Last week I was 10-5; I'm now 78-49-1 for the year.
Let's keep it going!
COLLEGE PICKS
Auburn at Ole Miss. My pick: REBELS. Look for Ole Miss to rebound from last week's tough loss; their defense is still really good.
TCU at West Virginia. My pick: HORNED FROGS. Fear the Frog! TCU almost outscored Baylor (not an easy thing to do); I think they will do it this time in Morgantown.
NFL PICKS
Tampa Bay at Cleveland. My pick: BROWNS 24-17. If the Browns can just stay out of their own way here, they should be fine against the find-ways-to-lose Bucs.
Arizona at Dallas. My pick: CARDINALS 24-21. If the Cowboys had a tough time picking up Redskin blitzes Monday night, wait until the Cardinals' blitzes.
Philadelphia at Houston. My pick: EAGLES 31-17. I think Philly despite some of their struggles has too much firepower here.
NY Jets at Kansas City. My pick: CHIEFS 24-7. Kansas City is playing better. The Jets have been terrible. I see no sign those trends will change.
Jacksonville at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 31-10. Another week for Cincy to heal up and get well, especially A. J. Green, against the weak, mistake-prone Jags. How many INTs will Blake Bortles throw this week?
San Diego at Miami. My pick: CHARGERS 27-24. The Chargers have lost their mojo recently, but the Dolphins have failed to be consistent too (they did not play well in their win last week). Look for Philip Rivers to pull this one out late.
Washington at Minnesota. My pick: VIKINGS 20-14. Good for Colt McCoy for how well he played last week. Problem for him: young QBs in his situation tend to be inconsistent. Look for the Vikes to triumph in a close one at home.
St. Louis at San Francisco. My pick: 49ERS 27-14. The Niners are simply the better team, and they know they have to begin to crank it up.
Denver at New England. My pick: PATRIOTS 35-31. I am kind of surprised Denver is favored here. New England to me has shown improvement recently. And we all know how Brady and Belichick seem to get especially ready for games like this. Look for a Pats upset.
Oakland at Seattle. My pick: SEAHAWKS 20-3. Oakland is still looking for its first win. I don't think it will happen here; Seattle knows they have to improve...I don't see any letdown coming.
Baltimore at Pittsburgh. My pick: RAVENS 26-23. Big Ben was awesome last week. What a performance. But the Ravens and Joe Flacco have weapons too, and I don't think Big Ben can carry his team like that 2 weeks in a row.
Indianapolis at NY Giants. My pick: COLTS 30-20. I just think the Colts are the better team, despite the troubles in Pittsburgh; look for Andrew Luck to play well here.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
HEY, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FACE?
No, I am not linking below to something written by a person with Moebius Syndrome, or something written by anyone else with a major facial difference. Instead, it's something written by a guy who most would view as looking "normal" (however we define that these days). And yet--when his picture is in the paper, some appearance-obsessed and beauty-obsessed people rip him; just as they criticized Renee Zellweger...because of the assumption of difference, or of lack of beauty. Now our friend below chooses to accept who he is and how he looks. And that's good. On the other hand, some of the mean nature of the anonymous comments one sees concerning others' appearances is horrifying, and makes one wonder about today's society. Anyway--read on; given that those of us with Moebius know something about people making comments on our appearance, this article will interest all of you:
********************************************
********************************************
I plan to keep my nose. And I have you to thank, Renée Zellweger.
Your decision to do whatever you did to change your face
is helping me accept my 57-year-old face as it is. More to the point, I
have decided not to go under the knife after all to fix that slightly
bent nose of mine. Even after being savaged in a recent online forum
about my face.
Last year, I wrote an essay, “Bonfire of My Vanity,”
mildly mocking myself for the myriad ways I have tried to turn back
Father Time. I confessed to getting blond highlights to cover the gray,
taking ice baths to maintain a “youthful vigor” and — drumroll, please —
undergoing surgery to blast away my eye bags. My goal was to show that
it is not just women who are held to untenable standards of youth and
beauty in this culture. (Although I will be the first to admit it is
still easier for us guys.) To this point, the American Society for
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported last year that “The number of cosmetic procedures for men increased over 273 percent from 1997.”
A few days after the article was published, a friend in London sent me a link to a Daily Mail story all about me and my essay. The boldfaced headline was: “Self-confessed vain man…”
I paused in
midsentence because my eye caught the two photos the Mail had chosen to
run of me. One was a fairly current author photo, blown up so much that I
could see right inside my nose; every facial flaw was magnified to the
extreme for the paper’s voracious readers. The other photo was almost 15
years old; I guess the photo editor dug it up online. I’m quite sure it
had been Photoshopped (tan deepened, teeth whitened) somewhere along
its journey from the Google archives to front and center in The Daily
Mail.
The story proved not
nearly as painful to read as the comments, which were so numerous and
vociferous that the webmaster quickly posted: “We are no longer
accepting comments on this article.” I myself could only bear to read
about a half-dozen, which included this little gem:
“That fake tan/Botox/colour contact lenses picture just looks so creepy and disturbing. I’m not sure that from now on he will age gracefully, though. He seems like a massive attention seeker.”
Presumably, this comment was about my “Before” photo — with Photoshop the only invasive procedure.
When Ms. Zellweger’s
big reveal spread across the web last week, I both felt sorry for her
and curious about what else had been said about me – and my face.
Believe me when I say this was not an exercise for the faint of heart.
Herewith, a couple more:
“He should have spent the money on his teeth.”“He looks horrible with all the enhancements.”
Then The Mail’s readers decided to let me know how old they really thought I looked. Some of my “favorites” included:
“56? No, more like 76”“Not a hot man — he honestly looks to be 71”“He looks at least 65!”
Well, make up your minds! Although, really, who asked your opinion?
Seemingly, no topic
was off bounds. Others felt the need to comment on my sexual orientation
(although I had come out in my story, noting a same-sex husband).
Posted one reader:
“It’s tough for the older queens who are no longer the cats meow at the disco.”
Finally, the coup de
grace: A laserlike focus on my nose. I have a deviated septum, with my
nose tilting to the left. Its asymmetry has long been a sore point for
this “self-confessed vain man.” And at times I snore worse than a horse.
Yes, it’s true: I’ve twice consulted doctors about fixing it. Most of
all I think my husband would appreciate it – for the additional zzzs he
would get.
Daily Mail readers had a lot to say about that part of my face:
“All that work and his nose is making a left hand turn. Am I missing something?”“Surprised he didn’t get his deviated septum straightened. Wonky nose looks weird on plastic face.”“He forgot to do something with his nose. It’s going sideways. Tie it to the opposite ear, bend it back.”
Those comments finally
pushed me over the edge, or should I say back from the brink of another
surgery. While facial symmetry is often equated with classic beauty, I
decided I am just fine embracing my lack of perfect balance, which is a
good thing because I have one foot that’s smaller than the other and an
off-center belly button thanks to an abdominal surgery.
For sure, Ms.
Zellweger’s previously squinty eyes and chipmunk cheeks weren’t the
quintessential definition of beauty either, but they certainly made her
stand out in a world of cookie-cutter actors. Debora L. Spar, the
president of Barnard College and the author of “Wonder Women: Sex, Power and the Quest for Perfection,” said to another reporter: “The things that made her unique are now gone, and now she looks like a million other people.”
I plan to keep my nose
just the way it is because my nose makes me look like me. This decision
is made just a little bit easier by a rare supportive post among The
Daily Mail’s commenters, who wrote of me:
“I think he looks great either way and would date him in a heartbeat. You go, guy!”
Alright, so I’m a little vain.
************************************************
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
AUTISM UPDATE
Autism is sometimes, though by no means always, associated with Moebius Syndrome. If your Moebius child is also affected by autism, this may help you--studies show that group training sessions can aid parents in helping their autistic child. Read more:
******************************
With group training sessions, researchers say parents can learn to successfully incorporate autism therapy techniques into their everyday interactions with their children.
In a short series of classes, parents were able to learn to apply a language-skills therapy method called pivotal response training and saw meaningful improvement in their kids, according to findings published Monday in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The study is believed to be the first to test whether parents can effectively learn in a group setting to apply an autism therapy.
Not only was the approach successful, but researchers said that parents liked being able to learn from each other.
“Parents really do feel more empowered when they’re in a group setting,” said Kari Berquist of the Stanford University School of Medicine, a co-author of the study. “They’re talking, connecting, sharing their experiences. It gives them a sense of community.”
For the study, researchers randomly assigned parents of 53 children with autism to participate in 12 weeks of classes on pivotal response training or a control group that learned basics about autism. All of the children were between the ages of 2 and 6 and had language delays.
Moms and dads who received the pivotal response training were taught to build language skills through natural interactions. For example, if their son or daughter wanted a ball, parents were taught to encourage their child to say “ball” before rewarding them with the item.
All of the children were assessed at the outset of the study, at six weeks and at 12 weeks to determine their language abilities. Parents were also videotaped at six and 12 weeks to measure how well they were applying the treatment.
Ultimately, the researchers found that 84 percent of parents trained in the pivotal response method were using it correctly by the end of the study. What’s more, children whose parents learned the technique saw greater gains in both the number of words used and how they used them as compared to children in the control group.
Even with the improvements, researchers said that parent-implemented approaches are intended to augment, not replace, autism therapies from professionals.
“The ways that parents instinctually interact with children to guide language development may not work for a child with autism, which can frustrate parents,” said study co-author Grace Gengoux of Stanford. “Parents benefit from knowing how to help their children learn.”
*****************************************
******************************
With group training sessions, researchers say parents can learn to successfully incorporate autism therapy techniques into their everyday interactions with their children.
In a short series of classes, parents were able to learn to apply a language-skills therapy method called pivotal response training and saw meaningful improvement in their kids, according to findings published Monday in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The study is believed to be the first to test whether parents can effectively learn in a group setting to apply an autism therapy.
Not only was the approach successful, but researchers said that parents liked being able to learn from each other.
“Parents really do feel more empowered when they’re in a group setting,” said Kari Berquist of the Stanford University School of Medicine, a co-author of the study. “They’re talking, connecting, sharing their experiences. It gives them a sense of community.”
For the study, researchers randomly assigned parents of 53 children with autism to participate in 12 weeks of classes on pivotal response training or a control group that learned basics about autism. All of the children were between the ages of 2 and 6 and had language delays.
Moms and dads who received the pivotal response training were taught to build language skills through natural interactions. For example, if their son or daughter wanted a ball, parents were taught to encourage their child to say “ball” before rewarding them with the item.
All of the children were assessed at the outset of the study, at six weeks and at 12 weeks to determine their language abilities. Parents were also videotaped at six and 12 weeks to measure how well they were applying the treatment.
Ultimately, the researchers found that 84 percent of parents trained in the pivotal response method were using it correctly by the end of the study. What’s more, children whose parents learned the technique saw greater gains in both the number of words used and how they used them as compared to children in the control group.
Even with the improvements, researchers said that parent-implemented approaches are intended to augment, not replace, autism therapies from professionals.
“The ways that parents instinctually interact with children to guide language development may not work for a child with autism, which can frustrate parents,” said study co-author Grace Gengoux of Stanford. “Parents benefit from knowing how to help their children learn.”
*****************************************
Monday, October 27, 2014
I JUST THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING DEPT: ON TEENS AND HALLOWEEN
Is it okay for teens to trick or treat if they want? This writer think so--what do you think? Read on:
***********************************
One of the things that most pains my Halloween-loving heart is the opposition some older trick-or-treaters face. Maybe I’m just remembering the Halloweens of my childhood through pumpkin-colored lenses, but it seemed like there was more tolerance for trick-or-treaters of all ages when I was a kid.
It’s true, some older kids don’t really get into the spirit of Halloween—instead of donning costumes, some teenagers simply wear a smirk, a bag, and a sense of entitlement. But I don’t really get the outright hostility that some adults have toward older kids who just want to dress up and have some fun. “They’re too old for that!” cry the naysayers.
Too old for what? Dressing outrageously, wandering around town at night, and eating junk food? Isn’t that the definition of teenager?
