work for many long months (bye bye golf), had to sell a beautiful house and most of our belongings to stay afloat, moved in with my parents like an unreal reality show, enrolled the kids in two new school districts, managing 1,2, 3 IEPS, wrote a novel, launched a private Yahoo group for parents of kids with autism, tried to earn a few bucks as a marketing consultant and managed to NOT go insane.


Did I look my prettiest during these times? Perhaps not. Did I gain 13 pounds? Yes. I ballooned up to 132 pounds - a number I hadn't seen since 4 months pregnant with any of my girls. I was a bit tired and didn't have a lot of money for personal care extravagances. And my head just didn't give a shit. I was in survival mode. And we survived!!!

Now that we are settled into our little house, the kids are in good schools, my career is moving along, I'm more involved with helping people with kids with autism and my baby making days are fini - I feel more at ease. Oh, I've lots to do still. Plenty. But he has point. I do look better because I am HAPPIER. And that Mark and I have survived and still want to talk across the pillow is nothing short of a miracle. But miracles take a lot of work. They don't just happen. Not to me, anyway.

Signed, Kim "2.0"

I have a raging case of pink eye and must take the day off!

Naw, just kidding. This is me on Easter Sunday. I have my ways of amusing the girls. The alien eyes make Gianna laugh. G has a great laugh. It was well worth the red rings that dug into my eyes to hear her laugh.

I also make Mickey Mouse ears from the dinner dishes every chance I get. I dance around the house with them and for them. I sing and make up crazy songs because the girls love music and can't really tell me if my songs stink or not. Small favors.

Oh, I did take off the pink eggs before Mass. We attract enough attention as we sit in the front pew. Trust me.

I MISS HER!!!

How about you? I've written my own question (and answer) in a hopeless effort to fill the void.

Dear Miss Snark:

My fiction novel is 194,354 words and every third sentence rhymes. I'm not sure if I should print it in Wingdings or Verdana to make my query stand out to agents. And do you think agents prefer metallic glitter or paper confetti in the envelope?This matters because my book takes place at Mardi Gras in 1973 and the glitter (or confetti, I defer to your choice) will immediately connote the party atmosphere of my book. Well, until they get to the second chapter where my heroine falls down in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly and scrapes her knees so badly that her control top L'Eggs get all ripped up forcing her to hurredly drive home to change, thus missing a chance encounter with a local TV personality who is at the Pig-Wig (shorthand for the store) to promote a new deep fried pie on a stick made by the heroines arch-rival and the bane of the PTA on which the spring fling committee the heroine sits. So, glitter or paper? Thank you. Sincerely yours, Adeline.

Dear Addled:

I suggest your heroine sits on the pie on a stick.

OK - your turn.

The Padded Room. We laugh about it, right?

Maybe I'll reconsider my glib use of the phrase "Oh, just lock me in a padded room." At least this week. Come on, we've all said it. As we complain about some petty annoyance. "Oh that line at the Stop & Shop was so long and the woman ahead of me had a stack a coupons and she actually wrote out a paper check! -- Just lock me in a padded room! I was late for my (insert your favorite diversion here.)"

Well, this photo is of a padded room used in a ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for children who become out of control. This elicits a thousand questions from me. The first being what have we done to our children that they are so out of control that they require restraints, padded rooms and heavy-duty psych meds?

Many of us in the autism world have our theories. Whatever you may think - we'd be naive not to realize that something(s) has changed our kids drastically, and not for the better.

Here's the article about this padded room. In one of the wealthiest counties in America. In one of the most acclaimed towns in the county.

I'm not casting judgement on the use of the room. I don't walk in that Mom's shoes. I'm guessing the room is a safer alternative to some of the physical take-down restraints schools use. And it sure as hell beats the electric shock devices used elsewhere on children. (Yes, you read that correctly.) I just wonder why a school would need this room to begin with. It might treat the "symptom" of out of control behavior - but I'd sure like to get down to the CAUSE.

