Thought Patterns

Greetings! No, I wasn't sucked into an alternative alien universe where they used me for their bizarre and somewhat kinky experiments on middle-aged humans of the lesbian persuasion. I have merely been sucked in the that alternative universe known as Real Life. You know, THAT alternative universe we try so hard to avoid yet, we still got bite marks on our collective asses.

I am writing again, slowly, not surely, but it is there. I think about my projects a lot, usually at the oddest times. But I open up a document, stare at it for a while, and close it down. Sad sad sad.

We all wear figurative hats. You know, the "daughter" hat we put on for Mothers and Fathers Day. The "sister" hat we put on when we hear the newly 13yr old nephew has his own laptop and has permission to use it in his room, unsupervised. Then there's the "writer" hat and the "lover" hat and the "Mistress of the Dungeon" hat and the "lesbian" hat and the…well, you get the idea. Sometimes, one hat gets put down and not picked back up very often. Sometimes, that hat is misplaced and/or forgotten.

I am a PWD (short hand for Person with Disability). I have put down my PWD hat and, frankly, just haven't even bothered to look for it in a long time. I used to wear it a lot. I was advocate, spokesperson, pert near ADAPT-like in my drive to gain equal rights for myself and others. But that hat is heavy and wears down the energy after a while. One can only advocate for a nearly 18yr old law for so long.

Today I got the ADA Pipeline, put out by SEDBTAC (oh how we love our capital letters, eh?). It seems as though last year some people in congress got it in their heads to revise the ADA. The Supreme Court has, basically, turned it into a nearly useless document. "On July 26, 2007, the 17th anniversary of the ADA…introduced the newest version of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 (HR 3195 and S 1881….)"

I've not read much to see just what they are trying to do. If nothing else, this will bring attention to the fact the ADA has been fucked screwed killed by the US Supreme Court. Some of what they have done has been for the better. But most has not.

Keep your eyes and ears out for news on this. We'll see how far they go with it. I'm thinking not very far at all.

Linkages:
SEDBTAC (Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center) - ADA Pipeline
AAPD (American Association of People with Disabilities) - ADA Restoration Act news
HR 3195 - House of Representatives version of the ADA Restoration Act

GovTrack.us info for HR 3195
OpenCongress.org info for HR 3195

S 1881 - Senate version of the ADA Restoration Act

GovTrack.us info for S 1881
OpenCongress.org info for S 1881

Just got this from CripHumor, By and For the Severely Euphemized. My fave is #3, followed closely by #5.

Ouch's Top Ten

This top ten was submitted by Stevie Kennedy from Essex, who previously sent us Ten worst things to say to a person with M.E. This one was inspired by a previous Ouch Top Ten. Thanks again, Stevie!

"What are you doing in that wheelchair thing?"

1 "My skateboard's broken."
2 "Why not? That's what I say."
3 "Well, why are you walking?"
4 "Wheelbarrow races are so passé."
5 "It’s even more environmentally friendly than one of those hybrid cars."
6 "I’m on the run from the police. I thought this would make me look less conspicuous."
7 "Can you guess?"
8 "I was too heavy for my helper dog."
9 "Cruising for someone special."
10 "Chillin‘. Killin‘."

Linkage:
CripHumor
Ouch!

From CripHumor:

Many PWD can relate to Sylvester Stallone, 61, who will return in his third Rambo sequel after 20 years. The Green Beret will journey to Myanmar to overturn its despotic regime. Watch for age-appropriate uniforms and equipment. Soon cross-overs of uniforms and equipment to meet the needs of the disabled community will appear, thanks to good OLD Sylvester Stallone going first:

1] Combination dog tag/medic alert bracelet
2] Dr. Scholl combat boots
3] Bi-focal night vision goggles, for day and night wear
4] Electric bayonet
5] Hand grenades with orthopedic grips
6] Clapper activated tent lantern
7] Sans-a-belt flack jacket
8] Low sodium, high fiber MRE's
9] Accessible Tank with perpetual left turn signal
10] Congestive purple heart medal
- Bob Mills

From CripHumor:

Once again Jest-A-Day provides us w/a reason to laugh… We learn it is "Deaf Awareness Week" ~ DAW is the last full week, Sunday through Saturday, of this September! It's in commemoration of the first World Congress of the Deaf held that week in 1951. Thanks for that info [Jest-A-Day Journal - http://jestaday.com ]

A logger went to cut down a tree. He used his ax a few times, yelled "timber," and the tree fell. Then chopped for a while on a second tree, yelled "timber," and that tree fell as well. He went through the same process with a third tree, but the third tree wouldn't fall over. So he tried a chain saw, and then explosives, finally he called in a "Tree Doctor." The doctor checked out the tree, thought about what to do for a minute then finger-spelled "T-I-M-B-E-R." The third tree finally fell down. The doctor explained to the lumberjack that this particular tree was Deaf.
[Thanks to Dr Bill Vicars ~ BTW, He collects deaf jokes, HoH [Hard of Hearing] and American Sign Language jokes. Have any? Send 'em to BillVicars@aol.com ]

—

Question: What language do pigs speak?
Answer: Swine language.

