Autism with a side of Whoppers (Sasha's commentary for November 13, 2014)

I love when the autism community argues about the most trivial of stuff. Last week, Jerry Seinfeld came out as being somewhere on the autism spectrum, which I found really surprising. Apparently, I'm now stuck with the "autistics can't be autistics unless they have serious mood swings or little things set them off" belief. Regardless, Seinfeld's "coming out of the closet" on autism will definitely prove to be a positive. He will be a great ally in the autism acceptance battle. Quoting the New York Post:

But some autism advocates said they were concerned by Seinfeld’s suggestion that what he suffers from is not an actual disorder.
“What frightens me with these kinds of statements and stories is that I don’t want people to think that autism isn’t a serious diagnosis, or that it’s not a struggle for individuals and their families,” said Wendy Fournier, president of the National Autism Association.
“What many people don’t understand is that on that lower-functioning end of the spectrum, we have individuals who are suffering and whose lives are at risk.”
“Autism is not a designer diagnosis,” Fournier added.

For the die-hard activistis, it's ALL ABOUT THE FAMILIES, how they're the ones that have to suffer. Listen here Wendy, I've struggled to date since leaving college. To me, I don't seem "typical", but I deal with things the best I can.

NEXT!

Despite 2014 being one of the bloodiest years politically, I will say this: some candidates, like Republican Dan Bongino, conceded graciously, and I wonder if positive, non-mudslinging conduct had a lot to do with that. North of the border, Canadians still are smacking their heads in disbelief.

And finally, Jessa Duggar and Ben Seewald (Jessa is a member of the Duggar clan from TLC's [Insert number here] of Kids and Counting) got hitched, and apparently had sex in the church:

What exactly went down in that room, though, is up for discussion. Comments on a personal blog run by a wedding attendee allege that Duggar and Seewald did more than just kiss (*wink, wink*) in the room.
“Multiple people were discussing that when Jinger [Jessa's sister] opened the door to get Jess for the reception, she immediately closed the door with a look of shock on her face,” a commentor who identified herself as Mary wrote on a blog post. She later continued, “I am not sure why they would not wait for the evening to pray and then consummate God’s marriage.”
A commenter by the name of Gloryana West shared Mary’s speculations. “My daughter told me that [Duggar and Seewald] had been ‘feeling’ each other,” wrote West. “Some time later … my daughter informed me that Jessa was caressing Ben’s ‘area’ and Ben had his hands on her breasts and buttocks.”

Something tells me that this was NOT their first time...just saying! That or (and I wouldn't be surprised) that the story is BS. I'd like to believe that one of the Duggar kids is a bit rebellious. Sorry Jim Bob and Michelle, you two are WAY too strict!!!*

*Then again, I don't have much of a right to judge anyone's parenting style.

My Open Letter to the Grand Old Party

TO: Reince Priebus
Republican National Committee
310 First Street SE,
Washington, DC 20003

4 November 2014

Dear Chairman Priebus,

First, I as a registered Democrat swallow my pride and congratulate your party on whatever victories you achieve. But please don't gloat over your victories tonight. I try to be a gracious loser. At the same time, I am dismayed and seriously concerned. Your party has spent the last six years attacking a president and his party on their views. Yes, Obama's not the best and brightest (look at his appointees for many ambassador posts and some of the people in his administration), but he's trying his best.

Let's start with the social issues. I believe that families are families, no matter what form they take. I believe in marriage equality simply because it is the right thing. I don't care if a child has two moms or two dads. What matters is if that (those) child(ren) live in a stable, positive, nurturing environment. And marriage is no longer about procreation. In regards to my faith, I put humanity before my belief in God. America was not designed to be a theocracy. I am pro-choice because not all pregnancies are viable, and a woman shouldn't have to carry a miscarried fetus. I believe in the right to die with dignity because dying is already a challenge. Although I am fortunate to have never had a cancer diagnosis, there are millions of Americans who suffer from cancer, which takes me to my next subject.

Your party's attacks on Obamacare is unfortunate. Sure, it's not perfect (neither is our nation, thank you very much, and feel free to call me unpatriotic), but it allows me to work a menial job and still be on my parent's health insurance. I suffer from Asperger's disorder, and to be a fully functional human being I need medication to deal with the issues related to Asperger's: the anxiety, depression, mood issues. I believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. And don't blame Obama for not creating jobs that provide healthcare: we're competing against China, a nation known for currency manipulation. Your party has members guilty of outsourcing jobs overseas. I know I have what some might call a preexisting condition, and I strive to lead a normal life, whatever that is. If anything, we need to cut down on how much trade we do with China. America was a much better off nation a century ago because China was not an industrialized nation and we didn't have air conditioners.

Your party preaches fiscal restraint and yet is penny wise and dollar foolish. Cutting programs like NPR, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Endowment for the Arts, Amtrak (a big one for me) and other programs is not my way of dealing with the deficit. We don't have a deficit issue, okay, we have a little bit of one but we also have a revenue issue. Corporations in this country are getting tax breaks up the wazoo, and if reforming the tax codes not only brings in more revenue but allows this tax dodging to stop, I'm all for it. I want to know that if I have children that they have access to a great public education and that I can travel on safe roads, or if I choose not to drive, have public transportation accessible. While I do understand the aspects of high labor and material costs in regards to major infrastructure projects, at the same time those labor costs provide men and women with living wages. What happened to America thinking big, the country that built the Hoover Dam, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Transcontinental Railroad?

And let's get to economics: while yes, most of the Obama administration's job growth has been low wage employment, you guys have made it difficult for his administration to launch efforts to allow for . And while we're at it, I believe in class warfare, albeit in a subtle form. There are more millionaires and billionaires in this country's history today than at any point in its history. Elderly Caucasian men are only a small percentage of this nation's population. And to promote causes that go against the rights of women, well here's something: women often have better outcomes compared to men when there are times of crisis. I hope our next president is a woman, whether it be Elizabeth Warren, Hillary Clinton or even Olympia Snowe. Women are my equal, I don't see them as lesser beings. Heck, women reopened the government after men shut it down. Sure, we might have different gender biology, but I see the opposite sex as just as capable as I am to do anything, regardless of the task or role.

Many members of the Republican Party believe that climate change is a myth. I am glad that my congressional district is represented by a Republican who believes that climate change is real. We've lived the movie The Day After Tomorrow when Superstorm Sandy struck the Northeast, and I don't want to see it happen again. We only have a finite amount of energy reserves, and the alternatives (wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal) are not just near-limitless, they are also cleaner. I am mostly a water drinker, and if I were living near the Ogallala Aquifer, I would be scared right now. Building the Keystone pipeline is a risk we cannot take. If anything, we need more solar power and less hydrofracking. Until we find a safe way to extract natural gas and transport it, I am against further drilling. Potable drinking water comes first. Plus, what happened to research into using hydrogen as a fuel?

And I agree we need government reform, but that also means things like term limits and limits on campaign donations. My belief in free speech is not just figurative, it's also literal. Every person's voice is important, no matter where they stand in our society. There should be respectable limits on campaign spending. In some areas, other nations are lightyears ahead of us.

I am glad that some issues are non-partisan, like autism treatment and research. We can all agree that finding effective treatments for autism is important. An assemblywoman from Upstate New York, Janet Duprey, is one of my political heroes. She is a Republican who votes her conscience. I don't agree with her on everything, but she has represented her constituents faithfully for the last eight years. Sure, she's a bit of a social liberal but she's in favor of sensible gun laws that don't punish responsible gun owners and is a fighter for taxpayers.

Listen, I have another eighty or so years to live, and I want to know that my planet will be able to sustain my footprint for that long (by the way, we're one of over 180 of them). I feel that the Republican Party has become too much a nationalist party in recent years. What happened to the Eisenhower Republicans?

