Could Covid become something to sneeze at as it mutates?  Whst joy that would be as we veer into social chaos. Just another cold? That would take the cake, and help end this fractured fairy tale we're living in right now. Masks, tests, isolation, vaccines, fear, worry, separation, work issues, a rending of relationships - would all go "poof" and we could get back to worrying about a million other problems. Enjoy a quick video of a childhood friend below to help explain my pretty dumb cake joke.  XOX

Here's an article archived into the WayBack machine from yesterday. Seems Dame Sarah Gilbert did NOT get the memo about extending the fear porn daily. 

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The Telegraph (UK)

Nowhere left for Covid to go to mutate into a deadly variant, says Oxford vaccine creator

https://web.archive.org/web/20210922184452/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/22/nowhere-left-covid-go-mutate-deadly-variant-says-oxford-vaccine/https://web.archive.org/web/20210922184452/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/22/nowhere-left-covid-go-mutate-deadly-variant-says-oxford-vaccine/

Viruses tend to become less virulent over time as they spread through a population becoming more immune, according to Dame Sarah Gilbert

Covid is unlikely to mutate into a much deadlier variant because there “aren’t many places for the virus to go”, the lead scientist of the Oxford vaccine has said.

Dame Sarah Gilbert said that viruses tend to become less virulent over time as they spread through a population which is becoming more immune.

Although Dame Sarah said some genetic drift was to be expected, she said Covid-19 will eventually become like other seasonal coronaviruses which cause the common cold and respiratory infections.... Read the full article at the link above.

Many of us have been in the autism world for a very long time. My oldest is almost 27. Plenty of AofA readers have adult children with autism. That said, we have many younger readers who may be early on in their journey to help their child. The National Autism Association is one of the longest standing organizations that provides actionable information to families.  We launched Age of Autism at the 2007 NAA conference in Atlanta. Their "Autism Atrium" is a fantastic resource for webinars and more. The days of meeting up at the DAN! conferences are long over. And Covid has turned us into a Zoom world. This lack of connection has been detrimental for so many reasons. But here, in The Atrium, there is some sunlight. Check it out at the NAA site: 

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NAA is proud to offer our Autism ATRIUM program.  This educational initiative for the autism community will provide a regular schedule of learning opportunities through free online webiNAArs, a digital library of downloadable toolkits, and a series of blog entries by experts in topics affecting individuals with autism and their families.

If you are interested in being a guest webiNAAr presenter, please click here to submit a proposal.  Thank you!

WebiNAAr Recordings
NAA’s WebiNAArs are recorded and archived on our website.
For free access to all recorded webiNAArs, please register here.

Recorded WebiNAArs:

Food Intolerances and the Gut Microbiome
Presented by:  Devin Houston, Ph.D

Autism & Bullying: What you need to know
Presented by:  Kerry Magro, Ph.D

Sensory Smart Strategies for Real-Life Challenges
Presented by:  Lindsey Biel, OTR/L

Navigating Autism for the Military Family
Presented by:  Tara Hood, NP, LLC

Autism and the Criminal Justice System
Presented by:  Carol S. Weinman, Esq.

Dozens more recordings are at the NAA website. Check them out!

Injured by the device that you intended to use to injure others.

The WSJ is paid subscription only. You're able to see the intro and if you click the link, you can listen to the opening of the series. The point is well made below.  Take a bow, everyone.

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By Jonathan Rose

Note: Dr. Fauci was on the Sunday news after the FDA refused to approve Covid boosters for Americans under the age of 65. I'd say for "healthy" Americans, but as a rule we are not a healthy nation. Health left the building many years ago, as the pharmaceutical industry usurped power from the military-industrial complex. Instead of fighting human enemies with different languages, religions, ethnicities, we now fight viruses with all of the tools used to promote war, the first of which is fear.  Please buy or download Kennedy's book. He has stood tall on behalf our health under a barrage of vicious criticism.  From Skyhorse Publishing:

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Thank you if you have already purchased my book. Because of you, it skyrocketed to “#1 Best Seller” on Saturday. We hope you can help keep the momentum going. If you haven’t already, please buy my book and share this post with your friends, family and social network. I appreciate the help!

Today, Dr. Anthony Fauci is a household hero to half of America. 

Drug companies, government officials and the pharma-funded corporate media invoke his name to justify lockdowns, masks and experimental vaccines. 

A recent editorial in a leading medical journal urged Congress to make it a felony to publicly criticize Dr. Fauci. 

Encouraging his own deification, Dr. Fauci has declared that all those who questioned his pronouncements are “anti-science.”

But who is Dr. Fauci really?

In my new book, I show that Dr. Fauci has done little to earn the sobriquet  "America’s Doctor.”

By Cathy Jameson

Science is the search for knowledge.  It is using that knowledge to solve problems.  When you take part in science, you understand the world better.  During science investigations, you gather evidence and look for patterns.

I saw that wording on an elementary-school science lesson recently.  I agreed that science is the search for knowledge and that solving problems comes from what you do with the knowledge.  When I got to that third sentence the first time, I read it too fast and incorrectly.  I read it as, “When you are part of the science experiment, you understand the world better.”  If there ever was a time that I felt like we were stuck in a science experiment, it’s now.  

The day I saw that paragraph was the day Joe Biden demanded https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/09/09/remarks-by-president-biden-on-fighting-the-covid-19-pandemic-3/ again that all Americans to be vaccinated.  Millions have opted for the shots, but he specifically spoke to the “holdouts” that day: 

“Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinated, even though the vaccine is safe, effective, and free.

This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.  And it’s caused by the fact that despite America having an unprecedented and successful vaccination program, despite the fact that for almost five months free vaccines have been available in 80,000 different locations, we still have nearly 80 million Americans
who have failed to get the shot. 

As your President, I’m announcing tonight a new plan to require more Americans to be vaccinated, to combat those blocking public health. 

We’re going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers.  We’re going to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the share of the workforce that is vaccinated in businesses all across America.”

Ignoring the fact that some people can’t opt for it for valid reasons, Biden is furious that others are declining to get it, even though it’s free. 

“And my message to unvaccinated Americans is this: What more is there to wait for?  What more do you need to see?  We’ve made vaccinations free, safe, and convenient.”

Biden continues to complain that not enough people are yet fully vaccinated.  He wants to close in on the miscreants.  He’ll do that by limiting their movement.  Taking away rights and privileges was once just a strategy on paper, but now it’s a priority. 

A Pilot Study on Covid and Autism: Prevalence, Clinical Presentation and Vaccine Side Effects

Abstract

Background: Several neurobiological mechanisms have been proposed to support the hypothesis of a higher COVID-19 risk in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no real-world data are available on this population. Methods: We compared the period prevalence (March-May 2020) and symptom presentation of COVID-19 infections between a sample of individuals with severe ASD (n = 36) and the staff personnel (n = 35) of two specialized centers. Anti-SARS-Cov-2 antibody positivity was used as a proxy of infection. Additionally, we evaluated vaccine side effects in the same groups. Results: No significant difference was found between the prevalence of COVID-19 positivity between autistic participants and staff personnel. Levels of antibodies against the spike protein and the receptor binding domain were not significantly different between autistic and staff participants. The level of antibodies against the N-terminal domain were higher in autistic individuals. There was a significant difference between the prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19 in autistic participants (9.1%) compared to staff personnel (92.3%). The most frequent side effect among autistic participants was light fever.

Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary data on COVID-19 transmission and presentation in ASD. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a higher susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in people with ASD.

Yesterday, at about 4:30pm, the headlines from the FDA decision read "FDA denies 3rd shot," in most outlets. When I sat down to write this post, the headline at CNN had changed to FDA advisers first rejected Pfizer's booster application -- but then voted to recommend a third shot for certain Americans.  Maybe the decision was made late in the meeting. If so, why would there have been any news before the meeting was over? I found screen grabs at Twitter by scrolling back a couple of hours. You can see the AP Tweet. Meanwhile, in Israel,  reports that a booster might last 12 days in the elderly was noted. 12 days.

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(CNN) Advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday voted unanimously to recommend emergency use authorization of Pfizer's booster shot six months after full vaccination in Americans 65 and older as well as those at high risk of severe Covid-19.

That vote came after the group had first voted and rejected a broader application: to approve the third shot in all Americans 16 and older six months after they were fully vaccinated.

Dr. Steven Pergam, medical director for infection prevention at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, expressed concern that the recommendation the advisers approved did not cover health care workers, who are at high risk of exposure to the virus, even if they are not necessarily at high risk of severe disease.

Note: From time time we get a post written from the heart by a parent. Chuck Hancock has written for us in the past - he's a single Dad who takes great care of his son, who is turning 16.  When he writes about Charlie, he has a lovely sign off - "I am the luckiest." And we are lucky to hear from him on this, his son's 16th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Charlie! Kim

By Chuck Hancock

Seems like it has been more than three years since I submitted a contribution to Age of Autism. Last time was 2018. Before then 2016 and 2011. I read such profound and insightful submissions here, and not for a second do I think what I submit is even, remotely, in the same worldly realm (been watching a lot of Marvel movies recently) of interest and thoughtfulness of the pieces I read. I write mostly about "Dad Stuff."

