stevekuusisto

Song

–Elegy for the folk singer Bob Gibson

I’ve got joy in my shirt and joy in my hair,

Got joy in my apple tree

Got joy up the stairs—

It’s just that kind of day.

Got rhubarb in my back seat

Got bananas in my trunk,

When I’m driving on the freeway I’m never in a funk

It’s just that kind of day.

Some people tell you all about their blues

As if they haven’t got a dime—

I tell them to stuff some grapes down their shoes

The dance turns funny every single time.

Bring on the tombstone, bring on the mule;

Turn your lamps down low.

When you’re gone you’re gone—that’s the rule—

Why carry on like a tired old Shmo?

I’ve got joy in my shirt and joy in my hair,

Got joy in my apple tree

Got joy up the stairs—

It’s just that kind of day.

You might hate me for singing this song,

But that’s okay with me:

You’ve got your job and me? I’ve got to get along

I’ve got joy in my blossoms and bees.

I’ve got joy in my shirt and joy in my hair,

Got joy in my apple tree

Got joy up the stairs—

It’s just that kind of day.

It’s just that kind of day…

(Sung to the tune of Bob Gibson’s "Joy, Joy, Joy")

S.K.

Exploring the Empty Nest – on horseback!

Although I have ridden a few times since then, it’s been many years since I’ve actually taken horseback riding lessons. (Dare I say close to
20?) One of Steve’s arguments, or should I say "incentives", for moving to Iowa is the close proximity to the countryside – and horses. I took his argument seriously and yesterday I took the first of what I hope will be many more lessons. Meet "Arthur".

I arrived at the stable (Wyndtree Farm) and greeted by a very young lady named Winter. And I do mean young – as in 11 – and maybe 4′ tall. Winter had been instructed to meet me and help me get ready for class. "I’ll go get Arthur" she said. The next thing I knew she was leading this HUGE horse (16+ hands) down the center aisle. I’m not sure these photos do him justice. Just trust me when I say "huge". It was rather comical watching this supremely confident, tiny young lady handle this gentle giant. Tossing the saddle pad on his back was a huge stretch for her. I assisted with the saddle. It was the least I could do.

I’m pleased to say the lesson was uneventful and most delightful (thank you, Denise!) My form, it turns out, was not too bad after all these years, or so I was told. Holding it took some effort, however. Never mind. I look forward to working on it!

Photo descriptions: Arthur is a dapple-gray gelding, 16+ hands. I was told he’s part Percheron, part Thoroughbred. In the top photo I am standing by his right shoulder, an indication as to just how big he is (I’m 5′ 2"). In the bottom left photo we see him standing alone.

Top Ten Reasons Why the Blind Can't Get Ahead

10. The public still thinks blindness is a great misfortune.

9. Vocational and orientation-mobility training are horrifically funded—that is, its left up to the states and nonprofit organizations when it should be offered by every eye clinic and billable to Medicare.

8. Blindness advocacy organizations fight amongst themselves like the characters in “Gulliver’s Travels” who start a civil war over the question of which end of the hard boiled egg to break first—the big or small one.

7. Just try using a cell phone or a Macintosh pc. I mean “off the shelf” “ready to go”—just try it.

6. Just try using a PC “off the shelf” without expensive “third party software”—just try.

5. Just try going to a movie and asking for audio description.

4. TV can’t be watched—probably a good thing.

3. Bank machines; vending machines; signage; endless roulette of incomprehensions…

2. Blind students drop out of college at higher rates than other disabled student groups. See above problems.

1. Access to printed or electronic information remains highly provisional. Thank you Google; Microsoft; Apple; Adobe; Mozilla; Sun Micro Systems; and all the rest of you bongo whacking Information Technology designers who continue to think of the blind as “add on” people. In Disability Studies we call this principle “the defective people industry”.

Why am I posting such a riposte on Memorial Day? Ask the Blinded Veterans of America.

S.K.

"Welcome to the 38th Disability Blog Carnival!" says Kathryn

The theme of this carnival, organized by Kathryn on her blog: Ryn Tales Book of Days, is "Spirituality and Disability"

"Many philosophers have thought
along with Descartes that "the unexamined life is not worth living".
And Shakespeare said, "Know thyself!" To that end the topic for this
carnival is about the spiritual meaning of experiencing disability
either first or secondhand in this life. I think you will find some
very thoughtful and in many cases poetic examinations of lives being
lived by the carnival’s contributors."

A great deal of thought and work is put into these Disability Blog Carnivals. Take a few minutes, will you, to stop by, read some great posts, and say hello.

Cross-posted on Blog [with]tv

Of Parchesi and Blindness

Do you remember playing "Parchesi"?

You’d roll the dice and move your wooden nubbin up a row of squares until you jumped a row and arrived at another identical and deterministic block of squares.

Parchesi, like most board games was originally invented as a soft way to kill time.

Basically it was a pastime for palace courtesans who had to wait around until the King came home.

It’s what you played while you wondered if your head would be cut off at sundown.