My teenage sons trick-or-treated until well past what many would consider an “acceptable” age. Their costumes were well-thought-out, and their gratitude for your hard-earned candy was far more heartfelt than the average 3-year-old’s. But at their ages, many parents start putting the nix on the treats and the tricks. If my sons still want to trick-or-treat this year, will his friends be allowed to go with him, or will they have to hit the sidewalks alone, in a world where many keepers of the candy will judge them not on the volume of their Halloween spirit, but the size of their shoes?
I feel for the teenaged would-be trick-or-treaters. By this point, most of them have given up on the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and Halloween is one of the last vestiges of childhood magic they’ve got left.
And it’s not like we grown-ups can claim we don’t long for Halloween fun, too. Adults still dress up, but we eat too much junk food and act like children at cocktail parties instead of going door to door. We don’t want our teenaged kids throwing cocktail parties, so why not let—or even encourage—them to trick-or-treat?
Nobody wants to dole out candy to sullen trick-or-treating teens who look like they couldn’t be bothered to dress up. I get it. But let’s just consider for a moment that the kid who shows up on your door with no costume might just be longing for a bit of that Halloween magic. Maybe he can’t quite bring himself to wear a costume in front of his friends. Maybe he’s just a brat. I don’t really care, frankly. I mean, the kids are asking me for a piece of candy, not a piece of my liver. What’s the big deal?
I’m hereby issuing an invitation: my house will be an equal-opportunity candy distributor this Halloween. If you show up at my door, you will get a treat, whether you’re 2 or 22. Just a warning, though: no matter how old (or young) you are, I expect you to be nice to me. Otherwise, I’ve got a special stash of pennies and unwrapped Mary Janes, just for you.
Meagan Francis is the creator of The Happiest Home blog and tweets @meaganfrancis. A version of this essay previously appeared on her blog.
********************************
***********************************
One of the things that most pains my Halloween-loving heart is the opposition some older trick-or-treaters face. Maybe I’m just remembering the Halloweens of my childhood through pumpkin-colored lenses, but it seemed like there was more tolerance for trick-or-treaters of all ages when I was a kid.
It’s true, some older kids don’t really get into the spirit of Halloween—instead of donning costumes, some teenagers simply wear a smirk, a bag, and a sense of entitlement. But I don’t really get the outright hostility that some adults have toward older kids who just want to dress up and have some fun. “They’re too old for that!” cry the naysayers.
Too old for what? Dressing outrageously, wandering around town at night, and eating junk food? Isn’t that the definition of teenager?
My teenage sons trick-or-treated until well past what many would consider an “acceptable” age. Their costumes were well-thought-out, and their gratitude for your hard-earned candy was far more heartfelt than the average 3-year-old’s. But at their ages, many parents start putting the nix on the treats and the tricks. If my sons still want to trick-or-treat this year, will his friends be allowed to go with him, or will they have to hit the sidewalks alone, in a world where many keepers of the candy will judge them not on the volume of their Halloween spirit, but the size of their shoes?
I feel for the teenaged would-be trick-or-treaters. By this point, most of them have given up on the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, and Halloween is one of the last vestiges of childhood magic they’ve got left.
And it’s not like we grown-ups can claim we don’t long for Halloween fun, too. Adults still dress up, but we eat too much junk food and act like children at cocktail parties instead of going door to door. We don’t want our teenaged kids throwing cocktail parties, so why not let—or even encourage—them to trick-or-treat?
Nobody wants to dole out candy to sullen trick-or-treating teens who look like they couldn’t be bothered to dress up. I get it. But let’s just consider for a moment that the kid who shows up on your door with no costume might just be longing for a bit of that Halloween magic. Maybe he can’t quite bring himself to wear a costume in front of his friends. Maybe he’s just a brat. I don’t really care, frankly. I mean, the kids are asking me for a piece of candy, not a piece of my liver. What’s the big deal?
I’m hereby issuing an invitation: my house will be an equal-opportunity candy distributor this Halloween. If you show up at my door, you will get a treat, whether you’re 2 or 22. Just a warning, though: no matter how old (or young) you are, I expect you to be nice to me. Otherwise, I’ve got a special stash of pennies and unwrapped Mary Janes, just for you.
Meagan Francis is the creator of The Happiest Home blog and tweets @meaganfrancis. A version of this essay previously appeared on her blog.
********************************
Friday, October 24, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS
Last week I was 9-6; I am now 68-44-1 for the year.
COLLEGE PICKS
Ole Miss at LSU. My pick: REBELS 27-10. I really like how Ole Miss is playing; they have an excellent defense and their QB, Bo Wallace, has been very efficient. I think they'll keep that going this week, albeit in a tough road environment (but Ole Miss has dealt with that before--see their victory at Texas A&M.)
NFL PICKS
Atlanta vs Detroit (in London). My pick: LIONS. Given the Falcons' injuries and how the Lions defense has been playing, they should be able to come out on top here. But beware--so far every time this year I've picked the Lions to win, they've lost! Maybe this is where that trend comes to an end.
St. Louis at Kansas City. My pick: CHIEFS 21-13. The Rams in many ways have been amazing, finding ways to win with the rookie Austin Davis at QB. Last week's win over the Seahawks, though, while impressive, was kind of built on various trick plays. Look for that not to work against Kansas City's patient, run-oriented attack.
Houston at Tennessee. My pick: TEXANS 24-20. Honestly, with these two teams--both of whom have some talent but both of whom have killed themselves with mistakes lately--who knows? I'm guessing here that Houston will make one less error and pull this one out.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay. My pick: BUCCANEERS 30-24. Two struggling teams. I mainly suspect that Tampa is simply due to win one.
Seattle at Carolina. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-14. Obviously everyone's faith in Seattle has to be shaken a little bit given what's happened to them lately. It's hard to repeat! We know that, but every year we have to be reminded of it. But I think Seattle still has too much talent and coaching for their skid to continue.
Baltimore at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 30-27. Two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions, with the Ravens playing well the last several weeks, and the Bengals not. But I just have a feeling that this is not the same old Bengals; that they'll pick themselves up this week at home, that they have the talent left to do that; and they'll pull out a close win.
Miami at Jacksonville. My pick: DOLPHINS 24-9. The Jaguars finally got a win last week. But Miami is playing well now, especially QB Ryan Tannehill; look for that to continue here.
Chicago at New England. My pick: PATRIOTS 33-17. You can't make mistakes and win on the road in the NFL, and that's what the Bears have been doing too often, both at home and on the road; and you can't do it in New England against Tom Brady and the Patriots especially.
Buffalo at NY Jets. My pick: NY JETS 26-21. Just a feeling here--note that Buffalo has injuries to two of its best RBs in C. J. Spiller and Fred Jackson; this is a tough divisional game on the road and the Jets are due.
Philadelphia at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 24-23. Look for the Eagles to be a bit rusty after their bye week; and the Cardinals are tough at home, have a good defense, and Carson Palmer is finding Larry Fitzgerald again in the passing game.
Oakland at Cleveland. My pick: BROWNS 28-14. Cleveland laid an egg last week in Jacksonville. But I don't think they'll do it on friendly home ground against the woeful Raiders.
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh. My pick: COLTS 31-27. A tough game; these teams have been rivals for a long time. The Steelers are usually tough at home. But the Colts right now appear to be playing better football.
Green Bay at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 34-31. Really overall it would seem the Packers are playing better football; BUT--New Orleans is just a different animal at home. And they're desperate--they must have this game.
Washington at Dallas (Monday night). My pick: COWBOYS 27-10. It's time to believe in the Cowboys, given what they've accomplished--6 straight wins against some tough opponents. Meanwhile the Redskins come in and probably will have to start Colt McCoy. The Cowboys could wrap this one up early.
COLLEGE PICKS
Ole Miss at LSU. My pick: REBELS 27-10. I really like how Ole Miss is playing; they have an excellent defense and their QB, Bo Wallace, has been very efficient. I think they'll keep that going this week, albeit in a tough road environment (but Ole Miss has dealt with that before--see their victory at Texas A&M.)
NFL PICKS
Atlanta vs Detroit (in London). My pick: LIONS. Given the Falcons' injuries and how the Lions defense has been playing, they should be able to come out on top here. But beware--so far every time this year I've picked the Lions to win, they've lost! Maybe this is where that trend comes to an end.
St. Louis at Kansas City. My pick: CHIEFS 21-13. The Rams in many ways have been amazing, finding ways to win with the rookie Austin Davis at QB. Last week's win over the Seahawks, though, while impressive, was kind of built on various trick plays. Look for that not to work against Kansas City's patient, run-oriented attack.
Houston at Tennessee. My pick: TEXANS 24-20. Honestly, with these two teams--both of whom have some talent but both of whom have killed themselves with mistakes lately--who knows? I'm guessing here that Houston will make one less error and pull this one out.
Minnesota at Tampa Bay. My pick: BUCCANEERS 30-24. Two struggling teams. I mainly suspect that Tampa is simply due to win one.
Seattle at Carolina. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-14. Obviously everyone's faith in Seattle has to be shaken a little bit given what's happened to them lately. It's hard to repeat! We know that, but every year we have to be reminded of it. But I think Seattle still has too much talent and coaching for their skid to continue.
Baltimore at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 30-27. Two teams that seem to be going in opposite directions, with the Ravens playing well the last several weeks, and the Bengals not. But I just have a feeling that this is not the same old Bengals; that they'll pick themselves up this week at home, that they have the talent left to do that; and they'll pull out a close win.
Miami at Jacksonville. My pick: DOLPHINS 24-9. The Jaguars finally got a win last week. But Miami is playing well now, especially QB Ryan Tannehill; look for that to continue here.
Chicago at New England. My pick: PATRIOTS 33-17. You can't make mistakes and win on the road in the NFL, and that's what the Bears have been doing too often, both at home and on the road; and you can't do it in New England against Tom Brady and the Patriots especially.
Buffalo at NY Jets. My pick: NY JETS 26-21. Just a feeling here--note that Buffalo has injuries to two of its best RBs in C. J. Spiller and Fred Jackson; this is a tough divisional game on the road and the Jets are due.
Philadelphia at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 24-23. Look for the Eagles to be a bit rusty after their bye week; and the Cardinals are tough at home, have a good defense, and Carson Palmer is finding Larry Fitzgerald again in the passing game.
Oakland at Cleveland. My pick: BROWNS 28-14. Cleveland laid an egg last week in Jacksonville. But I don't think they'll do it on friendly home ground against the woeful Raiders.
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh. My pick: COLTS 31-27. A tough game; these teams have been rivals for a long time. The Steelers are usually tough at home. But the Colts right now appear to be playing better football.
Green Bay at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 34-31. Really overall it would seem the Packers are playing better football; BUT--New Orleans is just a different animal at home. And they're desperate--they must have this game.
Washington at Dallas (Monday night). My pick: COWBOYS 27-10. It's time to believe in the Cowboys, given what they've accomplished--6 straight wins against some tough opponents. Meanwhile the Redskins come in and probably will have to start Colt McCoy. The Cowboys could wrap this one up early.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
BULLYING UPDATE
An encouraging note: the federal Department of Education recently sent out an official letter reminding schools that they are required to step in and halt any bullying of students with disabilities:
**************************************
In response to an increasing number of complaints, federal officials are reminding the nation’s schools of their responsibilities to ensure that students with disabilities are not subjected to bullying.
The U.S. Department of Education said in a “Dear Colleague” letter to educators Tuesday that schools are obligated under federal law to step in immediately when bullying of students with disabilities is suspected and act to halt attacks and prevent any recurrence.
The guidance comes amid what education officials called a “troubling trend” of “an ever-increasing number of complaints” related to bullying of kids with disabilities in recent years. Since 2009, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it has received more than 2,000 complaints stemming from issues at public schools across the country.
“While there is broad consensus that bullying cannot be tolerated, the sad reality is that bullying persists in our schools today, especially for students with disabilities,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education. “Basic decency and respect demand that our schools ensure that all their students learn in a safe environment.”
The new guidance makes clear that there are protections in place for students whether they are served in school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
In cases where students with disabilities are believed to be experiencing bullying, schools must “take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the issue and, as necessary, take steps to stop the bullying and prevent it from recurring,” the Education Department said.