Charlie, my son, is an autism spectrum kid. My only child. Being on this journey with him for all these years has, to the surprise of no one reading this, been filled with awesome highs and crazy lows. That said, I cannot for a second imagine living without him.

Charlie is 16 today. I think back to the day I turned sixteen and can vividly remember how things were. I had friends, drove a car, went to parties, played sports and had interests in girls. Charlie shares none of these things with me. He wants nothing more than to have friends. He struggles so socially. Breaks my heart. It is easy for me to be mad and angry about this. I battle this frequently. But then I breath, and pray (though likely not enough), and just try to get back to that place. That place we all are. That place where we would do ANYTHING for our children.

Navigating the education system over many years has been a challenge. Whatever "education" is these days. IEPs, occasional bullying, and just trying to find an environment for Charlie which he enjoys. Unlike many parent friends of mine with typical kids, his Mom and I are not perpetually fretting over his future. Colleges, careers, etc. A small blessing maybe.

Charlie, his Mom, and I all moved from Maryland to Florida last fall. Saw the writing on the proverbial wall. Big step. Divorced, we try our best to co-parent. Which included choosing a school. We picked a school here for Charlie to go to 9th grade. A very small, private school. Billing itself as one for children with "learning differences." Disaster. While he attended in person, not a good fit. While report cards showed A's and B's, I knew Charlie was not really benefiting from being in this school. Even there, sadly, there were some episodes of bullying. New kid at the school, etc. Just so hard to find a good fit when it comes to schools.

By Katie Wright

Doctors Stage Press Conference to Complain About Patients

Who do these Florida boneheads think they are??

75 DOCTORS abandoned their patients and left the HOSPITAL to throw a tantrum in the parking lot. They are “tired,” they whined. They “don’t want to see people die,” wrong profession. Why didn’t the unvaccinated people “just do what we told them!” To all those self-pitying, unprofessional doctors I say grow up. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and acting like a victim
because you are working hard in your chosen profession. Secondly, I would like to know who made these pompous people believe they are God. Since when is a doctor’s right to choose not to see a person because the doctor doesn’t don’t like his/her life choices???

What a bunch of babies! With absolutely no hard data the doctors claim unvaccinated covid patients are “over running our hospital!” The reader is offered zero statistics about the vaccination status of these patients. Coincidentally today, another Florida hospital admitted that 7 patients had recently died of covid - all of whom were vaccinated!

Unvaccinated patients are portrayed as incredibly selfish stupid people who didn't do what the doctor told them! Not one doctor addressed patients’ vaccine safety concerns, previous severe adverse vaccines reactions, or chronic illness that might prevent people from vaccinating. Oh, no! Way too busy passing judgment!

I am a licensed therapist. In the 1990s I had an internship at a mental health clinic. I saw many patients with AIDS. Thosse were the days when you were diagnosed with HIV and often dead within a year. By the 1990s it was well established that unsafe sex and IV needle sharing was the most common way to contract HIV. All my HIV+ clients developed AIDS because they did not use condoms. Should I have shamed my young male clients and lectured him how “I and tired of treating people like you! You don’t have to have HIV! It was your choice and I am tired and frustrated!”

People in the helping professions are supposed withhold judgment and treat all patients with compassion….certainly not hold press conferences to complain about their choices. What if these young men with AIDS had gone to this Florida hospital? Would a bunch of doctors run into the parking lot, loudly blaming AIDS patients for their own illnesses? Would these same
doctors whine like babies that they are “too tired!” to have to “treat people who didn’t have to be in the hospital.” Should over worked doctors at the hospital refused to provide medical care?

Maybe this crew would have!

https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/microbiome/gut-might-modify-mind/97/i14

Note: Could the gut be the culprit behind the struggles of the young generation, riddled with anxiety, worry, and self-doubt? We know the role it plays in autistic behavior. And a certain doctor tried to ask hard questions a couple of decades ago, as you  may recall.....

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Infant Gut Microbiome May Contribute to Fear Response Trajectory
Study Examines Microbiome Content for 1-Month and 1-Year Old Infants

The microbiome is the collection of trillions of microorganisms that colonize the digestive tract. Each person has a completely unique microbiome, made up of a network of microbiota originally determined by their DNA.

The microbiome is the collection of trillions of microorganisms that colonize the digestive tract. Each person has a completely unique microbiome, made up of a network of microbiota originally determined by their DNA. The microbiome develops rapidly during the first year of life. Previous research has linked human behaviors, including fear and anxiety, to the composition of the microbiome. It was due to these reasons that a research team from Michigan State University set out to study the emergence of fear responses in infants around 12-months old and examine if fear behavior is influenced by the development and composition of the microbiome. The Michigan State researchers theorized that there are critical windows in the development of the brain and nervous system in which variations in microbiome composition could impact infants’ fear behaviors and perhaps influence the physical structure of brain areas involved in generating fear. By recruiting a group of 34 infants, the study’s authors assessed microbiome contents and the volume of key brain regions at ages 1-month and 12-months. At the second assessment point, they also examined social and non-social types of fear behaviors in the infants. The study’s results indicated that the composition of the microbiome at 1-year “is significantly associated with increased fear behavior” and that differences in microbial colonization causes differences in fear. The researchers based these findings on a task designed to measure non-social fear. They also discovered that certain qualities of the 1-month microbiome were additionally associated with increased non-social fear at 1-year. Additionally, this study demonstrated a “suggestive” relation between contents of the infant microbiome and volumes of the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. Despite finding associations between microbiome and variations between individual fear responses among the infants, the study’s authors say it is too early to label any specific microbiome contents as good or bad. This is mostly due to differences among individuals and also because some microbes may have positive and negative impacts in different contexts.

Note: How are you dealing with vaccination mandates in your company? Maybe you're already vaccinated. Do you feel safe? As if you have dodged a bullet? Maybe you're not vaccinated. Do you feel pressured in order to keep your livelihood? These aren't easy choice for most folks.  Did the Biden Administration think more than a step or two ahead to the ramifications of this layer of rules and punishments that will impact not only health, but also mental health, and will likely build a dangerous level of resentment. The mandates could be a recipe for workplace violence.  And then those who are not electing vaccination will be demonized further.  I have read comments all over social media saying "Good! Let them get fired! They are idiots! Selfish! They deserve to die."  A slippery slope to sanctioned trouble.

From CNN Business yesterday, iconic American brands Coca Cola, Kellogg and Campbell's Soup asked questions.

New York (CNN Business) The trade group that represents consumer brands including Coca-Cola (KO), Kellogg (K) and Campbell Soup (CPB) fired off a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday with a laundry list of questions about his new vaccine mandate.

In the letter, Consumer Brands Association CEO Geoff Freeman called for "immediate clarity" on the administration's new Covid-19 Action Plan.

That plan, unveiled last week, caught some in the business world off guard because it includes an emergency rule from the Labor Department that calls for all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their entire workforce is vaccinated or regularly tests negative for Covid-19. Biden officials have said companies could face penalties of up to $14,000 per violation.

The Consumer Brands Association — which represents the $2.1 trillion food, beverage and consumer products industry that employs 2.1 million workers — urged federal agencies to "move quickly, anticipate challenges, promptly answer questions" and partner with businesses to implement the new plan.

"The Consumer Brands Association and our member companies stand ready to partner with you in getting Americans vaccinated," Freeman wrote.

The letter to Biden included a "small sampling" of questions that have surfaced among business leaders, including:
What is considered documentation for proof of vaccination and how will booster shots factor into compliance?
Will the requirements only apply to vaccines that are fully approved by the FDA?
Does the government plan to centralize vaccination tracking?
What are the consequences of falsifying one's vaccination status or test results?
What is considered suitable documentation for a negative test result?
Should employees choose not to vaccinate, is the company or employee responsible for securing and paying for testing?

Read more here.

As the first wave of the 1990s autism epidemic ages into adulthood, we can expect chaos more than care. We've weathered decades of a complete misunderstanding of autism. Autism Speaks took over Cure Autism Now and the focus and dollars went to awareness and genetics testing. Neurodiversity groups like ASAN focused on acceptance AS IS and related only to the highest functioning of the community.   "As  is" is pretty awful for many with autism. That's painful to type, as a parent. We will have a deluge of adults with autism in the coming decades.

Many will be born to the anxiety generation - young adults themselves hardly able to cope, make decisions, problem solve, and think outside the box. I see parent after parent of grade school kids asking if there is a residential option, the behavior at home is "too much."  And it may well be - most of us have lived it.  Age of Autism has been sounding the alarm for almost 15 years. Anne Dachel continues to track thousands of stories of school districts under siege, families lost as sea, states struggling to provide a modicum of services. And how COVID has thrown a monkey wrench into everything.  Schools are hardly perfect. Adult care is a disaster. With no answers in sight.

Check out this story from New York from The Times Union. Worry.