No, I'm not rehashing what Michael Moore says. This is truly what I believe. Maybe it's my personality. I believe in a more just and equal world. But does what I say mean I don't want to work with Republicans? I agree with some on certain issues. Kevin Cramer, the Congressman from North Dakota has been a supporter of Amtrak during his tenure, winning the Golden Spike Award from NARP. I might be a partisan Democrat, but I'm willing to put aside those differences to make America a better place.

My dream for America is one where every adult has the right to vote (and if you're going to require voter ID, make it easier for voters to get ID), one where every American has a living wage, healthcare, savings for retirement. Call me a socialist, but when every American can achieve their dreams, we're much better off for it. Want to eradicate a huge aspect of why some individuals enter a life of crime?

America should always be moving forwards, not backwards. Extremism has no place in politics.

Sincerely,

Alexander Ivanoff

There's No Excuses Not to Vote Next Week

Even though the races here in New York and New Jersey are fairly set in stone, races across the country are still up in the air. And honestly, if you're a minority, a woman, any American who feels that voting counts, go vote on Tuesday!

The polls and whatnot have been driving me crazy. Sure, it's easy to get discouraged, but look at what Obama has had to deal with. The Republicans see him as an extremist, as "un-American". Maybe we need someone who is not so much as un-American, but And yes, I'm not entirely thrilled with a man who might be the reason why Jeb Bush becomes the 45th President. I'd rather take Hillary, even with her history, over another Bush. I don't want to bring the gender card into play, but we've had forty-four men run this country. I think it's time for a woman for a change. I am a man, and I say this strongly: I trust a woman's judgement over a man's. It's exactly why I consult my mom on issues from time to time.

All I know is this: I don't want my country turning into a libertarian's paradise, one that is coated in a theocracy. America needs to move forwards, not backwards. Sure, a few rotten eggs should not get back into office, but the good ones should get in.

And there's always 2016 if all goes wrong. Now to get my nerves back!

My response to "Malia Obama Attends Lollapalooza"

In early August, President Obama allowed his older daughter Malia to attend Lollapalooza. Kudos to the Commander-in-Chief to allow his daughters to lead somewhat normal lives. How she got to the event is beyond me, but that's besides the point.

I beg all eligible Americans...

...to go vote!!!!

If there is anything that concerns me more, it's the state of our union. Since taking hold of the House of Representatives in 2010, the Republicans in that body have brought any progress in this country to a standstill. The course that this country is on is self-destructive. I am not bashing all Republicans. There are many who are very reasonable and rational. But on the whole, the party has demonstrated that they are unwilling to work with a president because of false perceptions on the whole.

My solution? Cleaning house across the nation. On Election Day, it is critical that EVERY American vote. It's no secret that Republicans haven't put Americans best interests at heart. The belief of the trickle down theory has not worked, more and more Americans are working minimum wage jobs while the wealthiest Americans pay the least in taxes probably in our nation's history. But one of my biggest concerns is the world that we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. While an overwhelming majority of Chinese believe in climate change, barely 55% of Americans do. I want to live in a world where New York City isn't under ten feet of water. I don't want to live in an apocalyptic world, and I want there to still be a world left when my grandchildren are born. Time to get our heads out of the gutters.

Also, it's not good to be penny-wise and dollar-foolish. Our nation's roads and airports are suffering from neglect American airports are consistently ranked as some of the worst in the world. And let's not forget Amtrak, which is much more beneficial than many want to admit, and it plays a vital role for commuters on the Northeast Corridor. My complaint with Amtrak is that it is not allowed to better compete with discount bus carriers. Railroads should not have to live with a double standard in comparison with road and air traffic. Hawaiians made that clear when they ousted their unpopular governor in a party primary over the weekend. We've been living in a country struggling to get by. What happened to the America that my grandparents gave birth to their children in, where labor unions were strong, where Americans had much better access to public transportation? Every American should have the RIGHT to a living wage. You hear all these conservatives wanting to turn back the clock? I'm not sure if they have the right clock. The 1950s were only better in that the economy was much better.

Republicans have proposed cutting funding for our basic infrastructure. And while President Obama is no saint, Republicans have made the job near impossible for him. I give the man credit, because I would have resigned already and would have already lost my cool. If it were up to me, the White House and Congress would be meeting daily to discuss arguments. In this era, and with the world in the state of crisis it is in, it is crucial that all parties work together and make concessions. As I once said as a youngster, "compromise is a [strong] spice of life". I've finally found out why I was put on this planet: to save my state (and to a lesser extent, my country) from it's self-destructive behavior. I'm not comparing myself to Jesus Christ. I'm not here to pay for the sins of humanity. I'm here to be a voice of rationality, a voice of "instead of sitting around, let's get to work and bring America back to where it once was".

To the people who don't vote: YOU MUST. The direction that this nation takes is in your hands. This election is too crucial. The reason our country is in the sad state of affairs it is in because people are too blinded to know what is going on around them. Instead of watching American Idol, go read the news online. Grab a newspaper. Listen to news radio. Be informed. Your country needs you to not be ignorant.

Vote the way you want to. But remember this on Election Day: the statistics don't lie in that Democrats have done more positive to this country's economy than Republicans have. Heck, all of our rights are in danger because some Republicans feel it is good to deny people the right to vote.

My response to "Katy Perry Says She Doesn't Need a Man to Become a Mom"

From Woman's Health:

Katy Perry's been a poster child for girl power her entire career, which is why we're not surprised to hear the entertainer say she's more than willing to tackle motherhood—with or without a partner at her side.
"I want to be doing that in the right time," the singer shares in the latest issue of Rolling Stone. "And that's not in the next two years, you know? Maybe it's in a five-year plan, but I need to really be able to focus 100 percent of my attention on it. I don't really want to take the child on tour. Not until, like, birth through five is over."
We like her perspective on motherhood—and the fact that she's so honest and unapologetic about it. There's no shame in wanting to focus as much love and attention on a kid as you possibly can (and waiting to have children until you can do that).
Katy's also got great perspective on 21st-century options when it comes to wanting and caring for children. "I don't think I'll have to [have a guy], but we'll see," she says. "I'm not anti-men. I love men. But there is an option if someone doesn't present himself."

Katy, do us all a favor. Find the right guy first, don't be the celebrity who finds a donor. I obviously don't know this first hand, but gosh darn it, if I was a woman wanting to have a kid, I'd want a guy in my life. And this is my double standard: Katy Perry knows better. She's from a good home of all things.

ON THE OTHER HAND....

The redneck in me is screaming "Don't she need a guy to make a kid with????"

UPDATE 1/24/15: Katy Perry and John Mayer MIGHT be getting back together. Let me say this: they're cute together!

My response to "As primary defeat looms for Hawaii governor, Democrats may be at risk of losing in November, too"

Old news. Abercrombie's political career has tits up. Dead. A word to the Dems: start running better candidates!

Sort of hiatus

Guys,

Due to a new job, I'll be taking a hiatus from writing this blog. While I hope to write 100 blogs this year, that might be highly unlikely due to circumstances beyond my control. A few entries I will be writing regardless.

Sasha

My response to "Autistic Adults Have Poor Driving Skills: Study"

If there one thing the press has gotten both right and wrong on is on autistic drivers. It turns out that many of us are simply mediocre drivers, and not by choice.

The reason I'm a so-so driver is because of the fact that I'm a slow driver, as in with reaction time. When you're driving in the tri-state area (most of the Hudson Valley, New York and all of its suburbs) slow drivers are a recipie for accidents. In fact, I drive so little just for that reason. Driving ideally for me, is a means to access frequent public transportation.

What's surprising is how the study was conducted by the lesser of likely schools: Drexel University.

My Response to Salon's "America’s middle-class defeat: How Canada shamed the wealthiest nation on earth"

“I don’t understand why anyone has to earn more than $200,000 a year,” he said. “I mean, honestly, what are you going to do with all that money?”

The words coming from Tom Power's mouth is right on the ball, says this blogger. And he's true. The United States is home to some of the world's worst income inequality, made worse with our lack of universal healthcare, lack of paid maternity leave and generally anti-labor attitude.

