Free Falling in the Great White UP

When Up is Down and Down is Up

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000

Good drugs ... let's admit it, we're all looking for some, right?
Okay, maybe some of us more than others.

But I am definitely looking for a good drug at the moment.

A new drug.

One that won't make me sick.
One that won't make me crash my car.
Or make me feel three feet thick.

One that won't hurt my head.
One that won't make my mouth too dry.
Or make my eyes too red.

One that won't make me nervous ...

Well, you know the rest.

Here's the thing - we're playing with my MS drugs at the moment. Upping this one and downing that one. And some days, like today, it feels like a real roller coaster ride.

So tell me, does anyone know?
Did Huey ever find that drug he was looking for?

Cuz, if so, I'm thinking he better be willing to share.

Or else, things might just get a wee bit ugly around here.
And trust me, nobody wants to see that.

A Slice of Americana Canadiana

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:32:00 +0000

An actual conversation between myself and HWWNBN late last night:

HWWNBN: Why are my papers (various quotes for building material that he left on a coffee table) all messed up?

MMC: Because they were on top of the coaster I needed.

MMC: But why are the papers on the table, anyway?

HWWNBN: They're quotes ... (indignantly)

MMC: Yeah, but you've already bought the stuff!

HWWNBN: Yeah ....

MMC:

HWWNBN: They're garbage.

MMC: So let me get this straight - you left your garbage on the table instead of throwing it out? And now you're complaining because somebody messed up your garbage?

HWWNBN:

MMC: Seriously??

HWWNBN:

At any rate, I am pleased to report that when I got up this morning ~~the garbage~~, excuse me, his papers were gone from the table.

D-D-D-D-Done Did

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Thu, 09 May 2013 01:49:00 +0000

Remember that project I really had to get going on? The one I posted about a year ago? Yeah, that one.

Well, I am pleased to report that it is now, finally
~~DONE~~ DID. **

Yep, that's right - it only took me one year from the time I first posted (aka 14 months after the Blue Jay actually turned 19) to get this far.

But, hey, in my defence, I now have an actual COURT DATE. For next month.

I know, hard to believe, isn't it?

Although, also in my defence, the delay was not entirely my fault (she proclaims loudly, for all to hear).

One good thing that has come out of the process of applying for guardianship of the Blue Jay, on my own, is that I now definitely have a greater appreciation of the struggles faced by those families who choose to proceed unrepresented in a guardianship application (with the help of my Kit, of course).

Struggles such as having to coordinate affidavits between two different doctors. And, more importantly, having to find some ~~sucker~~ good-hearted lawyer soul willing to swear those (and other) affidavits, pro bono like.

And, not just pro bono, but actually, like, willing to attend at the doctors' offices. Because, believe it or not, doctors do not attend at lawyers' offices. Oh no, lawyers attend at doctors' offices. And never the twain shall meet. Let's just be clear about that.

And hey, who knew? Besides the fun involved in actually figuring all that out, that can, in fact, take just a little bit of time.

But, at any rate, I am very pleased to announce that I have made it this far.

Particularly because, going forward, the matter really is pretty much out of my hands. We have a court date set, you see. Which means the day (only a few weeks hence) will dawn (whether I like it or not) and I will be completely prepared because, really, what choice do I have?

That's right ... it is now officially out of hands.

Which, really, come to think of it, is no doubt a very good thing.

** No, it may not be a DONE deed.
But I DID, indeed, get to the point where it is out of my hands.
So there. Take. That.

A Ray of Light in the Darkness

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:44:00 +0000

I have touched briefly on the years of Hell we went through when the Blue Jay was little - actually from the time she was 13 months until she was 10 years old. Although seizures may not have touched our lives, directly, for the past seven years, those memories are not just burnt into my brain but a part of the very fabric of our family.

Such is the laser-story of the background to my reaction to what I discovered on FaceBook yesterday. [Perhaps FaceBook does serve some useful purpose, after all. Who knew?]

So what did I discover that has so completely garnered my attention? See for yourself.

You know, a very large part of me has to wonder why ... why is the use of such a discovery a big deal at all? Why are families forced to pack up and move across the country to get their child the treatment they need?

Perhaps it is the fact that I live in the Great White UP, where we have a system for the approval of the use of medical marijuana. I gather the situation is a little more cloudy in the United States.

Whatever the reason, I can tell you that without a moment's hesitation I would have tried cannabis for the Blue Jay in our darkest days. Yes, for the part of that time, she was only a toddler, but those seizures were robbing her of her life.

Although the situations are not identical, I strongly identified with the two families profiled in the video above. When we were living through our own personal nightmare, the ketogenic diet was the new kid on the block, looked down upon by medical professionals, and not just completely misunderstood by the general public but pretty much totally unheard of (essentially a step down from being completely misunderstood).

The food was much too "unpalatable", how can a child possibly survive without going to birthday parties, it's a regiment that is impossible for a family to maintain, no child will put up with it and, of course, it was much, much too unhealthy - we heard it all and I have a response for each and every one of them, although I won't bore you with that at the moment. Let's just say that families do what needs to be done and can be incredibly innovative and creative when need be. And done with a little care and attention, there is no need for the ketogenic diet to be so unhealthy.

