Dirty Penguin’s blog

I am a convert to Greek Orthodoxy. I make short films as a hobby. I am a former college dj and I love many styles of music from popular to obscure.  I like attending live shows (especially in small venues). I own a Moog synthesizer and a theramin.  I  like to watch sci-fi, fantasy, horror, drama, anime, experimental, Samurai films and television programs.  My favorite tv show is probably House.  I tend to read a lot of non-fiction especially essays.  I enjoy hanging out at the book store and coffee shops. Walking is my favourite form of exercise. I have taken Judo, Tai Chi and Kuk Sool Won.  While I never excelled at these arts I found them very rewarding. I have a tiny Papillon (butterfly dog) who I am training to be an Autism Assistance Dog.  I am interested in linguistics and am studying Esperanto.  However, the owner of the Mexican grocery store is encouraging me to learn Spanish and is eager to help.  These are just a few facts about myself.

When one asks me what it's like to be Autistic, I usually talk about differences in sensory perceptions or differences in social interaction but truth be told, I'm still discovering what it is and what it means to and/or for me and others with the condition. One thing i'm sure of is it is not a curse nor is it comprable to a fatal car accident or cancer.  Until fairly recently Autism was not talked about much by doctors and the US educational system had little to offer Autistic children.  I was initially labelled Learning Disabled but by the time I attended middle school I was labelled Emotionally Impaired.

Some look at Autism as a puzzle. I see Autism in a larger context of the wonderful mystery of the human mind. There is so little we know about how the brain works and why one person thinks in one way while another person's mind operates differently. Wouldn't it be awfully boring if our minds all worked in the same way? Without neurodiversity we would not have da Vinci, van Gogh, or Picasso. We would never have had an Einstein.

Some would have us believe that we have an Autism 'epidemic' on our hands. But it seems more likely that more people are being diagnosed with Autism. There is also the potential risk now of over-diagnosis. I think back to when I was a child and diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder. Though I believe it to be a real medical condition I'm not sure I necessarily have it and believe it to be over-diagnosed. I don't always understand people when they give me directions. Not all teachers were as understanding as others. It was easier for me to make a joke than to admit in front of other children that I had no clue what the teacher was talking about or wanted me to do. At the same time, instead of the so-called experts admitting they didn't know what was wrong, I was given the label of Attention Deficit Disorder and put on the powerful stimulant Ritalin. Nowadays, some US doctors are claiming that Attention Deficit Disorder is really a childhood form of bipolar disorder because the similarity of the symptoms when they are described on paper. Previously bipolar (formerly called 'manic depression') was diagnosed in teens and adults, yet now five year-olds are being diagnosed with the condition and put on medication much more powerful than the Ritalin I was given as a child.

Instead of looking at medication as a quick fix, it may be better to look at a child's surrounding environment. For instance, direct florescent lighting has been proven to cause anxiety in certain people and is often used in classrooms. Florescent lighting is more suited for indirect lighting. For instance, I have a florescent bulb in a lamp in my living room which shines upward towards the ceiling. I prefer it over my ceiling light which is actually a non-florescent light! Another thing is it can be difficult for children to concentrate on their work with various distractions around them. One special education teacher had us sit in cubicles which technically were just regular desks with cardboard around each desk. The cardboard had wallpaper on it to make it look nicer. Such solutions only require creativity and are much cheaper than medicating children in the long run.

 Here in the States our largest industrial exports are no longer cars, but weapons.  In my state of Michigan we are in an economic depression.  I wish that scientists and the auto makers were given the money used to fund weapons to produce eco-friendly cars instead or, better yet, high speed trains.  They could be made in factories that are more efficient (and thus more environmentally friendly).

"Strive to enter the shrine within you and you will see the shrine of heaven, for the one is the same as the other and a single entrance permits you to contemplate both.  The ladder leading to that kingdom is hidden within you, that is, within your soul: cleanse yourself from sin and there you will find the steps by which you ascend." - Saint Isaac the Syrian

Were your holiday cards store bought, handmade, online, TBD or MIA?

I have Christmas at my folks' house.  My mom has a huge box of cards that she buys at garage sales (unused of course).  Members of the family go through the box and pick out cards for each other.  One might not always find the perfect card, but it sure is thrifty!