(04/30/07) NORWALK - A week after hearing a 7-year-old autistic boy was put in a padded room at Ox Ridge Elementary School in Darien, a mother whose son had a similar experience is working with a state lawmaker on a bill to require strict rules for the use of such rooms.

Maryann Lombardi, of Wilton, whose son was placed in a padded room when he was 9 years old, has teamed with state Sen. Judith Freedman, of Westport, to pass the bill, which would look to ensure that schools “don’t isolate children in what we call these isolation rooms or padded rooms unnecessarily because it really is detrimental, especially to a special-needs child.”
Added Freedman: “The parent has to be contacted and the parent has to be part of the process.”

The issue of seclusion rooms has some parents with mixed feelings. Some are appalled the rooms exist in southwestern Connecticut schools. Other parents feel that, if used correctly, the rooms can be used as safe places. That includes Lombardi.

When John Elder Robison knocks....

I open the door and say, "Welcome."

I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this one says so much. And is related to two topics near and dear to my heart. Autism (and its cousin Asperger's Syndrome) and publishing.

The author of this book, due out in September, popped into my blog this week. That would be John Elder Robison.

I'm tickled pink that he did for two reasons. 1) He is a person with Asperger's syndrome (sort of the top of the autism food chain.) I want to know more people on the spectrum who can talk t0 me and help me explain what my girls might be feeling and thinking and needing. 2) John's book took the publishing world by storm recently.

So, welcome John. I look forward to learning as much as I can about your perspective. But please, can you explain the ear wiggle thing to me? :)

Here's a link to John's site. http://www.johnrobison.com/

WOW! Penguin/Putnam Features Autism Page!

This is quite endearing to me. One of the world's largest publishers, Penguin Putnam, is featuring an autism awareness banner on their site! With savings on their autism related books. Perhaps they'd like to add a fabulously funny fiction title to their autism roster???? (Call Eric Myers at The Spieler Agency. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge!)

Putnam is also the publisher of the forthcoming LOTTERY by someone I am now proud to call a friend and mentor, Patricia Wood.

http://patriciawoodauthor.com/index.htm

I feel quite cheered. I'm going back to the Putnam site to look at that banner again.

http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/parenting/autismfeature.html

Tagging Notable Blogs. Blogs that make me think. OK, here goes.

1) Susan Senator. Sue is a writer and also the mom to a child with autism. She's also a killer belly dancer who proves the fabulosity of 40. We have relationship that crosses over many boundries imposed by, well, no one really knows who imposes them, they're just there. Sue and I say "Oh, screw that. Here. you row for a while then I'll take a turn."

http://www.susansenator.com/blog/

2) This Is What I Do. Funny lady. Has a son with autism and we share a certain pissy anger about the entire ordeal. A "wtf" sensibility.

http://tiwid.blogspot.com/

3) Manic Mom. Her sometimes scary candor and outrageous humor are tons of fun. Who else would talk about her bathroom trip at Home Depot?

http://manicmommy.blogspot.com/

4) Musings of a Louisiana Liar. How can you not love that blog title? Jana DeLeon's blog. Author, and admitted liar. Lots of good writing info there and fun too.

http://janadeleon.blogspot.com/

5) A funny Boston Irishman's blog. I am part funny Boston Irish,er,woman. My Grandmother was Anna Sullivan doncha know. I'm not all Italiano, although I embrace that part of my life because the food is way better than the Irish side and I can't get the smell of the rich, red Sicilian leather that covered our 1976 Caddy Coupe de Ville out of my nose. I do embrace the Irish love of hoisting a fine pint of black and tan, though. And I choke down soda bread once a year. I'll drink tea when my throat closes to the size of a Q-Tip stick too.

http://ghostofmintyhatton.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

TWO YEARS LATER..... Some autism groups are still claiming "it's genetic." And herrings are blood red.......

Summary: Autism studies often yield useless info. Autism is not a straight genetic "blip" that has come about in the last 20 years.