The diet was our "miracle drug" (although, of course, not a drug) at the time. And I have never regretted it for one moment. Not when I fought with the doctors for months to get them to agree to merely try try it; not when we fought daily with the Blue Jay, herself, when we initially tried to get her to accept it and worked for months with a child psychologist to convince her to actually eat the food; not when, after going almost two years seizure-free on the diet, we lost control and essentially had to start all over again; and not the second time we lost control thanks to a doctor's neglect and the Blue Jay ended up in the hospital, not just actively seizing again but with dangerously low potassium levels.

Hard? Hell, yes.

Sorry, we gave six years of our and the Blue Jay's life to it? Hell, no.

So now you have a much more complete background to my response to the above video. Perhaps that's why I can't see the issue with using medical marijuana in this way. Instead of horror or concern, I was elated to learn of a new epilepsy treatment and fascinated to learn how, instead of growing plants to maximize the THC (the chemical that makes you "high") content, they actually manipulate to increase the CBD content, which is the compound that is effective in stopping the seizures.

The original post I saw on FaceBook, accompanying the above video, read like this:

Washington Post covers medical cannabis for pediatric epilepsy. What are your thoughts? How far would you go to save your child? We were happy, and a little nervous to tell our story so publicly. But I feel it is absolutely necessary. Families need to know this is an option, and they can work with their medical team to make the best decision for their child. ♥ Heather

I must confess I had some trouble grasping exactly why this family was at all nervous to tell their story, why they weren't, instead, just singing it from the rooftops.

But, hey, I am a lawyer by training so not totally clueless - yeah, yeah, I get that whole "illegal in some states" thing compounded with the likely cries of "Oh my God, what kind of parent would give children as young as toddlers marijuana on a daily basis? For heaven sake, call Child Protective Services immediately!". There's some in every crowd, you know ... but that, too, is a story best saved for another day.

So. Shortly after watching (and raving) about the above video, I found this one in my news feed.

Now I might disagree with the good researcher when he states that they know how most of the current anti-epileptic drugs work or don't work (and, by the by, he actually contradicts himself later in the interview when he notes most of the most effective anti-epileptic drugs were discovered by accident and they don't have clearly defined mechanisms of action for many of today's drugs), but to me, that is much less relevant than his comments on the "ethical issue" of giving marijuana to toddlers

After the interviewer notes that at a "headline level", the issue was still very much giving medical marijuana for toddlers, he asks the good doctor if he had any "ethical" issues with this. Apparently he does, "very much so", in fact, based on a long-term New Zealand study of people who had used marijuana, which found that the only group that showed permanent cognitive damage was moderate to heavy users of marijuana during adolescence.

Like it or not, not exactly a surprising result. But as noted in the interview, this study was looking at the effects of THC. And as noted in the first video, these plants are being bred to specifically lower the level of THC and increase the level of CBD.

I can ~~understand~~ accept that doctors require their double-blind studies and believe they "need to know" how/why a substance works before recommending it to their patients. But it's one thing to clinically speak of the 35% of patients with "difficult to control seizures" and quite another to actually be one of that 35%.

Because, trust me, until you have actually lived that, You. Have. No. Clue.

I wonder how many people will only hear and remember those headline comments. I wonder how many people out there will actually listen to the entire interview, the defining moment of truth of which comes only at the end

When asked if he, personally, would use marijuana for his child, the answer was more than telling.

If that were my child and I had a child with difficult to control seizures and knowing the risk of uncontrolled seizures, if I had something that would control those seizures without any obvious major adverse effects on the child, that would be, as my personal decision, I would do it. Not as a clinical recommendation, as a parent myself.

. . .

Now if that was a child of mine and somebody offered me a less than perfect but effective treatment, I am going to say yes to it.

Why? Because the good doctor is well aware of the risks of status epilepticus and SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy - a phenomena they tend not to tell parents about, by the way) and that the risks of these things happening dramatically increase in a person with poorly controlled seizures.

End of the day (and you will, no doubt, be happy to know, end of this post), the bottom line in is that if a new treatment for epilepsy that has thing kind of success rate can be found, naysayers, busy bodies and governments need to get the hell out of the way. Because, believe me, unless you live it, you. have. no.clue.

Blog Roll Blues

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:29:00 +0000

It is with great sadness that we hereby announce the paring down of Ye Olde Blog Roll [It's Eclectic]. From it's former splendor of 25 blogs, it now boasts but 18.

Which might not sound too bad but for the fact that of that 18, roughly only half, at the most (being generous) can boast any new content on a semi-regular basis.

'Tis a sad, sad day.

Fortunately, we do still have "The Best of the Best" from Neptunus Lex and the Neptunus Lex Super FB page (first rule of the NeptunusLex Super Secret FB page - don't talk about the Neptunus Lex Super Secret FB page) to read.

* My apologies for the pic - but as noted, 'tis a sad, sad cheesy kind of day.

Best. April. Fools. Evah.

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:12:00 +0000

Reposted from Lex's in honour of April Fools - in my mind, this is one of (if not) the best April Fools jokes I have seen (let alone been subjected to).

But in many ways, the best part is found in the comments - just how long can it take some people to figure this out?

It's. A. Joke. Folks. :D

Bad news
By lex, on April 1st, 2007

I’m sorry to have to share this with you, but it looks like we may have to amend the terms of our relationship: I guess I finally crossed the line. Something I wrote earlier in the week offended some Very Important People who made official representation of their objections through political channels and finally down through my chain of command. I got the call yesterday – it’s never good news to get called by your boss on a Saturday. Had to happen eventually I suppose, but I kind of hoped my tattered veil of anonymity could outlast my active service.

