New York City 2016 (I've Seen The Lights Turned Up on Second Avenue)

Sorry for stealing your lyrics Billy Joel.

Some way or another, in December of 2016, I hope to be present at the opening of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway. For me, this is not only a part of the rebirth of New York City, but something the city has been waiting for since nearly ninety years. It's something I've been looking forward to for a few years now.

April means....

Autism Awareness Month, which also translates into "Sasha annoys everyone he knows unintentionally" and "I'll take everyone's questions in regards to autism awareness."

And I will. It needs to have something to do with autism, but if it's a question about autism/what it's like to have an autism spectrum disorder/my opinions on autism, I'll answer it. I have this power, and I'm trying to use it wisely.

Travels with Autism

Sounds like a good book title, right?

I was traveling on the southbound Adirondack, Amtrak's train from New York to Plattsburgh, when I wrote half this blog entry. The train was very empty on Tuesday, and I had a window seat all to myself and I never got a seatmate. The train shook and rocked, but I've come to not mind it, if not have embraced it. But I've learned a few things from traveling in general over the years, applicable to all but especially if you have autism or someone you care about is on the spectrum:

1. Always arrive early, even if the departure is going to be late. The airlines won't let you board late, as far as I am aware, even if the plane has boarded and the flight is delayed. And you're still going to want time to wind down a little before you board your train/plane/bus.
2. Use your travel time to the MAX! Read, write, watch a movie you've been dying to see. Make that travel time YOUR time! (Of course that's obvious, but I thought I'd remind folks anyway.)
3. Plan your mealtime on the train. For instance, I had lunch before noon, I am going to finish my lunch in a few minutes and then I'm going to work on other things. Since it's an eight hour ride, I'll eat around 6PM.
4. Be prepared for delays. They happen, and they're an unavoidable part of traveling.
5. If you feel like looking at the scenery, do so. It isn't going to kill you to do so, unless authorities tell you otherwise.
6. (Here comes the practical stuff for parents) : Have extra time ready for traveling if you are traveling with a child with an autism spectrum disorder. You might need extra time going through security, crowds, etc.
7. Travel at off peak times. You'll avoid crowds. Of course, there are times where this is just not possible, like during the holidays-something that leads me to:
8. If possible, travel through smaller hubs, non-stop and consider smaller airports, unless unavoidable. It's less overwhelming to fly into, let's say, Westchester County Airport than Newark or La Guardia airports. Yourself or your child won't be overstimulated by the crowds. And to boot, you'll probably be closer to your final destination.
9. Using a bathroom on any moving mode of transportation isn't easy. For instance, I have found using the bathroom on a train difficult, unless you really have to go.

Follow these tips and you should have not a problem in your travels. Or you might. Traveling these days isn't as glamorous as it once was, but it shouldn't have to be as crappy as people make it out to be. And there are some of us weirdos who like to get out and see the world around us.

EDIT [3/31/13]- I forgot to mention, if anyone steals my title, I'll be very unhappy. I plan to write a book about my experiences traveling on the autism spectrum.

Are autistics and others on the spectrum cat people?

I've been starting to ask this question which makes up the title of this blog entry: are autistics and others on the spectrum cat people? I'm now pretty convinced of it. My reasons my be outlandish, but who knows? First, cats aren't as affectionate as dogs for the most part. The cats that I come across in my daily life are the exceptions, especially 'my' cat Callie. She's not my cat, but seems to have taken a liking to me. I make this generalization unfortunately out of the (mostly wrong) stereotype that autistics like to be alone, and not in social groups. Many of us (like myself) want to, but we struggle with the aptitude part. Second, I also wonder if the pheromones that I give off attract cats to myself. Whether it's Callie or another cat in the house, I'll find a cat rubbing up against my leg. Or does that mean something else? The thing is that the cats sometimes purr when they rub up against my leg. There's other reasons I am now inclined to believe that cats are attracted to individuals on the autism spectrum, but I can't think of them right now. All I know is that no matter how hard I try to keep her out, Callie just keeps barging into my room.

Sasha's commentary for March 22, 2013

 (This was supposed to be for the 22st, but it took too long).

The shit I find on the news...and this is why Americans have lost faith in the American news media. But it's entertaining nonetheless.