One Salon article could explain America's cultural behavior that is destructive? Culture isn't usually a bad thing, but in the case of Pax Americana, it might be. I'd say we need to as a nation take drastic measures before we turn into the Roman Empire circa 400 AD. But could Edward McClelland's statement shed some light?

Beneath Canada’s contemporary advantages, though, are historic factors that make it a more equal society than the United States. No. 1 is the fact that the nation is too far north to have supported plantation agriculture. Because of that, Canada never imported slaves, and never created an economic structure whose success depended on the permanent exploitation and marginalization of an ethnic underclass.

Could America's own past be why we have a perpetual attitude towards class warfare? Actually, it makes perfect sense. Americans are often oblivious to their own history, and I know this all too well, and eery for a history, I've had to be corrected on one occasion. Call me crazy, but I think that The Communist Manifesto should be mandatory reading for high school students, or if that's too radical, then at least something that is labor and economic related. George Santayana was correct in his saying: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. And apparently that's a chunk of America's history.

My Response: "My Life as a Retail Worker: Nasty, Brutish, and Poor"

So apparently an assault conviction and some questionable comments can get you throw out of political journalism. Apparently, that's what happened to Joseph Williams, who was pretty much blacklisted for some comments aimed towards Mitt Romney. As it turned out, his comments were pretty prophetic when Mitt Romney's 47% secret speech came to surface. Jimmy Carter's grandson was the leaker (but not the person who caught the gaffe on film, which was bartender Scott Prouty.

Enough about ancient history! Williams, the veteran POLITICO reporter, found himself working at a sports retailer to make ends meet. Although his story was published back in March, the story for some reason recently resurfaced on my Facebook feed, so I thought I would right a commentary on it.

Having worked in retail, I'll just keep it brief, and for all parties involved, I won't mention on here where I worked (but an investigative journalist could figure it out in TEN SECONDS). It was a less than pleasant experience. The warehouse I worked at was a safety hazard waiting to happen, overworked employees, a corporate hierarchy and procedure that could make a dysfunctional bureaucracy gloat with glee.

Williams made a really valid point with this statement:

Obtaining work in retail had changed a lot since the 1980s. What used to require a paper application and a schmooze with the manager has turned into an antiseptic online process where human interaction—and the potential for an employment-discrimination complaint—is kept to a minimum.

The online process is far from perfect too, and also can cause discrimination problems as well, not to mention that someone in HR can easily overlook candidates. But the point Williams makes is this: it's a dog-eat-dog world, and corporate America at times forgets that we're all human.

My response to "It Wasn’t Abortion That Formed the Religious Right. It Was Support for Segregation"

From Amanda Marcotte/Slate.com

The modern religious right formed, practically overnight, as a rapid response to the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Roe v. Wade. Or, at least, that's how the story goes. The reality, Randall Balmer, a Dartmouth professor writing for Politico Magazine, says, is actually a little less savory to 21^st century Americans: The religious right, who liked to call themselves the "moral majority" at the time, actually organized around fighting to protect Christian schools from being desegregated. It wasn't Roe v. Wade that woke the sleeping dragon of the evangelical vote. It was Green v. Kennedy, a 1970 decision stripping tax-exempt status from "segregation academies"—private Christian schools that were set up in response to Brown v. Board of Education, where the practice of barring black students continued.

Marcotte's argument makes perfect sense. Even in the deep South, even churches were segregated, although a lot of Christian groups also fought against segregation. Xenophobia in America has become accepted, and in the deep South, it's engrained in parts of the culture. Not as bad as it once was, but it will take generations for it to cease. And here in New York as well, which has some of the most segregated schools in the nation, surprisingly. Of course, changes will hopefully render that moot.

America is a nation that was born in a world of racism and superstition. Michael Moore brought it up constantly in his movie Bowling for Columbine. To put it even better, America is a nation with a culture that is destructive and unhealthy.

I'll update this entry as I'm rushing it to post to meet my ten blogs a month quota.

Dead Soldiers and Indecency

On June 6th, which was the 70th anniversary of D-Day, supporters of Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino used images from D-Day and images of the graves of dead US soldiers to raise money towards tossing Governor Cuomo out of office. If I was Astorino, I would have denounced the ad, calling it inappropriate. I am not aware if he came out against the ad. On the other hand, veterans came out against the stunt.

Iraq War veteran Jon Gensler, who was an Army lietuenant and then captain while serving in Iraq in 2003-04, said he was "disgusted" that Astorino forces would seek to raise money for a gubernatorial election on the backs of dead soldiers.

I agree with Cuomo's critics. He's been cheerleading Common Core and the SAFE Act, legislation that has harmed New York. But the group promoting Rob Astorino is worse, promoting hate and not honoring those who made that sacrifice in France. The stunt was undignified behavior. Regardless, I worry that Governor Cuomo's confrontational leadership style is detrimental to New York's well-being. And Rob Astorino is right on some issues: taxes are still too high, there's too much backrooming in Albany and Upstate is still in a downward spiral. But Cuomo's also taking a stand on financial issues. I just wish he'd get to the root causes, part of it being a revenue and overregulatory issue. The men and women who serve our country in uniform should not be political pawns. It's as indecent as can be.

My reply to Hello Giggles article "10 Underrated Qualities That Are Ridiculously Attractive"

Yesterday, I came across this Hello Giggles article which got me thinking about what girls think are attractive qualities in the opposite sex, or at least are underrated. And needless to say just about all of these qualities are hallmark to what I find attractive in a woman on the inside are qualities that I try to show towards a girl.

I'll break them down by quality, in order:

10) Desire to share food: actually kinda cute. I don't ever recalling sharing food with an ex-girlfriend, but I might have.
9) Bedhead: I'm glad that girls like bedhead haired guys, because that's what my hair is like when it gets long....
8) Willingness to watch shows you love: There's sacrifices in relationships, and when I was with Cayla, I would swing by her dorm and we would watch Glee. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of Glee, so... Also, sometimes the two of you will like the same show.
7) Similar sense of humor: VERY IMPORTANT. If our humors don't match, it's going to be a disaster. And you'd be surprised: I have a quirky sense of humor!
6) Calling you out when necessary: Girls, I take no offense if you do call me out. Heck, every girl I've been with has done so. And I'm very aware of the fact that I'm a work in progress. We all are.
5) Being even-tempered: I could use some work on that, in all honesty. But for the most part, I am even-tempered, and becoming more so by the day.
4) Being great with children: As I hope to have kids one day, this is kind of a requirement. If the idea of having kids is repulsive, it's not going to work in the far, far long term.
3) Not getting grossed out by girl problems talk: Not possible, honestly. I'm not grossed out by your biological issues. There's worse things in the world.
2) Resourcefulness: I'm one of six boys. It's something I'm quite used to. I fix computers as a hobby. I mow the lawn. I can fix stuff. And I like having those skills.
1) Telling you that you look pretty: Listen, if I find you pretty, I'm going to open my big mouth and compliment. There is however a catch: if you're Kate Upton, I'm not going out with you either. Well, I don't know who Carol Alt is, but I kind of have to agree: people have made way too big of a deal out of her.

All of these are qualities I like to display and I agree: they are ridiculously attractive and definitely underrated!!! 

Top 50 Most Ridiculous Boys Names

As far as the boy names that are shooting up the baby name lists, check out the top 50 fastest movers below. The fastest climbing boy's name of the year is Bentley. This name rose up in popularity thanks to Teen Mom's Maci Bookout and her baby son Bentley. It is interesting to note that the name Maci is the fastest moving girl's name!

Sasha's rule of thumb number 17: don't give your kids celebrity names. It's trashy. What happened to good names like Alexander or Nicholas or Andrew or James? Strong names. And for girls, how's Jacqueline or Julianna? But please, for the love of peat, be a little smarter. I like my first name to be honest. You can't go wrong with Alexander.

*NOTE: Sasha takes full responsibility for the loads of narcissism in this blog entry.

Asperger's On A Good Day, Asperger's On A Bad Day

As of recent, I have started to draw back from my activeness in the autism community. It's become this: We LOVE our differences, we hate Autism Speaks.