Now, many of you know that I have been blogging under a pseudonym in order to protect those I work for from having to officially recognize the source of these my musings, thereby lending them even the patina of official endorsement from the USG, DoD or DoN. The problem – as I very well knew from the beginning – is that there really isn’t any such thing as anonymity on the net. The world is full of people looking for a reason to take offense, and if you hang out on the web long enough, eventually you’ll make somebody angry, a complaint will get lodged and, well: Here we are.

READ MORE

Twenty

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:26:00 +0000

It's flummoxed, I am.

You see, the calendar (and my darling daughter, herself) tells me, in no uncertain terms, that my oldest is
twenty years old today.

Twenty? Seriously? You've GOT to be kidding me ...

I didn't really mind when she turned nineteen - sure, it seemed a little hard to believe but not that big of a deal. At least, not as big of a deal as her turning twenty.

Yeah, yeah, I am well aware that in the eyes of the law, she became an adult last year.

But twenty? My kid is twenty??

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLUE JAY

~ MAY YOUR BIRTHDAY BE AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE ~

So

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:26:00 +0000

Purple Day is fast approaching.

And Purple Day is a ~~bit of a~~ big thing around here, as you might recall.

Meaning right at the moment I am up to my eyeballs in posters, buttons, wallet cards, Purple Daisies, brochures, pamphlets, bookmarks, pens, stickers ... the list goes on.

And cupcakes, of course ... right, never forget the cupcakes!

So while we here at Free Falling prepare to do our small part in the grand endeavour to paint the world Purple ...

Please remember to Wear Purple on March 26th.

And have A Very Coole Purple Day.

On Dreaming

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:30:00 +0000

Once upon a time, I asked Lex if he would ever fly again. The question was asked while he was still actively serving, but a few years after he had strapped on a Hornet for the last time. It was beyond clear how much he loved and missed flying so I asked if he would ever consider flying a bugsmasher.

No, he replied, he wouldn't. Something to the effect that having once partaken of government-sponsored crack cocaine, there was no going back to mere commercial flight. I remember thinking that the only cure for that kind of drug must be complete withdrawal.

And it seemed like a reasonable enough response at the time - even though not in my frame of reference (I would jump at the chance to fly any aircraft, bugsmasher or not), I could accept that from his point of view, there simply was no going back.

There was a time and place
Not far from here and now
Maybe a brighter day
Maybe they had it made somehow
Living for there and then
Under a psychadelic spell
No one was listening
Still they had so much to tell

But isn't it how funny how time changes things?

Whatever happened to the dreamers
They always look beyond the sky
Saw a world they could believe in
But only when they close their eyes

A mere few years later, Lex took on a weekend job flying tourists and other assorted types in dog-fights, with the occasional learn to fly jaunt thrown in for good measure. And it wasn't long after that, when he took on the challenge of learning to pilot taildraggers.

Next thing I knew, he was back in the fighter pilot game.

There were the politcians
Men of the cloth, painters and poets
Starting a revolution
Without even knowing
Making the world around us
Making heaven and hell
Saying so much about us
Still they had so much to tell

You left us much, much too soon, sir.

But you left us living your dream. And for that, I will be forever grateful.

Whatever happened to the dreamers
They always looked beyond the sky
Saw a world they could believe
only when they close their eyes
Where are they nowThey've all left town
Bringing the clouds

Why are we on our own, why are we on our own

Nothing's ever been this way before
A dream is just a dream and nothing more
Nothing's ever been this way before
A dream is just a dream and nothing more

But that I can follow your example and, no matter what, never give up on my dreams.

More Good News on the "Hate Speech" Front

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:42:00 +0000

You might recall that I was very pleased when the move was made to remove sec. 13 from the Canadian Human Rights Act last year.

Well, I was even more pleased when I learned today that the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has now weighed in on the wording of a similar provision in Saskatchewan's Human Rights Code.

The facts of the case are notorious. After William Whatcott distributed flyers condemning homosexuality using very strong language, the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal found that that his actions breached sec. 14(1)(b) of the Code, which prohibits the publication of printed matter that “exposes or tends to expose to hatred, ridicules, belittles or otherwise affronts the dignity of any person or class of persons” because of sexual orientation.

Although the SCC upheld part of that provision as constitutional and not a violation of Whatcott's freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it found that the prohibition against ridicule, belittlement or affronts to dignity did not meet constitutional muster.

The Court held that those words are not synonymous with hatred, which was defined as “whether a reasonable person, aware of the context and circumstances, would view the expression as likely to expose a person or persons to detestation and vilification on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination”. Thus, the Court made clear that it is unconstitutional to prohibit speech that is something less than detestation and vilification.

Finally, the SCC held that although freedom of religion (Whatcott argued that his flyers were motivated by his sincere religious beliefs) and religious speech have broad protection like the freedom of expression, at the same time, that speech cannot expose vulnerable groups to detestation and vilification, even if it is sincerely-held.

Although it will fall to the politicians to ultimately (hopefully) remove remaining "hate speech" provisions from Canadian human rights legislation, the SCC decision at least clarifies that

the test of hatred must be applied objectively (i.e., the reasonable person aware of the relevant context and circumstances), not based on the subjective views of the publisher or the victim; and
“hatred” involves two concepts—detestation and vilification, which enforce the legislative objectives of anti-discrimination laws.