In the last twenty-four hours, I've looked at a photo album on the ABC News website that is just as scary as hilarious. I'll cut to the chase: the people we rely on to be civil no matter what...well, that's a crock of baloney. It turns out politicians can beat the daylights out of each other like no other. Three of the 13 pictures are from the Verkhovna Rada, better known as the Ukrainian parliament. If I were a Ukrainian politician, I'd be an independent. Why you may ask? I believe in Ukraine cozying up to the west as much as I believe Ukraine should also have strong relations between Russia and the rest of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). I want to find a Ukrainian politician who sees eye-to-eye with me, and give him or her a round of applause. To cut to the chase though, Ukrainian politics are as messed up as American politics, if not worse.

Let me cut to the regular news. First, Jay Leno is leaving the Tonight Show AGAIN, and this time, it's for good. Thank God. Last time he did all that resulted was bad blood between himself and Conan O'Brien. And that's the last thing you want. And plus, Jay Leno in general has a way of getting on people's bad sides. Although Jimmy Fallon will bring some light back to the show, the other Jimmy, Jimmy Kimmel, has this one in the bag. But it will be (I hope) a friendly rivalry, unlike Kimmel's despise of Jay Leno.

Anderson Cooper has brought to life, twice, thanks to his (soon to be finished) daytime show, the new sex cereal. For the first time, there's specifically made cereal for guy and girls. I thought that was called Special K. Sorry, I might be a straight guy who can't get enough of Special K, but it's a cereal that is geared towards women. Let's face it guys, Kellogg's has not marketed the cereal for guys. Ever. I'll let this one snooze. Next!

I admire Rob Portman of Ohio, the (formerly) anti-LGBT senator from Ohio. As everyone who is glued to the news knows, last week, the senator came out in support of same-sex marriage due partly to a heart-to-heart with his son and further "soul-searching." That's the term I'm using to describe how Portman came to the decision, as he noted that he spoke with his pastor, did his homework, etc. Portman is now several ounces more progressive than this dude: Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum. His response was not only indirect, but did not even answer the question.

IKEA (the Swedish furniture store) is bringing back Swedish meatballs. And they're free of horsemeat! ^_^ Of course, the chain is beefing up standards on those meatballs, pun not intended.

Amtrak's not axing the Pennsylvanian, the train from Pittsburgh to New York. Time to make a joy trip to Steel City via the Horseshoe Curve!

Jake Davidson, you my friend, are my new hero. You have more courage than a thousand men combined. You're asking Maxim's #39, Kate Upton to your prom. You are aware that although she might be in your league, she's out of mine, right? But being 5'7'' and having been attracted to girls taller than me, I'd say go for it. Not all girls, even pretty ones, have ever gotten the chance to go to prom with a guy, or anyone for that matter. I've only taken two girls to dances. And yet again, unless it's not physically possible in any form, I pretty much think anything is possible. I too am an eternal optimist. If Jake can chill with Kate Upton, then I should hypothetically be able to do likewise with Miss Montana, Alexis Wineman, but it's kinda awkward when your celebrity crush is also one of your heroes.

Yahoo! had this to say about the whole thing:

No word yet on Upton's Twitter account, but if she does choose to accept Davidson's offer, she won't be the first celebrity to walk arm-and-arm with a mere mortal...Mila Kunis attended a Marine Corps Ball with Sgt. Scott Moore, who had asked out Kunis via YouTube. Justin Timberlake accompanied Corporal Kelsy De Santis to a similar dance in Virginia. And a young cancer-stricken admirer asked Taylor Swift to his prom. She declined, but did ask the young man to accompany her to an award show instead.

There was an update, with Upton saying "“I definitely have to check schedules, but you seem like so much fun and if everything works out, I’d love to go with you, I know we’d have a blast.’’ Jake, you are this month's recipient of the luckiest man alive award. But celebrities who aren't afraid to mingle with "the rest of us" are actually pretty cool people.

And to end my blog, this I wish this wasn't in just my imagination: I hope Selena Gomez actually said this to George Lopez. Doubt it though.

And Strange Stuff There Is

I love writing, and I love blogging.

And here's why: my opinion, even if only a few people ACTUALLY read it!

The big story coming out of New York involves the Second Avenue Subway. I plan to be there when they open it in late December 2016. That's three and a half years from now. Anyways, yesterday, a laborer became stuck in a clay/concrete combination in frigid weather. They didn't recover a body but a live person. Getting him unstuck was the hard part. He's okay, and just like me, looking forward to go back to work. Because it's true. Stuff happens.