Autism: Lots of clues, but still no answers
14 May 2005
NewScientist.com news service
Celeste Biever

THE risk of autism in twins appears to be related to the month they are born in. The chance of both babies having the disorder is 80 per cent higher for January births than December births.
This was one of the many findings presented at the conference in Boston last week. It typifies the problems with many autism studies: the numbers are too small to be definitive - this one was based on just 161 multiple-birth babies - and even if the finding does stand up, it raises many more questions than it answers. For instance, is infection during pregnancy to blame? Or another environmental factor that varies with the season? Is it the birth date that is important, or the date of conception?

While it is now clear that autism is a complicated combination of genetic and environmental factors, no one knows exactly what these environmental effects are and which genes they might be interacting with to cause autism. "We clearly have a daunting task ahead of us," Craig Newschaffer of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of the birth-date study team, told the conference. "We have had slower-than-hoped for progress finding autism genes, and now we see an increased focus on the environment in autism."

Based on twin studies, the consensus is that, depending on how you define autism, between 60 and 90 per cent of cases are genetic in origin. And although progress has been slow, geneticists are homing in on some of the genes involved.

Eric Geschwind of the University of California, Los Angeles, announced that he has linked a region on chromosome 17 to autism, confirming earlier studies. Other recent studies have linked mutations in specific genes to some cases of autism, including two genes that code for brain proteins called neuroligins, which are involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Further emphasising the genetic basis of the disease, Geschwind has also found that although people with autism have larger heads than the population in general, on average their heads are no larger than those of siblings and parents without the disorder.

“What if you have an infant with some genetic susceptibility to autism and then you add a toxin? It looks very disturbing”

One of the reasons progress has been slow is that many genes appear to be involved. Some people with autism have mutations in one gene or set of genes, and others have mutations in different ones. That makes it hard to carry out the statistical studies needed to pinpoint the genes involved. Geschwind thinks that the best way forward is to first identify smaller, measurable components of the disorder, and then to look for the genetic underpinnings of each one.

But it is not just about genes. "The genetics is very compelling and explains most of the risk, but there is room for the environment since genetics cannot explain it all," Geschwind says.
“The genetics explains most of the risk, but there is room for the environment since genetics cannot explain it all.”

Identifying which genes and which environmental factors are interacting presents enormous challenges, says Ellen Silbergeld, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. "One real problem is we don't have a good idea of the disease's history," she says. She points out that our understanding of heart disease was greatly helped by the Framingham Heart Study, which followed around 5000 individuals for up to 50 years.

Autism not only lacks a similar study, but also presents more challenges, because fewer people develop autism than heart disease, and because it might be not one but multiple disorders with related sets of symptoms. "Are we talking about 10 different diseases?" Silbergeld asks.
Complicating the story still further is the apparent rise in autism. The Autism Society of America estimates that there was an increase of 172 per cent in the US in the 1990s, though the population grew only 13 per cent. It is still not clear if the rise is due to some new, presumably environmental, factor or if doctors are simply becoming better at diagnosing the disorder. But that has not held people back. "We are going through a frenzied period," says David Amaral at the University of California, Davis. "People speculate wildly about the things that could cause autism."

Some have focused on exposure to viruses or vaccines, others on pollutants such as mercury. Emitted by factories and power stations, some forms of mercury build up in animals such as fish and enter the food chain. In 2003, a small study by paediatrician Amy Holmes found much lower levels of mercury than normal in the hair of children with autism (New Scientist, 21 June 2003, page 4). Her hotly contested theory is that they have an impaired ability to excrete mercury.

In Boston, Jim Adams, a chemical engineer at Arizona State University in Tempe who has an autistic daughter and believes that mercury causes many cases of autism, presented results supporting Holmes's theory. He found that children with autism have up to three times as much mercury as normal in their baby teeth, yet lower levels in their hair.