And why you may ask? Because unlike a few on the spectrum I know, Asperger's isn't my entire life. Even one of my heroes on the autism spectrum, John Elder Robison knows that. He also devotes time to an interest in rare automobiles. I like passenger rail, history, politics and current events.

Anyways, I've been finding and reading stories recently of couples on the autism spectrum (either one person or both in the relationship have the disorder) and a lot of them are just really sweet. Here's one from this page, which accompanies many stories of how people have been affected by autism:

When I met Brad back in December, I noticed right away that he is smart, funny, charming, cute, has brown eyes that I could get lost in easily and smile that light up the room. I had a feeling that he has Aspergers. The next day he messaged me on Facebook. I was thrilled. The more I talked to Brad, the more I liked him. About 10 minutes in to our conversation, Brad said to me "I have to tell you something. I have Aspergers." I simply said "I know." He was taken aback by my response and we continued to talk. Then one day he asked me if we were together. I told him "yes we are." He looked at me with this huge smile on his face and said "I am a lucky guy. Girls like you don't even bother with guys like me." That just broke my heart. I tell him all the time that his Aspergers does not define him and who he is. It is a part of him, but it doesn't run his life. I have learned how to help him cope with his moments that he has. I will hug him tight to make him feel better. I will happily scratch his head because he likes the way his hair feels against my hand. He has his moments where does say inappropriate things. All I do is let him know that is not appropriate to say and he smiles at me while saying "Thanks babe." My absolute favorite part about him is when he wakes up every morning and texts me "Good morning beautifully" That makes me smile because he truly means what he says to me. He is so sweet. He is an amazing person. I just can't express how much Brad means to me. One day I plan to marry him. He won me over faster than anyone has. He has broken down my walls and let me in to his. We truly are best friends and soul mates. He is not the lucky one, I am.

To say that we have no capacity for love is a lie. A boldfaced lie no less. We want to love, and many of us are passionate about whatever it might be. I probably have had many girls turn me down because of the fact I have Asperger's. And the same goes for neurotypical guys: don't discount a girl on the spectrum either. I have met some wonderful young women on the spectrum, all of who continue to inspire me today.

But this is something I will stress: my autism/Asperger's is only a part of my life, it doesn't shape who I am entirely. I am more than autism. I have various interests and I enjoy learning more about them. I embrace my differences but I don't fixate on them. We're all different people, and that's what makes us interesting.

A Total Understatement

I Think Facebook Has Become Omniscient

Forget that. It's become bonkers!

Ammosexuality

From Urban Dictionary:

A sexual fetish that finds pleasure in the power to kill dozens of people with the pull of a trigger. An ammosexual may understand the desire of other people to live, but feels all the greater pleasure in contemplating that he has the power to overcome that desire with his power. Ammosexuals are very protective of their fetish, and attack even the slightest gun safety measure on the grounds that they interfere with their pleasure.
Many ammosexuals practice the religion of gundamentalism or demand the invasion of weaker countries as a means of reaching wargasm. 

To best describe this phenomena that America is currently facing is what I would best describe as America emotionally and mentally decaying and/or returning to an immature state, as if American citizens are all becoming children. From FreakOutNation:

There is nothing more telling of the Open Carry groups in Texas than to have the National Rifle Association call them ‘weird’. In this one instance, I agree with the NRA and I’ll probably never be able to say that again. The NRA has a few other choice words to describe the groups’ narcissistic behavior while besieging restaurants with guns strapped to their backs. Some of the choice descriptions from the NRA of these groups includes, “downright foolishness”  “not neighborly” “counterproductive” “a lack of manners” and many more.

Wow. And it gets worse. The open carry, oh, I'll call them another type of "truther", carry around their weapons like as if they are members of the LGBT community at a pride parade. (My sincerest apologies to the LGBT community for comparing you all to these gun nuts) It's sick, disturbing and troubling how gun owners flaunt their weapons in public. For once, the NRA ACTUALLY makes sense.

Now we love AR-15s and AKs as much as anybody, and we know that these sorts of semiautomatic carbines are among the most popular, fastest selling firearms in America today.  Texas, independent-minded and liberty-loving place that it is, doesn't ban the carrying of loaded long guns in public, nor does it require a permit for this activity.  Yet some so-called firearm advocates seem determined to change this.
Recently, demonstrators have been showing up in various public places, including coffee shops and fast food restaurants, openly toting a variety of tactical long guns. Unlicensed open carry of handguns is legal in about half the U.S. states, and it is relatively common and uncontroversial in some places.  Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms. 
Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary.  It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates.
As a result of these hijinx, two popular fast food outlets have recently requested patrons to keep guns off the premises (more information can be found here and here).  In other words, the freedom and goodwill these businesses had previously extended to gun owners has been curtailed because of the actions of an attention-hungry few who thought only of themselves and not of those who might be affected by their behavior. To state the obvious, that's counterproductive for the gun owning community.

I've never applauded the NRA for anything. Well, now I am. And wait a sec??? I thought it was Chipotle who was...okay, that was AFTER the fact. That was May 19th. Chipotle's ban occurred later the same day. Guess where I'll go for lunch sometime in the future? I'm tempted to tweet Chipotle and let them know how much I appreciate their move towards modesty. And how about we move away from a society that embraces violence? Michael Moore is right on the money on the issue. And so was FDR: Americans are afraid of everything.

By the way: I did mention after all, here be dragons! I discuss ANYTHING, no matter HOW controversial.

My response to Capital New York's article: "Sources: Cuomo reaches tentative W.F.P. deal"

From veteran New York political journalist Jimmy Vielkind:

Several people within the Working Families Party said its leaders have reached a tentative deal whereby the party would offer its endorsement to Andrew Cuomo in exchange for a pledge by the governor to publicly endorse Democratic control of the State Senate.

As I've mentioned numerous times in this blog, Governor Andrew Cuomo's political personality is not earning him many friends. Sadly, I disagree with the WFP on the aspect of state Senate control. If November comes and the status quo remains (that means the Democrats control the Legislature as a whole and the state's highest offices remain in Democratic control), a split legislature might actually keep the Democrats on their heels and ensure they don't make poor legislative decisions.

But Cuomo does, as of right now, still has my vote. Rob Astorino's campaign is uninspiring and more negative than the ones of Jason Carter, Ed FitzGerald. And as I've argued in the past, Cuomo is making the moves that Astorino himself would make on fiscal issues. But Cuomo also needs a legislature that isn't so NYC-centric. And yes, New York isn't where it should be fiscally and competitively. Most of upstate is bleeding population-wise (unless you live in the Ithaca area, the Capitol District or the Watertown area, the three bright spots demographically Upstate). We need unfunded mandate reform. We need to do away with the most insane of our state's regulations.

But in my eyes, those aren't things that Cuomo can fix himself. New York State, as much as I love it, is defective by design. It's like Ukraine: the economic engine of the state is only in a small portion of it and influence is out of whack. Upstate New York needs downstate like the rest of Ukraine needs the Russian speaking part of the country. Part of the problems are defects in the state's Democratic Party, which thinks that great is good enough (when its not), the state party is being led by individuals like Sheldon Silver, a man I don't have a lot of respect for. I've been calling for an Upstate Autonomy Act, which would give all the counties north of Orange and Putnam more leeway in decision making. And possibly term limits, so we don't have legislators in office for four decades. Ten two-years terms is HIGHLY generous.

Teenage politicians

From the Washington Post, a few weeks ago:

Saira Blair will graduate from a West Virginia high school later this month. She posts photos of her smoothie habit on Instagram, volunteers at the Martinsburg VA hospital and helps raise money for the Make-a-Wish foundation. She will not be eligible to vote until July. But on Tuesday, she beat a sitting state delegate who was seeking a third term in office. With all 13 precincts in her Martinsburg-area district reporting, Blair beat state Del. Larry Kump (R) by an 872-728 vote margin.