The second story is a depressing one out of Buffalo, which is a warning to anyone. The boyfriend of a 19 year old woman from Buffalo is being charged with murder after beating the almost two year old son of the girlfriend (the boyfriend was not the biological father). First, what the heck is a 19 year old doing having two kids? My hearts go out to these two families in this tough time.

WE NEED MORE SEX ED.

1 in 50 vs 1 in 88

This is getting just plain ridiculous. Really.

The CDC did a phone survey of parents and determined that autism numbers are higher than originally envisioned. Scary, really scary.

Bias? Heck yes! Autism is more common, but not one in 50. That means in an elementary school with 300 students, six have autism. At the same time, it does make sense too, as I've seen in schools special classrooms for those with autism and there's usually about six students in those self-contained programs.

I am going to have a slight meltdown if autism is the new ADHD, the "designer" pediatric mental health disorder. Bring back the one in 88. At the rate things are going, every child born in the US will have autism. And that's just nuts. I'm sorry, but I think it's closer to 1 in 100. I bet you some of those children are just developmentally delayed and they are just using the autism label.

Or for the HFA/Aspergians/Aspies out there, why don't we just say we have a communicative and social processing disorder. I've worked too hard on autism advocacy just for the CDC and other groups to say "By the way, you're not autistic". So you're saying that years of struggling to make friends, sometimes a slight lisp comes out, obsessive interests and sometimes inappropriate social behaviors means I'm not autistic? Either it really is an epidemic and the water is messed up or there are children being misdiagnosed.

Communicative processing disorder. Long name, not-so amazing results. At the same time, it puts us non-neurotypicals in a safe category just in case we're "kicked off" the spectrum (meaning that some of us on the spectrum no longer meet the criteria.) And that's scary for me. Social interaction and communication is something I struggle with every day. 

So how do I say this? The medical community can pry my autism diagnosis from my cold, dead hands. Nonetheless, the signs are here: autism is more prevalent than it was years ago, and I can't escape that.

What To and Not Do as Lieutenant Governor: Florida Edition

In a post from February, I noted how Rick Sheehy, the lieutenant governor of Nebraska resigned due to having made 2,000+ phone calls to four different women. Well, he now has good company, in that of (former) Florida Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll has resigned due to ethics complaints. Quoting the Washington Post:

Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll (R)  has resigned her post as a nonprofit organization she was involved in is investigated on racketeering charges.
“Lt. Gov. Carroll resigned in an effort to keep her former affiliation with the company from distracting from the administration’s important work on behalf of Florida Families,” a spokesman for Gov. Rick Scott (R) told the Jacksonville Times.

Another politician whose in it for the money. The Washington Post article noted how her non-profit was "money laundering, siphoning profit funds and misrepresenting how much money went to charity." Serious stuff.

Interesting. I'll note how both of them are Republicans. This all occurred last week, and being busy with work, I had no time to comment. As many of you know, I plan to run for Lieutenant Governor of New York in 2026 (see the same link as in the first paragraph).

Sasha's commnetary for March 18, 2013

Today has been so far been pretty good to me. I accomplished a fair bit that I wanted to accomplish. I have an interview set up with Southwest Airlines (a coincidence as I left my job with Sears on Saturday), I sent my letter out to Autism Speaks, I brought firewood into the basement and put some things in storage. And now my back is annoying me.

While looking through my Facebook news feed, I found an article from The Atlantic that was a response to a Wall Street Journal on unwed mothers. The article seemed like it was bias, but very minimal. Yes, it makes sense. Children do better with two parents, and the research backs up that statement. No, I'm not implying that I'm against same-sex marriage, because I am actually quite in favor of it. I know people who are LGBT and they deserve the same rights as everyone else. But this isn't about that. It's about how the definition of an unwed parent is skewed. Also, many of these unwed parents are only considered working and lower-middle class because of their environment, even while many do hold some post-secondary education.