Question: What language do porcupines speak?
Answer: Spine language.

Question: What language do billboards speak?
Answer: sign language

—

[from the Crip Humor ~ By and For the Severely Euphemized archives at http://www.topica.com/lists/CripHumor ]
Hard of Hearing…
Two women run into each other outside an exclusive department store. The first woman is carrying lots of packages and it's clear she's been power shopping.

Woman One:
"Sweetie, I don't know why we haven't seen you around the club lately. I ran into your doctor and he said he told you to diet and exercise."

Woman Two:
"Really?! Well, bless your heart for telling me. I sure thought he said, "Buy it and accessorize!"

Oy. Ya know, if the Americans with Disabilities Act (a SEVENTEEN year old law) was followed like it should be, fat obese able-bodied Americans would have one less thing to use as an excuse hindering them from exercising via walking.

From MyWay News:

Exercisers Stuck in Unwalkable Settings
By MIKE STOBBE

ATLANTA (AP) - Nearly one in four people in the Atlanta area are exercise enthusiasts stuck in neighborhoods without sidewalks or other walking amenities, according to a study that illustrates a problem for many Americans. Researchers said the findings point to the need for more exercise-friendly places to live.

"The bottom line is the built environment really does matter to health," said Lawrence Frank, a University of British Columbia researcher who led the study.

Walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods have sidewalks leading to nearby shops, restaurants or other destinations. They are built in a way that makes it easier to walk and get to buses and trains. Many are older neighborhoods, located in more urban areas.

Frank is among a group of scientists who have shown that people who live in walkable neighborhoods tend to weigh less than people who live in more isolated and car-dependent areas.

"He's the first one to make a connection between land use and obesity," said Christopher Leinberger, director of the University of Michigan's real estate program.

Frank's current study examined whether a community's walkability affected obesity rates. The research showed that exercisers had a similarly low obesity rate whether they lived in walkable neighborhoods or not. It was 12 percent for those in walkable areas versus 15 percent in non-walkable neighborhoods, a difference that was not statistically significant.

Among those who prefer to drive, however, about 21.5 percent were obese, and it also didn't matter whether they lived in walkable or non-walkable neighborhoods.

The distances driven were also noted. Exercisers in walkable neighborhoods drove 26 miles a day, while those in non-walkable neighborhoods drove about 37 miles.

Among non-exercisers, those in walkable neighborhoods drove 26 miles, and compared to 43 miles in areas that were mostly car-friendly.

(link to article)

What? Neighborhoods with sidewalks? Too dangerous for pedestrians to walk on the side of the street? Hello? Wheelers have been asking for sidewalks for eons. Many of us are forced to roll in the street, even when there are sidewalks (curb cuts are not hard to make, folks, really).

A 17 yr old law won't get sidewalks in American neighborhoods but a study linking the lack of them to obesity will. I think the study and its results are interesting, however.

Way freakin' cool.

From the Planetary Society:

Stephen Hawking Flies into Zero-G and "Tastes" Space

By A.J.S. Rayl
April 27, 2007

British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking – whose groundbreaking work on black holes and the origins of the universe has rewritten physics – floated free of his wheelchair in zero-gravity yesterday. Flying onboard a commercial 727 jet especially converted for weightless flights, he experienced for the first time what astronauts-in-training experience on NASA's KC-135, better known as the "Vomit Comet."

Hawking, 65, perhaps the most renowned theoretical physicist of his time, has long suffered from a motor neuron disorder called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Unable to move his hands and legs, he has been wheelchair bound for nearly four decades. In the mid-1980s, he also lost his ability to speak naturally after a tracheotomy following a bad bout with pneumonia….

Yesterday, Hawking escaped the confines of his illness for 4 minutes and experienced a freedom unlike any he's ever known, becoming the first person with a disability to experience a zero-g flight on this commercial airline.

Before taking off over the Atlantic Ocean, Hawking acknowledged that experiencing weightlessness even for a few seconds would be a welcome change from life in the wheelchair. "The chance to float free in zero-g will be wonderful," he said through his computer voice synthesizer during a pre-flight news conference. "I want to demonstrate to the public that anybody can participate in this type of weightless experience."….

Hawking, who was accompanied on his flight by physicians and nurses, announced the plans for this flight earlier this year at his 65th birthday celebration on January 8 in Cambridge, England. Beyond the fun of floating free, he is preparing for a sub-orbital spaceflight on Virgin Galactica, the "spaceline" offshoot of Virgin Airways, slated to begin launches in 2009. Virgin's founder, billionaire Richard Branson, said he will cover the $200,000 tab for the flight into space.

(link to full article)

It must have been one helluva experience for Hawking. I'd do it, if given the chance. To be completely non-weight bearing? Hell yeah I'd do it.

The article also describes the parabolic flight very well. It also has info on the company (Zero Gravity Corporation) that has made the civilian version of NASA's "Vomit Comet".

Linkage:

Stephen Hawking
Zero Gravity Corporation
NASA - Vomit Comet | Wikipedia article
Virgin's Galactic