Quoting "America: The Book": “This Connecticut-born, Yale- and Harvard-educated multi-millionaire son of a former president ran as an outsider in 2000. Many experts are still wondering how the f*** he pulled that off.” I'm wondering how she pulled it off, as the GOP tends to be HIGHLY age discriminatory (my impression, at least). And while I don't exactly agree with her platform, I do applaud her for running in the first place. We need young people in office who believe in urbanization, in improving infrastructure, in returning America to where it was years ago. In general, we need young, fresh minds in public office.

I'm seriously impressed. She's almost six years my junior and yet she's going to be a state legislator, since Romney swept her district in 2012. And does it surprise me that she's a Republican? Not at all. If she wasn't, it would. I'd like to believe that more politically active people are Democrats (my personal bias, of course), but it's an even split. But West Virginia is conservative territory, and the GOP is making a pitch to get women into office.

The Democrats need to find a way to counter this. They'll have me to start, and I can run as someone who is willing to work across the aisle to work on issues. And if elected I would sincerely work across the aisle.

Adolescent Pornography

....quite a eery combination, right?

We all know of the story of Belle Knox, who finds doing pornography empowering. Don't ask me how she thinks that way, it's a mystery to even me. But even Miriam Weeks (her real name) was financially pressured into the industry.

About a week or two, I came across this story: Minnesota college student, 19, commits suicide after classmates bully her for appearing in porn flick

Alyssa Funke was relentlessly taunted for appearing in an amateur 'Casting Couch' film earlier this year. The straight-A freshman at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls bought a shotgun in April and used it to commit suicide on her family's boat on a suburban St. Paul lake.

The story has a deja vu component: in 1984, Colleen Applegate, whose porn star name was Shauna Grant, committed suicide after returning to the porn industry from a hiatus. Regardless, our society is facing a troubling problem: young ladies, younger than myself no less, entering the porn industry. 

Two of the three young ladies had rough backgrounds:

-Funke sadly came from a very dysfunctional home. Both her parents had rap sheets (father for theft, mother and mother's boyfriend for child neglect and drug dealing). 

-Weeks' was, despite bios about her not making a deal out of it, was a military brat, identifies as bisexual, was watching porn at TWELVE and sexually active at 16 (no one should be sexually active before they are 18 in my opinion, and I'm not including the nude picture of her that got out and )
-Applegate had a normal home life but suffered from depression and had some issues with her parents.

My belief? You should be at least TWENTY ONE, yes, 21 years old to star in a pornographic film. I'm not sure how ready the mind of an eighteen year old is to do pornography.

The Complete Circle: Shootings, Massacres, Social Isolation, Autism and the Unforgiving Media

Before I go further, my heart goes out to the families of the loved ones who lost their lives in Friday night's shooting in Isla Vista, California. In fact, the reason why I write this entry is in part due to the shooting and several other things that have popped up recently.

As I've made clear on this blog, I have Asperger's syndrome. Individuals with Asperger's I feel have it worse than those with what I'll refer to as stereotypical autism. We often want to lead the lives of our neurotypical peers. We want satisfying interpersonal relationships, steady employment, independent living and all the life luxuries that neurotypicals experience. And apparently for shooter Elliot Rodger, that desire turned him into a mad man.
In recent weeks, I've kept my Asperger's under wraps a little because I know what it is like to be discriminated against by others just because of the disorder. In fact, I know all too well how Elliot Rodger felt on a day-to-day basis. But would I resort to violence? Never. Now I don't know where Rodger was in his area of complaint: in regards to dating. I can however, understand the agony because I've been there. For years I didn't bother asking girls out because I knew what the answer would be: a resounding no. And to this day I still feel that way. To further complicate matters, society is not too welcoming to your run of the mill autistic. I've been passed over for jobs I bet because of my identity. And the press has done a really great job of vilifying many in the community. Granted, I'm not the biggest fan of some of my fellow autistics, who drown themselves in their "neurotypicals are against us". I for the most part am a happy and sunny person, and I am far from the only autie that is a sunny person. Many of us have happier days more often than we have sad days. 
On Wednesday, the Washington Post ran an article on how researchers in Scotland made a link between autism and mass shootings. The Post article missed how the shooters they mentioned (Seung Hui Cho, Jared Loughner and Jeffrey Dahmer all did not have Asperger's). John Elder Robision put it into words better than I ever will be able to:

Autistic adults are crying foul at a recent Washington Post article that speculates on a connection between serial killings, mass murder, autism, and head injuries. The premise of the article is that those things may be connected in more than a coincidental way, based on a study of mass killers in various databases.  Neurodiversity advocates are rightfully concerned that the story will turn the public against autistic people for no good reason.

I say, Shame on the Washington Post for running such an inflammatory headline to promote such a poorly thought through article.

And two days after the Post runs its article, another shooter with an ASD goes on a rampage. How unbelievable! I'd like to put Autism Speaks and the Washington Post in the same boat: promotion of intolerance towards those with autism. In general, society needs to be more accepting of those with all medical conditions. Would I avoid dating a girl because she's diabetic? Not at all! I say embrace our differences!
In college, I fought my social demons in a unique way: I became involved in campus activities. In fact, campus activities is how I ended up dating this girl for nearly three months! The shooting struck a chord as the shooter had Asperger's and apparently some struggles with interpersonal, intergender relationships. Most problems have solutions, and it's a shame that this young man could not find them.

This shooting is eerly similar to the one in Montreal back in 1989, when a man opened fire during a class at the École Polytechnique, killing fourteen. The shooter was also a misogynist. It was that shooting that changed the perception towards gun laws in Canada. We need better background check systems for gun buyers. And I have yet to find out how Elliot Rodger acquired the guns he used to commit the gruesome massacre. Richard Martinez, a father whose shoes I would never want to be in, brought up a good point: "My kid died because nobody responded to Sandy Hook!" A few states did, and politicians in those states have gotten grief. Anyways, Rodger was far from accepting of others, no less himself. His writings are as eery as they come (and with that, me committing a sin as a scholar of history) : 

The first strike against women will be to quarantine all of them in concentration camps. At these camps, the vast majority of the female population will be deliberately starved to death. That would be an efficient and fitting way to kill them all off. I would take great pleasure and satisfaction in condemning every single woman on earth to starve to death. I would have an enormous tower built just for myself, where I can oversee the entire concentration camp and gleefully watch them all die. If I can’t have them, no one will, I’d imagine thinking to myself as I oversee this. Women represent everything that is unfair with this world, and in order to make the world a fair place, they must all be eradicated

Regardless, I hope that something good can come out of this shooting, as in increased awareness of people out there who exhibit similar behaviors. The tragedy, like with all shootings, is that precious lives are taken from people, deaths that should have never happened in the first place. What I don't want to see happen is an intergender war break out. As I've brought up tons of times, we have numerous culture problems, and two of them involve sexism and guns.

*On the other hand, Elliot Rodger did write 140 pages worth of something. Sadly, what he wrote was pure hatred.

Just like most of what I write on this blog, I might make changes to clarify points.

My response to "My response to "Astorino’s LG Pick To Be Made In Coming Days, Advisor Says""

From New York State of Politics (Time Warner Cable):

A top advisor to Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino said an unveiling of his running mate will come in the next several days ahead of the state convention, to be held next week in Rye Brook. 

I jumped the gun on Greg Ball. Instead, the GOP went with this guy:

Republican Rob Astorino has chosen a little-known upstate sheriff - and a vocal critic of Gov. Cuomo’s gun control law - to be his running mate.
Astorino chose Chemung County Sheriff Christopher Moss to run for lieutenant governor, making him the first black candidate to run on the GOP’s statewide ticket.
“Make no mistake about it, there is going to be a new sheriff in town in Albany next year,” Astorino said in a video announcing the pick Tuesday.

Really....you couldn't have chosen Greg Ball....

Astorino's choice is interesting. I applaud Astorino's choice in breaking the stereotypical mold, but just because an African-American is on the ticket doesn't mean he will win the NYC's vote. (And no, I am NOT trying to be racist). 

