Autism in America

In my previous post, I stated how I really don't feel strongly towards one candidate or another. While I was thinking about this and updating my blog at the same time, I realized that my feelings are in part that not one politician is talking about what affects my life right now.

I find it appalling that not a single candidate has made Autism and it's treatment a main platform topic for this election. With the number of children who are diagnosed rising at an alarming rate, while the cost for treatment also rises, it makes me wonder if there is anyone who cares about this predicament facing our society?

For those who do not understand Autism, it is classified as a behavioral disorder, but there are new studies all the time that say it is most likely linked to something physical in the body and brain that is not right. A very likely theory is too much heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, in the body. These travel in to the child's body from the mother during pregnancy that she has absorbed through the pollution in the environment around her. Mercury poisoning is being quickly accepted as one main offender towards causing Autism (though there are many). If there are any women out there who are thinking about having children, I beg of you to have any amalgam fillings for cavities removed months a head of time of your expected pregnancy and replaced with non-amalgam fillings. When amalgam is put in to and removed from the mouth, it releases a mercury based vapor that gets inhaled by the patient. Also, when children are born, they are given a barrage of vaccination shots, some they do not need right then. These vaccines contain Thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative. It just seems like we want our children to have mercury poisoning! And since we know that mercury causes cancer, how many older people are being affected by this years later? The body simply can not naturally get rid of mercury. Once it is in your body, it is in there forever. You can go through natural or medical kelation therapy to rid yourself of heavy metals, but both can be pricey and are extremely dangerous. At that note, I must urge all who are now thinking of kelating, DO NOT TRY THIS WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPERVISION. It can kill you or your child if not done properly.

I also might add that my mother had two big amalgam fillings taken out and replaced during the middle of her pregnancy with my sister. Coincidence? I think not.

The reason I care so much for this topic is because my 4-year-old sister was diagnosed with autism two and a half years ago and she has been in constant, costly treatment since. Some of you may wonder why the insurance simply does not pay for it. Well, according to Indiana law, if the company (such as the one my father worked for) is self-insured, they can choose whether or not to cover the treatment. With my sister's treatment in Indiana costing around $30,000 a year, of course they didn't cover it. This forced, along with a poor selection of facilities for my sister, my parents to relocate down to Houston, TX. There, they have found a much better school for my sister where it costs a little over $1000 a week for her treatment (and that is if she stays at 20hrs a week and not have the time increased). My father's new company may or may not pay for the insurance and they are hoping beyond all hope that they will. If not, my parents will surely go into bankruptcy.

What is happening to my family is happening all across the nation. And there are even more family's who can't afford to even get the cheapest of help for their children. The simple fact of it all is that Autism IS treatable, but so many children go without treatment and suffer the consequences the rest of their lives. And when these children turn into adults who can not function normally in society, that puts a strain on our economy. Therefore, I go back to my point of why not one candidate has made this an issue. Autism is real, and it's a growing problem.

It's not them, it's me.......or is it?

I was talking with a friend of mine tonight as we were watching the C-SPAN coverage of the New Hampshire primaries. And I realized that there may be a few candidates I definitely do NOT want to win the presidency, but that I also do not feel strongly in favor of any candidate either. This has me worried slightly, for in the past 8 years, I knew I did not want Bush elected and choosing a candidate was substantially easier. However, I can not say with complete satisfaction which candidate I would like to see in office over another. In my mind, there are some decent choices for the '08 election, but a single person does not stick out in my mind as the one I support.

Therefore, I have to ponder if this is due to me not caring (a scary thought) or simply that no one has wowed me or given me enough reason to want them in office. Could it simply be that the candidates do not have the same star power (for lack a better phrase) as in the past? I have to believe that I do care about the future of our government, because nothing terrifies me more than the apathetic citizen.

If anyone has any feedback as to why I am feeling like this, or if you too are as complacent as myself about the election, please feel free to comment.

I suppose I just have to hope that as the year progresses I will become more engaged in the "Race to the White House."

Afghani Flowers

I was watching the news today and there was a story on about Afghani farmers that grow poppy flowers as the main means of feeding themselves and their families. Apparently, this is a huge crop in Afghanistan and local and foreign authorities have started programs to destroy these crops. They have reasons for this, mainly being that the poppy seed crops pay for the Taliban's efforts to reestablish itself, and consequently many insurgent and terrorist activities. But there is a problem with how they are going about with destroying these farmer's crops. They simply destroy and do not reimburse them in any way. The Afghanistan has said that they will reimburse the farmers with $500 per acre, but UN estimates say that farmers can make $6000 with that same acre of poppy. Then, the same authorities say they will send seeds to take the place of the illegal crop, but many farmers say they haven't seen reimbursement of any kind. On the news program, they interviewed one of these farmers (who are very poor and often receive the money to start the poppy crops from warlords who loan them the money). This farmer was telling the reporters that since the troops destroyed his crops, he would have no way to pay back the loan and the only way he could possibly repay them would be to give them one of his daughters.