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State seeks to move severely autistic clients to secure facility
Lawmakers, parents say state agency exploiting 'loophole' that prevents disabled from receiving least restrictive care

Brendan J. Lyons
Sep. 12, 2021

ALBANY — The parents of adults afflicted with conditions such as severe autism say they are being forced by a state agency to choose between sending their child to a fenced-in institutional facility in the far reaches of the Adirondacks, or face the prospect of losing funding for their long-term care.

The situation has rankled a group of state lawmakers who say the practice, put in place under former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, is an apparent cost-saving measure that exploits a loophole in a 2014 law designed to give parents due-process rights in decisions about long-term care for their children when they reach age 21.

Some parents say they've been left with no alternative to sending their disabled children to what they feel is a remote and prison-like facility that apparently houses individuals convicted of crimes such as child sexual abuse or those who have been deemed incompetent to stand trial.  Read more here.

Asked and answered.

Check out Michael Keaton’s movie, Worth, it's a good reminder of what the nation endured. And never forget your own worth. XOX  Kim

Take Action  to send a messages to your federal representatives.

Please call: The White House (202) 456-1111

We awoke to a craven new world. The President of the United States told millions of Americans that he is "disappointed" in them, because they have not taken the Covid vaccine.  This is patronizing in the extreme. He is not our Daddy - NO President is - he works for us. All of us, whether we voted for him or not. During his candidacy he said he would not mandate the vaccine, and he wanted to unite the nation.  So much for that. Tomorrow is September 11th and many of us can not visit New York City because we don't have the right "credentials." Anyone know if the Taliban has let more Americans come home? And  before you accuse us of being partisan, don't forget who never drained the swamp, who never put RFK Jr on the vaccine safety commission that he never got off the ground, and who launched Operation Warp Speed and who has also told us to get the jab.  CHOICE. We believe in CHOICE. That's our core tenet.  Always will be. From Autism Action Network - CALL THE WHITE HOUSE and eblast your Congressmen and Senators. Today.

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US Take Action: Biden orders almost everyone to get shots. He has no authority to do this.

     Last night President Joe Biden outlined a six-point plan to respond to Covid in a speech seething with anger at the 80 million adult Americans who refuse to participate in the Covid shot mass experiment, and rage directed at the governors who reject the ever-changing and mostly science-free federal Covid policies.

     Biden began by congratulating himself on what a good job he has done on Covid, and excoriating Americans who aren't buying his malarkey. He lied about the safety and efficacy of the shots. He lied about the FDA approving the shots available in the US. He had nothing to say about people who have recovered from Covid, and gave no indication that he has anything in mind for addressing Covid other than vaccinating everybody by wildly expanding the powers of the President.

     The first and major part of the plan is forcing more people to get shots. After months of denying he has the authority to impose mandates, Biden asserted that he will have the Labor Department issue a directive that will require all businesses with more than 100 employees to force their workers to get the shot or  submit to weekly testing.  And he announced that he signed an executive order requiring all federal contractors to get the shot. Following on an existing order that requires all nursing home employees at facilities that accept Medicare or Medicaid dollars, the requirement will be expanded to cover workers in hospitals, home healthcare facilities, and other medical facilities. He never asks why healthcare workers, the heroes of 2020, must be forced to put this product in their bodies.

Mandates are wrong. So are prohibitions. Even when you are on the "right side" of them.

Visit the  Emergency Campaign to Stop All COVID Vaccination Mandates

School. Work. College. Life. 

We can not become a society of government sanctioned exclusion and punishment.  We ended that in 1861 when men were worth 3/5 of a life. We ended that we we ceased to practice COVERTURE for wives in the mid 1800s. We can't go back because of vaccine status.

Talk about gallows humor. Kimmel is the latest horse's ass to openly promote discrimination against those unvaccinated for Covid, "joking" about a wheezy death after having been properly turned away from care. Kimmels infant son needed heart surgery a couple of years ago. Kimmel wept openly on his show. We sympathized.  Jimmy Kimmel Now Do You Understand Our Pain? We know what it's like to worry to the deepest corner of your soul about your child.  And to fear every moment of every day that something might happen to US - the caretakers . That's why many of us have not chosen the experimental Covid vaccine for ourselves, our kids 12 and older, or the full slate of pediatric vaccines for that matter. Many of us have, again for personal reasons. And I know some folks who have had bad bouts of Covid requiring hospitalization - some feel differently about the vaccine after their experience, others do not.  PERSONAL DECISIONS all around. Something Kimmel doesn't seem to grasp in his narrow world. I don't know anyone who makes this healthcare decision lightly, as least not in our community. We aren't making a political statement. We don't have that luxury. Also, since it's Trump’s Warp Speed vaccine program and Biden is the administrator, how would we choose one over the other? Kimmel is a horse’s ass. He pontificates as if he knows our lives - and to make matters worse - he's part of some Autism Charity that raises a zillion dollars for nonsense. It's disheartening and infuriating. His best buddy Howard Stern is even worse. His show is non-stop Covid fear and vaccination hype. Another blow to me - I'd been a fan for more than 30 years. No more. Here's the Washington Post summary: Jimmy Kimmel suggests hospitals shouldn’t treat unvaccinated patients who prefer ivermectin

In his return to late-night television after what he described as “a weird summer,” Jimmy Kimmel stopped laughing when he reflected on Labor Day weekend in which coronavirus cases were up by about 300 percent compared with the same time last year, when there wasn’t a vaccine.

After noting how Anthony S. Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, warned that some hospitals might be forced to make “tough choices” on who gets a bed in the intensive care unit, Kimmel quipped Tuesday that the situation was not difficult. The ABC late-night host then turned his attention to unvaccinated people who’ve clamored for ivermectin — a medicine long used to kill parasites in animals and humans that has soared in popularity despite being an unproven covid-19 treatment that health officials have warned against using to prevent or treat the virus.

“That choice doesn’t seem so tough to me,” Kimmel said. “Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right in, we’ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.”

Note, Kimmel has has a history of making fun of vaccination choice. This was from HuffPo in March of 2015:

Jimmy Kimmel is giving anti-vaccination advocates a taste of their own medicine.

Back to our roots today. We launched Age of Autism in 2007 at the NAA Conference in Atlanta. The National Autism Association started as a kitchen table organization by Moms who wanted more of everything for their kids. TACA is a kitchen table org, as was Generation Rescue at its start.  Autism Speaks was always a Board Room organization.  

Teachers who work with our kids have always needed parental support and help. No one knows our kids the way we do - and it's difficult to get up to speed with a student with autism.  Safety is always our biggest worry. And NAA is the Fairy Godmother of safety.  Please tell your child's teachers or SPED directors about the Big Red Safety Teacher Toolkit today!  And thank you NAA.  From our kitchen..... to yours. XOX  Kim

NAA’s Big Red Safety Teacher Toolkit® includes:

• Printed educational materials and tools in our BeREDy booklet for teachers
• Two (2) Door/Window Alarms including batteries
• Five (5) Laminated Adhesive Stop Sign Visual Prompts for doors and windows

Please note:

• If you need additional stop signs, alarms, or other safety-related items, they can be purchased separately in our Big Red Safety Shop.
• All printed materials can be downloaded for free here.
• NAA Big Red Safety Teacher Toolkit® grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to all qualifying applicants while supplies last. You are not required to make a donation to receive one.

NAA’s Big Red Safety Teacher Toolkits® have a retail value of over $25.00. If you would like to help NAA continue this program, we ask you to please consider Paying it Forward by making an optional donation when requesting your free NAA Big Red Safety Teacher Toolkit®.

Regardless of any tools already in place, if an individual’s medical condition interferes with their ability to recognize danger or stay safe, it is critical to maintain close supervision and security in all settings. For more information and ways to prevent wandering-related incidents, please visit http://awaare.org.

Does anyone think these accounts are real?  If so, can you imagine a "professional" that is as cruel, catty, obnoxious, uninformed and plain old 10th grade mean girl than this. Professional is hardly the word. Bot-fessional is more like it. Rollerderby wasn't this mean in 1973. Bans off our bodies!  Healthcare for all - EXCEPT YOU! What the actual yuckety yuck???  I'm sure her "Hate Has No Home Here" sign is buffed to a high sheen.  Instead of vax passports, maybe we should demand nurses show us their social media, so we know who they are?  Note: I know and love many fine nurses - you need to get these a$$holes out of your profession.

As schools have become "behavior management factories" what has the benefit been to students with autism - from the most severely affected non-speaking to those with what we used to call Asperger's?  My youngest had the worst time of it in school, particularly when she was in high school. I spent 4 years having IEP meetings reviewing chart after chart of her "SIB" (self-injurious behavior) and AGGRESSION.  The SIB was slapping or pounding her thigh. The aggression was slapping the desk. At one point, school assigned her two paras - one to work with her and one to click click data to chart. I once asked a teacher, "How would you feel if your boss took away your coffee mug as soon as you walked in and you had to EARN every sip of coffee in the morning, by someone else's chart of success? Or if your phone was taken away and you had to perform dull, repetitive, often insulting work to earn a 5 minute break on your phone?"  My older daughters are 25 and 26. Their demeanors have improved since leaving school. I think they feel free to be themselves for the first time since.... preschool.