I guess all we can do now is await the political process. Bill C-304, which would repeal the hate speech provision in the Canadian Human Rights Act (and which provision the Federal Court found largely constitutional in October, 2012), has passed the House of Commons and is currently being debated in the Senate.

In Alberta, Premier Redford promised during her leadership campaign to repeal the equivalent Alberta provision.

Any other Province care to step forward and be heard?

~ ~ ~ ~

By the by, writing this post got me to thinking about our good friend (term used loosely), Rev. Stephen Boissoin, whose case (last we checked) was winding its way through the courts.

I am pleased to say that the good Reverend (again, using the term loosely) was successful, both in Alberta's Court of Queen Bench and the Court of Appeal, where the Court held that “matters of morality, including the perceived morality of certain types of sexual behavior, are topics for discussion in the public forum,” and “freedom of speech does not just protect polite speech.”

In the words of Jonathan Kay, "Just so".

He Has The Whole World in His Hand

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:17:00 +0000

I came across a picture today that I thought was kind of cool.

So, tell me, what do you think?

Yeah, sure, I know ... nice snap for sure but not really that big of deal, right? Certainly not enough to get an honourable blog mention.

Are you sure about that?

JEFF FRIESEN has jumped the rails with his version of taking the train across Canada.

Instead of getting aboard a Via Rail locomotive, he carries a miniature replica of a train with him, sets it down on a miniature track in a landscape and takes a picture for his series, The Canadian: Ghost Train Crossing Canada.

. . .

The train, five centimetres tall and not quite three metres long, is a replica of the 1959 Canadian, the first train to “almost cross Canada.” It went from Montreal to Vancouver. As a vintage train, it is “a ghost from another age.”

And he's photographed that same train streaking by the turquoise water of Lake Louise, crossing the canola fields of the Prairies, disappearing into a rock tunnel in Ontario and crossing a moss-covered log bridge in Quebec.

Apparently the photos have went viral in Europe and the US, which begs the question of why that hasn't yet occurred in Canada.

You have to admit, pretty cool, right?

And not bad for a Canadian, let alone a Nova Scotian, eh?

Humpty Meets Dumpty. Again.

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 01:48:00 +0000

Having a particular interest in special education (gee, I wonder why), I subscribe to a couple of Education newsletters. They're both US-based, of course, but something is better than nothing, says I.

So it was that today I came across a synopsis in Education Week stating that a Tennessee Senator wants to pass a law requiring counselors and other school officials who learn that a student has engaged in homosexual activity to report this information to the parents. Thinking that this sounded interesting in a warped sort of way (and admitting that the thought that some right-wing politician strikes again did cross my mind), I clicked on the story.

The only thing is that (in my reading, at least) the story doesn't quite work as advertised - what the synopsis and article purport to say and what the proposed Bill actually says simply do. not. mesh.

The proposed Bill, you see, would provide that

classroom instruction, course materials and other informational resources that are "inconsistent with natural human reproduction" will be classified as" inappropriate" for students from pre-K - Gr 8;
any counseling by a school counselor, nurse, principal or assistant principal of a student who is "engaging in, or who may be at risk of engaging in, behavior injurious" to their or another's "physical or mental health and wellbeing" must be done, if possible, in consultation with the student's parents and the parents must be notified that such counseling has occurred; and
the parents must be notified of a student "whose circumstances present immediate and urgent safety issues involving human sexuality".

And that, right there, is the problem, you see. Or, at least, the problem I see.

Because, for me at least, a requirement that the parents be notified in the case of a student whose "circumstances present immediate and urgent safety issues involving human sexuality" is very different from requiring notification in the case of homosexual activity. This despite the fact that it would appear that the good Senator, himself, might believe otherwise.

Admitting that, if perhaps you are a total homophobic, you might consider any and all homosexual activity to present immediate and urgent safety issues involving human sexuality, might I suggest that just because you say it or think it does not make it so?

Don't get me wrong, I am not making a comment on the "rightness", "wrongness" or "morality" of homosexuality; what I am saying is I find it very hard (read: impossible) to make the stretch that would equate homosexuality with "urgent safety issues".

The Senator, apparently, considers homosexuality to constitute an urgent safety issue because of the possibility of contracting HIV and AIDS. Putting aside the rather awkward fact that you can also contract HIV through heterosexual contact, doesn't any form of sexual activity open you up to the possibility of contracting various sexually-transmitted diseases (some of them pretty nasty, by the way)?

And, by the by, doesn't heterosexuality by a female open her up to the possibility of pregnancy, which some might see as potentially dangerous (be it physically, emotionally or mentally) depending on the age of said female? We are, after all, talking about students here.

But. Back to my original point (yes, of course, I had one; why do you ask?).

Much along the lines of 'Humpty Dumpty Strikes Again', just because you say it doesn't make it so. And, just as an aside, when you attempt to legislate, you might just want to choose your words carefully. Or else you may just run the risk of legislating "human reproduction" right out of existence, which I'm thinking might have some might nasty consequences, in and of itself.

The Law of Unintended Consequences being what it is.

Knee Meet Jerk

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:07:00 +0000

A knee jerk reaction is defined as:

an immediate unthinking emotional reaction produced by an event or statement to which the reacting person is highly sensitive; - in persons with strong feelings on a topic, it may be very predictable.