And in December last year, Jill James of the University of Arkansas published a study showing that people with autism have lowered levels of glutathione, a compound that detoxifies mercury. But as so often with autism, far more studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn.
Others are looking at polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. Banned in most countries since the 1970s, PCBs still persist in the environment and in animals and people. A team led by Tal Kenet of the University of California, San Francisco, found that one type of PCB can devastate the auditory cortex in rats, the brain area that processes sound signals according to frequency.
Some people with autism have abnormal auditory cortices and difficulty communicating verbally, despite having perfect hearing on regular hearing tests. Kenet speculates that this could be linked to exposure to PCBs or other toxic substances. Although it is far too early to confirm the link with autism, no one had ever looked at this before. "What if you have an infant with some genetic susceptibility to autism and then you add a toxin? In all it looks very disturbing," she says.

There could be a whole host of chemicals that wreak havoc on the brains of genetically susceptible individuals, team member Isaac Pessah of the University of California, Davis, told the meeting. He points out that according to the US National Toxicology Report, between 60 and 80 per cent of the chemicals we are exposed to through pesticides, cosmetics and foods have not undergone adequate risk assessment.

From issue 2499 of New Scientist magazine, 14 May 2005, page 14

LOTTERY WINNER LOSES LIFE

This story/obituary just hit me.

"Wayne Schenk, who fought unsuccessfully to get a $1,000,000 New York State Lottery prize paid in a lump sum so he could use it to treat his cancer, died here on Monday. He was 51."

The $5 scratch off ticket paid $1,000,000 over twenty years. Mr. Schenk lobbied the New York State Lottery commission to pay out the entire sum to him so that he could pay for cancer treatments. He learned he had cancer 5 weeks before he won the lottery. The NY Lottery declined to change the rules of the ticket. Mr. Schenk received his first $50,000 installment before his death.

1) Could he have sold his ticket annuity to one of those companies that advertises on the radio that makes lump sum pay outs for a fee? 2) Could the NY Lottery commission have changed the pay out rules for this case? 3) If you die, do your Lottery winnings CEASE or do they go to your survivors?

As if we Americans needed another reason NOT to eat "Spotted Dick?"

CONTEST: Name this dude. Leave your suggestions in the comments. Prize? The glory of a win. My choice? Ivgotta Nodicki.

"HORRIFIED diners watched in shock as a maniac sliced off his manhood in a crowded pizza restaurant.The 35-year-old Pole burst into the Zizzi eaterie in central London and grabbed a knife from the kitchen.He then leapt on a table and dropped his trousers as customers fled screaming.A witness said: “There was blood everywhere. Everyone ran out of the place.”Surgeons battling to save the severed willy tried to sew it back on in the first UK op of its kind. "

So, what now he's a poleless Pole? A Pole with a hole? Not quite sure.

Need to read the entire story?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007180857,00.html

WRONG CALL!

My dear friend Gen is going to the Arbonne International annual event in Las Vegas. Arbonne is a MLM company offering high end skin care, make up etc. Think Mary Kay without the big hair and pink Cadillac*. Arbonne offers a White Mercedes as their incentive car. How nice is that!

Gen is my age and has two young kids (not autistic.) I know how much I'd love a trip away by myself for several days. So I called her this morning at 8:30am to wish her a safe and fun trip. I knew she was leaving on Monday.

Today is Monday, right? Um, no. Today is TUESDAY. She's already in Las Vegas. Did I mention we live on the EAST COAST? So I managed to wake my best friend at 5:30am, put the fear of God into her (I'm sure) by an early morning call and then ask her "Why are you whispering?" when she answered. What a maroon I am!

Sorry Gen. Go back to sleep.

* By the way, have you SEEN the new Mary Kay pink Cadillacs?? They are this very cool iridescent pinky/lavender/white color. We have one in town and I always wave and smile to the woman driving it. It's takes a lot of work, drive, dedication and success to get that car.

:)

Friends or Storylines??

Why do you get all excited when you see a new release from a favorite author? For the fresh story or to visit with old friends? I'm definitely a character driven reader. Evanovich? Can't get enough of Plum. Churchill? I love Jane Jeffry even as I'm becoming Jane Jeffry (getting older, you know.) Rita Mae Brown? I adore Sneaky Pie and Harry Haristeen. I read for characters far more than for story.