If you have begun Spelling2Communicate, HALO, assistive technology or other successful efforts to allow your son or daughter to convey their intelligence, their hopes, their thoughts, their fears, what have you learned?  When I read JB Handley's book Underestimated, An Autism Miracle, one sentence in the manuscript stuck with me. So much that I influenced the final name of the book (not taking a bow, but sharing how much this impacted me.) When he asked his son Jamie how he felt about teachers who made him do preschool work for 12 years, who treated him like he was unable to learn or progress, he told his Dad that he thought the teachers had "...earnestly underestimated him..." I thought that was one of the most forgiving, mature statements I'd ever read and called JB immediately to tell him I thought it was his title.

The author of this Psychology Today article is local - I think I'll contact her.

Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D., has been working with neurodiverse clients for over 30 years. She has been appointed by the State Legislature of CT to serve on the CT Autism Spectrum Disorder Advisory Council and is on the Clinical Advisory Group of AANE.org (Autism/Aspergers Network). She serves on the Professional Advisory Board of Smart Kids with LD as well as the Community Medical Staff in Psychiatry at Norwalk Hospital. She’s written multiple professional peer-reviewed journals on the diagnosis of autism, as well as contributing to Autism Spectrum News and multiple other websites and publications.

From Psychology Today:

Are We Giving Autistic Children PTSD From School?

1) We must understand the behavior of autistic children to help them.
2) Responding without understanding diminishes the personhood, self-esteem and trust of autistic kids.
3) Providing an environment sensitive to the needs of autistic students benefits all students.

For most autistic children, school can be a toxic environment. Working on the advice of experts, school staff aim to have autistic children’s behavior conform to neurotypical expectations. The more a child is indistinguishable from mainstream peers, the more successful the school intervention is believed to be.

Source: Dictionary.com

By Cathy Jameson

If I did a quick internet news search for the word regardless, I am sure I’d have thousands of hits that included this statement:

…regardless of vaccination status

Masks are required for outdoor events regardless of vaccination status.

Masks are required for indoor events regardless of vaccination status.

All visitors to the building are to social distance regardless of vaccination status.

Weekly COVID testing will be required regardless of vaccination status.

Public meetings are back on schedule. We invite all to join regardless of vaccination status.

The definition of regardless, per Oxford Languages, is without paying attention to the present situation; despite the prevailing circumstances.

Declaring one’s vaccine status was not a requirement for more contagious illnesses for indoor venues in previous years let alone outdoor ones.  Proving one’s health status with a nasal swab was never required to attend work or college, even though other viruses are prevalent year round.  Regardless, and more importantly, because of prevailing circumstances, the present situation many are now living because of one virus is dire. 

It’s dire.  And now, in some places, it does matter what one’s vaccination status is. 

Vaccination status will determine if nurses keep their job at the hospital regardless of their qualifications.

Teachers https://apnews.com/article/health-religion-coronavirus-pandemic-c58f8577203b8316299f9fa90ebf7578 are facing the same dilemma.  They are being told they must get the jab despite their years of dedication in their field.  Will they take the jab and all the risks that come with it just to keep their job? 

Another important question, can school districts handle losing their staff or recover from a massive teacher walk out?  The NYC school system stands to lose compassionate, highly qualified professionals and their many years of experience.  Losing them will jeopardize the continuity of education that all students require to be successful in the classroom.

A message from Skyhorse Publishing in conjunction with Children's Health Defense:

Dear Reader,

The pharma-funded mainstream media has convinced millions of Americans that people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Gallo, and Dr. Francis Collins are heroes.

Drs. Frank Ruscetti and Judy Mikovits and I need your help today to expose their plague of corruption and show what dangerous charlatans they truly are.

By ordering a copy of their new book today — “Ending Plague: A Scholar’s Obligation in an Age of Corruption” — you can help push the book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

The sooner we reach that milestone, the sooner the whole world will know the truth. If you’ve already ordered their book, thank you. Can you now share this post today with family and friends? Or better yet, order several copies as gifts?

A year after Dr. Mikovits and Kent Heckenlively first exposed the Plandemic with their banned, groundbreaking short film with Mikki Willis and their runaway New York Times bestseller Plague of Corruption, they have returned with another book that uncovers even more of the untruths and corruption in our government’s health institutions.

Dr. Frank Ruscetti, a thirty-eight year veteran of the National Cancer Institute, who worked closely with people like Fauci and Gallo, offers a true insider’s portrait of his nearly four decades at the center of public health. His insights into the successes and failures of government science will be eye-opening to the general public. What he and Dr. Mikovits reveal not only obliterates the media spin . . . but should also alarm every American who cares about this country—and the future our children will inherit.

In their book, they reveal:

1. How the HIV/AIDS epidemic was a complete calamity compromised by the egos of Robert Gallo and Anthony Fauci, leading to the unnecessary death of millions.
2. The lies told about chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), often referred to as “non-HIV/ AIDS” which has disabled millions of women and men.

Laura wrote this in April of 2016.

By Laura Hayes

Being the mother of vaccine-injured children teaches you many important lessons, with perhaps the main lesson being to question everything, research thoroughly, and make your own decisions. Listen to and trust your own maternal instincts. Don’t be coerced, harassed, or forced into doing anything you are not completely comfortable with or don’t want.  Learn to speak up and stand your ground firmly…your children are counting on you…and you will be the one to live with the consequences for each and every parenting decision you make.  So make the time to take the time to decide carefully, very carefully.

Rule #1: Question EVERYTHING

Rule #2: Research THOROUGHLY (including, and especially, from non-industry and non-governmental sources…seek sources that don’t profit from that which you are researching)

Rule #3: Make your OWN decisions, don’t be swayed by someone just because they are wearing a white coat (as a matter of fact, learn to be extra leery of those in white coats)

Let’s begin with prenatal “standard of care” procedures that need to be questioned, researched, and carefully considered prior to accepting:

• Ultrasounds are now performed on virtually every pregnant woman in the U.S. Remembering back to my first pregnancy, my doctor told me I had ovarian cysts after my first ultrasound, and he began ordering weekly (!) ultrasounds for me. At the time, my insurance did not cover ultrasounds (they were $800 a pop, mind you). When I finally disclosed this to the receptionist, wondering how many more of these expensive procedures I would need, she was shocked that I’d been paying out of pocket the whole time. She looked uncomfortable when I told her that. Quite magically, the next week, my cysts were declared gone, no more ultrasounds for cysts needed!  I have since come to find out that the year that occurred was the year they were testing new ultrasound machines that were many times “stronger”. Were my baby and I experimental test subjects, without knowing, and without informed consent?  I do not know, but I most certainly wonder. Dr. Kelly Brogan, among others, has written about the universal use of ultrasound during pregnancy,  so perhaps begin your research here.

Thoughtful piece from The Atlantic. Are masks required in your kids' schools? If so, to what degree?

###

The Downsides of Masking Young Students Are Real

The educational cost of face coverings is far better established than the benefits of mandates.

By Vinay Prasad About the author: Vinay Prasad, a hematologist and oncologist, is an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UC San Francisco.

Scientists have an obligation to strive for honesty. And on the question of whether kids should wear masks in schools—particularly preschools and elementary schools—here is what I conclude: The potential educational harms of mandatory-masking policies are much more firmly established, at least at this point, than their possible benefits in stopping the spread of COVID-19 in schools. To justify continued masking of schoolkids—with no end date in sight—we have to prove that masks benefit kids, and at what ages. States and communities that are considering masking policies just to be safe should recognize that being overly cautious has a cost, while the benefits are uncertain.

For most able-bodied adults, masks in public indoor settings pose only minor inconveniences. But children—who even amid the worrisome Delta-variant surge are experiencing serious outcomes from COVID-19 at far lower rates than people in older age groups are—have different needs and vulnerabilities than adults. Early childhood is a crucial period when humans develop cultural, language, and social skills, including the ability to detect emotion on other people’s faces. Social interactions with friends, parents, and caregivers are integral to fostering children’s growth and well-being.

Cloth masks do filter some aerosols, albeit not the majority, so they might catch some exhaled viral particles. Newly released results from a large trial in rural Bangladesh found that the widespread use of surgical masks by adults yields a significant reduction in the spread of symptomatic COVID-19. (The effect of cloth masks was more ambiguous, and the study did not include children.) But the issue facing educators and parents is whether a policy of mandatory masking makes school safer than a policy of optional masking—and whether the difference is enough to justify the imposition on kids.   Read more at The Atlantic.

From James Lyons-Weiler PhD:

From: James Lyons-Weiler <
Date: Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 2:39 PM
Subject: Cycle threshold distributions
To: <qds1@cdc.gov>
Cc: <>, <poland.gregory@mayo.edu>

Dear Dr. Campbell,

I am cc’ing Dr. Poland as he recently uncritically interpreted your report as showing that the risk of re-infection is higher in the unvaccinated than in the vaccinated in a YouTube presentation.

I read w/interest your report

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e1.htm

As you are corresponding author, I am directing my questions to you.

1. Among those partly vaccinated, vaccinated and unvaccinated, what were the qPCR Ct threshold distributions for each group?