Synonyms (or perhaps more accurately, symptoms) include:

pavlovian response, absence of thought, automatic reaction,gut reaction, involuntary impulse

So what do you think? Generally speaking ... a good or bad thing?

Now tell me what you think of this.

A 17-year-old high school student has been suspended (and might face expulsion) for writing a dark poem that mentioned the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Her "crime" was, perhaps, one line in the poem; namely a statement that she understood what drove Adam Lanza to do what he did.

But since I'm a big fan of context, let's see how the poem actually read.

They wanna hold me back.
I run, but they still attack.
My innocence, I won't get back.
I use to smile.
They took my kindness for weakness.
The silence the world will never get.
I understand the killings in Connecticut.
I know why he pulled the trigger.
The government is a shame.
Society never wants to take the blame.
Society puts these thoughts in our head.
Misery loves company.

Her poem actually reminds me of something I read in a high school English class. An assigned reading. I can't quite recall now whether it was meant to be a suicide note or something written and handed in by the young man as part of a class assignment, shortly before he hung himself but I believe the latter.

At any rate, that poem has stuck with me my whole life. Not the exact words, of course, but the ideas, the pictures and thoughts remain bright in my mind.

Written in the the third person, the poem told the story of a little boy who started school so full of energy, curiosity and a desire to learn. So full of life. It goes on to tell what the school experience was like from his perspective and although my memory falters in some places, the ending remains crystal clear. Essentially, from his perspective, school had sucked all the colour out of life (starting with things as simple as being repeatedly told to "colour within the lines" in the primary grades), ~~emphasizing~~ demanding conformity in writing, dress and actions. It the end, it sucked the very life out of him.

That was assigned reading in a high school English class and ~~despite the subject matter~~, it was a very good poem. Both from the perspective of how it was written and because it accomplished what I believe literature, at its best, is meant to accomplish: it made you stop and think. To this day, that little boy still comes back to haunt me.

Now, you might quite rightly point out that poem was assigned in a different time - a time when "school shootings" were unheard of, at any level. In a more innocent time, a time when parents felt safe sending their children to school. When horrors such as Sandy Hook were unimaginable, even in the movies. So it was.

But one of my immediate reactions when I first read that poem (which has stuck with me to this day and makes me think that it was something the young man handed in at school before he took his own life) was to wonder why ... why no one had paid attention to what he had to say, why no one could hear his scream for help, why he was simply given a grade and handed the poem back.

Much like reading the article about Courtni Webb and her poem makes me wonder why.

Why, if the school took this matter so seriously, did they simply suspend her? Did anyone sit down and actually talk to her before this decision was made? Was the first question that crossed administration's mind really "Should we suspend her"? Really? Seriously?

Did it occur to anyone to actually express some concern about the girl, herself? If the poem is to be interpreted as the school so obviously has, shouldn't there have some concern for the state of her mental health? Did we learn nothing from Sandy Hook? Other than that lesson pounded into granite for so many years? Cover. Your. Ass.

But you know what?

I really doubt whether anyone talked too much to Courtni about what she may or may have been thinking when she wrote this poem. But realizing that I am only basing this on the short interview I've watched where Courtni explained the poem, how about if you tell me what you think.

Sociopathic killer? Potential mass murderer? Possibly, I suppose. We are all well aware that we live in a world where anything, indeed, is possible.

Or, perhaps, merely (an apparently bright) high school student using her writing to work through her feelings?

I didn't hear a threat of violence in her words. Which has to make me wonder if the blunt mechanism of suspension was not used because she supposedly somehow violated a zero-tolerance policy or because of a perceived threat of violence, as alleged but simply to "punish" the young woman for her lack of good taste in writing such things so soon after all those little children were so senselessly murdered.

Either way, whether Courtni was actually contemplating violence or simply writing a poem, threatening and intending to threaten no one, if that poem caused concern for those who knew her, the first priority should have been (and should continue to be) her mental health.

Knee. Meet. Jerk.

It's Baaaack ...

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 22:58:00 +0000

That's right - your dreams have been answered. Year in a Blog is back.

You know the drill ... the first sentence (or paragraph, depending on my mood) of the first post for each month of 2012. Drum roll please ...

January 2012 - Come on. I double dog dare you. Try it. Forget twenty times. Just once. As fast as you can.

February 2012 - Wow, check this out - a man who was upset that a Tennessee couple unfriended his adult daughter has been charged with killing the couple.

March 2012 - I really shouldn't be here. The hour is late ... very late ... and I have to work tomorrow. But that is what happens when you spend a couple of hours floating around the internets, reading and responding to tributes to a man you've never even "met". But that you knew so well. Oh well, something tells me sleep will be a might bit difficult ~~tonight~~ this morning anyway.

April 2012 - Time goes on. As does life, doesn't it?
And although time doesn't really heal all wounds, it does tend to provide a protective coating, a scab, if you will. Which, I suppose, is why it hurts so bad if and when that scab, for whatever reason, gets ripped off.

May 2012 - Today's the day. It's here. It. Has. Arrived. Most definitely. I think.

June 2012 - I've always suspected it. And now I have proof! All Some good things do come to those who wait.

July 2012 - So, here we go again ... what's up with some people's apparent need to define words however they think they should be defined, either because it suits their own immediate purposes or ... it gets them in the news, perhaps? Hell, if I know.