What’s more, schools must act to ensure that bullying — whether or not it is based on a student’s disability — does not interfere with a child’s ability to receive special education or other disability-related services.
This is not the first time that federal education officials have spelled out the special responsibilities that schools have to address bullying of kids with disabilities. Just last year, the Department of Education told schools that bullying can lead to a denial of a student’s right under IDEA to a free and appropriate public education, or FAPE, if it “results in the student not receiving meaningful educational benefit.”
In addition to its guidance for educators, the Department of Education is also issuing a fact sheet for parents clarifying what they can expect of schools.
*****************************************
And here is a link to the fact sheet referenced above.
**************************************
In response to an increasing number of complaints, federal officials are reminding the nation’s schools of their responsibilities to ensure that students with disabilities are not subjected to bullying.
The U.S. Department of Education said in a “Dear Colleague” letter to educators Tuesday that schools are obligated under federal law to step in immediately when bullying of students with disabilities is suspected and act to halt attacks and prevent any recurrence.
The guidance comes amid what education officials called a “troubling trend” of “an ever-increasing number of complaints” related to bullying of kids with disabilities in recent years. Since 2009, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it has received more than 2,000 complaints stemming from issues at public schools across the country.
“While there is broad consensus that bullying cannot be tolerated, the sad reality is that bullying persists in our schools today, especially for students with disabilities,” said Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights at the Department of Education. “Basic decency and respect demand that our schools ensure that all their students learn in a safe environment.”
The new guidance makes clear that there are protections in place for students whether they are served in school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
In cases where students with disabilities are believed to be experiencing bullying, schools must “take immediate and appropriate action to investigate the issue and, as necessary, take steps to stop the bullying and prevent it from recurring,” the Education Department said.
What’s more, schools must act to ensure that bullying — whether or not it is based on a student’s disability — does not interfere with a child’s ability to receive special education or other disability-related services.
This is not the first time that federal education officials have spelled out the special responsibilities that schools have to address bullying of kids with disabilities. Just last year, the Department of Education told schools that bullying can lead to a denial of a student’s right under IDEA to a free and appropriate public education, or FAPE, if it “results in the student not receiving meaningful educational benefit.”
In addition to its guidance for educators, the Department of Education is also issuing a fact sheet for parents clarifying what they can expect of schools.
*****************************************
And here is a link to the fact sheet referenced above.
Monday, October 20, 2014
HEALTHY UPDATE: GYM ETIQUETTE DO'S AND DON'TS
I know a number of you out there in the Moebius community hit the gym occasionally; and many of us try to be as healthy as we can in as many ways as we can. So if you do hit the gym already, or are thinking of doing it, here are some pointers on gym etiquette:
************************************
Spend enough time at the gym and you’re bound to develop some pet peeves. It’s a communal space, shared by people with idiosyncrasies that can drive others up a wall — humming while running, staring while lifting or loud-talking while doing anything.
Teaching fitness classes at a gym has given me a front-row seat to some colorful behavior that local trainers and gym managers tell me is pretty common. While there is no way to avoid annoying somebody at some point, there are basic rules of gym etiquette to keep people from throwing you the side-eye.
● Focus on your workout, not everyone else’s: Look, I get it. You read fitness mags, have a few exercise apps on your smartphone and are at the gym so much that all the cleaning people know your name. But unless you’re a certified trainer, no one needs your advice on their form.
This kind of gym-splaining happens way too often to women. Some dude will think it’s his duty to explain the fine points of a squat or, worse yet, try to physically correct your posture. It’s intimidating enough to exercise in front of a bunch of chiseled people without a stranger singling you out for a lesson.
If you are genuinely concerned that someone might injure himself, tap a trainer on the shoulder and politely say, “Hey, I think that person over there could use some help.” Most trainers are happy to help, especially if it means a potential new client.
“If someone is in immediate danger, help them out. But otherwise, look for a trainer on the floor,” said Devin Maier, a personal trainer at Balance Gym in the District.
Focusing on your workout also means not staring at people as they are doing theirs. You can learn a lot from checking out someone else’s routine, but don’t ogle. And if you really want to try the circuit that the guy next to you is doing, ask him about it when it looks like he’s done.
● Keep it clean: If you’re a sweat monster, like I am, bring wipes to clean off the machines, mats and weights. Most gyms come equipped with spray bottles and paper towels; some even have disinfecting wipes. Use them.
Slipping and busting your behind on someone’s treadmill sweat trail is no fun. Janitors can be in only so many places at once. They need your cooperation to keep the gym from becoming a petri dish.
If you like to shave or wash your hair in the locker room shower, take a paper towel and scoop up the bits of hair in the drain. Sure, it’s icky, but it’s ickier when somebody else has to step in it. And if you need to freshen your makeup at the sink, clean up the film of foundation or blush powder around the edges.
● Keep grunts to a minimum: Yes, that last set of curls is killing you. So much so that you’re gritting your teeth, breaking into a sweat and grunting like you’re Conan the Barbarian — but you’re not, so keep it down.
It is natural to grunt when exerting effort; some trainers will even tell you that it enhances performance. One study of college tennis players found that their serve and forehand velocity increased when they grunted.
Still, that loud exhalation can be distracting to everyone else. Besides, you can forcefully expel air without making a whole lot of noise. Try it.
“If it sounds like someone is passing a kidney stone and it’s distracting to other people, then you need to tone it down,” Maier said. “We’re all for people exerting themselves within reason, but we don’t want someone to bust a blood vessel.”
And another thing: There is no need to drop the weights after completing that oh-so-difficult set. It’s distracting and dangerous, Alexx Griffin, regional group fitness director at Vida, said in an e-mail.
“Please do not drop weights from overhead or let [them] drop from waist level to the ground,” he wrote. Instead, “maintain control of weights at all times,” and safely lower them to a resting position.
● Don’t hog several machines or weights at once: Rotating from one machine to the next as part of a circuit can be a great way to break up the monotony of your workout. But be mindful that other people want to use the leg press or Smith machine.
Don’t take long breaks in between each set, because someone will swoop in to take one of the machines. And swoopers, ask whether the person is still using the leg press before you start your set. The frustration of having to wait and wait for a machine is no excuse for rudeness.
“I’m all for people doing circuit training, but if you are going to monopolize multiple pieces of equipment, you should probably come in during off-peak hours,” Maier said. “If you’re going to the gym at 6 p.m. at night, don’t do it. You’re going to upset people, and everyone has got to share.”
All the same advice applies to the use of weights. It’s splendid that you are trying to increase the amount of weight you can lift. You know what’s not splendid? People waiting 20 minutes for the pair of 10-, 15- and 20-pound dumbbells that you say you’re “almost” done using. Not all gyms come fully stocked with multiple weights of the same size, so keep that in mind when you pick up the last pair of 15-pound dumbbells.
And “return all equipment to its proper location after use so that it’s readily available for other members and keeps the gym floor free of clutter,” Griffin said.
● Confine your stuff to one area: There is no reason for anyone to have their belongings — water bottle, sweatshirt, keys, phone, wallet — strewn about. This goes for the locker room, weight room and class studio. None of these places are your house, so you have no right to throw your stuff everywhere. Not cool.
There is limited space in the gym that has to be shared by everyone, so it does no one any good to have maneuver around all of your things. Get a locker. If you don’t feel safe parting from your wallet or cellphone, then neatly place them somewhere that’s not in the way.
When you’re in the locker room, don’t leave your toiletries in the shower stall. Same goes for your sweaty clothes and worn undies. No one needs to see all that. No one. Ever.
***************************************
************************************
Spend enough time at the gym and you’re bound to develop some pet peeves. It’s a communal space, shared by people with idiosyncrasies that can drive others up a wall — humming while running, staring while lifting or loud-talking while doing anything.
Teaching fitness classes at a gym has given me a front-row seat to some colorful behavior that local trainers and gym managers tell me is pretty common. While there is no way to avoid annoying somebody at some point, there are basic rules of gym etiquette to keep people from throwing you the side-eye.
● Focus on your workout, not everyone else’s: Look, I get it. You read fitness mags, have a few exercise apps on your smartphone and are at the gym so much that all the cleaning people know your name. But unless you’re a certified trainer, no one needs your advice on their form.
This kind of gym-splaining happens way too often to women. Some dude will think it’s his duty to explain the fine points of a squat or, worse yet, try to physically correct your posture. It’s intimidating enough to exercise in front of a bunch of chiseled people without a stranger singling you out for a lesson.
If you are genuinely concerned that someone might injure himself, tap a trainer on the shoulder and politely say, “Hey, I think that person over there could use some help.” Most trainers are happy to help, especially if it means a potential new client.
“If someone is in immediate danger, help them out. But otherwise, look for a trainer on the floor,” said Devin Maier, a personal trainer at Balance Gym in the District.
Focusing on your workout also means not staring at people as they are doing theirs. You can learn a lot from checking out someone else’s routine, but don’t ogle. And if you really want to try the circuit that the guy next to you is doing, ask him about it when it looks like he’s done.
● Keep it clean: If you’re a sweat monster, like I am, bring wipes to clean off the machines, mats and weights. Most gyms come equipped with spray bottles and paper towels; some even have disinfecting wipes. Use them.
Slipping and busting your behind on someone’s treadmill sweat trail is no fun. Janitors can be in only so many places at once. They need your cooperation to keep the gym from becoming a petri dish.
If you like to shave or wash your hair in the locker room shower, take a paper towel and scoop up the bits of hair in the drain. Sure, it’s icky, but it’s ickier when somebody else has to step in it. And if you need to freshen your makeup at the sink, clean up the film of foundation or blush powder around the edges.
● Keep grunts to a minimum: Yes, that last set of curls is killing you. So much so that you’re gritting your teeth, breaking into a sweat and grunting like you’re Conan the Barbarian — but you’re not, so keep it down.
It is natural to grunt when exerting effort; some trainers will even tell you that it enhances performance. One study of college tennis players found that their serve and forehand velocity increased when they grunted.
Still, that loud exhalation can be distracting to everyone else. Besides, you can forcefully expel air without making a whole lot of noise. Try it.
“If it sounds like someone is passing a kidney stone and it’s distracting to other people, then you need to tone it down,” Maier said. “We’re all for people exerting themselves within reason, but we don’t want someone to bust a blood vessel.”
And another thing: There is no need to drop the weights after completing that oh-so-difficult set. It’s distracting and dangerous, Alexx Griffin, regional group fitness director at Vida, said in an e-mail.
“Please do not drop weights from overhead or let [them] drop from waist level to the ground,” he wrote. Instead, “maintain control of weights at all times,” and safely lower them to a resting position.
● Don’t hog several machines or weights at once: Rotating from one machine to the next as part of a circuit can be a great way to break up the monotony of your workout. But be mindful that other people want to use the leg press or Smith machine.
Don’t take long breaks in between each set, because someone will swoop in to take one of the machines. And swoopers, ask whether the person is still using the leg press before you start your set. The frustration of having to wait and wait for a machine is no excuse for rudeness.
“I’m all for people doing circuit training, but if you are going to monopolize multiple pieces of equipment, you should probably come in during off-peak hours,” Maier said. “If you’re going to the gym at 6 p.m. at night, don’t do it. You’re going to upset people, and everyone has got to share.”
All the same advice applies to the use of weights. It’s splendid that you are trying to increase the amount of weight you can lift. You know what’s not splendid? People waiting 20 minutes for the pair of 10-, 15- and 20-pound dumbbells that you say you’re “almost” done using. Not all gyms come fully stocked with multiple weights of the same size, so keep that in mind when you pick up the last pair of 15-pound dumbbells.
And “return all equipment to its proper location after use so that it’s readily available for other members and keeps the gym floor free of clutter,” Griffin said.
● Confine your stuff to one area: There is no reason for anyone to have their belongings — water bottle, sweatshirt, keys, phone, wallet — strewn about. This goes for the locker room, weight room and class studio. None of these places are your house, so you have no right to throw your stuff everywhere. Not cool.
There is limited space in the gym that has to be shared by everyone, so it does no one any good to have maneuver around all of your things. Get a locker. If you don’t feel safe parting from your wallet or cellphone, then neatly place them somewhere that’s not in the way.