I started this love for character driven series out of college. I lived down the street from the Newton Corner library. I'd get out of work at Hill, Holliday advertising, trudge onto the bus and ride home, passing the library every day. I grabbed a book from the mid-1960's about a cop named Luis Mendoza, written by Dell Shannon. I read the first book. Then the second. And on and on. Luis and his crowd became like friends. I was fresh out of college. Had a boyfriend with a wandering eye who wasn't always a reliable date and felt kind of lonely. Reading gobbled up empty hours and introduced me to many new friends.

I haven't been so bold as to think my book could become a series. That's just crazy talk when you're a newbie like I am. But I have to admit, I hope my characters come to life for readers in such a way that when they close the book, they're eager to return again.

So how about it? Character or story? What's your choice?

Autism does not equal Sociopath....

These three girls have autism. They are not sociopathic. They do not have a mean bone in their bodies. They are not deranged. They will not knowingly harm you. They do not plot revenge. They HAVE AUTISM.

Please, if you hear on the news "The Virginia Tech Shooter is said to have had autism" block your ears. Sing "la la la I can't heeeear you!" as loud as you can. You can also spit if you're outside for good measure.

Here's my post on the topic from Huffington Post. It's on the main blogroll, not Fearless Voices.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kim-stagliano/you-can-call-me-angry-ju_b_46385.html

(PS) If you're wondering why this unusal art for a holiday card? Have you ever tried to get three kids with autism to look at a camera and smile? I'll say no more. ;)

Spring Break(ing point.)

Spring break, 2007, day 4. STILL NO SUN!!!! No, I'm not in Mexico. Nor Florida. I'm in stinking Connecticut, land of the gloomiest spring ever to torment the United States of America.

I lived in CLEVELAND FREAKING OHIO for ten years and never saw a spring this nasty. Cleveland is God's homage to the color gray. Lake Erie ensures that old Sol makes nothing more than a guest appearance every so often to keep NE Ohioans from going insane.

Now Connecticut, in my beloved New England, the land I pined for during 14 long years of separation has turned on me. We haven't seen ONE crocus. Not a hint of a daffodil. Nothing. Rain. Cold. Wind. That's it.

Spring break. Indeed.

BECAUSE I COULD

I read a very fun book on Friday night. Yes, the entire book. It's called "Because She Can" by Bridie Clark. It's about a young woman in the publishing industry who goes to work for the Queen Shrew of the business. Sort of like The Devil Wears Prada meets the book business.

The book itself was a fun, engaging read. But it was the very last page that got me. Ms. Clark thanks a long list of folks at the end of the book. Not only did I recognize the name of her agent, my eyeballs grew larger than their already Marty Feldman size when I read the name of her editor. I know this editor by name. I haven't met her though.

This is a first. I've been reading books and acknowledgements for quite a few years. "Blah blah blah, thanks to the inventor of Garamond, couldn't have written this book without my herbalist and my thirty seven cats, etc."

Now that my book is "out there" I am paying attention to editors and imprints and such. And the editor who bought "Because She Can" is reading my book. What emotion did that stir? Think of the thrill of a first kiss combined with the upward launch of your guts on a giant rollercoaster hill. The big one that lifts you out of your seat and scares you out of your pants and comes darn close to emptying out your bladder. Cold sweat meets high hopes. This woman bought the book that was in my hands. And she will be reading my book.

Aye yi yi.

Well, off to look at the NorEaster pounding outside. We're not far from the coast and the lashing is impressive in a "hope we stay dry" kind of way. Spring break looms. Tomorrow we brave the weather for a drive to Massachusetts to GrandE and Granpa's house. Good food, four extra hands and two giant hearts to help with the girls. And I get a night out with friends on Tuesday.
Why? BECAUSE I CAN! ;)

My Agent Says I Need A Platform....