Regardless, here is my ethos regarding NY government and law: what works downstate might not work Upstate and vice versa! Every county (except the biggest Upstate cities) should have been exempt from the SAFE Act.

My response to "Astorino’s LG Pick To Be Made In Coming Days, Advisor Says"

From New York State of Politics (Time Warner Cable):

A top advisor to Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino said an unveiling of his running mate will come in the next several days ahead of the state convention, to be held next week in Rye Brook.
“We will probably not announce anything until close to the convention,” said the advisor, Bill O’Reilly, on Fred Dicker’s Talk-1300 radio show.
Several potential running mates have dropped out of the running, including Assemblywoman Jane Corwin who declined and former U.S. Attorney Mike Battle, who does not meet residency requirements.
Democrats, whose own candidate, incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is searching for a new running mate, had some fun with Astorino’s LG search on Thursday.
But O’Reilly said in the radio interview said there are multiple candidates who have already indicated a willingness to do it.
“We have had several people who have had said yes already. we cast a wide net on this,” he said. “We have several people who will do it if we make the ask. What we’re doing is going through them all and parsing through the list and going through their backgrounds.”
Asked if Albany-area Republican Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin was on the short list, O’Reilly said he “would be terrific” but added he likely won’t do it.
“My understanding is he loves being in the Assembly and wants to stay where he is,” O’Reilly said.

I have a feeling that Greg Ball will be joining the ticket. After all, Ball's political goal is the governor's mansion. On the other hand, Astorino probably won't choose Ball because it wouldn't balance the ticket. Ball is from Putnam County, Astorino from Westchester County.

Last Call for the Cosmopolitans: 1973-2014

As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, the phase out of Metro-North's older New Haven Line cars is current progressing, but on Friday (May 9th), Metro-North (and the Connecticut DOT) took the last remaining bar cars out of service after a LONG forty-one year long career. The first M2's were placed into service in April of 1973 running from Stamford to Grand Central. I hope it's a GCT-Stamford local that is the service the last M2/M4/M6 run is run on.

On Friday evening, I wasn't feeling well stomach-wise, so I had to down some Pepto-Bismol before I left for the city. At Grand Central, I had a sandwich from Hale and Hearty for dinner. Half a sandwich for $5. What the heck? I brought my water bottle with water from the Catskills.

Props to the PA announcer at Grand Central Terminal, who made the fitting announcement: "Boarding on track 25 is the 7:34 express to New Haven, the last bar car train" or something like that. What I know is that the PA announcer made sure that people who wanted their bar car got it, and I will say that the information was much appreciated. The platform was truly packed.

The onboard atmosphere could be described as the farewell episode of a well-known sitcom. It was like going to a happy funeral, if there were such a thing. The New York area press was onboard, with reporters from the Daily News, the Wall Street Journal, NBC 4 New York (WNBC-TV) and a guy from ABC 7 Eyewitness News (WABC-TV) who had press credentials from also PIX 11 News (WPIX-TV). The train was quite packed; in fact there was barely any room in the bar car to move around. Metro-North was smart to put a second bar car on the train.

But a few of us didn't leave empty handed, except mine got bent. A cafe car sign from Metro-North's commissary department, and when I have a place to put it, it's going on my wall:

Looks nice, right?

I got off in Stamford, as going all the way to New Haven, while it would have been nice, would have been exhausting. One of the guys from the Urban Transit Club offered to bump up my ticket, but I would have gotten back real late. And as I've found, NJ TRANSIT buses don't have the same headways (the frequency that the trains/buses run at) that the MTA buses and trains have.

On the other hand, not everyone is mourning the departure of the bar cars.

Jim Cameron, chairman of the Commuter Action Group, said he won’t miss the bar cars. “I say good riddance. I think they’re an anachronism from a bygone era and they don’t fit the needs of modern commuters,” he said.
More important, he said, “We’re finally getting rid of the oldest cars in the fleet that were held together by baling wire [and] duct tape.” The new M8s offer a much more comfortable ride and people can buy drinks at the carts, he said.
“I’m also a little skeptical about whether they will be replaced by an M8 bar car design” because of the expense.

Well, I disagree with Cameron. "...They don't fit the needs of modern commuters..." Then why are they so popular? Why then did a few hundred commuters descend on a platform to catch the last of them? The bar cars served their purpose well, and even someone whose borderline autistic can even understand that!

If the bar cars are brought back (while I'm not exactly holding my breath, I DO HOPE SO), I'm going to ride on them for a few weeks and take down some serious observations, whether or not the bar cars, their design and the alcohol themselves have an effect on the commuters who ride them (lower blood pressure compared to non-bar car riders, lower rates of depression, etc). I believe the bar cars have their purpose, and should be brought back to not just the New Haven Line, but all of the MTA's commuter rail lines, AND other commuter rail operators across the country should have similar setups. Of course, I'd keep it to urbanized areas, where drunks could walk home from the station. Yes, I have my concerns about drunk drivers driving home from the station, but heck, if your commute is long enough, you're a full grown guy and you down a beer, chances are that your buzz will be over in an hour.

Remembering Alex Ivanoff

When it comes to my dad, I remember the bad with the good. And today, on the tenth anniversary of his death, I remember all too well. I remember being told in the kitchen of the Lakespring Drive house with everyone in shock telling me and me being in disbelief, my brother inconsolable. My life has never been the same. And that's how it is. A man I had such a love/hate relationship with was gone.

I VAGUELY remember when I had a meltdown in the first grade and I not only had to be picked up from school by my dad but was suspended from school. If there was a Guinness book of records for most times a student was suspended from school, I would rank high on the list. And he took his hand and gently pinned my head to the wall and gave me a good verbal lashing. I feared getting in trouble at school because my dad would unleash fury on me, or at least that's how it felt.

But we always tended to butt heads, regardless of the occasion. But I was a much younger me, and I didn't know better. I had an irrational fear of my first grade teacher because she was so young. And I found my dad's lifestyle uncomfortable, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, either ask me or let it just it be a mystery for you. For a six year old, I was pretty conservative.

On the other hand, I wanted to see another before I turned 10. French Canada counted. So a few months before my tenth birthday, my dad, brother and I made a beeline for Montreal. We checked of the Canadian Railway Museum, better known as Exporail. A really neat place, and I wish I still had pictures. Maybe Nicky has some.

One of the disappointments that will always linger with me is how much of my life he missed. He never got to see me leave the world of self-contained special ed classes. He never got to see me wear braces, go to school dances, learn to drive, graduate high school, (to some degree, not completely) be a normal teenager, go on my first date, my first kiss, my first girlfriend, my first serious relationship. But he was right on the money about being unhappy with my diagnoses. What bothers me is why he didn't pursue to issue further. In 2001, a psychologist working for BOCES gave me a non-clinical diagnosis of PDD-NOS. The tragedy is that my dad never pursued the diagnosis. If I can dig up some of his old schoolwork from when he went back to college in '99-02 timeframe, I'll add that to the blog.

Dad, me, Nicky and the rest of your friends and family miss the heck out of you.  

*This blog post will probably be updated as I see fit.

Autistics: The Case Why We're Like the Rest of You

As we near the halfway mark of Autism Awareness Month (which seems to fizzle out halfway through, at least for me) I wanted to bring up an important topic: the myth that people with autism can't lead normal lives. Quite the contrary. Many of us do, and even I do (although I do struggle at times). We date, we cry, we hold hands, we love, we hang out with friends.

We even get married. There's a ton of stories about auties getting married. "This guy in math class" eventually turned into one lady's husband and father of her child. And sure, we start off as awkward as anything, but give us time to warm up and some of us are social creatures. Or maybe this young lady is more accepting than the rest of us. Regardless, many of us struggle to gain acceptance.

We even go to college. Haley Moss wrote a brilliant piece for Her Campus, a college topics oriented website for women. I've been in her shoes before, from the guy's perspective. Regardless, I believe men on the spectrum have it much harder than women on the spectrum, and that rings true for the collegiate world. Haley's words ring so true: I am not less of a person, just different. And that's something I should embrace.