When you’re in the locker room, don’t leave your toiletries in the shower stall. Same goes for your sweaty clothes and worn undies. No one needs to see all that. No one. Ever.
***************************************
Friday, October 17, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS
Last week I was only so-so: I was 9-7-1.
I am now 59-38-1 for the year.
Let's go!:
COLLEGE PICKS
Notre Dame at Florida State. My pick: SEMINOLES. Yes, many are picking ND in an upset. And I expect this to be a close, tight game. But--FSU is used to distractions; so is Jameis Winston; and I look for him and the Seminoles to make some late offensive plays late and pull this game out.
NFL PICKS
Atlanta at Baltimore. My pick: RAVENS 34-20. Atlanta has problems--an offensive line ravaged by injuries, receivers dropping passes, etc. And they haven't played well on the road yet. Meanwhile Joe Flacco's 5 TD passes in 16 minutes indicates he's getting hot.
Tennessee at Washington. My pick: REDSKINS 23-13. A chance for Kirk Cousins and the beleaguered Redskins to get a bit better at home against the inconsistent Titans.
Seattle at St. Louis. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-10. Seattle is not playing at the level at which they want to play, yet; last week's game against Dallas showed that. But: that probably also woke them up. Here's a chance for them to get on the right track.
Cleveland at Jacksonville. My pick: BROWNS 31-21. Cleveland has obviously improved; last week's win over the Steelers, their nemesis for years, I think proved that. I really like Brian Hoyer as their QB. They should win this game and in the end they will.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 30-27. These are two pretty good teams. I go with Colts here because 1] Cincy's defense has injuries and has proven to be leaky lately; 2] the Colts play well at home.
Minnesota at Buffalo. My pick: BILLS 24-20. Teddy Bridgewater is after all a rookie; he got a bit exposed last week. Kyle Orton has performed pretty well as Buffalo's QB; and they have a pretty good defense. The Bills to win at home.
Miami at Chicago. My pick: UPSET ALERT---DOLPHINS 20-16. This is one of those games. You say, well, Miami's not very good; they're only 2-3. You say, well, the Bears are back on track--look how they won last week in Atlanta. But remember--the Bears have been inconsistent this year, especially when Cutler turns it over, and I think Miami might be a bit better than many think--they could have easily beaten Green Bay last week. Look for the Dolphins to win thanks to at least one costly Cutler INT.
New Orleans at Detroit. My pick: SAINTS 24-23. I'd love to pick the Lions here, but with some of their injuries (especially to Calvin Johnson) and their inability in the past to control Drew Brees, I just suspect the Saints pull this one out late.
Carolina at Green Bay. My pick: PACKERS 38-35. As you can see, I expect this to be a high-scoring game; look for Cam Newton to make plays both with his feet and with his arm. But--look for Aaron Rodgers to pull it out again late, just like last week.
Kansas City at San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 24-20. What can you say about the level of play we're seeing from Philip Rivers? He's been phenomenal. I expect a tough, close game from these two divisional rivals, but you have to expect Rivers to lead the Chargers to victory again.
Arizona at Oakland. My pick: CARDINALS 27-14. The Cardinals remain one of the great but forgotten NFL stories. They have a solid defense; and Carson Palmer is back. Look for the Cards' secondary to pick off at least one Derek Carr pass and turn it into points, as the Cardinals win again.
NY Giants at Dallas. My pick: UPSET ALERT--GIANTS 28-27. Now here you probably think I'm crazy. The Cowboys just had a monumental win in Seattle; while the Giants last Sunday night looked awful in Philly. But--the NFL is funny that way. We think we know everything; but we don't. Dallas is bound to have a bit of a letdown this week, after such a big win and then everybody saying such nice things about them. Meanwhile, Eli Manning is very capable of putting up big numbers, and of rebounding from poor performances. Reports are--Tony Romo will play but was a bit banged up after last week, Cowboys O-lineman Doug Free is out for several weeks. Demarco Murray was sick this week. A Cowboys letdown could open the door for a Giant upset.
San Francisco at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 31-24. Both teams are good. The keys here: the Broncos are at home; they still have Peyton Manning; AND...that Denver defense is better than last year. It's faster and more physical. They will hold the 49ers in check just enough to get the Broncos to victory here.
Houston at Pittsburgh. My pick: TEXANS 17-14. Both teams have struggled lately. But I think the Steelers are in trouble; they've been out of sync offensively for some time now. You don't want to be out of sync when playing J.J. Watt and company. Note too that Arian Foster has had several good games in a row. Look for him to run for over 100 yards in a close Texan win.
I am now 59-38-1 for the year.
Let's go!:
COLLEGE PICKS
Notre Dame at Florida State. My pick: SEMINOLES. Yes, many are picking ND in an upset. And I expect this to be a close, tight game. But--FSU is used to distractions; so is Jameis Winston; and I look for him and the Seminoles to make some late offensive plays late and pull this game out.
NFL PICKS
Atlanta at Baltimore. My pick: RAVENS 34-20. Atlanta has problems--an offensive line ravaged by injuries, receivers dropping passes, etc. And they haven't played well on the road yet. Meanwhile Joe Flacco's 5 TD passes in 16 minutes indicates he's getting hot.
Tennessee at Washington. My pick: REDSKINS 23-13. A chance for Kirk Cousins and the beleaguered Redskins to get a bit better at home against the inconsistent Titans.
Seattle at St. Louis. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-10. Seattle is not playing at the level at which they want to play, yet; last week's game against Dallas showed that. But: that probably also woke them up. Here's a chance for them to get on the right track.
Cleveland at Jacksonville. My pick: BROWNS 31-21. Cleveland has obviously improved; last week's win over the Steelers, their nemesis for years, I think proved that. I really like Brian Hoyer as their QB. They should win this game and in the end they will.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 30-27. These are two pretty good teams. I go with Colts here because 1] Cincy's defense has injuries and has proven to be leaky lately; 2] the Colts play well at home.
Minnesota at Buffalo. My pick: BILLS 24-20. Teddy Bridgewater is after all a rookie; he got a bit exposed last week. Kyle Orton has performed pretty well as Buffalo's QB; and they have a pretty good defense. The Bills to win at home.
Miami at Chicago. My pick: UPSET ALERT---DOLPHINS 20-16. This is one of those games. You say, well, Miami's not very good; they're only 2-3. You say, well, the Bears are back on track--look how they won last week in Atlanta. But remember--the Bears have been inconsistent this year, especially when Cutler turns it over, and I think Miami might be a bit better than many think--they could have easily beaten Green Bay last week. Look for the Dolphins to win thanks to at least one costly Cutler INT.
New Orleans at Detroit. My pick: SAINTS 24-23. I'd love to pick the Lions here, but with some of their injuries (especially to Calvin Johnson) and their inability in the past to control Drew Brees, I just suspect the Saints pull this one out late.
Carolina at Green Bay. My pick: PACKERS 38-35. As you can see, I expect this to be a high-scoring game; look for Cam Newton to make plays both with his feet and with his arm. But--look for Aaron Rodgers to pull it out again late, just like last week.
Kansas City at San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 24-20. What can you say about the level of play we're seeing from Philip Rivers? He's been phenomenal. I expect a tough, close game from these two divisional rivals, but you have to expect Rivers to lead the Chargers to victory again.
Arizona at Oakland. My pick: CARDINALS 27-14. The Cardinals remain one of the great but forgotten NFL stories. They have a solid defense; and Carson Palmer is back. Look for the Cards' secondary to pick off at least one Derek Carr pass and turn it into points, as the Cardinals win again.
NY Giants at Dallas. My pick: UPSET ALERT--GIANTS 28-27. Now here you probably think I'm crazy. The Cowboys just had a monumental win in Seattle; while the Giants last Sunday night looked awful in Philly. But--the NFL is funny that way. We think we know everything; but we don't. Dallas is bound to have a bit of a letdown this week, after such a big win and then everybody saying such nice things about them. Meanwhile, Eli Manning is very capable of putting up big numbers, and of rebounding from poor performances. Reports are--Tony Romo will play but was a bit banged up after last week, Cowboys O-lineman Doug Free is out for several weeks. Demarco Murray was sick this week. A Cowboys letdown could open the door for a Giant upset.
San Francisco at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 31-24. Both teams are good. The keys here: the Broncos are at home; they still have Peyton Manning; AND...that Denver defense is better than last year. It's faster and more physical. They will hold the 49ers in check just enough to get the Broncos to victory here.
Houston at Pittsburgh. My pick: TEXANS 17-14. Both teams have struggled lately. But I think the Steelers are in trouble; they've been out of sync offensively for some time now. You don't want to be out of sync when playing J.J. Watt and company. Note too that Arian Foster has had several good games in a row. Look for him to run for over 100 yards in a close Texan win.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
AUTISM UPDATE
For those Moebius moms and dads whose child may also be affected by autism--you may be interested in this nugget of information:
******************************
******************************
A chemical that’s found in broccoli and other vegetables may be able to dramatically improve behavior and social skills in those with autism, researchers say.
In as little as four weeks of taking daily doses of the broccoli sprout extract sulforaphane, many teens and adults with autism saw significant gains in behavior, socialization and communication, according to findings published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study involved 40 males ages 13 to 27 with moderate to severe autism, 26 of whom received daily doses of the broccoli sprout extract while the rest were given a placebo.
After 18 weeks, an assessment found that 46 percent of those taking sulforaphane showed noticeable gains in social interaction, 54 percent saw improvements in behavior and 42 percent exhibited better verbal communication.
The impact on those who received sulforaphane was profound in many cases, with some participants taking on new skills like making eye contact and shaking hands, researchers said.
“When we broke the code that revealed who was receiving sulforaphane and who got the placebo, the results weren’t surprising to us, since the improvements were so noticeable,” said Andrew Zimmerman of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children who worked on the study.
The benefits, however, fell off after the individuals stopped taking sulforaphane, the study found.
Researchers caution that their findings will need to be replicated in a larger study and noted that about a third of those who took sulforaphane did not see any improvement. What’s more, they said the doses of sulforaphane given to study participants would be difficult to achieve by eating broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables.
Sulforaphane is believed to prompt a cellular stress response in the body much like a fever does when a person is ill. Researchers said they were inspired to try the treatment after hearing anecdotally from families that fevers seemed to trigger improvements in autism symptoms.
“We believe that this may be preliminary evidence for the first treatment for autism that improves symptoms by apparently correcting some of the underlying cellular problems,” said Paul Talalay of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a co-author of the study.
***************************************
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
MOEBIUS SYNDROME IN THE NEWS
And once again it concerns our young Moebius hero Jack Marshall, from the UK. We've talked about him before on this blog; he accomplishes amazing things. And now he's about to win an award. Read more:
***************************************
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research fundraiser Jack Marshall has been announced as the winner of the BBC Radio 1 ‘Stephen Sutton Teen Hero Award’, in recognition of his remarkable and selfless fundraising for charity.
Jack, who has Moebius Syndrome, is unable to walk unassisted, has difficult with hearing and sight, and is unable to smile. Despite this he has completed the Great North and Great Manchester Junior runs a number of times, as well as climbing Yorkshire’s three peaks and Snowdon to raise thousands of pounds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
The 16 year old from Belton in Lancashire was suprised by Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, who visited him at his home to share the amazing news. You can listen to Jack's reaction here from 1hr19 and then again at 1hr26.
The award, which will be presented at the Radio 1 Teen Awards ceremony this Sunday (19 Oct) at Wembley Stadium, was created in memory of 19-year-old Stephen who raised £5m for charity before his death from cancer in May.
Jack says: “I do what I do to help other people. Yes I have Moebius Syndrome but that is not a terminal illness like blood cancer can often be. Leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma destroys so many lives, both young and old, and so many of those lives can be saved with money raised for research and to support patients with the disease.
“I am very proud and very humble that my name is linked to an inspirational person like Stephen Sutton and I shall aspire to honour his memory.”
Jack’s mum, Linda, adds: “Moebius Syndrome is known as life without a smile but Jack smiles from inside in a big way. I am proud of him every single day of his life - the way he lives his life, the way in which, despite his disability, he devotes himself to helping others. He is an incredible young man.”