Lately the news has been filled with stories about the decision by a Federal Appeals court in favor of a lawsuit calling for the U.S. Treasury to issue "blind friendly" money.

I think any reasonable person would agree that having currency that the blind can identify is a good idea. Heck, those Europeans (you know, those people who make better hair care products and automobiles) have been issuing "blind friendly" money for years.

The Parchesi game starts when one group of blindness advocates disagrees with another group.

The lawsuit calling for accessible money was filed by the American Council of the Blind, a national blindness advocacy organization located in Washington, DC.

Continue reading “Of Parchesi and Blindness”

Iowa blind advocates (Steve being one of them) disagree over court ruling on paper money

Advocates Disagree…(click for complete article)

Updated May 20. 2008 6:04PM
By Diane Heldt
The Gazette
diane.heldt@gazettecommunications.com

A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday that paper money — indistinguishable by touch — is discriminatory to blind people was hailed by some advocates as a long-awaited step forward, while others said a change is unnecessary and plays into negative stereotypes about the blind.

Blind people have adapted and often fold money to distinguish the bills, but no longer would have to rely on others to help them if the Treasury Department makes bills of different sizes or prints them with raised markings, supporters of a change said.

"What’s at issue here is the ability to identify money without other people helping you," University of Iowa English Professor Steve Kuusisto, who is blind, said. "My view is, the most accommodations possible help the most people. To be opposed to accommodations that help people is narrow."

The American Council of the Blind sued for such changes, but the government has been fighting the case for about six years. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruling could force the Treasury Department to alter money, though the ruling is subject to appeal.

Continue reading “Iowa blind advocates (Steve being one of them) disagree over court ruling on paper money”

New Book: The Lolita Effect

I was out of town – As the mother of two I’m sorry I missed this reading… ~ Connie

University of Iowa News Release
April 25, 2008

Professor: profit motives behind sexualization of ‘tween girls

At Abercrombie & Fitch, little girls were sold thong underwear tagged with the phrases "eye candy" and "wink wink." In Britain, preschoolers could learn to strip with their very own Peekaboo Pole-Dancing Kits — complete with kiddie garter belts and play money. And ‘tween readers of the magazine Seventeen discovered "405 ways to look hot" like Paris Hilton.

This kind of sexualization of ‘tween girls – those between the ages of 8 and 12 — in pop culture and advertising is a growing problem fueled by marketers’ efforts to create cradle-to-grave consumers, a University of Iowa journalism professor argues in her new book.

Gigi Durham will read from "The Lolita Effect" at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8 at Prairie Lights Books, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City.

"A lot of very sexual products are being marketed to very young kids," Durham said. "I’m criticizing the unhealthy and damaging representations of girls’ sexuality, and how the media present girls’ sexuality in a way that’s tied to their profit motives. The body ideals presented in the media are virtually impossible to attain, but girls don’t always realize that, and they’ll buy an awful lot of products to try to achieve those bodies. There’s endless consumerism built around that."

Continue reading “New Book: The Lolita Effect”

Amazing Juggling by Chris Bliss

This from SonnyRadio.com:

"Every day, visitors from around the world take a few moments to be inspired by what may be the most watched video in Internet history…"

View Chris Bliss in his Amazing Juggling Finale. Watch it to the end and you’ll be glad you did.

~ Connie

LINKS:

Jim’s Internet Shorts: Black Flag

New Movie: Blindness

This from TheStar.com: McKellar, 44, is the screenwriter and co-star of Blindness, the
Canada-Brazil-Japan co-production chosen to open the 61st edition of the Cannes Film Festival…

Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God), the film is
an adaptation of Portuguese writer José Saramago’s Nobel Prize-winning
1995 novel about the panic and violence that follows an unexplained
epidemic of blindness. It was shot in Toronto and Brazil last summer.

It’s
the second time McKellar has come to Cannes with a high-profile film
about a global calamity. He was here a decade ago with Last Night,
his curiously upbeat directorial feature debut about the end of the
world. He admits it’s a strange fascination for a guy who had "a quite
placid North Toronto upbringing."

***

Blindness stars Mark Ruffalo and Julianne Moore in the lead
roles of a doctor and his wife attempting to come to grips with the
calamity. The supporting cast is loaded with Canuck talent, including
McKellar, Sandra Oh, Maury Chaykin, Martha Burns and Susan Coyne.

McKellar is hoping viewers will recognize Blindness as a film that deals in bigger ideas than just terrifying people.

"We
shouldn’t be scared of blind people. They’re not monsters. To me,
humanity is exposed when people are blind; they’re not dehumanized."

Blindness
is a more substantial film than the usual show-opener at Cannes, which
tends to be a lighter affair driven by stars who provide the desired
glitter on the red carpet into the Palais des Festivals.

"It’s a
good thing. (Cannes officials) are trying to change their image. I
don’t know how the Cannes audience will respond to the film, but,
hopefully, it still works on a commercial level or a thriller level,
while also having more to say."