2. If your team used the CDC’s guidelines for reporting case with (Ct<28 cycles + hospitalized or dead for vaccinated, but Ct value up to 40 or even higher for the unvaccinated), how can we compare rates of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in so-called vaccinated “cases” and so-called unvaccinated “cases”?

3. Are the groups studied confounded in any way?

4. Were the NAAT test rates vs. antigen test rates the same in both groups?

5. Per your report, the “vaccinated” were considered vaccinated on 14 or after, per CDC guidelines. This seems unusual; if the vaccine harms the immune system for a period of time and makes people more susceptible to infection, it would appear within the first two weeks, given what we have seen in animal studies.

6. If people are not vaccinated until 14 days after receipt of the vaccine, shouldn’t people have to wait 14 days to receive their vaccine card if herd immunity is the goal?

7. Your particular group criterion definition would skew the data badly in favor of finding an increased rate of re-infection in the previously infected or unvaccinated, making causal attribution to the vaccine and your recommendation that all persons should be vaccinated impossible to support with your data.

Earlier this week we shared a Facebook post that's circulating, proclaiming proud ignorance of many “common” items, including the Covid jab.  If you read it, you probably had a sharp response of your own. One Facebooker, "TM" took the time to write a response. She wrote, "This gem of a narrative is being shared around, so I wanted to participate with some editing:”

The original is in italics, her response is in bold:

I’m vaccinated and, no, I don't know what's in it…

Until my child was injured and then I learned, the hard way.

I trust my doctor when he says it’s needed.

I won’t make that mistake again.

I also don't know what's in Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other meds, it just cures my headaches & my pains ...

I do and Tylenol depletes glutathione - stop giving it to infants (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15878691/)

I don't know what's in the ink for tattoos, vaping, or every ingredient in my soap or shampoo or even deodorants. 

No tattoos or vaping  - I use natural products because they are safer.

I don’t know the long term effect of cell phone use…

Which is why I turn it off at my bedside.

There's a lot of things I don't know and never will…

But I know in this age of information it is ignorant not to research what is readily available.

I just know one thing: life is short, very short,  and I still want to do something other than just going to work every day or staying locked in my home…..

So that is why I choose to not live in fear.

As a child I've been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, and a few others;

As a child and as an adult I've been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, chicken   your choice,

I am vaccinated, respect my choice ...

Thank you if you have already purchased my book. Because of you, it skyrocketed to “#1 Best Seller” on Saturday. We hope you can help keep the momentum going. If you haven’t already, please buy my book and share this post with your friends, family and social network. I appreciate the help!

Today, Dr. Anthony Fauci is a household hero to half of America. 

Drug companies, government officials and the pharma-funded corporate media invoke his name to justify lockdowns, masks and experimental vaccines. 

A recent editorial in a leading medical journal urged Congress to make it a felony to publicly criticize Dr. Fauci. 

Encouraging his own deification, Dr. Fauci has declared that all those who questioned his pronouncements are “anti-science.”

But who is Dr. Fauci really?

In my new book, I show that Dr. Fauci has done little to earn the sobriquet  "America’s Doctor.” 

Instead, he has survived 50 years as the J. Edgar Hoover of public health by consistently prioritizing Big Pharma profits over the welfare of his countrymen, and through mercenary homage to the chemical and agricultural industry, the military industrial complex, the intelligence apparatus and all the other pushers of pills, potions, powders, poisons, pricks and the police state.

Order your copy today: “The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health,” by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. — 100% of proceeds will go directly to fund the work of Children’s Health Defense.

During more than a year of painstaking and meticulous research, I unearthed a shocking story that obliterates the obsequious media’s spin on Dr. Fauci … and that will alarm every American — Democrat or Republican — who cares about democracy, our Constitution and the future of our children’s health.

In my book I reveal how Fauci:

• has been the principal architect of “agency capture” — the subversion of democracy by a drug industry that manipulates regulators like sock puppets.
  
  
• failed dismally over his 50-year career with the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to address the cause, to prevent or cure the exploding epidemics of allergies and chronic disease that Congress charged him with curtailing. The chronic disease pandemic is his enduring legacy. Those ailments now debilitate 54% of American children compared to 6% when he joined NIAID.

Have you noticed how strikingly similar both the mindsets and actions are between the suicide bombers at Kabul’s airport, and the anti-mask and anti-vax people here? They both blow themselves up, inflict harm on those around them, and are convinced they are fighting for freedom. Arne Duncan, 8/29.21 Twitter

The cruelty, ignorance and moral superiority drip off the screen from former Secretary of Education under President Obama Arne Duncan.  We can shrug it off, call him a jerk, move on. Or we can take a hard look at the thought process of people with current or former power within our government and their platform/capacity to incite deep fears that have one goal - compliance.  Secretary Duncan might want to pay some of us a visit, to find out how akin we are to suicide bombers as we care for our children 24/7/365. It is WE who got bombed, and 25 years into the autism epidemic, we are less respected and more hated than ever - how's that for an ugly truth. Hard to believe where we are today as a nation.  Hard to believe.  
 
Here is the Tweet text below: www.twitter.com/arneduncan
Managing Partner, The Emerson Collective. #ChicagoCRED. Author of How Schools Work. Here are the Emerson Collective's stated priorities:

Immigration Helping aspiring Americans and new immigrants succeed
Education Clearing pathways to a meaningful education
Climate Building solutions at the intersection of climate innovation and environmental justice.
XQ: The Super School Project Rethinking America's high schools
Chicago CRED Creating real economic destiny in Chicago
Equity & Justice Shaping new systems of opportunity for all
Media & Journalism Provoking thought and strengthening democracy
Health Accelerating cancer research and empowering patients

“ Flowerpot hats not included.” 

A celebration of ignorance and moral superiority is flooding Facebook in a post being shared all over the place.  No matter your choice (and you know what we mean), base it on personal experience, medical history, conversations with your healthcare provider, the risk of each choice, outcome and due diligence.  None of us knows what might happen if we choose to V or not. Or if we come down with "C" or not. Will we be asymptomatic or asphyxiated? No one that I knows takes any of this lightly. We have a "friend of ours" fighting in the hospital right now.  Imagine saying that an unvaccinated person who gets Covid is "cluttering" a hospital bed. What of every obese person with adult onset diabetes - are they "cluttering" the dialysis centers?  What of every smoker with lung cancer - cluttering oncology wards? We are allowed to make choices for ourselves. Some of them might turn out to be the "wrong choice", in the end. The shaming and glee I see when someone gets sick or dies from Covid is inhuman. I've seen women in my town who ask 100 questions about a paint color before making a choice run this post.  (Unfriend.) This group thinking will lead to inhuman decisions and acts - a de-evolution. (Now the flowerpot hats make sense, yes? Devo.)

###

Facebook post circulating this weekend.

I'm vaccinated and, no, I don't know what's in it - neither this vaccine, the ones I had as a child, nor in the Big Mac, or in hot dogs, or in other treatments…whether it's for cancer, AIDS, the one for  polyarthritis, or vaccines for infants or children. I trust my doctor when he/she says it’s needed. 

I also don't know what's in Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other meds, it just cures my headaches & my pains ...

I don't know what's in the ink for tattoos, vaping, or every ingredient in my soap or shampoo or even deodorants.  I don’t know the long term effect of cell phone use or whether or not that restaurant I just ate at REALLY used clean foods and washed their hands. 

In short ...

There's a lot of things I don't know and never will…

By Cathy Jameson

I have never in my adult life heard one response used more frequently than, “Because of COVID.”  It doesn’t matter the setting – in a school, store, doctor’s office, playground, or at a concert.  Because of COVID is said all the time.  It started last year: 

Sorry, kids. Sports are cancelled …because of COVID.

Sorry, staff.  All meetings are now virtual …because of COVID. 

Sorry, Ma’am.  All regularly scheduled appointments are limited …because of COVID. 

Sorry, travelers.  Flight restrictions are now in place …because of COVID. 

I expected and grew used to the adjustments we were asked to make because of COVID in March of 2020.  Back then, the 2-week pause made sense.  I thought it was a reasonable request, and I actually welcomed it.  I didn’t expect the restrictions, and the go-to response …because of COVID to continue to hamper parts of life for as long as it has.  But even this week, I heard several times …because of COVID being used in a school setting, in a medical setting, and in a political setting. 

It’s become a response, an excuse, and a justification.  Since 2020, it’s been said countless times.  Some weeks, I hear it daily.   I respected it …until I didn’t. 

…because of COVID local sports are still cancelled or at limited capacity or come with major restrictions.  Unless you’re a major sports team.

…because of COVID meetings and office get togethers are encouraged to be virtual.  Unless it’s your birthday and you have some celebrity status. https://www.inquisitr.com/6494809/see-leaked-photos-videos-of-barack-obamas-decadent-birthday-part

…because of COVID restrictions are still in place in the community.  Unless you believe you’re above the law.

…because of COVID, air travel for passengers and some airlines has taken a hit.  Unless you’re an unmasked elected official shirking your work. 

I’m guessing you heard it as many times I had last year.  You’ve probably heard that catch phrase most of 2021, too.  It’s not so much a catch phrase, though, is it?  Now, it’s being used as a threat.