And tomorrow I set off for Philadelphia in the morning to do just that: figure out how I can perform at my best and how I can better help myself.

Politicians Doing Work

From the Huffington Post:

For many lawmakers, particularly in today's austerity-obsessed political environment, the only way to save a dollar is to not spend that dollar. But if politicians really want to reduce government spending, there are more than a few areas where funding today can save millions of taxpayer dollars tomorrow. Besides being sensible policy initiatives, the following investments can also cost us less overall than doing nothing.

I completely agree. For instance, Governor Cuomo has tried getting funding for educational opportunities for prison inmates. While I think that money is better used education non-prisoners, I also agree that educating prisoners will save money in the long run. The issue is when you close prisons though, you put people out of work. It's sad that Northern NY relies on prisons in order for people to make money.

Let's see some of these examples at work:

1) Reducing greenhouse gases: Important on that it not just lowers healthcare costs and the need for people to have inhalers and other respiratory needs. The future of our planet is at stake.
2) Housing homeless people and getting them back on their feet: Actually, that one is a little more complex-some of these people unfortunately need to be in group homes or assisted living facilities for those with psychiatric conditions.
3) Sex ed programs: Unwanted/unexpected pregnancy is expensive, whether it be prenatal/maternal care, day care, nutrition programs, etc. For every buck spent $2.65 is returned? Not bad.
4) Home delivered meal programs. This, along with some assistance from a next door neighbor and a visiting nurse (and his own intact cognition) allowed my grandfather to stay out of a nursing home until his dying days. And why don't we tackle the big issues with spending instead of cutting programs like public broadcasting, public transit, Amtrak, you name it. The problem is that we have a military budget blown out of proportion and a tax burden on the middle and working classes
5) Early Childhood education: an absolutely no-brainer. Studies have shown that children perform better with pre-school programs. On the other hand, we're creating a nation of strung out twenty-somethings.
6) Drug treatment programs: Easy, rehabilitate drug users, they stay out of jail.
7) Prison education and treatment: See the beginning of the article.
8) Needle exchange: This one is an iffy. For medical use, we should be funding this.
9) The IRS. Well that's a concern. The IRS isn't funded right? That's scary to say the least, if the facts are correct."One report suggested that each dollar invested in the IRS can reduce the federal budget deficit by as much as $200." WOW! For $100k, we reduce the deficit by $2 million.

Fact and Fallacies: The Adirondack Rail-Trail

For the unteenth month in a row, the issue surrounding the Adirondack Scenic Railroad is still lingering. For months, the leaders and the Adirondack Rail Trail Advocates have gotten nothing but positive press from most of Upstate New York's newspapers.

But recently that stopped. A little more than a week ago, the Utica Observer-Dispatch ran an article on how the tracks in the Adirondacks cannot and should not be disturbed. Quoting that article:

But the trump card is the track. It must not be disturbed. Once it’s gone, there would never be a return to rail. The challenge here is for the powers-that-be to find compromise that can accommodate track and trail.

 I cannot agree more. Personally, if the ARTA is so desperate, they should just go ahead and tear down a few trees or build the right of way in the forest itself. The point about how those with disabilities can enjoy the scenery from the trains is partially correct, even though the ASRR's stations and equipment are not ADA accessible, if I recall correctly. Further quoting:

But those same people — and many more — would have that same access by leaving the rail intact. In fact, many who would never be able to experience such Adirondack wilderness — people with disabilities, the elderly, very young children and others — would be able to enjoy the area, too — from the comfort of the train. And a big economic plus: It would start in Utica. No other city in the state can do this.

There are other considerations. The Adirondack rail line passes through vast wilderness. In many spots, there is not even cell phone service and many miles through thick forest to the nearest road. It’s unlikely that a hiker or biker who experiences a serious medical issue here would get out safely.

The same reasons I've made all along.

While I don't like to attack people personally, I'm going to call out Lee Keet on this one. And he's a pretty powerful guy.

And here's some more articles. It turns there's a fair amount of out-of-state support for the Adirondack Scenic (James Falcsik makes the argument that Rails-to-Trails Conservancy "should answer why it is supporting the destruction of an active rail corridor in New York state") and the Adirondack Scenic's own staff have made good arguments (including a trail on the Tupper-to-Saranac segment, which I could see as popular, especially if the Adirondack Scenic were to put baggage cars on the trains. Ride your bike to Tupper Lake, take the train back! A win-win!)




The facts are clear: trains have a proven track record and I could see intercity service coming back to the Adirondack Park via Utica. The Lake Placid-Utica branch service held out until 1965, when the New York Central cut the passenger run, the last branch line NYC passenger service. And some people take the train BECAUSE it takes longer. I can't get work done when I'm in the car, even when I'm not driving. I can read on the bus, the train, the plane, but not a car. And if you're going 60mph, you don't get to see the beauty of the Adirondacks. That's why the train goes slow (Also, rebuilding the tracks for 79mph speed is WAY more money than the ASRR or NYSDOT can afford, apparently). Every few years, the railroad's usable track increases, or so it feels like.

I'm glad that 2014 is showing to be a year where finally some sense is coming to this argument.

The Confusing Dynamics of the Autism Community

...or to put it blunty, why some on the spectrum either refuse to acknowledge the existence of Autism Speaks OR will do anything to destroy them. Take this tweet for instance:

We know - you just want to help. But #LIUB is NOT helping. Instead, try @autselfadvocacy or @Autism_Women!
— Divergent Swarm (@DivergentSwarm) April 2, 2014

That's what I call "autism arrogance". And I'd like to believe that us autistics are a little bit better than that; that we're above name calling. It's that militarism that upsets me. True, Autism Speaks does the opposite of what they are supposed to do. But they're a powerful organization, and that's that. You can't fix some behaviors

Any radicalism bothers me, whether it be political, societal or any. We already live in a world with enough hatred. I call on all autism groups to stop this senseless side-taking and hatred towards on another.

Sasha's commentary for April 2, 2014: Weird and Happy Stuff

"Meet the Catfish Couple Who Actually Made It" the headline from PEOPLE Magazine read. Lauren Meler is my age. Wow. Mind-boggling that I'm still stuck at home, my life in a holding pattern. Needless to say I wish her and her fiancee, Derek Shullenbarger, my best wishes, as I would any happy couple. And they're situation is unusual: two honest people on the internet communicating and them showing their true selves. No wonder they're getting married: it's rare to have a genuine online relationship. I'm watching their Catfish special, and on watching it, I'm feeling Lauren is a bit like me in that regard, hard to let go of someone special. She's hung up on a mystery guy, and said mystery guys is partly intimidated, nervous as hell-makes for a great happily ever after story!

Dysfunctional politics: Jake Rush is running for Congress in Florida's 3rd Congressional District as a wholesome family man. Right...unlike cosplay, what he does is much stranger.

Mind’s Eye, or MES, is a nationwide community of gothic-punk role-players who come together to take on personas of vampires and other supernatural beings (known as Kindred), dealing with night-to-night struggles “against their own bestial natures, hunters, and each other.”

Voters will desert him as soon as the networks pick up this story. Or maybe not. Republicans at times can do no wrong in the eyes of many voters.

Since the state Legislature has signed off on abolishing the Electoral College (joining the popular vote compact), I urge Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law.

Alright. I only have a few hours to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day, so I'm going to do just that.

World Autism Awareness Day, and why I celebrate

I am troubled at times by the rhetoric that Autism Speaks at times uses, but as I've said plenty of times, they've made autism a household name. At the same time, Autism Speaks has cultivated a culture of fear among the community, often to the point where they pitty those with autism, but more importantly, their families. But just like with certain Republicans in New York, I give credit where credit is due.

For me, World Autism Awareness Day is also a day of celebration for all that those on the autism community have made towards making our world a little bit of a better place. Trust me, I want to find a way to make my big contribution, and if it's through participation in the political process through elected office, I'll accept that. I celebrate today because it's a day where we recognize that you can't ignore autism, but we can redefine how we look at it and those afflicted by it.