I'm new to the writing world. I am seeking to have my first manuscript published. I am called a"newbie." I wear the name with pride along with a boatload of newbies I've met on writers' lists, in blogs and websites. We are clueless, eager writers who want to learn as much as possible while avoiding the complete humiliation that lurks around every corner. We blog and ask a million questions. We subject ourselves to Miss Snark's wrath and her cluegun, Lit Agent X's query killing reviews, Backspace's backlash and myriad other writerly forums (fora?) to become better writers and marketers of our work. We swill gin for inspiration. The delete button is our friend. "THAT", adverbs, "WHICH, strike fear in our hearts. We learn the rules. We hear the rules have changed. We re-learn the rules.

WE DON'T GIVE UP.

And many of us, who write in a certain genre called "chick lit" wear kick-ass shoes like the pair that arrived at my front door yesterday.

Someone tell Eric I now have a platform. A pair at that.

SOUTHERN COMFORT!

Ask my Mom about Kim and Southern Comfort and a particularly awkward introduction between my high school boyfriend and my Dad. "Ah, hi, Dr. Rossi. Here's Kim." Dead drunk with my boots on the wrong feet I believe. Ah crazy youth!

But I digress. Check out this photo! My husband Mark went to Nashville on business yesterday. No, he does not sell banjos, big-hair hair spray or rhinestone jackets. But he has a client outside of Nashville so there he went.

He called me to say he saw "GOO GOO's" in the airport store. Hey, I might be a Yankee to the core, but I know what a GOO GOO is - even if I'd never tasted one. Southern Treat Extraordinaire! And MOON PIES! The original. The real deal. Not the Burry knock-offs I ate as a kid. (Isn't the packaging gorgeous!?) I said "Oh my Gosh! Bring Some Home!" I figured he'd bring a Goo Goo and a Moon Pie. Not an entire box. But StagMan is a generous sort. So I now have boxes of the stuff.

I ate a Moon Pie. Tasty. I haven't tackled the Goo Goo's yet. Got to pace myself. Is it 10:00am yet???

If any of you Southerners would like a Northern equivalent let me know. I'll send you a box of Funny Bones, Yodels and Sky Bars.

Hope y'all have a good day.

Kurt Vonnegut has Died

Can't call yourself a writer and not comment on his passing. Ouch.

Crease Attack

OK. Two news bits have caught my eye. The three young men caught in the Duke Lacrosse Scandal have had their charges dropped. Case closed. I assume that they'll be able to get their lives back on track in some fashion. Not sure about the accuser. I hope she can too. It will be interesting to see if they bring charges against their accuser or the former prosecutor.

That case attracted my attention because I have a soft spot in my heart for lacrosse players. Decent ones, mind you. Not ones who would treat women like dirt. I suppose someone will write a book about it. Please, don't query my agent, OK?

The lacrosse players I knew where good guys. Protective guys. I dated an All American midfielder from Baltimore, prime lacrosse breeding ground, for many years. He was recruited to an Ivy League school. A broken ankle waylaid him though. Insert crude joke here. Mr. Midi is still a good friend many years later. I love that.

My cousin's son starts for Yale lacrosse and his younger brother will be playing for Yale next year as a freshman. Her sister's son plays for Colorado. These kids are real live people - not just "rich white boys." Just as the women who entertained the Duke boys were real live people - not just "entertainment." It's a tragic, sordid story all around. No winners. No winner.

And now I read that MSNBC has dropped Don Imus' program. Imus said an incredibly stupid, hurtful thing about young women who should have been able to concentrate on their success, not their hair or skin color. I guess he's been watching MTV and BET and listening to the radio and picked up some foul language.

But Don Imus has also been a true supporter of the autism community. I do wonder if he's been shit canned for a reason somewhat unrelated to his verbal gaffe. I do indeed. You'd be surprised at what goes on in our little world. Gotta dodge, gotta roll, gotta win.

File under "J" for Juxtaposition.

Yesterday I had a great day in NY.
Today? I am H-O-M-E!

Oh, cleaning is easier
when you can dance around the house
listening to your new Sirius radio to replace
the one that pooped out last week. Dusting
to Depeche Mode is decidedly less dreary than
simply humming the old Pledge song about
the Lemon Tree.