UPDATE from Reuters and other sources: Two die in Japan after shots from suspended Moderna vaccines - Japan govt

TOKYO, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Two people died after receiving Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccine shots that were among lots later suspended following the discovery of contaminants, Japan's health ministry said on Saturday. The men in their 30s died this month within days of receiving their second Moderna doses, the ministry said in a release. Each had a shot from one of three manufacturing lots suspended on Thursday. The causes of death are being investigated.

###

Memes are popular on social media.  Like me, I'm sure you've seen some that make you laugh out loud, some that make you cringe, others that simply ring true to some aspect of your life.  I read one this week, but didn't get a snap of it. It said (and I paraphrase) "They aren't conspiracy theories, they're spoilers."   How's that for sharp?

I've been trying to read between the lines with everything these days. I look for "weasel words" that deflect blame, obfuscate, and sometimes outright lie, with finesse.  Several vaccination centers have reported that vaccine vials contained foreign matter, according to an announcement from the ministry, which added it will seek to minimize the impact of the withdrawal on the country's inoculation program. The ministry said later in the day that the substance that had been mixed in may have been metal. "It's a substance that reacts to magnets," a ministry official said. "It could be metal."https://asia.nikkei.com

The Japanese ministry said the substance "reacts" to magnets.  Does that mean it attracted or repelled? How was it tested? Three types of metals interact with magnetic fields: ferromagnetic, paramagnetic and diamagnetic metals. Ferromagnetic metals are strongly attracted to magnets; the rest are not. Magnets also attract paramagnetic metals, but very weakly. Diamagnetic metals repel the magnet, though the force is typically very weak.

Do you recall the "reports" that the Covid vaccine was making magnets stick to recipient's arms? Balderdash? Poppycock? Horsepucky?  Conspiracy theory? Can we wonder if there were undetected pieces of metal in those vaccines too? And the dismissal:  Reuters: CORRECTION-Fact Check-'Magnet test' does not prove COVID-19 jabs contain metal or a microchip

Correction Jun 25, 2021: An earlier version of this check incorrectly described the mechanism of MRI scans and gave an incomplete account of the weak magnetic interactions relating to the human body. These sentences have been removed as they have no bearing on the verdict of the check. This article has also been updated to clarify that not all metals are magnetic. Vaccines for COVID-19 do not contain metals or microchips that make recipients magnetic at the site of injection, physics and medical experts have told Reuters.The flawed claim was made in a series of viral videos claiming to show magnets attracted to the arms of alleged jab recipients. Several clips said the supposed phenomenon was proof that people were microchipped

I got the meme shown below in our photo from a "friend of ours" just last night. Seems it's missing something. This week, Japan announced that there may have been metal fragments in some lots of the Moderna vaccine. If this were any other product, a product with even a modicum of liability,  it would be recalled. The optics of offering a product tainted with anything, let alone metals, would be a debacle for any PR department. Any PR department EXCEPT the one in a vaccine company, and certainly in a company making a vaccine for Covid.

Japan Times Reports:

The foreign substance detected in dozens of vials of Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine in Japan is thought to have been tiny pieces of metal, but experts have dismissed concerns over significant health problems, saying that the chance of the foreign material actually entering the body is low.

The foreign substance was identified in 39 unused vials, all of which had the lot number 3004667, at eight workplace and large-scale inoculation sites in five prefectures — Aichi, Ibaraki, Gifu, Saitama and Tokyo — with the first discovery having come on Aug. 16. The government on Thursday decided to halt the use of vials belonging to that lot number — as well as those with the lot numbers 3004734 and 3004956, which were produced around the same time and at the same facility — affecting a total of 1.63 million shots....

Safeminds starts an important conversation this week on their site. We ask: 1) Do you have home based services? 2) Can you self-hire? 3) What is your hourly rate of pay?  Safeminds posted:

• According to a new article in the Tennessee Lookout, families who have a special needs member are having a hard time securing home-based care services. Not only is the state encountering a shortage of workers to fill these positions, but the two different agencies that provide caregivers are experiencing pay disparities. Due to these employment difficulties, the Tennessee Justice Center has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, alleging that the state has violated two federal acts and discriminated against people with intellectual disabilities.
  
  

Here is the article linked

By Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout

July 29, 2021

MOHAWK, Tenn. — Drama Bryant's entire life has revolved around caring for her little brother, Jay, who — at 32 years old — requires 24/7 assistance as a result of congenital conditions that leave him unable to eat, bathe, go the bathroom, speak or walk unassisted.

Jay Bryant has Down syndrome and autism, suffers seizures, severe reflux disease and eczema and lives with chronic pain. If no one is looking, he will try to eat grass, dirt, rocks or other inedible items. When he's distressed, he hits himself hard enough to leave marks.

His intellectual and physical disabilities qualify him for a program operated by the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities that is supposed to provide Jay with 337 hours of professional care each month in the home he shares with his 69-year-old mom — who herself is disabled and suffering early symptoms of dementia.
Find out what's happening in Across Tennessee with free, real-time updates from Patch.

But his family has gotten no outside help. Instead, it has fallen to Drama Bryant, 38, to step in to care for her brother, full-time, while their desperate search for caregivers continue.

Tennessee, much like the rest of the nation, has long experienced a shortage of workers willing to take the low-pay, high stress jobs that are vital to helping people with severe disabilities live with dignity in their own homes and outside of institutions. The caregiver scarcity has reached crisis proportions during the new COVID-era of labor shortages...  Read more here.

Today's post is excerpted from Children's Health Defense. Businesses across the USA are starting to mandate Covid vaccination.  A local day and residential program service provider is mandating by mid-October.  They will review exemptions, but unvaccinated employees, contractors or board members will be subject to twice weekly testing. The vaccinated CAN contract and spread COVID - but they do NOT need to be tested unless they have symptoms. I see a false security looming. Delta Airlines plans to charge a $200 health insurance penalty to the unvaccinated.  Folks on Facebook are saying "smokers pay a penalty on life insurance, so it's OK." Will actuarial tables be applied to every aspect of life? Meantime, we are a nation rife with obesity - the reason for myriad health issues - which then predict severe Covid. Why haven't we encouraged Americans to LOSE WEIGHT since Spring 2020? At just 5 pounds a month, Americans could have lost some 85 pounds. And greatly improved their health. Lifestyle choices are MORE than whether or not you get vaccinated.

###

Dr. Peter McCullough Tells RFK, Jr.: ‘The Vaccines Are Failing’

On the “RFK, Jr. The Defender Podcast,” Dr. Peter McCullough discussed a new study by the Oxford University Clinical Research Group and how the Pfizer’s vaccine, at 17% to 42% efficacy, doesn't meet the regulatory standard of 50% efficacy for vaccines.

Why is the world experiencing such a “prominent outbreak” of the Delta variant when so many people have been vaccinated?

Dr. Peter McCullough, a consultant, cardiologist and vice chief of medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, addressed those questions and more on the “RFK Jr. The Defender Podcast.”

New research shows people who are vaccinated against COVID are more susceptible to the Delta variant, said McCullough, pointing to a pre-print study by the prestigious Oxford University Clinical Research Group published Aug. 10 in The Lancet.  Read more here.

I spent a good portion of yesterday listening to the three major cable news networks report on the crisis in Afghanistan. I'm worried for the women and girls. I'm especially worried for the boys and girls who have autism and their mothers and fathers. I ran a Google search on Autism and Afghanistan and found very little:

There are no known studies looking at the prevalence of autism in Afghanistan, and organizations such as Autism Speaks do not operate in the country.

And this:

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4614-6435-8_102534-1

The people of Afghanistan continue to hurt from the effects of decades of invasion and civil war. While there have been some efforts to support the physically disabled population of Afghanistan, there is less support for individuals with intellectual and mental disabilities; specifically, there is no support for children and adults with autism. This entry begins by introducing the history of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) and the various legislative and political efforts in place in Afghanistan to support general disabilities. Furthermore, it addresses the lack of support for people specifically with autism in Afghanistan in regard to research and treatment of the condition. This is measured by the lack of nationwide recognition and awareness of autism, screening and diagnosis, and treatment for those afflicted with it. In addition to recognizing the severe lack of mental health resources in general, this entry also addresses the various cultural and social perceptual issues...

I am trying to bear in mind that we here in the United States and our readers across the Western world are so very fortunate.  Despite the major controversies and problems we face. I look at my own daughters, loved, helped, treated, healthy, welcomed by most of society, valued.....  a universe apart from what girls, typical or otherwise, experience in Afghanistan.  What can we do?

...There are no known studies looking at the prevalence of autism in Afghanistan, and organizations such as Autism Speaks do not operate in the country....

Imagine you're 16 and just crashed your parents' car into the neighbor's mailbox. You might start like this, "Look, many new drivers have minor accidents as part of their learning curve. It's common. It happens."   The Bloomberg article I screensnapped is cruel and inflammatory. Covax shaming at its nadir. OBs don’t have enough data to tell their patients with certainty what they face from Covid or the vaccine. The tone of blame is shameful. 