When I was born, my parents were unmarried. And honestly, I think it's cool that I was present at my mom and dad's wedding (it was in a court house in Queens, New York City, and I was in a baby carrier on my dad's back, probably drooling like any eight or nine-month old infant would). But my mom is a college graduate and my dad had some college education (and could pass for someone with a master's degree on even a semi-good day). But what set my story apart from other unwed parents is that my parents were in a relationship, cohabiting and were eventually going to get married. It was a good thing too, because my dad would later, thanks to a near-death experience from going sober and having a seizure of sorts, rely on my mom's health insurance. I have sworn that I won't have a child unless I'm engaged to the mother (and if not living with her, at least it be in the close future, or some kind of satisfactory arrangement).

And there are people who end up getting married after their kids are born. It's not just a matter of "we'll be in a relationship for a few years, have a child/kids, and then separate" There are some committed couples who do tie the knot, but it's not without a journey to the altar. Some unwed couples with kids are quite happy and show no sign of splitting. Look at Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell: they've been together since God-knows-when and they're not married.

And while I'm at it, I'd like to call for a Moreland Commission on the entire state government, down to even the smallest village government. Turns out New York overpays for Medicare, which is stating the obvious.

Fixing Autism Speaks

Unlike most individuals on the autism spectrum, I don't think Autism Speaks is the Grim Reaper, but they're an organization that has some ideology problems. And I believe that by writing a letter to Autism Speaks, I'll make them aware of the fact that autistics in the autism-self community (Wrong Planet, ASAN, etc.) have serious issues and complaints about the organization. Here's the few things that bother me, but don't piss me off enough to brand them a hate group towards the autism community:

1) "Autism is a disease, not a disorder": Even my celebrity crush, Alexis Wineman, knows better. "We can't cure what is not a sickness." (By the way Alexis, if you're reading this, I admire you more JUST because of that statement). It's a birth defect, not the bloody plague. And yet Autism Speaks is still convinced there is a cure. Some of us, like myself, have gifts that we worry we wouldn't have if we were cured of autism. Even John Elder Robison, who I will be seeing at a conference next month (and having autograph at least one of his books that I have a copy of) knows you can't cure autism. And thank God for that, in a way. Treatment though might not be a bad thing. I've always wondered what I would be like without sensory overload issues.

2) Autism (as in a couple's autistic child) can cause divorce: Well, so does infidelity. And boredom. And just good old-fashioned incompatibility. But don't go blaming your autistic child for your marital problems. The only way I can see autism causing divorce is with the PARENTS. People who are going to have a weak marriage shouldn't be in that marriage in the first place. I might not be married until I'm 30 or God-forbid, 40, but at least I won't be in divorce court. Hopefully with my social skills improving at a cubic (or even exponential) rate, that might be a moot point.

3) Autism is not the result of vaccines: I guess you can call me a racist and an eugenicist, but I'm not. But I do believe globalization is causing health disorders we have never seen. Interracial marriage was rare a half-century ago. Today, it's almost a norm. But with that, and this is my ignorant assumption, problems might ensue, including genetic issues. But my answer to that? SCREW IT! Actually, some genetic disorders that run in some ethnic groups, like Tay-Sachs disease, might become extinct because of globalization. Genetics is like Russian roulette: you might live and you might not be so lucky.

4) Autism Speaks tends to ignore the issue at hand when it affects them: A mother of an autistic child sued Autism Speaks when they would not allow her a flexible work schedule so she could work around her son's schedule. And then they one-upped that. Autism Speaks later rescinded their employment offer. Wow, nice going! Their response? Inappropriately brief:

“Autism Speaks is committed to employing parents and other family members of people with autism, as well as individuals on the spectrum."

BS. I'd probably be in for a battle if I applied for a job with Autism Speaks. When I wanted to start a chapter of their collegiate outreach program, Autism Speaks U, they gave me a hard time about it, and my college student government didn't do much to support my cause.

And lastly:

5) Autism Speaks has not reached out to the highest functioning autistics: And that's a real shame too. Just because we can live without independently doesn't mean we don't have challenges too. I have mental road blocks up the ying-yang. It makes life a BITCH challenging. Autism Speaks hasn't gone out and asked "What are we doing that is causing negative feedback among the people we fight for?"

I live by the belief that keeping your mouth shut might make you wise, but if there's a problem and no one is speaking out, you're screwed.

EDIT: Saint Patrick's Day (3/17/13)- Having written this after six and a half hours of sleep wasn't one of my better ideas, but looking back, I stand by all I said. However, there's some confusions I needed to clear up. I don't want anyone thinking I believe that autism is a disease! And lastly,