Yes, the glamorous life of the writer/autism
Mom never ends.

Kim (left) and Pat Wood at breakfast today in NY.

File under "P" for Pretentious

This is quite possibly the most pretentious sentence ever to come out of my mouth, er, fingers. "I had coffee with my agent in NY today."

To start the morning right, I had breakfast with Pat Wood, author of Lottery, due out in August! Do go to her site and read about this amazing book about a cognitively challenged man who wins the lottery. I had the pleasure of reading Lottery recently. Pat honored me with a manuscript because I have three daughters with autism. Not mental retardation, but similar challenges nonetheless. I was happy to share my opinion and a blurb.

You can learn about Lottery at http://patriciawoodauthor.com/index.htm . Do yourself a favor and pre-order a copy.

My own book, One Kat. Two Lives. is Mom lit with murder, it's very funny and yes it has two kids with autism in the mix (shocking I'd pick that topic, isn't it?) But my book has an overlap with Lottery in that Pat and I have both chosen to portray our characters with dignitiy, humanity, humor (mine a bit more graphic than hers) and capabilities - despite what the world chooses to feel about Perry L. Crandall (her guy) and Sophie and Dom Perroli (my two young characters with autism.) Oh, and her book is coming out in August and mine is not quite at that point in the publishing process. Rather a large distinction!

Coffee with the agent formerly known as "Super Agent X", now known as Eric Myers was divine. I am comfortable with him. I respect him. I like him. He is a delight. It's a great feeling to know my book is in such capable hands.

File that under "H" for happy.

Woke up this morning.......

Yes, yes, I know it's Easter. Happy Easter. Bunny found us. Candy galore. Went to 8:15 Mass. Eggs everywhere.

Tonight starts the final 9 episodes of The Sopranos. JOY! Can't wait to see what happens to Tony and the gang.

I've got to tease my hair into a Jersey heap. Where's the Freeze and Shine??

The Power of Words? How about 1 word?

I'll tell you about the power of a simple word. Immeasurable. This morning, this darling 6 year old said, "shoe" when I put her shoes on her. All by herself. Contrary to popular belief, my chatty husband and I have NOT sucked all the words out of our household. Miss Peanut will speak - the words are in there. I am determined to help her get them out. SHOE. Way to go kiddo. She loves that trampoline - check out her smile.

Writer's Digest, October 1976

LOOK! Mommy Can Write!



I found this magazine in an antique store in Plainville, Mass last year. Isn't it great? I am fortunate to have a sleek glass desk and a computer instead of an ironing board.



Ironing boards make me break out in a cold sweat. Why? Not because I have an aversion to ironing. I like ironing! It's just that a few years back, my husband worked for a German company that makes ironing boards and I was drafting to demo the product on QVC. Yes, I played Carol Merrill at 7:03 am deftly showing off the marvelous attributes of an ironing board. You'll note that 1976 Mommy uses Easy-On. I am a Niagara spray starch girl. As was my Mother.









Daddy's All Right!

How's that for a guilt trip? This is only 31 years ago folks. My husband has supported my writing from day one. And signing with an agent made the process seem that much more realistic to him. He's really excited for me and I love that.

This magazine reminds me of the old Enjoli perfume ad. "I can bring home the bacon! Fry it up in a pan. And never let you forget you're a man! 'Cause I'm a woman! And I wear Enjoli."

I usually wear whatever my kids smear on me. If you have a nut allergy don't get too close.

Katie Wright Hildebrand and Becky Grant-Widen Join
National Autism Association Board

I am delighted to see Ms. Wright Hildebrand lending her considerable talents and passion to NAA.

NAA is putting dollars into the hands of needy families and funding research with immediately actionable results for our kids.

I'll look forward to seeing Katie and Becky at the NAA conference in Atlanta in November. I am on the conference committee.

