Thursday, August 24, 2006

Assorted disabilities

I begin with something that bugs me--why is it that the audio reader for Blogspot's verification codes is represented with a *wheelchair*? If you need it, the problem isn't that you can't *walk*. The problem is that you can't see or you're dyslexic. So shouldn't the icon be a pair of glasses or a white cane with a red tip or something? Just sayin'!

Cats said:

you don't have to justify any of your time to me.

Which is sweet of her, but really, I think I was justifying my time to myself!

The guys at Ex-Gay Watch responded, for which I am grateful. Amazing how things like that will increase one's enjoyment of a website.

I really don't have much going on here. L'Ailee's working more nights--we really only talk on weekends at this point. I stay up and make sure she's got something to eat. She told me I made the best salads in the world on Tuesday night. But she doesn't feel communicative, having given everything to her clients, and she's tired. Weekends are our time to get re-acquainted. I'll be having more to do at night, too, soon. My interior decorating classes start in January. (I know, odd timing.) In a couple of weeks, I will be tutoring my TutorBoy again. Technically he's no longer with the program that put us together, but his mother liked the results and has asked me to stick with him, so I am. I'm really grateful for that. I'd say his progress amazed me, but really, it's just that he's a bright kid who wasn't being reached.

Dyscalculia screwed with me in a lot of ways. I literally cannot read a digital display, the traditional kind with the squared-off numbers. I had a reputation for being "smart" growing up, but felt stupid, so I couldn't enjoy it. It's hard to feel smart when you're way behind your classmates in math and you can't even read numbers sometimes. At the same time, it's given me a lot of empathy for others that I may not otherwise have developed. It led me to tutoring people with alpha-dyslexia. A guidance counselor suggested I try that when I was in eighth grade, to make me feel better about myself while helping others, and it worked. I did adult literacy work in Florida, often for guys who were twice my age. Up here, it's been all about kids for me. It's weird how at these different stages of life, the same look of amazement crosses my students' faces when they finally read an entire book all by themselves!

My students have affected my attitudes on forums. So has L'Ailee, who knows several languages and is a horrible speller in all of them. I never want to be the "grammar police" in other forums, even though my own spelling and grammar are pretty decent. I'm a secretary, after all; they have to be. The point of language is to communicate a concept, not to look perfectly perfect. If I can understand the concept, that's the most important thing. I address the concept, always. I admit that sometimes, if I think the concept just outright sucks, I'll add a dig about grammar or spelling, too, but that's my way of twisting the knife a little bit. I try not to do that, out of respect for the many intelligent people I know who can't do any better.

And now I've said a lot for not having a lot to say, again. :-)

There are lots of interesting links to link to today!

Christian stations nationwide will be showing a "documentary" that attempts to link Darwin and the Holocaust t his weekend.

Conservative and progressive Christians agree--the Left Behind video game is tasteless and its distributor should be boycotted.

Village Voice article on the stresses firefighters and police officers who served on 9/11 still face. Very graphic, and a reminder to appreciate them. This is why I get angry when people who don't know anyone in NYC, or even like NYC, lecture about "not forgetting". There are people who would love to forget for just 12 hours at a stretch...

George Allen apologized for the "macaca" comment. I still think he's a racist and divisive waste of space, among other names that are easier to interpret.

Survivor plays the race card. In theory, it doesn't seem much different from dividing tribes by gender. In fact, it gives me twinges, and I don't quite know why.

This is why L'Ailee and I do not allow screens of any kind in our bedroom.

The World Wildlife Fund has some amazing videos on YouTube.

And here is some handy travel advice--How to pack your toys and lube!

Finally, check out this gorgeous panda font!

9 comments:

alan said...

My stomach actually churned when I read what your first link is; I don't think I can bear to look until tonight when I come home...

Traveling with toys is something that had never popped into my mind; here I was worried about having to check a camera now!

alan

Anonymous said...

Did you read the news about the guy who could end up in jail for a few years because he told TSA that his 'sexual aid' was a bomb? He didn't want his mom (who was with him) to know what he had in his carry on! LOL

I've been thinking about you and finally got a minute to stop by. Hope all is well.

christine mtm said...

the left-behinders are awful and bloodthirsty.

i also hate that little wheelchair next to the word verification, though sometimes they are so long i feel like i need a wheelchair to get away from the computer since my legs are now atrophied from sitting too long and typing in all those letters and hoping that i got them all right so that i don't have to do it again.

whoops, shouldn't rant on here... you obviously touched a nerve.

and i mean what i said, though i understand what you mean by feeling the need to justify things for yourself.

peace

Dr. Deb said...

I felt the same way when I noticed the symbol too.

puhpaul said...

I somehow don't think that the religious right will see the hypocrisy of connecting Hitler's atrocities with Darwin, but not religious atrocities with the bible. If it doesn't agree with their view, then it doesn't count.

I also felt a twinge when I heard Survivor was going to set up racially segregated groups. It just feels wrong.

Yay for Matt Kenseth!!

paul

Zanne said...

Your information about Dyscalculia has been eye opening to me. Didn't know anything about it. Funny how attitudes about math seem to be connected to so many other things-like how we define our level of intelligence and even our stereo types (boys can do math and girls not so much). I'm rethinking a lot of this stuff now while being tutored in math in prep for the GRE. I'm finding that now that I have a decent teacher I'm getting it and actually am enjoying it. Man, high school would have been very different if I'd had this kind of teacher!!
PS did you see the YouTube video of the panda sneezing on cuteoverload.com? I see pandas and always think of you!
Cheers! :)

Anonymous said...

How about we start a petition to get rid of the word verification thing.

Traci Dolan said...

The Village Voice article was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read... Lord and Lady bless those men.

belledame222 said...

Yeah, I'd been wondering about the wheelchair as well.

funnily enough, the first time i noticed it was when there was a Carnival related to such matters, and i thought, wow, that's neat, how'd they? but then why's it on all of the Blogger sites?...oh. too bad.