Here is the package insert from the Pfizer vaccine. They named it Comirnaty. I guess Qwerty was taken.

https://www.fda.gov/media/151707/download

1) Read the very first sentence of package insert information on pregnancy risk from the newly approved Pfizer jab: All pregnancies have a risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. 

2) When  you read, "...no evidence of harm," you can perk up your ears.  Vaccination en mass did not begin until January or later in 2021. A full term pregnancy is considered 40 weeks. Babies born to the very first vaccination cohort have not been born yet.  The package insert says that a developmental toxicity study was performed on rats. In reality, we have no idea the impact of Covid vaccination on mother or child yet.

3) NPR quotes CDC: The vaccine is also safe later in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding, the agency's new analysis indicates.  Package insert reads: It is not known whether COMIRNATY is excreted in human milk. Data are not available to assess the effects of  COMIRNATY on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion.

Risk Summary

All pregnancies have a risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the US general population, the
estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. Available data on COMIRNATY administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy. A developmental toxicity study has been performed in female rats administered the equivalent of a single human dose of COMIRNATY on 4 occasions; twice prior to mating and twice during gestation. These studies revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus due to the vaccine (see Animal Data)

Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! "What is "Andrew Cuomo??" for the daily double. Didn't even take his dog. Ain't that a b*tch?

New paper

FDA are expected to vote today to fully license the Pfizer vaccine while hiding the hideous fallout

https://www.scivisionpub.com/pdfs/us-covid19-vaccines-proven-to-cause-more-harm-than-good-based-on-pivotal-clinical-trial-data-analyzed-using-the-proper-scientific--1811.pdf

ABSTRACT

Three COVID-19 vaccines in the US have been released for sale by the FDA under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) based on a clinical trial design employing a surrogate primary endpoint for health, severe infections with COVID-19. This clinical trial design has been proven dangerously misleading. Many fields of medicine, oncology for example, have abandoned the use of disease specific endpoints for the primary endpoint of pivotal clinical trials (cancer deaths for example) and have adopted “all cause mortality or morbidity” as the proper scientific endpoint of a clinical trial. Pivotal clinical trial data from the 3 marketed COVID-19 vaccines was reanalyzed using “all cause severe morbidity", a scientific measure of health, as the primary endpoint. “All cause severe morbidity” in the treatment group and control group was calculated by adding all severe events reported in the clinical trials. Severe events included both severe infections with COVID-19 and all other severe adverse events in the treatment arm and control arm respectively. This analysis gives reduction in severe COVID-19 infections the same weight as adverse events of equivalent severity. Results prove that none of the vaccines provide a health benefit and all pivotal trials show a statically significant increase in “all cause severe morbidity" in the vaccinated group compared to the placebo group. The Moderna immunized group suffered 3,042 more severe events than the control group (p=0.00001). The Pfizer data was grossly incomplete but data provided showed the vaccination group suffered 90 more severe events than the control group (p=0.000014), when only including “unsolicited” adverse events. The Janssen immunized group suffered 264 more severe events than the control group (p=0.00001). These findings contrast the manufacturers’ inappropriate surrogate endpoints: Janssen claims that their vaccine prevents 6 cases of severe COVD-19 requiring medical attention out of 19,630 immunized; Pfizer claims their vaccine prevents 8 cases of severe COVID-19 out of 21,720 immunized; Moderna claims its vaccine prevents 30 cases of severe COVID-19 out of 15,210 immunized. Based on this data it is all but a certainty that mass COVID-19 immunization is hurting the health of the population in general. Scientific principles dictate that the mass immunization with COVID-19 vaccines must be halted immediately because we face a looming vaccine induced public health catastrophe.

42% of reports and 60% of fatal reports to VAERS (started in 1990) are for Covid products since December: fatal vaccine reports to Yellow Cards are more than 20,000% up on the year

By John Stone

This is a brief investigation into the public data as it stands in mid August 2021. I would add that the point is not that this is the highest quality data but that it is the only data there is - we are being deliberately deprived of real data through negligence at best, as the FDA confessed to the New York Times early on. They had not got the machinery running - or more likely  they had it running and were just were not telling us about it. And so we get back  to VAERS which was diagnosed in 2010 as being so deficient it was picking up less than 1% of events (at which point US government agencies evidently realised that they were on to a good thing and decided not to streamline it). So here are two relative measurements.

42% of all reports to VAERS from 1990 to August 13, 2021 are for Covid vaccines (595,662/1,409,664)

60% of all reports to VAERS “where patient died” from 1990 to August 13, 2021 are for Covid vaccines (13,068/21,936)

I am not saying that we should just multiply these figures simplistically by 100 but they are indicative that there is something drastically amiss.

Meanwhile, we have a different collection of data from the United Kingdom to August 11. Here we should bear in mind that the population of the UK is one fifth of the US and the licensing body, the MHRA, generally reckons that reports represent about 10% of cases.

To date there have been 347,032 Yellow Cards, 1,151,768 Adverse Events, 1,596 Fatal 

This breaks down as follows:

Pfizer 36.6m doses 104,446 (1 Yellow Card in 350) 293,779 Adverse Events (2.8 per card) 501 Fatalites (1 in 73,054)

Astra Zeneca 48.6m doses 228,239 Yellow Cards  (1 in 213) 813,622 Adverse Events (3.6 per card) 1,053 Fatalities (1 in 46,154)

Moderna 2m doses 13,325 Yellow Cards (1 in 150) 41,274 Adverse Events (3 per card) 14 Fatalities (1 in 142,857)

Brand unspecified 1,022  Yellow Cards 3,093 Adverse Events 28 Fatalities

The fact that three brands have such distinct adverse event profiles argues strongly against this being background noise, however there are overwhelming reasons why most reports would never get made: people will not report because they don’t know to, because they don’t know how to, because the ethos is overwhelmingly hostile and they think it is the wrong thing to do or they are scared, or because they are too sick or even dead. By comparison the average number of vaccine reports for the previous ten years was 3,039 with 8 fatalities: 200 times the fatalities and we are not a year in: off the scale and the world is run by madmen.

By Cathy Jameson

It was refreshing to step away from some of life on our short family vacation last weekend.  I've shared other vacation stories before offering a peek at our family’s life and love that I can share our reality. I also like to be able to share travel suggestions that have worked for us.

For this get away, we stayed in a hotel the entire time we were out of town.  I can’t recall the last time we did that.  When we go away, we usually stay with family or friends who welcome us and all that we bring – Ronan’s favorite things, his safe foods, his water-proof bedding/sheets, and a lot of excitement from the siblings.  We brought all of that to our destination and something more this time – my Mom.  I was grateful that she could join us on our little adventure. 

Traveling with a young adult with autism can be challenging.  We’re seasoned travelers, including Ronan, but staying in a sold-out hotel, where every room is booked, was a bit intimidating.  

Ronan is non-verbal.  But that doesn't mean he isn't loud.  

Would other guests hear him?  Would someone complain?  Would he even be quiet if we asked him?  

Ronan is easy going.  But that doesn't mean he will adapt quickly to the massive changes in his routine. 

Would he want to be outside at the park, at the beach, or on the bay all day doing things he doesn't normally do?  

Ronan is a happy kid.  But that doesn't mean he doesn't have sad moments.

Would he want to leave as soon as we arrived, like he's requested before?

We brought all of Ronan's favorites with us in the hopes that having something from home would be encouraging.  It was.  Ronan definitely enjoyed some of the things we did.   

On our first day, which was the longest day we'd be outdoors, I knew that Ronan would tire much quicker than the rest of us would.  That's why we researched what accommodations the amusement park could offer someone with disabilities.  We have an adaptive stroller for when Ronan needs physical assistance, but as clunky and as big as it is, it was better to rent a wheelchair from the park.  Plus, Ronan loves wheelchairs.

Sometimes snark is a necessary educational tool, The beauty of running AofA as chief, cook and bottle washer is that we can use humor and sarcasm to send a message at will.

I was listening to Sirius XM and an ad for the Doctor Radio channel came on about back to school advice for parents. The focus? "Anxiety, depression, self-esteem."  I remember hoping to get the 4 ink Bic pen and real book covers instead of paper bags.

I read the words below on on a local Facebook group.  The group is very much Hate Has No Home Here - and yet? I showcase this loveliness and respectful engagement with the community because I am disheartened and dismayed by what I see everywhere. Friends turning against friends. Family shunning family. A virus came. And society either changed, or  the masks that so many wore to hide their vitriole toward one another came off. Oh, the irony. Her post is vulgar too, and she is getting high fives and likes and attagirls from townfolk. What the hell are we becoming? ALL HATE, as far as I can see.

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I believe that it is your duty as a human being to care about and protect other human beings lives. There are many ways we do this everyday, washing hands, covering sneezes, personal hygiene.  Wearing a mask is no different.  You know what? Wearing a bra isn't comfortable either. But yet women do it everyday so that men aren't triggered by nipples. The horror. 

If I have to wear underwires that frequently try to murder me thru the ribs so some guy doesn't get an inconvenient hard on you can wear a freaking mask to stop someone dying you selfish POS.