Cathy Gilman, Chief Executive of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, says: “When we heard the news that Jack had won this very special award we were absolutely delighted for him. His determination to raise tens of thousands of pounds to help those affected by blood cancer is incredibly selfless and truly inspirational.”
*********************************
Be sure and follow the link above to the actual site that first posted this; they have links to more information about all this, along with the some video of Jack Marshall himself. Great work, Jack!
***************************************
Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research fundraiser Jack Marshall has been announced as the winner of the BBC Radio 1 ‘Stephen Sutton Teen Hero Award’, in recognition of his remarkable and selfless fundraising for charity.
Jack, who has Moebius Syndrome, is unable to walk unassisted, has difficult with hearing and sight, and is unable to smile. Despite this he has completed the Great North and Great Manchester Junior runs a number of times, as well as climbing Yorkshire’s three peaks and Snowdon to raise thousands of pounds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research.
The 16 year old from Belton in Lancashire was suprised by Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, who visited him at his home to share the amazing news. You can listen to Jack's reaction here from 1hr19 and then again at 1hr26.
The award, which will be presented at the Radio 1 Teen Awards ceremony this Sunday (19 Oct) at Wembley Stadium, was created in memory of 19-year-old Stephen who raised £5m for charity before his death from cancer in May.
Jack says: “I do what I do to help other people. Yes I have Moebius Syndrome but that is not a terminal illness like blood cancer can often be. Leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma destroys so many lives, both young and old, and so many of those lives can be saved with money raised for research and to support patients with the disease.
“I am very proud and very humble that my name is linked to an inspirational person like Stephen Sutton and I shall aspire to honour his memory.”
Jack’s mum, Linda, adds: “Moebius Syndrome is known as life without a smile but Jack smiles from inside in a big way. I am proud of him every single day of his life - the way he lives his life, the way in which, despite his disability, he devotes himself to helping others. He is an incredible young man.”
Cathy Gilman, Chief Executive of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, says: “When we heard the news that Jack had won this very special award we were absolutely delighted for him. His determination to raise tens of thousands of pounds to help those affected by blood cancer is incredibly selfless and truly inspirational.”
*********************************
Be sure and follow the link above to the actual site that first posted this; they have links to more information about all this, along with the some video of Jack Marshall himself. Great work, Jack!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
I thought you'd all find this interesting and relevant. And this can be very important for the Moebius parent. Some of your children have special needs; a number of you are very familiar with IEPs and the like. When you have a child with any kind of special need, then of course you really need to be in tune with his or her teacher, and with what's going on in school. Well--this particular writer has been in over 30 parent-teacher conferences spanning more than one decade. There's a lot she has learned. Find out what that is:
*************************
*************************
I have been to 36 parent-teacher conferences over three different decades and two countries. I have had walked out of my children’s classrooms with high hopes and dashed hopes for the school year. Before one set of conferences my children’s principal warned me of my impending trial by saying, “…your boys define the behavioral spectrum at this school.” In her oh-so-polite English way she was letting me know that I was the mother of both the best and worst behaved child in her school.
Through all of this, which I can only laugh about now, I have learned something about the fine art of the parent-teacher conference and, looking back with more than a touch of regret, here is what I should have known:
I should have shut up. Teachers know things I didn’t. My children’s teachers saw a child that I didn’t and they had a way of putting him into context that I didn’t. The single best thing I could do at a parent-teacher conference was to listen. I was being given a gift, a window through which to view my child, an opening that my open-mouth just slammed shut.
I should not have been blindsided. I hate surprises, but if I am going to get them I would rather have them in the privacy of my home than in my child’s classroom siting vulnerably in one of those tiny chairs. Talk to your kid before you go to school, ask if there is anything you should know before the meeting. The meeting will go far better if you know of any impending big issues.
A lot of what gets said, goes unsaid. Few teachers have the guts to tell parents that they have raised a monster, a mean girl or the class clown. Teachers have seen it all, few will want to be alarmists, and many will speak through a veil of politeness. Listen to what is being said and what is not being said. Reading between the lines, hearing the implications, can be vital.
Drag your child’s other parent along. My husband came to these conferences and always learned something other than what I did. Because he is male or foreign or just a different person, he heard a slightly different message or thought of different questions and we got twice as much out of our meetings.
Do not get defensive, no matter what. Defensiveness never yields open communication. I have had teachers suggest ADD drugs for a son who did not need them, misjudge another’s abilities entirely, and inform me that one of sons was the source of the bad language used in her classroom (ouch). Get up in arms and it can be a very, very long school year. Most of the time, most teachers showed true insight and care for my children and it behooved me to listen to their insights, without argument. I was there to learn about their behavior, good and bad not to defend their actions.
This is speed dating, so be prepared. Let’s be honest, most of us can discuss our kids for hours, but teachers have only a few minutes to spare. Come armed with one must-ask question and one must-reinforce point and the meeting will be a success.
If any of your questions require info, email the teacher ahead of time. I have kicked myself when we spent our precious few minutes watching my child’s teacher search the classroom for a single piece of paper that contained the answer to one of my questions. See above, this is speed dating, so make it quick and come prepared.
Don’t shortchange your child because another parent lost track of time. If the time-challenged parent who went before you took some of your time, it is truly not your problem. This one was hard for me to learn. When I found myself allotted 10 minutes and ushered in seven minutes late, my impulse was to speak at twice my normal speed. I took me many fast-talking sessions to realize that I did not need to make-up for another parent’s bad manners by cutting my session short.
No need for panic. It doesn’t all have to happen in this one, very abbreviated meeting. It took me years to learn not to try and squeeze a year’s worth of thoughts into 10 minutes. The school year is long, the means of communication are many, so whatever does not get said in this one hurried encounter can be revisited.
******************************
Monday, October 13, 2014
TWO INTERESTING NEWS ITEMS
And both of them have to do with what many persons with Moebius Syndrome have--a facial difference. One story has to do with a feel-good story about nice things done for kids with a difference; and the other has to do with something good that Hollywood is up to. Read on:
******************************************
"Lionsgate has tapped John Krokidas, "Kill Your Darlings" director, to direct the film adaptation of Young Adult Novel "Wonder."
The film will be based on R.J. Palacio's New York Times best-seller novel about a 10-year-old with a facial difference.
The story follows Auggie Pullman, whose facial difference has kept him from going to a mainstream school.
Now, he will be entering the fifth grade at Beecher Prep and he wants to fit in but he will have to teach everyone around him that there is more than meets the eye.
Jack Thorne will write the screenplay for the movie.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman with Mandeville Films will produce the YA adaptation.
The book "Wonder" hit the shelves in February 2012 by publisher Knopf Books.
The book that is aimed for Young Readers has sold more than two million copies since its publication.
The Palacio best seller has consistently been in the top ranks of the New York Times Best Seller list since March 2012.
It was also listed for high-profile children's literature awards the Carnegie medal and the UKLA Book Club.
Erik Feig, Gillian Bohrer, and James Myers will be overseeing the project.
Lionsgate's Executive VP for Business Affairs Robert Melnik negotiated the deal.
Director Krokidas has mad his directorial debut in the 2013 movie "Kill Your Darlings", starring "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliff and "Amazing Spiderman" star Dane DeHaan.
Krokidas is also set to direct "Young Americans," which will reunite him with Radcliffe and DeHaan.
He will also direct "Standard Happiness Package" for Fox Searchlight and "High Rise" for Fox 2000.
******************************************
"Lionsgate has tapped John Krokidas, "Kill Your Darlings" director, to direct the film adaptation of Young Adult Novel "Wonder."
The film will be based on R.J. Palacio's New York Times best-seller novel about a 10-year-old with a facial difference.
The story follows Auggie Pullman, whose facial difference has kept him from going to a mainstream school.
Now, he will be entering the fifth grade at Beecher Prep and he wants to fit in but he will have to teach everyone around him that there is more than meets the eye.
Jack Thorne will write the screenplay for the movie.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman with Mandeville Films will produce the YA adaptation.
The book "Wonder" hit the shelves in February 2012 by publisher Knopf Books.
The book that is aimed for Young Readers has sold more than two million copies since its publication.
The Palacio best seller has consistently been in the top ranks of the New York Times Best Seller list since March 2012.
It was also listed for high-profile children's literature awards the Carnegie medal and the UKLA Book Club.
Erik Feig, Gillian Bohrer, and James Myers will be overseeing the project.
Lionsgate's Executive VP for Business Affairs Robert Melnik negotiated the deal.
Director Krokidas has mad his directorial debut in the 2013 movie "Kill Your Darlings", starring "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliff and "Amazing Spiderman" star Dane DeHaan.
Krokidas is also set to direct "Young Americans," which will reunite him with Radcliffe and DeHaan.
He will also direct "Standard Happiness Package" for Fox Searchlight and "High Rise" for Fox 2000.
Friday, October 10, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS!
Last week was a great week--finally! I went 15-4.
I am now 50-31 for the year. Let's keep the good times rolling.
COLLEGE PICKS
Auburn at Mississippi State. My pick: BULLDOGS 37-34. Both teams are very, very good SEC teams. I just like Mississippi State to get the ball last and get that last score to pull this one out, late.
Ole Miss at Texas A&M. My pick: AGGIES 27-24. A&M and Kenny Hill will bounce back and play a much more solid game; it won't hurt that they're back at Kyle Field, a tough place for an opposing team.
TCU at Baylor. My pick: UPSET ALERT--HORNED FROGS 30-27. I'm guessing that TCU coach Gary Patterson is studying the tape of Texas' game last week vs Baylor. Texas showed--you CAN slow down the high-powered Baylor offense. If TCU can do it too, then I'm guessing the Frogs can score enough to pull off yet another upset.
NFL PICKS
Jacksonville at Tennessee. My pick: TITANS 24-17. It doesn't appear that either of these teams are going anywhere. But Tennessee at least has shown it can score. Look for rookie QB Blake Bortles to struggle a bit more as he learns the ropes.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay. My pick: RAVENS 27-26. Look for this to be a close game; Tampa Bay has some weapons and ability, and they've played inspired football under Lovie Smith. But usually in this kind of game Joe Flacco finds a way to win it for the Ravens in the end.
Denver at NY Jets. My pick: BRONCOS 34-14. The Jets are having their usual problems on offense; I doubt yanking Geno Smith will be the magic solution. Meanwhile Denver's offense and Peyton Manning continue to be at a high level.
Detroit at Minnesota. My pick: VIKINGS 24-17. The Lions just have too many injuries and uncertainty because of that, especially with Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush. I expect Teddy Bridgewater to again spark the Vikes.
New England at Buffalo. My pick: PATRIOTS 24-20. Hmmm...which Patriots team will show up? My guess is the good Patriots and Tom Brady will show up enough.
Carolina at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 31-20. The Bengal express got a bit derailed last week; but my guess is some home cooking, plus Carolina's injury problems, will help them get back on track.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland. My pick: BROWNS 30-27. Really, Cleveland should have won the first game between these two. The Steelers just are not playing real consistent football; and Brian Hoyer sparks the Browns.
Green Bay at Miami. My pick: UPSET ALERT---DOLPHINS 28-26. I dunno, just a feeling here. The Packers looked good last week; but that was against Minnesota and was a good while ago. Meanwhile everyone has ignored Miami's solid outing in London last week. Miami is at home. Could the Packers lose their edge with their long layoff from last Thursday? That's my guess.
San Diego at Oakland. My pick: CHARGERS 31-10. Meanwhile San Diego has played VERY consistent football; and Oakland is in their usual mess. I see no reason for those trends to change here.
Chicago at Atlanta. My pick: FALCONS 31-30. Hmmm. The Bears have plenty of weapons, but they turn the ball over too much. The Falcons have plenty of weapons...but have injuries. But Atlanta has played well at home so far this year; look for that to continue here.
Dallas at Seattle. My pick: SEAHAWKS 20-13. I expect this game to be tough and competitive; the Cowboys are doing a good job selling me--these are not the old Cowboys. But--Seattle is really tough at home and haven't lost much from last year.
Washington at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 26-20. Carson Palmer may well return this week, which will help the Cardinals; but even if he doesn't, I think AZ's talent and physicality will prevail here.