August 2012 - 1. It's too hot.

September 2012 - There was absolutely no doubt when I stepped outside on Sunday - we have definitely entered my favourite time of the year.

October 2012 - crickets

November 2012 - I must admit I am quite disappointed in myself.

December 2012 -

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:54:00 +0000

But remember, what we write is up to us:

A Merry Christmas to All ...

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 01:44:00 +0000

... And to All A Good Night

Only in Nova Scotia, You Say ...

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 23:21:00 +0000

H/T to the Chronicle Herald

These Are A Few of My Favourite Things ...

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:34:00 +0000

UPDATE: I hadn't watched the Dreamers video for quite a while and when I watched it again last night, it really spoke to me:

Whatever happened to the dreamers?

They always look beyond the sky

Saw a world they could believe in

But only when they close their eyes

Where are they now?

They've all left town

Bring in the clouds

Whoever posted the video dedicated it to their brother. I hereby re-dedicate it to Lex.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My computer having been without sound for close to nine months, it was mighty nice to get it back a few weeks ago. So nice, in fact, that one of the first things I did was start jiving with some of my favourite tunes.

Which got me thinking that, really, it was only fair to share some of those favourites (via video) with you.

So here you go, for your (and my) listening pleasure, I offer a few of my favourite things.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

One of my absolute favourite songs to listen to. It always puts a grin on my face,
I offer you Teterboro.

A beautiful video posted by Lex in the way back.

Only makes sense that this should be one of my favourite things, seeing as how many
days of my life it seems to capture lately.

Okay, not musical but ... it's always good for a grin.
And, just for the record, it's TOPGUN, one word, no caps. Fools.

I post this video pretty much every Remembrance Day. The fact that it's sung, not
just by a Canadian, but by a Nova Scotian (Terry Kelly) certainly doesn't hurt but
it really grabs me because it's a beautiful, moving video and song.

In the category of "Not Music But I Could Easily Listen To It Over And Over Again",
I offer you what I like to title "You Can Call Them An Inspiration or You Can Can
Call Them Your Friend".

In the same category as the above - I find this incredibly moving.

What can I say? I am Canadian, eh?

This? This. Is. Just. Funny.

RFLOL

And last, but not least, a song so nice I named my blog after it.

And there you have it. Just a few of my favourite things.

To Dream the Impossible Dream

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:15:00 +0000

It's been eighteen years since I've practiced law. That's right. Eighteen years.

Long time, no?

You see, I've always said I wouldn't go back to practice unless I could have just a "disability" practice.

In other words, not unless I could only take cases involving disability-related issues. But considering that most families with a disabled family member can't afford a lawyer and I figure that it will likely take Nova Scotia a good 20 years to get to the point where the government helps subsidize the cost of legal representation for families ... I just wasn't feeling the love.

But for the past year or so, I've been playing around with the idea of doing just that ... going back to the practice of law. No, I hadn't given up on what I really wanted or lowered my standards. Nor was the thought born out of desperation.

But I had finally come to realize (with a little bit of help from some friends) that I could use what I have been doing with the NS Legal Guardianship Kit and the presentations on disability-related topics as a springboard.

What if I went back to practice? Just on a part-time basis?

What if I could offer people the option of either purchasing the Guardianship Kit or hiring me to bring their guardianship application? Not only would my fees be significantly lower than the majority of lawyers' but I had also started to develop a reputation in the disability community. People were already asking if they could hire me to bring guardianship applications and I had to explain that no, I wasn't practicing.

So it was that I've been playing around with this idea for a while now.

Tried to talk myself out of it ... after 18 years of not practicing, just how many hoops would the Barristers' Society make me go through before granting me practicing status again? For a while, that seemed like a good enough reason not to proceed any further.

But eventually I realized that I might just be staring in the face (and yet not seeing) exactly what I have been looking for so hard for quite a while now - having convinced myself that I would never go back to practice because, after all, who could financially survive financially with the type of practice I wanted, I had been thinking that maybe the solution was finding work for a disability organization in a position where I could use my legal background and training. But that opportunity simply was not presenting itself. Although, in all honesty, I had come across what looked like the perfect job a few years ago. There was only one problem ... it was in BC. As in clear across the other side of the country. So, yeah. Not so much.

And yet this has been my passion for so many years now - how long have I been telling people that if I could find a way to marry law and disability (and get paid for it), I would be truly happy? Trust me, a long time. Said to a lot of people.

And so it was that eventually, very slowly, light began to dawn on marblehead (that would be me, in case you were wondering) and I "made the decision" (well, kind of, sort of anyway ... who says I'm not decisive?*) to take the leap and return to practice.

The only problem was that required applying for a change of status (and forwarding the appropriate application fee) to the Bar Society, who would review my application and then tell me what hoops I would have to go through.

Now, really, that change of application fee would be hardly significant for most people. It shouldn't have been a big deal. And yet once I (kind of, sort of) made the decision to go back to practice, there just wasn't any money to spare to make the application. And then every time I planned on doing it (as in as soon as I get paid for ... whatever), something would happen and the money would be demanded elsewhere.

Oh what a tangled web we weave ....

Anyway, on a different note, guess what I did today? Come on. Guess.

No, I didn't finally *find* the money for the application fee.

No, I didn't finally start the required paperwork.

Give up? Are you sure?

All right, all right. I will tell you.

Listen carefully now.