REDCON1, America's #1 Supplement Brand, Will No Longer Support the Arnold Classic, "Screw Your Freedom"

The division continues.  Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Screw your freedom," comment about those who do not want to get a Covid vaccine has cost him a gig.  Now, he's Arnold, and surely this isn't going to hit his wallet hard. Still, it's a message. I don't know much about this supplement company.  I'm happy to take my Vit D gummies every day.

I don't know a soul who is worried about the effect of masks or the vaccines who is taking a pure "freedom" stance.  I use the quotes on purpose. This isn't a toddler's "you're not the boss of me," moment. It's not an impulsive refusal. The most hesitant? PhDs.  Hardly a group that can be disparaged as anti-science or ignorant. In terms of education levels, people with a high school education or less had the largest decrease in vaccine hesitancy during the study period, while hesitancy held constant among those with a PhD, which was the most hesitant group by May. Who's Most Likely to Refuse a COVID Vaccine? And among AofA readers? So many of us have seen the dark side of vaccination side effects, of being abandoned by medical professionals, and have had our trust shattered.  Now family, friends, employers are lining up to disparage us, take away our jobs, our basic right to earn a living, participate in society.  Our kids have already been "screwed" Arnold, we aren't thinking of our "freedom." We're thinking of how to protect our children for further harm.

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REDCON1, America's #1 Supplement Brand, Will No Longer Support the Arnold Classic, "Screw Your Freedom"

BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- REDCON1, the fastest-growing sports nutrition brand in the world, announced today with a heavy heart that it has discontinued all support for the Arnold Classic and the other Arnold-related events globally after Arnold Schwarzenegger's Anti-American comments.

With such prodigious influence Arnold beholds, making the public declaration, "screw your freedoms", is dangerous and anti-America. REDCON1 is a patriotic pro-freedom brand and community. We support everyone's individual freedoms.

"Arnold entered America with passion that he, too, could achieve the American dream. Of course, it wasn't easy, and he pushed through language barriers, poverty, and dramatic cultural differences. His dedication to the sport and perseverance helped him not only reach but achieve more than he ever imagined. A guy who had nothing and no advantages, who never made an excuse, and created tremendous success. He became an icon based on his work ethic, his charisma, and his grit. " Aaron Singerman, Founder.

We've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars being a top sponsor of the event, and this year the exclusive sponsor of the webcast, but we can't in good conscience continue to support & be involved with someone who has such diametrically opposed beliefs.

Excerpted from The Defender, from Children's Health Defense>

Will Vaccination Become the Price of Admission to Society?

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

An Aug. 2 op-ed by the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board suggested we ought to “make vaccination the price of admission to society.” One way to evaluate the reasonableness of such a proposition is to replace COVID “vaccination” with anything else.

Story at-a-glance:

In June, the U.S. National Security Council released a new National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism document. While it’s being largely framed as a tool to fight extremism, the definition of what constitutes a “domestic terrorist” is incredibly vague and based on ideologies rather than specific behaviors.

This policy can easily be used to silence political opposition simply by labeling anyone who disagrees with the government as a domestic terrorist and charging them with a hate crime, and we’re already seeing signs of this.

Dr. Peter Hotez recently published a paper in PLOS Biology, in which he suggests criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci and other scientists ought to be labeled a “hate crime.”

Former assistant secretary for Homeland Security Juliette Kayyem is urging the U.S. government to put unvaccinated citizens on a no-fly list.

In June, the U.S. National Security Council released a new “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism” document. While it’s being largely framed as a tool to fight white supremacy and political extremism, the definition of what constitutes a “domestic terrorist” is incredibly vague and based on ideologies rather than specific behaviors.

It’s not difficult to imagine this policy being used to silence political opposition simply by labeling anyone who disagrees with the government as a domestic terrorist and charging them with a hate crime.  Read more at The Defender.

Last month, we shared a story from Tennessee, where the top vaccine official felt threatened having received a muzzle in mail. this week, reports say she may have mailed herself the muzzle, in a case reminiscent of Jussie Smollett's. Who among us hasn't wished we had muzzled ourselves from time to time? How dumb do you have to be to use your own credit card? VISA gift card, Michelle. VISA gift card. Joke aside, this bizarre twist only deepens the mistrust and growing divide on both sides of the Covid vaccination debate.

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Tennessee probe finds fired vaccine official mailed herself muzzle despite claims Republicans silenced her

"...A joint state investigation found that a former top Tennessee vaccine official might have mailed herself the same muzzle she claimed last month to have received as a threat to keep quiet, arguing that Republicans had pushed for her firing because she shared factual information with doctors about the legalities of vaccinating un-emancipated minors against COVID-19 without parental consent. 

Records now indicate that the muzzle was paid for by Dr. Michelle Fiscus' own American Express credit card, according to an investigative report from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security obtained by The Tennessean. In the memo, Special Agent Mario Vigil noted that "there is no evidence to indicate that the dog muzzle was intended to threaten Dr. Fiscus." 

This story will tear your heart out. Have you been affected? Tell us. Write to me and let me know if you want to share what's happening. AutismAges@gmail.com.

'A new low': TRICARE cuts services for children with autism, concerning military families

Rachael Riley
The Fayetteville Observer
In 2013, when her father returned from a third deployment, Mia Martin was diagnosed with autism at 3 years old.

Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that impairs normal brain development and ultimately cognitive function and social interaction.

Mia was enrolled in public school for a while.

Her days started at about 5 a.m. to catch a bus.

She’d sit in a classroom until about 1 p.m. then head off to therapy for four hours, ending her day at about 6 p.m.
James Martin and his daughter Mia are one of the military families impacted by the Defense Health Agency's decision to eliminate certain applied behavioral analysis services from classroom settings.

The 12-hour days were part of Mia’s routine for four years.

Mia’s father, Fort Bragg combat veteran James Martin, knew it took a toll on Mia.

The public classroom setting was too rigid.

“Even in a classroom of 15 kids with a special education teacher and an assistant, my daughter is quite the handful,” Martin said.

Mia couldn’t adapt.  Read more here.

Scenario: Direct Support staff in special needs day program is exposed to Covid by a fully vaccinated family member in his home.

A) He is vaccinated for Covid. He calls work, tells his boss he has been exposed to Covid. Boss tells him he is to report to work, because he is fully vaccinated, and to go get a test.

B) He is unvaccinated. He calls work, tells his boss he has been exposed to Covid. Boss tells him to stay home until he has a negative test because he is unvaccinated.

Which person do you want working with your loved one in the testing interim?

We usually run a photo with our posts, but Cathy asked if we had a song that speaks volumes to us, and Bob Marley is mine. Get Up Stand Up. Stand Up for Your rights. Don't Give Up the fight. It's our autism anthem.

By Cathy Jameson

A few weeks ago, commenter TOB left me this note:  

Great post as always. I was listening to a Tom Petty CD this week and thought it's just a matter of time before "Won't Back Down" is included in a Sunday post. This felt like the "Won't Back Down" post to me :-)

Since that July 11th post, the song TOB mentioned has been running through my head.  Several other songs, many with a similar theme, have been running through my head as well.  Things are getting uglier and uglier out there in the world.  Mandates, uncertainty, and a teeny tiny bit of stress is creeping closer to home.  I tend to be a hopefully-ever-after kinda girl. 

But not lately.

Some days, when I just don’t have the words to respond to it all, I must turn on some music.  Before I fight the good fight against the madness and impending mandates, I'm taking a short break. While I head out of town to the beach with my family to rest and relax for a few days, please enjoy this Won't Back Down playlist.  Thanks, TOB, for inspiring it! 

Tom Petty (God rest his soul) and the Heartbreakers singing I Won’t Back Down

Pink Floyd and their ever famous Another Brick in the Wall

Twisted Sister screaming their pretty little heads off with We're Not Gonna Take It

Isley Brothers encouraging us to Fight the Power

Give me some credit. I tried to stay civil after reading this Tweet on our Age of Autism Twitter feed yesterday.

"A 15 our overnight shift. The worst pandemic of our lifetime...."   Dr.Ama.

15 hours a day is like a part time job to most of us, right?  How many pediatricians have kicked out our kids? How many have disparaged, disbelieved our reports of what is or was happening with our children? How many pediatricians have refused to listen to us, brushed us off? And then gone home after an 8 hour shift with nurses and and administrators who manage the basics of the job, the phones, the records, the billing. With a cleaning staff that comes in late at night while we're still praying our kids might stop jumping or spinning or screaming or pacing. And with a paycheck most of us can never imagine PLUS the oohs and aahs and admiration of everyone at the cocktail party. "Oh! DOCtor Jones? Tell me more!"  My kids never had a single vision test at the pediatrician. They couldn't access the test. My kids never had a single hearing test at the pediatrician. They couldn't access the test. I was labeled a REFUSER on their paperwork.

So excuse me, Dr. Meade, if my tiny violin is out of commission for you. I wonder if she has ever heard of Dr. William Thompson from the CDC - take a look at her cover photo on Twitter. I'm sure she'd be too tired to listen to his information anyway. 15 hours. My stars and garters, what a trooper.

Trust. They say love is blind. I think today, trust is blind. Love is brave.

Stay brave.