NY Giants at Philadelphia. My pick: UPSET ALERT---GIANTS 38-35. Just a feeling--Eli Manning is getting hot. The Giants' offense is moving better. Philly has been inconsistent. That can get you bit by the upset bug.
San Francisco at St. Louis. My pick: 49ERS 24-21. Again, this is one of those games where everyone assumes the Niners win in a walk...but I say, don't expect that. The Rams have been in most games and their young QB, Austin Davis, has talent. This game could go down to the wire. But the Niners will pull it out late.
I am now 50-31 for the year. Let's keep the good times rolling.
COLLEGE PICKS
Auburn at Mississippi State. My pick: BULLDOGS 37-34. Both teams are very, very good SEC teams. I just like Mississippi State to get the ball last and get that last score to pull this one out, late.
Ole Miss at Texas A&M. My pick: AGGIES 27-24. A&M and Kenny Hill will bounce back and play a much more solid game; it won't hurt that they're back at Kyle Field, a tough place for an opposing team.
TCU at Baylor. My pick: UPSET ALERT--HORNED FROGS 30-27. I'm guessing that TCU coach Gary Patterson is studying the tape of Texas' game last week vs Baylor. Texas showed--you CAN slow down the high-powered Baylor offense. If TCU can do it too, then I'm guessing the Frogs can score enough to pull off yet another upset.
NFL PICKS
Jacksonville at Tennessee. My pick: TITANS 24-17. It doesn't appear that either of these teams are going anywhere. But Tennessee at least has shown it can score. Look for rookie QB Blake Bortles to struggle a bit more as he learns the ropes.
Baltimore at Tampa Bay. My pick: RAVENS 27-26. Look for this to be a close game; Tampa Bay has some weapons and ability, and they've played inspired football under Lovie Smith. But usually in this kind of game Joe Flacco finds a way to win it for the Ravens in the end.
Denver at NY Jets. My pick: BRONCOS 34-14. The Jets are having their usual problems on offense; I doubt yanking Geno Smith will be the magic solution. Meanwhile Denver's offense and Peyton Manning continue to be at a high level.
Detroit at Minnesota. My pick: VIKINGS 24-17. The Lions just have too many injuries and uncertainty because of that, especially with Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush. I expect Teddy Bridgewater to again spark the Vikes.
New England at Buffalo. My pick: PATRIOTS 24-20. Hmmm...which Patriots team will show up? My guess is the good Patriots and Tom Brady will show up enough.
Carolina at Cincinnati. My pick: BENGALS 31-20. The Bengal express got a bit derailed last week; but my guess is some home cooking, plus Carolina's injury problems, will help them get back on track.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland. My pick: BROWNS 30-27. Really, Cleveland should have won the first game between these two. The Steelers just are not playing real consistent football; and Brian Hoyer sparks the Browns.
Green Bay at Miami. My pick: UPSET ALERT---DOLPHINS 28-26. I dunno, just a feeling here. The Packers looked good last week; but that was against Minnesota and was a good while ago. Meanwhile everyone has ignored Miami's solid outing in London last week. Miami is at home. Could the Packers lose their edge with their long layoff from last Thursday? That's my guess.
San Diego at Oakland. My pick: CHARGERS 31-10. Meanwhile San Diego has played VERY consistent football; and Oakland is in their usual mess. I see no reason for those trends to change here.
Chicago at Atlanta. My pick: FALCONS 31-30. Hmmm. The Bears have plenty of weapons, but they turn the ball over too much. The Falcons have plenty of weapons...but have injuries. But Atlanta has played well at home so far this year; look for that to continue here.
Dallas at Seattle. My pick: SEAHAWKS 20-13. I expect this game to be tough and competitive; the Cowboys are doing a good job selling me--these are not the old Cowboys. But--Seattle is really tough at home and haven't lost much from last year.
Washington at Arizona. My pick: CARDINALS 26-20. Carson Palmer may well return this week, which will help the Cardinals; but even if he doesn't, I think AZ's talent and physicality will prevail here.
NY Giants at Philadelphia. My pick: UPSET ALERT---GIANTS 38-35. Just a feeling--Eli Manning is getting hot. The Giants' offense is moving better. Philly has been inconsistent. That can get you bit by the upset bug.
San Francisco at St. Louis. My pick: 49ERS 24-21. Again, this is one of those games where everyone assumes the Niners win in a walk...but I say, don't expect that. The Rams have been in most games and their young QB, Austin Davis, has talent. This game could go down to the wire. But the Niners will pull it out late.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
ON THE QUESTION OF RELATIONSHIPS
Persons with Moebius Syndrome are like anyone else. Most of us want to find meaningful relationships; we want to find a "significant other." But that can be hard when one looks different, sounds different, and has to deal with a society that at times is prejudiced against those with a physical difference.
And then the question always arises--just how does one find a significant other? How do you go about it? Of course one needs to "get out there", as the saying goes--but how aggressive should one be? A Washington Post advice columnist recently dealt with this issue in her column--she wasn't addressing those with a physical difference, per se; she was aiming her words at the general public--but still I think her words have merit. See what she has to say; and see what you think:
********************************
And then the question always arises--just how does one find a significant other? How do you go about it? Of course one needs to "get out there", as the saying goes--but how aggressive should one be? A Washington Post advice columnist recently dealt with this issue in her column--she wasn't addressing those with a physical difference, per se; she was aiming her words at the general public--but still I think her words have merit. See what she has to say; and see what you think:
********************************
About actively pursuing relationships vs. letting things happen naturally: You seem like a big advocate for the latter, which I agree is the ideal.
But surely there is a happy medium between desperately seeking someone, anyone and leaving it all up to fate. You smacked down a comparison to job-hunting, which I agree is not a perfect one, but I think the person who suggested it had a point — what’s wrong with actively looking for a partner?
Anonymous
Thanks for reopening the topic.
It’s such a personal thing that waiting and looking and circulating-but-not-mate-shopping can all be just the right thing, depending on the person AND the person’s stage of life.
But actively looking — for anything, not just a partner — always comes with a risk of rationalizing. Anytime you set out to find one specific thing, you’re more apt to grab something acceptable than to keep waiting for something great. For a less charged example, let’s say you’re shopping for a black jacket for work. Or an apartment.
If you have no sense of urgency, then, sure, you can try on 20 black jackets or walk through 20 apartments and you’ll still be able to say, “Nah — nothing’s quite right, I’ll try again next week.” And you’ll be able to repeat that search next weekend and still walk away empty handed if nothing wows you.
But if you show up already fed up to ^ here with your roommates or everything in your closet and you hate shopping and you’re angry your old stuff doesn’t fit, then you’re vulnerable to saying “yes” to something you don’t love.
There’s no such thing as life without risk, we just need to assume risks that make sense with our personalities and histories.
I don’t think anyone is immune to this. I do think — back to the exchange you refer to — that if you’re mindful of this risk, and/or your expectations are modest, then by all means look. Someone who is susceptible to impulsive, need-filling decisions s/he later regrets is not a great candidate for active looking, but someone who is patient and self-aware is.
Active circulating — vs. active looking or passive waiting — might be your elusive happy medium. It’s putting yourself deliberately among new people who share your interests, and treating any new social ties as their own reward. That can solve both the waiting-around and the selling-out problems at once.
***********************************
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
MORE FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: ARE YOU A STAY AT HOME PARENT? THERE MAY BE HIDDEN BENEFITS
Being able---as a family---to have one parent stay home with the children, while the other goes to work, can in fact benefit BOTH spouses. Have those of you who are able to stay home thought about that? Do you find it to be true? Read on and see what you think:
*****************************************
*****************************************
The other day, I read an article in the Washington Post about a
stay-at-home mother who was having a rather hard time adjusting to
answering the ever-popular question, “What do you do all day?” now that
the kids were at school.
It’s a topic that has been on my mind lately as I watch in bewilderment
while my children seem to insist on growing up at rates that surely I
did not approve of when I signed my parental contract. I look at my
youngest — my 7-week-old baby girl — and I swear my mind is already
flashing to the day (tomorrow, probably) that I will be kissing her
good-bye on her first morning of kindergarten.
But back to the task at hand. As I read the article, I scrolled through
the comments, anticipating that there would be some doozies in a post
about a stay-at-home mom basically proclaiming that she doesn’t feel
guilty for doing absolutely nothing all day when I came across this
truly remarkable comment:
“I work full time, and my husband is a stay at home dad. We have two
kids in school full day (8 to 3). Don’t you realize how much easier it
is to hold a full time job when you have someone home with the kids? I
can work late and travel when I need to and not worry about the kids.
Our weekends are spent relaxing, instead of racing around to get errands
and chores done. I can go back to work on Mondays having actually
recharged over the weekend. It feels like such a luxury to ME to have a
stay at home spouse.”
I was flabbergasted.
Dumbfounded.
Perplexed that in all of my years as a stay-at-home/write-at-home mom,
I’ve always been fighting the thoughts that I’m not doing enough or
being enough. I’ve always felt I honestly owed the world some sort of
explanation for being at home. That I’ve had to throw around the fact
that since I stay at home we make sacrifices as a family — like not
having cable! I’ve felt I had to bake pies so that the world would know
I’m not a worthless member of society. And in the midst of all that
mental clutter and guilt it had never, ever crossed my mind that staying
at home wasn’t “just” a luxury to me …
But also a luxury for my husband.
And suddenly, when I read those words, it all made sense. Well, of
course, it would be a luxury to the spouse who works out of the home to
have a partner who stays at home with the children. Someone who is
always there to take care of the inevitable days of sickness, arrange
the doctor’s appointments, make sure the cupboards are stocked, and
heck, to ensure that no one steals the FedEx package off of the porch.
And then — goodness! — to have someone to save you the worry of sending
your kids into the world, someone to always be there to kiss a scraped
knee and take care of the potty training and maybe even have a hot meal
waiting for you when you come home?
Imagine that.
I realized, in a rush of amazement, that I had spent all of our marriage
feeling just a tad bit guilty for being the one who “gets” to stay
home. I’ve pushed away the shame of staying snuggled up in my warm
covers in the morning while my husband trudged off to work in the snow
and I’ve felt the absurd need to pack a million and 10 activities into
my day so I could list them off to my husband when he came home in an
attempt to convince (who really? Mostly myself …) that I was
“productive.”
I realized, for the first time ever, that I didn’t have anything to
prove. That I had been working so hard to work from home and always have
it spotless and do all my educational activities with the kids because
it was my job and I’d better darn do a good job of it if my husband had
to work, that I never stopped to consider that my being home with our
children could actually be a gift to my husband.
I’m actually writing this very article on a rare morning “off,” courtesy
of my husband having the day off of his work. I’m sitting in a café,
writing for the two hours between my daughter’s feedings. And, in fact, I
just now called my husband, who had volunteered to be me for the day so
I could work, to ask him what his thoughts were on the topic and to ask
whether he would give me a quote to include for the piece.
In the background, I heard my daughter crying, the 2-year-old whining at
his leg, and the 4-year-old singing happily at the top of her lungs,
having just returned home from preschool pick-up. I pictured the scene I
had left this morning: four loads of laundry left undone from the
weekend, the house a complete disaster, eggs still caked on the pan from
breakfast. Sweetly, I asked him for a quote. Did he ever consider me
staying home a gift to him?
“What?!” he asked frantically, desperation creeping into his voice. “I
don’t know, do I have to give you a quote right now? I mean, she’s
crying and I’m trying to make mac and cheese and if I could just pick
her up maybe she’d stop crying and …” he trailed off, seemingly too
overwhelmed to finish his train of thought.
I smiled, a bit too smugly, I’ll admit. Because I think I had my answer.
Being me for the day isn’t so easy. And having him there so that I
could be elsewhere working … well, it really was a luxury. And a gift.
**************************************
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
PHONE APPS FOR BUSY PARENTS
This is for Moebius moms and dads--I bet many of you can find some use for these:
***********************************
We have all heard that saying “There’s an app for that!” It turns out that is true for just about everything. From finding a clean restroom to managing the family calendar, these must-have apps make the life of a busy mom a little bit easier:
1.) Sit or Squat - This app from Charmin (yes the toilet paper company) finds public restrooms near you, rates cleanliness, and provides changing table information. Perfect when on the go, traveling, and potty training.