I'm not against them destroying these crops, but leaving these farmers helpless to feed their families and themselves is something I can not support. If we are going to support the destruction of these fields, we need to ensure that the Afghanistan government is taking care of their people in the process.

Yee-haw!

My parents made a proposition to me this morning that, frankly, I could not refuse. My mother will be taking my sister down to Texas on the train, so my dad needs someone to switch off the driving all the way down there. They would fly me back immediately afterwards, but they really want me to celebrate Christmas with them. So they offered to pay me $500 to stay with them through Dec. 30, which would be more money than what I could make with a temporary job, which if I got right now, I would have to start paying for my car, insurance, and cell phone immediately. So I made the wise decision to spend some time down in Texas with them because they are also going to fly me back to Chicago and then pay for my train ride home too.

So to everyone in town, I will see you in January!

Plastic and Paper

Everyone hears about how bad plastic bags are for the environment, and they are terrible with practically nothing good coming from them. But many people don't realize how awful paper bags are for the environment, too. I didn't even realize this until I started researching the subject. In fact, in some ways, paper bags are actually worse than plastic bags.

Making a paper bag:

• Emits 70% more global warming gases
• Creates 50 times more water pollution
• Uses 4 times more raw materials
• Consumes 3.5 times more energy

On top of this, paper bags are unlikely to be reused since they tear easily and are even meant to be used once. And then, 80% of paper bags end of in landfills where they don't biodegrade because of a lack of oxygen. They cost more to landfill because they take up way more space in the dump than plastic bags.

After I read this information on 1 Bag at a Time, I was flabbergasted at realizing how the only good alternative is to use woven bags that can be used again and again.

If this kind of thing peaks an interest, check out http://www.1bagatatime.com/. There is also a part of the website where it shows how many of the bags they have sold and how it will affect the environment in the future. A cool thing about this part of the site is that it is a live feed that updates every so often.

Check it out if you know what is good for you.......or rather the Earth!

It's the Local Life for Me

Last night, a friend made an interesting comment on my places of choice when it came to eating out. Simply put, I am all about the local scene, such as Power's and Coney Island. I was pondering this idea, and it is completely true, even with local business that I don't necessarily stuff my face at. So I am going to make a list of all my favorite local businesses, eateries, and anything else that comes to mind.

When I go grocery shopping, I vastly prefer the Three Rivers Co-op (which everyone should go check out). What I especially love about the co-op is that a shopper can purchase a lot of food that is grown or produced locally, either in Ft. Wayne or in local towns. They do have some national products, too, but as far as I know, most of their fresh produce is grown locally.

Brickhouse Bagels & Bakery- I'm pretty sure that this is a local business. At least when I Google it, it only shows up in Fort Wayne. They make awesome brunch food and coffee. The blueberry muffin is amazing.

Atz's Ice Cream Shoppe- Too much ice cream is perfect for me.

Coney Island- After I had my first coney dog at my junior prom dinner here, I've never had a coney dog anywhere else. And it isn't just the food that draws me in again and again; I've also become acquainted with many of the employees there. It also helps that I dated a former employee a couple summer's ago. Honestly, Ft. Wayne wouldn't be the same with out Coney Island.

Powers Hamburgers- Yeah, so this place started up in Michigan. But it feels like a Ft. Wayne thing, so that's the important thing. There is nothing like stuffing your face burger after burger while the grease drips through the bag on to your lap.

Cebolla's Mexican Grille- Honestly, this place serves some of the best Mexican food I've had. I've only eaten at the original restaurant, by the mall, and I also like how most of the wait staff is Hispanic, a trait I've always felt Bandido's was sorely lacking.

Cindy's Diner- I wish Cindy's Diner was open later so I could eat there more often. This is definitely a Ft. Wayne eating landmark.

Firefly Cafe- Probably my favorite coffee house in Ft. Wayne. Yeah, Higher Grounds is nice, but after working there, it just put a sour taste in my mouth. As far as being more in touch with Ft. Wayne, I think Firefly serves better.

Grabill Inn- True, this restaurant is in Grabill, but I have been eating here since I was a little girl. And the prime rib can't be beat.

King Gyro's- Not only can you get great gyro sandwiches, but you can get some pretty amazing American classic food.

Klemm's Kafe- I love Klemm's. Enough said.

Lunch Box Cafe- Good service, good food. A great place to just have a nice lunch!