(crickets)

Today. I. Mailed. The. Application.

(With. The. Cheque. Of. Course).

To. The. Bar. Society.

(more crickets)

Proud of me? I am.

Proud. And excited. And more than a little nervous.

And so it is that the adventure continues. Wish me luck!

* In my defence, I did have a few good personal reasons for hesitating about taking the plunge. One being my health. But, hey, why let a little thing like that stop me, right? I figure if I don't try, I'll never know.

World Record

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:40:00 +0000

I think we just set the record for the world's shortest IPP meeting. Ever. Well, at least the shortest one I've ever attended in 15 years of being involved with special education.

The funny thing is how I walked out of the world's shortest IPP meeting feeling quite good about the whole thing. Better than I have in the past 3 years of IPP meetings, in fact. And that after half an hour as opposed to the usual 1.5 - 2 hour meetings.

The reason, you ask? Might shorter, in and of itself, actually be better?

No. No, not at all. In fact, we have another IPP meeting scheduled for next week (minus the subject teachers who were present today but with the addition of the autism specialist) that I am sure will run much closer to what I am use to.

No, here, my dear friends, is the difference. Today's meeting was (finally) chaired by a Resource teacher that gets it.

Previous Resource teachers, although extremely experienced, who should have (and, no doubt, did) know their stuff, were so stuck in their ways of doing things that there was absolutely no room for anything different.

Did I mention there was no room? Because, really. There. Was. No. Room.

I'm sorry, but the term dinosaur does come to mind. While they may have been very good at what they did many years ago, they clearly couldn't (or, I'm thinking, more likely wouldn't) adapt to the times. It was their way. Or the highway.

But our current Resource teacher, while relatively new to "Intensive Resource", has family members with disabilities and he really seems to get it. To get the importance of life skills for a young adult like the Blue Jay. To get the importance of life skills for so many of the students in that class.

I can actually see him building a resource program that will be so much better than what this school previously had. I can actually see it benefiting so many more students. My only real complaint is that the Blue Jay didn't have access to such a program three years ago, when she first entered high school, as she should have.

Well, that and the fact that when our previous ~~dinosaurs~~ teachers ruled the land, nobody (and I mean nobody) seemed to have any issue with the way things were done or the way they insisted things had to be done. They were backed up all the way.

Nope, nobody had any issues with them. Nobody except me, that is.

Interestingly enough, now that they've retired, I am finding people starting to agree with what I've consistently been saying (and thinking) for the past couple of years - that things didn't have to be (and, in fact, shouldn't have been) done their way. That, dare I say it, these particular teachers were the problem.

Apparently, now they are. But then they weren't. Go figure.

Disappointed

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:56:00 +0000

I must admit I am quite disappointed in myself.

This is the first time, since I started this blog in 2007, that I missed posting for an entire month. Not that my record over the last couple of years was anything to be particularly proud of but still ...

My. Bad.

However, the one bright spot (and in my favour) is the fact that I did significantly change the look of the blog last month. And I think it looks mighty purty at the moment, if I do say so myself.

~ ~ ~

By the by, you might notice a new pic at the top of the sidebar. It's been six months since that horrible day and Nov. 9th would have been Lex's 52nd birthday.

Please raise a glass in honour of His Honour.

And if you’re wondering whether you can buy me a beer, the answer is yes.
Yes, you can.

Not Meant To Be

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:44:00 +0000

There was absolutely no doubt when I stepped outside on Sunday - we have definitely entered my favourite time of the year.

I love Fall; the shining sun; a clear blue sky; warm, maybe even hot but without that summer heat and humidity that sucks the life right out of me; and, of course, the beautiful colours. What more could a girl ask for?

Well, one tiny thing perhaps ...

We live in the beautiful Annapolis Valley, well-known for its agriculture and bountiful crops. A little less well-known, perhaps, for its wineries. But we have those too. Three, in fact, within a 15-minute drive from my place.

And yet ... and yet, I have never even been to a winery, let alone toured one. And that is something I have always wanted to do.

No excuse, really. Once or twice every year, the wineries are open for tours. And, of course, wine-tastings.

Yep, you guessed it - Sunday was one of those days.

Open Farm Day they call it. Come out and see where your food really comes from.

I must confess I am a littles less than interested in seeing where my food comes from. I mean, I ain't no city slicker, I live in the Valley ... I know exactly where my food comes from for heaven's sake.

But if you're suggesting that I should come out and see where my wine really comes from (while I taste some of yours) ... yeah, I could go for that. I mean, I wouldn't want to be rude, right?

Alas, it was not meant to be. 'Tis to weep.

I tried. I really did. But apparently first we had to go visit Farmer John's Farm (I kid you not - its real name) where summer savoury is grown. Yep, summer savoury. Which, surprisingly, was interesting. In a strange sort of way.

But then ... then it was my turn. Right?

Sure. Kind of. We headed out to the Muir Murray Estate Winery.

A beautiful day. A gorgeous spot.

And yet, as I said, apparently it was not meant to be. We arrived at 3:30 and the last tour was at 3:00. We even (just) missed a hay ride, which although not really my cup of tea, would have taken us through the vineyard.

Thwarted again!

There was still the wine-tasting, of course.

Too bad that I wasn't particularly fond of any of the wines that I tried. Equally too bad was the fact that the one wine I would have really loved to try cost $5 for a "taste".

So, yeah. Thanks. But no thanks.