You can read the entire press release here:

www.nationalautismassociation.org

Sirius'ly Struggling

I can't get a signal on my Sirius satellite radio! I can listen on my computer - but the receiver that I use in the kitchen and the car might be broken. It is only picking up the signal sporadically. I haven't listened to FM radio in over a year. I am reminded WHY I dropped testicular radio (as its called on Howard Stern) every time I hear a cheesy car dealership commercial or a request for pledges or Dust in the Wind. Sirius, COME BACK! I think I need a new receiver. Mark gets home tonight from the West Coast. I'm putting him on the job.

I need someone smart to solve this mystery please.

OK, so according to this article, adults are passing whooping cough (Pertussis) onto babies. Therefore, adults need a whooping cough booster vaccine. But aren't the babies already vaccinated against whooping cough courtesy of the DTaP vaccine which is on the AAP vaccine schedule at 2 months, with another dose at 4 months and yet another at 6 months? So the answer is, if the vacccine is not working in the babies, lets give more to the adults?

Cases of whooping cough are on the rise, according to a new study, and researchers say parents may be giving their children the disease. (Maybe the vaccine isn't working??)

A new study finds parents are the source of a child's whooping cough in 55 percent of infants.
In all, household members are responsible for 75 percent of cases among babies.

A panel that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends vaccination for all older people if they have contact with infants.

The study appears in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

NO EVIDENCE OF HARM

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/science/earth/03water.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Don't you love that phrase? I saw it this morning in the New York Times article about the levels of drugs in our water. Drugs like antibiotics and birth control pills. Drugs we pee out into toilets and then flush into public water treatment plants. Drugs we flush down toilets as DEA pounds on our... Oh, wait, no, that was an episode of WEEDS. Drugs we flush down the toilet when they expire or when great grandma expires and you no longer need the 24 bottles of pills she was taking. (I heard she died of natural causes but I have my doubts.)

OK - so the article says some states are taking precautions although there is -- Say it with me! -- NO EVIDENCE OF HARM. The good news is you may be able to clear up that yucky clumpy stuff growing out of your skoodlydoodly and prevent pregnancy simply by turning on the tap. The bad news is we really have no idea the long term effect of the small amounts of these chemicals in our water on children especially.

FDA suggests you read the literature with your drugs to find out how to dispose of them. Hello? People can't be bothered to recycle tin cans - they're going to save their little flyer with their meds and refer to it before they toss the meds they didn't bother to take in the first place? And then take the meds to safe disposal centers? Sure - just drop them off along with the new mercury light bulbs that require special disposal processing too.

Oh, and if the term EVIDENCE OF HARM sounds familiar? It should That's the title of David Kirby's book from 2005 that examines the mercury and vaccine controversy. www.evidenceofharm.com You see, the experts say "There is no evidence of harm" from mercury in vaccines. It's not quite the same as saying "Mercury in vaccines is safe." It's more like a Jack Ass stunt. "I wonder if jumping out of a ninth story window smeared in Vaseline onto a field of cacti will cause injury." Some things should be left to common sense, eh?

We have no evidence that landing on the moon and ripping of your helmet will kill you. Care to try it? Let's call that crazy Astronaut lady.

Was that Sanjaya in that Lexus? Or Another American Idol?

So there was a Lexus SUV across the street for over an hour today. With a woman just sitting in the car. Didn't seem like she was casing the street for robberies. It was a dumb place to park - we live on a busy street just after the crest of a hill. Lo and behold, up pulls another SUV. Drug deal!? No. The dingbat ran out of gas. It was probably her husband holding the little red gas can.

Happy Passover to my Jewish friends.

Now what?

For Christians, today is Palm Sunday. A somber day when we remember the impending crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday. For pranksters, today is April Fools day.

That could explain the 200 pound, dark chocolate Jesus exhibit that is raising eyebrows and fists all over the place.

http://gawker.com/news/funny-headlines/rewriting-the-daily-news-chocolate-jesus-248406.php

Note: The Gawker article on the Sweet Jesus art is definitely snarky and the comment trail, while very funny, is sure to offend some people. Frankly, I thought one commenter asking if we'd celebrate the "Pezurrection" was brilliant, in a "going straight to hell" sort of way. Is it getting hot in here?