2.) Canvsly – Canvsly allows you to upload and organize your kids’ artwork. You can create different albums for each child, post to a timeline, and turn artwork into gifts like mugs, keychains and more.
3.) Shop Savvy – ShopSavvy allows you to compare the price of one item across different stores and sites just by scanning a barcode. You can also like products and store pages to get price and sale alerts.
4.) Key Ring: This app stores giftcards, coupons, and membership cards all in one PIN-protected place. No more overstuffed wallet or huge, bulky key ring.
5.) Cozi: This all-in-one family management tool includes a shared family calendar (color-coded by family member), meal planning, shopping lists, to-do lists and a family journal for recording memories quickly and simply. What can’t this app do?
6.) Groovebook: Do you take hundreds of pictures of your kids on your phone but never get around to printing them? (Yes, we do too.) This app is for you (and me). Groovebook prints up to 100 photos from your phone, creates a 4.5″ x 6.5″ photobook and mails it to you monthly for only $2.99 a month. The photo book is perforated so you can tear out pictures to frame as well.
7.) Buddhify: Buddhify provides more than 50 guided meditations for daily activities such as being online, traveling, taking a work break, and sleeping. It also provides a tracker so you can track how you are developing concentration and mindfulness over time. It may seem counterproductive to find mindfulness through and app, but I found this to be a great tool to find a bit more peace throughout the day.
8.) Waze: This app notifies you of traffic patterns, speed traps, and alternative routes. Perfect for the parents who spend half their week in the car shuttling the kids from practice to play date.
9.) Paprika: Paprika allows you to sync your recipes, grocery lists, and meal plans across all of your devices. It keeps your screen on when you open a recipe, so you don’t have to worry about the screen turning off while cooking. And timers are automatically detected in your directions — you just have to tap on one to start.
10.) NPR 7am News Summary Podcast: This 5 minute daily podcast is a must-have for parents who feel like the don’t know enough about what is going on in the world. Put this podcast on in the car or when cooking dinner and in 5 minutes you have a daily digest of the news and current events. It is easy, quick, and helps you to talk about something other than your kids at grown up gatherings.
*****************************
***********************************
We have all heard that saying “There’s an app for that!” It turns out that is true for just about everything. From finding a clean restroom to managing the family calendar, these must-have apps make the life of a busy mom a little bit easier:
1.) Sit or Squat - This app from Charmin (yes the toilet paper company) finds public restrooms near you, rates cleanliness, and provides changing table information. Perfect when on the go, traveling, and potty training.
2.) Canvsly – Canvsly allows you to upload and organize your kids’ artwork. You can create different albums for each child, post to a timeline, and turn artwork into gifts like mugs, keychains and more.
3.) Shop Savvy – ShopSavvy allows you to compare the price of one item across different stores and sites just by scanning a barcode. You can also like products and store pages to get price and sale alerts.
4.) Key Ring: This app stores giftcards, coupons, and membership cards all in one PIN-protected place. No more overstuffed wallet or huge, bulky key ring.
5.) Cozi: This all-in-one family management tool includes a shared family calendar (color-coded by family member), meal planning, shopping lists, to-do lists and a family journal for recording memories quickly and simply. What can’t this app do?
6.) Groovebook: Do you take hundreds of pictures of your kids on your phone but never get around to printing them? (Yes, we do too.) This app is for you (and me). Groovebook prints up to 100 photos from your phone, creates a 4.5″ x 6.5″ photobook and mails it to you monthly for only $2.99 a month. The photo book is perforated so you can tear out pictures to frame as well.
7.) Buddhify: Buddhify provides more than 50 guided meditations for daily activities such as being online, traveling, taking a work break, and sleeping. It also provides a tracker so you can track how you are developing concentration and mindfulness over time. It may seem counterproductive to find mindfulness through and app, but I found this to be a great tool to find a bit more peace throughout the day.
8.) Waze: This app notifies you of traffic patterns, speed traps, and alternative routes. Perfect for the parents who spend half their week in the car shuttling the kids from practice to play date.
9.) Paprika: Paprika allows you to sync your recipes, grocery lists, and meal plans across all of your devices. It keeps your screen on when you open a recipe, so you don’t have to worry about the screen turning off while cooking. And timers are automatically detected in your directions — you just have to tap on one to start.
10.) NPR 7am News Summary Podcast: This 5 minute daily podcast is a must-have for parents who feel like the don’t know enough about what is going on in the world. Put this podcast on in the car or when cooking dinner and in 5 minutes you have a daily digest of the news and current events. It is easy, quick, and helps you to talk about something other than your kids at grown up gatherings.
*****************************
Monday, October 6, 2014
FOR MOEBIUS MOMS AND DADS: THE USES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
This is a very interesting piece below. I know many of you have Moebius children who, when it comes to school, in fact have special needs. Many of you then wrestle with IEPs and the like, as it mentions below. And some of you have had your battles with your child's school. Now, I would throw in a cautionary note: if you have problems, I don't think you should immediately go to social media and seek publicity. I think it is important to go through the process first. Meet with all those involved. If you have a grievance, there is usually a process to go through. Be sure and do so.
But if the process then proves not to work, maybe there are other avenues to try. Read on:
*************************************
Singer, who works in financial services and splits his time between Sarasota and New Jersey, offered to put her story on his Facebook page. Taylor approved the scathing diatribe against the Hillsborough County School District, packaged with pictures of 8-year-old Alexis.
“The day I went public, the school knew,” said Taylor, a divorced mother of four. “Within five hours, the principal, ESE (exceptional student education) specialist and teacher told me, ‘We’re on your side, Amanda.’ I just couldn’t believe what was coming out of their mouths.”
Social media shaming increasingly is a tactic parents employ when calling, emailing or sitting through individualized education program, or IEP, meetings does not get the results they seek.
School officials say they do what is best for children, according to the law and best practices, regardless of what parents might say on social media.
But some parents believe otherwise. Taylor says her campaign got fast attention for Alexis, who has spina bifida, although the issues are far from resolved.
In South Tampa, Henry Frost, who has autism, was able to attend his neighborhood school after a Facebook campaign in late 2012.
“I Stand With Henry,” which featured a video that paid homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was Henry’s idea, said his mother, Lauri Hunt. “It’s his platform,” she said.
In recent weeks Henry posted that Wilson Middle School took him off the rolls after he missed too many days because of medical issues. On Sept. 16, Henry posted that he’s back in Wilson.
Alexis’ issue was not placement but services. Taylor said her daughter is on-level intellectually but behind academically. She says the trouble started in kindergarten, where Alexis was in a class of children with disabilities. “Every time I came in they would be painting or watching movies,” she said.
In the older grades there were disagreements over whether Alexis could get out of her wheelchair and walk with her leg braces, and whether the staff was putting the braces on her properly. Taylor said Alexis was excluded from recess and did not get resources she needed to catch up academically.
School officials are prohibited by law from discussing individual students publicly, so these accounts come entirely from the parents. The Tampa Bay Times attempted to discuss the social media shaming tactic with Hillsborough County School District’s ESE general manager Maryann Parks, but she declined “because it doesn’t have any effect,” said spokesman Stephen Hegarty.
Federal law assures children with special needs a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
But those terms are open to interpretation. School officials often consider special schools, or special classes that are in some schools but not others, both appropriate and safe.
Advocates of inclusion often push for students to be mixed in with their peers who don’t have disabilities, with aides to support them. Although the district gets federal funding for its roughly 29,000 students with special needs, officials say that funding does not cover all expenses. At the same time, district officials typically say their decisions are not affected by cost.
Singer fought his own very explosive battles with the school district of Tenafly, N.J. “I don’t even call them animals,” he said of the school officials. “It’s like an insult to dogs.”
He created a Facebook page. “I had 8,000 followers,” he said. “People started saying ‘I need your help.’ Others said, ‘I’d like to help.’ “
Taylor’s story appeared on Singer’s page, Drive4Rebecca. He takes most of the credit for terms like “HELLSborough County” and MaryEllen EVILia,” for superintendent MaryEllen Elia. He called her the “Torturer in Chief.”
If Elia and her staff were offended, Taylor said she is fine with that. “I’m offended about the way they’re treating my child,” she said.
Immediately after the posting, she said, the school staff met with her to learn how to put Alexis’ braces on properly. They offered math materials she could use to help Alexis at home, but she said they didn’t follow through and numerous issues remain. “It’s been up and down,” she said.
Singer said he advises parents to “get people involved from day one, the minute you start emailing the superintendent about your child. That way it’s out there.”
Too often, he said, parents assume it’s a zero-sum game, with enough money available for only some children. Or they fear retaliation.
School districts “have lawyers on their side,” Singer said. “It’s so stacked in their favor and the majority of people don’t know their rights and they can’t afford a lawyer.”
Hegarty, of the Hillsborough County School District, said families have many avenues of recourse without resorting to public attacks.
“Parents have lots of different ways to try to communicate: phone calls, emails, calling reporters, calling board members. And now social media,” he said.
“The best way to affect the decision is to sit down in an IEP meeting or other meeting and work with the school district. We have dedicated, caring people who work with families every day and work hard to get to ‘yes’ on some very complicated cases.”
This article was republished with permission from the Tampa Bay Times.
******************************************
But if the process then proves not to work, maybe there are other avenues to try. Read on:
*************************************
Families Turn To Social Media With Special Ed Complaints
A chance meeting in a Sarasota restaurant put Amanda Taylor, the mother of a student with special needs, in touch with activist Jon Singer.
Taylor described the frustration she was having getting her daughter the services she needed at Robinson Elementary School in Plant City.Singer, who works in financial services and splits his time between Sarasota and New Jersey, offered to put her story on his Facebook page. Taylor approved the scathing diatribe against the Hillsborough County School District, packaged with pictures of 8-year-old Alexis.
“The day I went public, the school knew,” said Taylor, a divorced mother of four. “Within five hours, the principal, ESE (exceptional student education) specialist and teacher told me, ‘We’re on your side, Amanda.’ I just couldn’t believe what was coming out of their mouths.”
Social media shaming increasingly is a tactic parents employ when calling, emailing or sitting through individualized education program, or IEP, meetings does not get the results they seek.
School officials say they do what is best for children, according to the law and best practices, regardless of what parents might say on social media.
But some parents believe otherwise. Taylor says her campaign got fast attention for Alexis, who has spina bifida, although the issues are far from resolved.
In South Tampa, Henry Frost, who has autism, was able to attend his neighborhood school after a Facebook campaign in late 2012.
“I Stand With Henry,” which featured a video that paid homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was Henry’s idea, said his mother, Lauri Hunt. “It’s his platform,” she said.
In recent weeks Henry posted that Wilson Middle School took him off the rolls after he missed too many days because of medical issues. On Sept. 16, Henry posted that he’s back in Wilson.
Alexis’ issue was not placement but services. Taylor said her daughter is on-level intellectually but behind academically. She says the trouble started in kindergarten, where Alexis was in a class of children with disabilities. “Every time I came in they would be painting or watching movies,” she said.
In the older grades there were disagreements over whether Alexis could get out of her wheelchair and walk with her leg braces, and whether the staff was putting the braces on her properly. Taylor said Alexis was excluded from recess and did not get resources she needed to catch up academically.
School officials are prohibited by law from discussing individual students publicly, so these accounts come entirely from the parents. The Tampa Bay Times attempted to discuss the social media shaming tactic with Hillsborough County School District’s ESE general manager Maryann Parks, but she declined “because it doesn’t have any effect,” said spokesman Stephen Hegarty.
Federal law assures children with special needs a free, appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
But those terms are open to interpretation. School officials often consider special schools, or special classes that are in some schools but not others, both appropriate and safe.
Advocates of inclusion often push for students to be mixed in with their peers who don’t have disabilities, with aides to support them. Although the district gets federal funding for its roughly 29,000 students with special needs, officials say that funding does not cover all expenses. At the same time, district officials typically say their decisions are not affected by cost.