So that was that. Until I got back home, of course. Where I promptly had myself a glass of wine. What do you expect? Hey, I was craving the stuff by then.

They're trying to tell me that we will always have next year. But, really, just how much wine will I be forced to consume while I'm waiting?

'To Swerve and Protect'

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Heh.

H/T to Kris from Noodling On It

Whazzup Doc?

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:42:00 +0000

1. It's too hot.

2. I like to complain about the heat. Because although I love the concept of summer, MS. Does. Not. Like. Heat. Or. Humidity.

3. Period.

4. End. Of. ~~Sentence~~ Story.

5. The good news is that I am back to wearing flip flops on both feet. That's right, no more ~~ski~~ walking boot in the middle of summer.

6. Did I mention it felt like 150 degrees in that boot?

7. The bad news is (yeah, you knew that was coming) my ankle is more painful without the boot.

8. Believe it or not, I am actually posting on the other blawg.

9. Just not here. Not entirely sure why. Except I don't seem to have anything to say [gasp].

10. Within the last few days, I've started to get that feeling. That feeling that comes when summer will soon be over. When school will soon be starting. And, in my life, no, that is most definitely not a good feeling.

11. Not working much. Not really working much at all. At least, not doing any paying work.

12. That last is not by choice, by the way.

13. Pretty broke. (See above)

14. Have a fair bit of stuff I ~~could~~ should be doing for my business.

15. Haven't really been doing much of it.

16. Now making an effort to force myself to do some of it.

17. Spending way too much time on FaceBook. Insidious time suck that it is.

18. Which that might just explain a lot.

19. Heading over to the Island on Sunday to drop the Kit Kat off at Camp. Will most likely come home the same day.

20. Heading back to the Island next Saturday. You guessed it, to pick the Kit Kat up.

21. Spending one night there before we head to New Brunswick to drop the Blue Jay off at her Camp. At which point, we will head straight home.

22. Which, that would constitute our entire vacation the grown ups in the family are going to get this year.

And That's All, Folks!

Telling It Like It Is

noreply@blogger.com (MMC) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 22:39:00 +0000

Kudos to Dr. Brian Hennen for telling it like it is when it comes to life for persons with developmental disabilities in Nova Scotia.

I met Dr. Hennen and his colleagues for the first time the end of May when I took the Blue Jay to a transition clinic for young adults in Halifax. And I must say that I was very impressed with what they were/are doing - armed with the latest clinical guidelines for the care of adults with developmental disabilities, Dr. Hennen (a psychiatrist) and Dr. Clarke (a family doctor), joined by a supporting cast of a few other doctors and nurses offer a complete assessment of the young adult's physical and mental health, making appropriate recommendations to the family doctor for continuing care and, where necessary, referrals to other specialists.

Yeah, I was impressed - because really, how often do individuals with special needs (particularly adults) appear to be after-thoughts found on the side of the road, left to fend for themselves best as they can? Whether it be the health system, the criminal justice or elsewhere, this sadly appears more likely than not.

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see Dr. Hennen's op ed in today's paper - an op ed which essentially sets out Nova Scotia's history (the good, the bad and the ugly) over the past five years in dealing with persons with developmental disabilities.

Offering both kudos and criticism where appropriate, Dr. Hennen notes the self-assessment undertaken with much fan-fare in 2008 by the Services for Persons with Disability (SPD) program, following which fewer than half of the resulting recommendations were fully implemented to the two reviews conducted by that same program following reports of abuse at a residential care centre in 2010 and the terrible treatment of an autistic young man in the Braemore Home in Sydney in 2011; both resulting in numerous recommendations, few of which were actually acted upon.

From research showing that half of the 156 adult Nova Scotians with developmental disabilities interviewed were unhappy with their living arrangements to the April 2011 report to the Standing Committee on Community Services concerning the inadequacy of residential options available to Nova Scotians with developmental disabilities (including the fact that one-third of individuals referred with developmental disability and psychiatric or behavioural challenges did not actually have mental illness, but were troubled by the inappropriate residential situations in which they had been placed). Kudos to the committee’s members who actually had the guts to admit their lack of awareness of the key issues.

From the Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention program for pre-school children with autism started in 2005 (for which demand far outstripped supply) that five years later finally opened its door to allow access for all such children to the highly successful Access to Community Education & Employment (ACEE) program, piloted in 2007, that offers a one-year program in life skills and vocational experiences to youth following the completion of high school, which was finally awarded secure funding in 2009.

Alas, Dr. Hennen fails to note the ACEE program (like so many) is only available to youth who reside in the Halifax Regional Municipality, leaving many, many who could benefit from it out in the cold (and most likely stuck in high school until they are 21 due to the lack of any other options).

Looking forward, Dr. Hennen notes that although that five years ago teaching programs for health professionals had little developmental disability content, the new undergraduate curriculum provides medical students with a minimum of 13 hours of such content over four years, with a further six hours of inter-professional learning about developmental disabilities planned. Family practice trainees will also have defined learning experiences in each of two years of training.

Leaving us exactly where, you ask?

I could do no better than offer Dr. Hennen's final words in reply.

As are other jurisdictions, Nova Scotia will be judged by how well it supports its citizens with developmental disabilities in their bid to live independently and contribute to our community. As care providers, teachers, advocates and government departments, we know we can do better.

Cross-posted at A Primer on Special Needs and the Law