For me, autism isn't so much a way of life as much a part of it. I just deal with its effects, like I would if I were diabetic. I've been taught over the years to make the best out of a bad situation, and that's exactly what I've done for nearly the last two decades.

It's been Autism Speaks' and others job to promote autism awareness, it's my job to turn that into autism acceptance and to go out and change the world and make it a better place.

Neurotypical Problems and an Autistic Guy who thinks Neurotypical

This is going to be a brief entry.

One of my biggest problems as someone on the autism spectrum is that I don't think like others on the spectrum. Except for transportation, I have pretty neurotypical interests. I drive a car, I hang out with friends, I want my own form of a happy ever after. So that's something that I conflict with constantly. There's a side of me that shows autistic tendencies and one that makes me a regular, neurotypical person. I don't spend most of my life on Wrong Planet (no offense to Alex and the rest of the bigwigs at the site). I strive for interpersonal relationships. At the same time, I wonder if I'm on the autistic fringe, able to function pretty well but also struggling just enough to warrant help to ensure I'm at my best.

For instance, I like to socialize, but sadly it's something I don't get to do too often. Same goes for dating. It's something I wish I could do more often, meet people (especially ladies) my own age.But I struggle. Anxiety turns into me making a fool out of myself. I probably (not knowingly) violate Internet etiquette on a daily basis. But I'm not giving up on being a more sociable person. That's something I REFUSE to do.

I don't fit the mold of the stereotypical person with autism/Asperger's. I'm known for my bubbly personality (first, I'm not gay and second, I hate to brag). I at times struggle with my autism identity, and my peers only make it more difficult. I've been criticized online for some of my comments on several Facebook groups dealing with autism.

So if anyone wonders, being me isn't a piece of cake emotionally. In that regard, it's rough. I'm not autistic enough to fit that stereotype, but I'm also lacking some neurotypical behaviors and synapses to succeed the way I'd like.

Why Northeastern292

-northeastern292.blogspot.com
-twitter.com/northeastern292
-facebook.com/northeastern292
-Instagram: Northeastern292
-Pinterest: Northeastern292
-Flickr: Northeastern292
-Flightaware: Northeastern292
-Steam: Northeastern292
-Tumblr: Northeastern292
-and many, many more!

And why do I use Northeastern292 as my online screename?  I once had a (since scrapped) idea for an airline, Northeastern Airlines. Turns out the name has been used before and some other issues. So that flunk. And the number 292 I just so happened to like.

But I also believe in standardization. Some things I don't standardize, but my online presence is one I do. Sure, it would be more professional for me to use something like @SashaIvanoff, but @Northeastern292 is what I use. It's simply Sasha!

And plus, I'm not the only person who has a different screenname in contrast to their real name. Rick Snyder, the governor of Michigan, uses @OneToughNerd as his screenname, at least on twitter.

Exploring the (weird parts of the) Human Mind

*NOTE: This post will be very trippy.

I've been told that's it's taboo to discuss who you would be like if you were born a member of the opposite sex...well, forget that! Okay, turns out I'm not alone in this.

While I'm very happy being a guy, I do wonder what life would be like if I were Alexandra Ivanoff. I've gotten a taste of what that would be like through seeing what my friends are like (yes, I have some friends of the opposite sex who are a lot like me) and I'll say I like it.

A few things I question:

-What would I look like? Would I look like my mom, except with a few of my dad's features? (which is what I look like now?)
-Would I have, as a high schooler done some really stupid stuff?
-Would I dress like a girlie girl or like a tomboy?
-Would I in high school and college had been a cheerleader? It's a sport that has always fascinated me. And before we start asking questions, there is such a thing! Actually, this is why I started the post, as some things are better left off Twitter and on a personal blog. I probably would have done it to prove a point.
-and much much more.

At the end of the day, I'm happy and content as a guy, maybe other than that I don't have an easy time dating. Oh well, I hope that I'll be more out and about this summer, so maybe dating will be a reality.

Sasha's non-commentary for March 18, 2014: NYSDOT High Speed Rail Open House

On Wednesday March 12th, I took a day trip to Poughkeepsie to view and give feedback at the New York State DOT's open house. To make a long story short, it was a success, even though I didn't quite network to the extent I wanted.

The morning didn't start out too great as I had in general a hard time getting out of bed. And to make matters worse was the tragic news out of East Harlem, where a building explosion had killed eight people and closed the Park Avenue Viaduct in and out of Grand Central Terminal. So may day became more complicated: I would now have to travel to the new Yankees-East 153rd Street station to catch what I thought was going to be a shuttle train at Croton Harmon. As it turns out, the train to Poughkeepsie was a ways behind us.


The weather was just nasty and raw and not long after I got on the train, it started raining. What was supposed to be an interesting trip to Poughkeepsie became a hike. By the time I got to Croton Harmon, the platform was packed. While I'd assume something similar is normal during the peak of rush hour, this had to be the exception. Boarding the "shuttle" (which turned out to be a through train which originated in the Bronx and was packed) took longer than expected. 


While spring is on its way (it's also, despite my November birthday, my favorite time of year), the Hudson River is still frozen. The train passed by the ruins of Bannerman's Castle, an important landmark along the Hudson Line.

As it turned out, I had a nice surprise on my hands: the ticket from East 153rd to Poughkeepsie had not been collected, and so I went to the ticket clerk to see what I could do. Her advice was for me to use the ticket and pay an additional $2 on the train. Since I didn't have cash, I was able to use my bank card to "extend" the ticket. And that's why I'll never take the ticket booth for granted. Next time I take the train, I'll be sure to get it for the full length of the trip, as you never know!

The open house, held at the Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center, was a low-key event, almost like a small local government hearing sort of event. I believe the low turnout was a consequence of the weather, Metro-North's earlier in the day issues, the Hudson Valley's familiarity with Metro-North, and the fact that most of the improvements are west of Albany. Several questions I asked were able to be answered: for instance, there are five choices: a base alternative (which means on minor improvements and none of that is speed related), two which allow for a 90MPH top speed (one of those includes 250+ miles of dedicated passenger track), a 110MPH option (which adds more track and gentler curves) and a 125MPH dedicated right of way from Buffalo to Albany (which is useless for local service). I'm siding for the time being with the 110MPH option, as while it's $750 million more for extra track and improvements, also offers the least subsidy demands. The problem? $750 million is a HUGE chunk of change for a state dealing with public education issues.

Included in the program was free water and cookies (a great thing as I eaten a quick lunch on my way to Poughkeepsie) and a brochure on the project which I will end up archiving in the future, once I have a safe place to put it. Several speakers gave their testimony, including myself. Each of us that gave testimony had good reasoning, including the vice president of the Empire State Passengers' Association, an organization I hope to join in the near future. 
The importance of high speed rail to Upstate New York in the coming years is crucial to not just the survival of Upstate New York, but its recovery as well. I would like to plead to the DOT again to be prepared twenty years down the road for a dedicated right of way, because that day will come, so no matter what choice is made, keep all options on the table. I expect ridership in all cases to exceed expectations if the state can continue on the path to both fiscal sanity and stability, along with continuing to make New York an attractive place to live and also do business. I left knowing that if the state can get the funds for the project, higher speed rail in New York will be a true possibility. For that to happen the state needs to get its affairs straightened out, and by those affairs I mean fiscal stability for all state agencies and local governments. That includes Governor Cuomo listening to local governments, because in my opinion, they know best on what is needed.

While I was at the affair, I met a man not much older than me. His name was John, and despite being an evangelical small government conservative he is fully in favor of the project, although by what he told me, he might be back down South by the time the project comes to fruition. We chatted the entire way down to Grand Central. That was the surprise of the night, although not a big one. The trip was worth the slight hassle and it ended up costing less than I thought because of the issues Metro-North was having with operations that day.

*This post was rushed and I might edit it to add more content, clarity purposes, etc.