Singer fought his own very explosive battles with the school district of Tenafly, N.J. “I don’t even call them animals,” he said of the school officials. “It’s like an insult to dogs.”
He created a Facebook page. “I had 8,000 followers,” he said. “People started saying ‘I need your help.’ Others said, ‘I’d like to help.’ “
Taylor’s story appeared on Singer’s page, Drive4Rebecca. He takes most of the credit for terms like “HELLSborough County” and MaryEllen EVILia,” for superintendent MaryEllen Elia. He called her the “Torturer in Chief.”
If Elia and her staff were offended, Taylor said she is fine with that. “I’m offended about the way they’re treating my child,” she said.
Immediately after the posting, she said, the school staff met with her to learn how to put Alexis’ braces on properly. They offered math materials she could use to help Alexis at home, but she said they didn’t follow through and numerous issues remain. “It’s been up and down,” she said.
Singer said he advises parents to “get people involved from day one, the minute you start emailing the superintendent about your child. That way it’s out there.”
Too often, he said, parents assume it’s a zero-sum game, with enough money available for only some children. Or they fear retaliation.
School districts “have lawyers on their side,” Singer said. “It’s so stacked in their favor and the majority of people don’t know their rights and they can’t afford a lawyer.”
Hegarty, of the Hillsborough County School District, said families have many avenues of recourse without resorting to public attacks.
“Parents have lots of different ways to try to communicate: phone calls, emails, calling reporters, calling board members. And now social media,” he said.
“The best way to affect the decision is to sit down in an IEP meeting or other meeting and work with the school district. We have dedicated, caring people who work with families every day and work hard to get to ‘yes’ on some very complicated cases.”
This article was republished with permission from the Tampa Bay Times.
******************************************
Friday, October 3, 2014
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PICKS TIME!
Here we go--this week we'll do both some college picks and some pro selections. There are some excellent college football games this weekend (finally). Last week's record: 7-5. For the year I am 35-27.
COLLEGE PICKS
Alabama at Ole Miss. My pick: CRIMSON TIDE 28-10. A lot of people talking about the Rebels. And yes, they're better. But this is Alabama we're talking about.
Oklahoma at TCU. My pick: UPSET ALERT---HORNED FROGS 34-31. I don't know that Oklahoma is over-rated; that's not what I am suggesting. But instead: TCU is at home, they have an offense that is starting to hum, and the Sooners do have some defensive vulnerabilities.
Texas A&M at Mississippi State. My pick: BULLDOGS 41-38. Mississippi State showed how good they are--they won _at_ LSU. Meanwhile, again--the Aggies can really score with Kenny Hill; but Arkansas showed last week--their defense is vulnerable. At some point that bites you.
Stanford at Notre Dame. My pick: IRISH 17-13. It's been kind of trendy this week for experts to be unsure of this one--and somewhat rightfully so: ND has not played anyone this year who has the kind of defense that Stanford brings. But--the Irish have Everett Golson at QB and I think that makes the difference.
Nebraska at Michigan State. My pick: SPARTANS 42-21. Hey, give the Huskers credit--they have won every game. But they have yet to play anyone like Sparty--and on the road, yet.
NFL PICKS
Chicago at Carolina. My pick: BEARS 27-20. By now, finally, some trends are developing in the NFL. It appeared earlier this season that the Panthers were solid. But now on offense their running game is messed up with injuries, and their pass rush is lacking. Look for Jay Cutler and the Bears to exploit this (even though the Bears lost last week, their offense still moved the ball well).
Cleveland at Tennessee. My pick: BROWNS 31-17. More trends--the Browns have been too much under-rated. Brian Hoyer and that offense can score. Meanwhile, after a good first week, the Titans have looked very bad and clearly still have a ways to go.
St. Louis at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 35-17. Philly's troubles on offense recently have been well-chronicled. But look for them this week to get back on track against the Rams and their young QB Austin Davis.
Atlanta at NY Giants. My pick: GIANTS 30-24. The keys here: all indications are that the Giants offense and Eli Manning have found something; they've gotten in rhythm. Meanwhile the Falcons can score too; but they have serious injuries on the O-line and their defense, exemplified by last week's gashings by the Vikings, has holes.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 38-20. New Orleans' struggles on the road too have been well-documented. This team probably is not as good as we all thought at the start of the season--their domination by the Cowboys last Sunday night showed that clearly. But--the Saints' success at home has been long-standing, too. And that will continue here.
Houston at Dallas. My pick: COWBOYS 21-13. The Texans have a good defense. They will give Tony Romo a sterner test than did the Saints. But--the Cowboys have a better offensive line than we thought and more firepower. The Texans' offense behind Ryan Fitzpatrick just doesn't scare anyone. Nor should it.
Buffalo at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 27-17. Just staying this makes me nervous as a Lions fan; seems like we tempt the gods. But--the Lions seem to have improved. Note especially--their defensive front four has been consistently getting a great push on opposing O-lines and putting pressure on the passer. Look for that to continue here--and a Bills offense led by Kyle Orton just doesn't scare anyone.
Baltimore at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 34-31. Two pretty good teams, two good quarterbacks. Look for a high scoring game, with the Colts barely prevailing; it will help that they are at home.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville. My pick: STEELERS 29-10. The Steelers are making lots of mistakes. But they'll get away with it against the lowly Jags.
Arizona at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 31-21. The Cardinals, I believe, are better than many think. But this is a tough matchup for them--Denver is rested, they are at home, and once again the Cards have to go with Drew Stanton, their backup QB. Too much to overcome.
Kansas City at San Francisco. My pick: 49ERS 24-23. The Chiefs started out 0-2, and many wrote them off. I think they've shown the last two weeks that it's premature to do that; this is a dangerous team. And they'll give the Niners a real battle here. But Colin Kaepernick will find a way to pull this one out at home.
NY Jets at San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 21-17. Some people predict this will be an easy Chargers win. I would not go that far. Remember that the Chargers' run game is banged up due to injuries to Ryan Mathews and others; a tough Jets defense can exploit that. But Philip Rivers so far has been excellent; and the Jets offense cannot match its defense. The Bolts hold on and win this one.
Cincinnati at New England. My pick: BENGALS 27-21. You have to be careful about writing off a Pats team with Brady and Belichick as part of it. People have done that before and gotten burned. So this will be a tough game. But we talked before about trends. It appears a negative trend for the Patriots has been well-establshed: troubles on the offensive line...a lack of playmakers at wide receiver. The Pats can't move the ball. Meanwhile, note how in sync Andy Dalton is with his receivers, and how many good weapons and athletes the Bengals have. This is Cincy's chance to prove something. Finally, I think they'll do it.
Seattle at Washington. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-6. When Seattle lost to the Chargers, we wondered--have the Hawks lost something? But the game vs Denver suggested--no, not really. Meanwhile, with Washington, we wondered--will Kirk Cousins as the new QB, at least for a while, make the Skins better? Last week's game vs the Giants suggested--maybe not. Go with the reigning Super Bowl champs here.
COLLEGE PICKS
Alabama at Ole Miss. My pick: CRIMSON TIDE 28-10. A lot of people talking about the Rebels. And yes, they're better. But this is Alabama we're talking about.
Oklahoma at TCU. My pick: UPSET ALERT---HORNED FROGS 34-31. I don't know that Oklahoma is over-rated; that's not what I am suggesting. But instead: TCU is at home, they have an offense that is starting to hum, and the Sooners do have some defensive vulnerabilities.
Texas A&M at Mississippi State. My pick: BULLDOGS 41-38. Mississippi State showed how good they are--they won _at_ LSU. Meanwhile, again--the Aggies can really score with Kenny Hill; but Arkansas showed last week--their defense is vulnerable. At some point that bites you.
Stanford at Notre Dame. My pick: IRISH 17-13. It's been kind of trendy this week for experts to be unsure of this one--and somewhat rightfully so: ND has not played anyone this year who has the kind of defense that Stanford brings. But--the Irish have Everett Golson at QB and I think that makes the difference.
Nebraska at Michigan State. My pick: SPARTANS 42-21. Hey, give the Huskers credit--they have won every game. But they have yet to play anyone like Sparty--and on the road, yet.
NFL PICKS
Chicago at Carolina. My pick: BEARS 27-20. By now, finally, some trends are developing in the NFL. It appeared earlier this season that the Panthers were solid. But now on offense their running game is messed up with injuries, and their pass rush is lacking. Look for Jay Cutler and the Bears to exploit this (even though the Bears lost last week, their offense still moved the ball well).
Cleveland at Tennessee. My pick: BROWNS 31-17. More trends--the Browns have been too much under-rated. Brian Hoyer and that offense can score. Meanwhile, after a good first week, the Titans have looked very bad and clearly still have a ways to go.
St. Louis at Philadelphia. My pick: EAGLES 35-17. Philly's troubles on offense recently have been well-chronicled. But look for them this week to get back on track against the Rams and their young QB Austin Davis.
Atlanta at NY Giants. My pick: GIANTS 30-24. The keys here: all indications are that the Giants offense and Eli Manning have found something; they've gotten in rhythm. Meanwhile the Falcons can score too; but they have serious injuries on the O-line and their defense, exemplified by last week's gashings by the Vikings, has holes.
Tampa Bay at New Orleans. My pick: SAINTS 38-20. New Orleans' struggles on the road too have been well-documented. This team probably is not as good as we all thought at the start of the season--their domination by the Cowboys last Sunday night showed that clearly. But--the Saints' success at home has been long-standing, too. And that will continue here.
Houston at Dallas. My pick: COWBOYS 21-13. The Texans have a good defense. They will give Tony Romo a sterner test than did the Saints. But--the Cowboys have a better offensive line than we thought and more firepower. The Texans' offense behind Ryan Fitzpatrick just doesn't scare anyone. Nor should it.
Buffalo at Detroit. My pick: LIONS 27-17. Just staying this makes me nervous as a Lions fan; seems like we tempt the gods. But--the Lions seem to have improved. Note especially--their defensive front four has been consistently getting a great push on opposing O-lines and putting pressure on the passer. Look for that to continue here--and a Bills offense led by Kyle Orton just doesn't scare anyone.
Baltimore at Indianapolis. My pick: COLTS 34-31. Two pretty good teams, two good quarterbacks. Look for a high scoring game, with the Colts barely prevailing; it will help that they are at home.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville. My pick: STEELERS 29-10. The Steelers are making lots of mistakes. But they'll get away with it against the lowly Jags.
Arizona at Denver. My pick: BRONCOS 31-21. The Cardinals, I believe, are better than many think. But this is a tough matchup for them--Denver is rested, they are at home, and once again the Cards have to go with Drew Stanton, their backup QB. Too much to overcome.
Kansas City at San Francisco. My pick: 49ERS 24-23. The Chiefs started out 0-2, and many wrote them off. I think they've shown the last two weeks that it's premature to do that; this is a dangerous team. And they'll give the Niners a real battle here. But Colin Kaepernick will find a way to pull this one out at home.
NY Jets at San Diego. My pick: CHARGERS 21-17. Some people predict this will be an easy Chargers win. I would not go that far. Remember that the Chargers' run game is banged up due to injuries to Ryan Mathews and others; a tough Jets defense can exploit that. But Philip Rivers so far has been excellent; and the Jets offense cannot match its defense. The Bolts hold on and win this one.
Cincinnati at New England. My pick: BENGALS 27-21. You have to be careful about writing off a Pats team with Brady and Belichick as part of it. People have done that before and gotten burned. So this will be a tough game. But we talked before about trends. It appears a negative trend for the Patriots has been well-establshed: troubles on the offensive line...a lack of playmakers at wide receiver. The Pats can't move the ball. Meanwhile, note how in sync Andy Dalton is with his receivers, and how many good weapons and athletes the Bengals have. This is Cincy's chance to prove something. Finally, I think they'll do it.
Seattle at Washington. My pick: SEAHAWKS 24-6. When Seattle lost to the Chargers, we wondered--have the Hawks lost something? But the game vs Denver suggested--no, not really. Meanwhile, with Washington, we wondered--will Kirk Cousins as the new QB, at least for a while, make the Skins better? Last week's game vs the Giants suggested--maybe not. Go with the reigning Super Bowl champs here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)