Munchie's Emporium- Of course, I am referring to the original Munchie's off of Broadway. If you've ever eaten there, you know why it is on this list. If not.......well, you suck.

Our Daily Brew- Yeah, this is the coffee shop in the mall. The coffee isn't terrible and they also have an amazing tea selection.

Clara's Pizza King- Pizza King is an Indiana chain, but Clara's is unique to Ft. Wayne. My mom told me about how she and her friends would go to Clara's and hang out and eat pizza. I have to say, it is pretty neat inside, especially with the swinging benches.

Spyro's Pancake House- Breakfast that isn't the normal IHOP. That's enough reason for me.

The Grind- Another good coffee house. Not many people have heard of it, but I give it mad props. Check it out. It is by the Scott's off of Maplecrest and Stellhorn.

Yokohama- Great Japanese food. Expensive as shit, but good still.

Fast Trak- Who doesn't love driving too fast and ramming yourself into walls and pre-pubescent boys? I do! I do! Plus, the gaming area isn't terrible, especially with the XBox area they added in.

The Thirsty Camel- This is the first local bar I have been to in Ft. Wayne and I can't imagine that Pierre's is any better. I hope to be checking out the 412 Club, Columbia Street West and other bars soon.

Naked Clay Cafe- If you feel like having a coffee or painting some pottery, this is the place for you. Hell, I do both.

Fort Wayne Children's Zoo- Who doesn't love the zoo. I've been visiting the zoo since I was little, and my mom has been going when she was little too. I even used to volunteer for the zoo when I was in middle school.

Roller Dome North- Anyone who grew up in Ft. Wayne and never did an all night skate sorely missed out on a key experience. And if those same people never saw the John Stewart report missed out on yet another key experience.

Azar's Big Boy- Another national chain, but Azar's ties this restaurant down home.

LazerX- In the battle between LazerX and Ultrazone, LazerX just wins. If you check out their site, I believe they were voted either the best or one of the best laser tagging arena's in the area. Eat that, Ultrazone!

I'm sure there are many places that I have missed. And let me know if I am the only one who finds it hilarious that most of my memorable local places are food places. If that doesn't sum up Ft. Wayne for you, I don't know what does.

If anyone has any other places to add, simply put them in a comment.

Locked Up in Sears with No Where to Go

Imagine this:

It's closing time in the Sears Portrait Studio and you are left by yourself to do the closing duties Satan himself could only dream up. These naturally take an hour to do. Around 9, 9:15, you start to notice some of the lights going off in the store, as Sears itself has closed. Naturally, the comforting words of your boss come to mind and you reasure yourself by repeating "You will never be left alone in the store." Rushing as fast as possible to get the cash count, the package count, open orders log checked, the audit file sorted, the sales total for the day, killing a small tree to print out all the papers needed, the closing night worksheet numbers, then transfering those numbers to an e-mail for the district manager, and gathering the deposit money for Sears themselves done in a timely, orderly manner, time slowly creeps to 9:30. You look up and realize the store is so dark, a black man would be invisible. Thoughts race through your mind of a psychotic serial killer/rapist waiting to pounce on you in accesories and you begin walking a little faster with a key in between each knuckle, ready to fuck a mo-fo up if necessary. As you walk down the stationary escalator, it slowly starts to dawn on you that your boss may have been bullshiting and you are left all alone in the creepy department store. But you calm yourself by thinking there has to at least be a security gaurd or gap-toothed janitor somewhere. Closer to the exit, you hear a strange ringing sound that has a familar tone to it. It isn't a phone, or any pager. But who has a fucking pager anymore, honestly. Then it dawns on you. It's the store alarm. You just stand at the dead bolted exit listening to the extremely annoying alarm go off and just think, "Oh fuck." Sitting down on one of the chairs in the dingy lobby, you call 911 (you know they are going to laugh about this all night). Well, you explain the situation, and they send a policman and a mall security officer. When they come up to the door to talk to you, they pass a note through a crack in the door, asking if you have a manager's number who has a key to the store. Of course, working in the photo studio, you don't. Then they tell you they can't get you out without a manager and that they don't have any number to call either. Double fuck. So, you sit back down and just wait it out. For an hour and a half. The first woman who comes starts walking up to the door, and then laughs, "I forgot my key!" Like your situtation is a big joke, the fat bitch. Luckily, a second prepared woman shows up 30 seconds later with a key. She lets you out, asks you what happened, you explained you were left behind (and not in the biblical sense, you add) and they all have a big laugh. You force a toothy grin, ask if you can go, and make a beeline for you car.

Of course, this was a Monday night after work for me. Like this could happen to anyone else.