misinformationsghost

[misinformationsghost]

The Dirty Secret About the Autism “Spectrum”.

I define the levels of autism this way - by how autism affects a person’s probability of survival and independence. If your child can speak, understand, and read language, if he is capable of comprehending the workings of social situations, regardless of whether he can navigate them smoothly, if he can comprehend systems of symbol, like math, music, and road signs - in short, if he has the capabilities needed to live an independent life, then he does not belong on the same spectrum as my boys. -Valerie Hall, Immersed: Our Experience With Autism

(The above video is from a fully-funded Kickstarter that produced the book where the above quote can be found. The book was published in 2016. It is the best book I’ve ever come across regarding severe autism)

For years there’s been an unfortunate “battle” amongst those diagnosed with autism who can, on most levels, advocate for themselves and the parents of those diagnosed, who are severely affected and cannot, in virtually any way, advocate for themselves.

The situation is not helped by the fact that most of what “neurotypicals” see or read in mass media concerning autism is usually a relatively feel-good story about some triumph or other that a higher functioning person has achieved. You meet the “quirky” thinking person who had to overcome resistance in the workplace in order to prove their value to the company. The awkward teenager who eventually broke through and was able to make friends. The young adult who had to fight their parents and the state in order to gain autonomy over their own living situation. Occasionally even, the oddball genius who overcame doubt and discrimination but eventually received their PhD. I’ve often heard wonder about whether people like Einstein or even Steve Jobs was “a little bit autistic”.

The folks illustrated above view autism as a gift - something that makes them special. Many say they wouldn’t trade their autism for anything. They write blogs and give speeches at autism conferences about how parents who make housing choices for their children (or even adult children) are abusive. They claim therapies designed to mitigate difficult or dangerous (even self-injurious) behaviors are akin to torture. 

The disconnect, as in many such instances can likely be attributed to the fact that, those with higher functioning diagnoses have never spent any time with those who are severely affected. They simply don’t know anything about these people. The idea of the autism spectrum, as it now exists, is harmful to everyone involved. 

[misinformationsghost]

Growing Cut Flowers For Profit

amaranth ^

Lilac ^

currant ^

Colibri Poppies ^

Physocarpus (”Ninebark”) ^

Fruiting quince ^

Small Viburnum ^

Assorted dahlias ^

Fruiting crabapple ^

Hellibores ^

Raspberry foliage (yes, raspberry foliage) ^

Hypericum ^

Scabiosa ^

Michael Dodge Viburnum ^

Flowering Rubus ^

Nigella pods and flowers ^

Clematis ^

Corylopsis ^

Flowering plum ^

Zebra grass ^

Oregano “Kent Beauty” ^

Chestnut branches ^

Poppy pods ^

Triumphador Rosehips ^

Golden Hops ^

I hope this isn’t photo overload. These are photos taken by a professional photographer of the actual crops where I farmed for the last 11 years. The scroll could’ve easily been 5+ times longer.

As you can see there aren’t many “traditional” flowers in there, though we sold plenty. The farm specialized in foliage crops. It is still going strong though I left my position as “field manager” last year to pursue other endeavors for various reasons. Growing mostly native species (though often cultivars of natives), providing habitat for critters and using “sustainable” growing practices (yes, we could have a whole other conversation about that), including a “Salmon Safe” certification were all missions of the operation.

It exists on seven acres with about five under production including four 20′x100′ hoop houses. There were essentially three full time employees - my friends, the owners, and me. Over the years we’d add maybe one more full time person, typically split up amongst multiple people. We also served as an educational site, hosting interns from one of the local university horticultural programs and eventually anyone from across the country who expressed an interest in following the farm model.

We started out selling, quite literally out of the back of a van. There were some florist contacts in the area’s largest city (a major city) that were made through the landscaping business that had allowed for the purchase of the semi-rural farmland. Over the course of the first 4-5 years, the selling went from, quite literally, showing up at floral shops with our supply and selling whatever we could. Eventually, we were able to have a pretty good idea that everything we could get into the van would be sold whether through pre-order or simply from the growing demand. In that time we also tried one of the boujee Farmer’s Markets in the city. We bailed about halfway through the season on that because we were barely paying for the fuel to drive on our best day of sales.

It was finally determined that the only way to keep the farm functional AND pay the bills, we’d have to start our own wholesale market. Most of the wholesalers in the country use inexpensive imports from S. America (there is a drug war connection here if you're interested). We happen to be near a metropolitan area that is very wealthy and ahead of the curve (depending on your feelings about such things) on “local”, “green”, etc. Through thankless efforts and ridiculously long hours, we (ie, my friend and farm owner) pioneered the first wholesale flower market in the last 50 years, within the U.S. It’s a farmer-owned cooperative that uses zero foreign imports. The furthest that cuts travel are from two states away and those farms are co-op members. The co-op now owns a refrigerated delivery truck that services small, local grocery chains and food co-ops as well as serving as a one-stop for the local florist industry. They have not erased the wholesale houses that buy from foreign auction blocks but they have very much eroded their sales. Our farm went from pulling $350 on a good Wednesday of sales at a Farmer’s Market to expecting to bring in upwards of $12,000 on a Wednesday at the wholesale co-op. With the co-op open 6 days per week at high season and several during the low, the income difference is obviously significant. 

In our experience, you cannot make a living, ie, pay a mortgage and eat food, if you are trying to sell rurally. This, like most small-scale food farms would require a second, steady income or someone who is independently wealthy in order to make it work.

Don’t know what else to say, don’t know if anyone cares but there ya go (I did not check for editing mistakes)

[misinformationsghost]

Sandusky is innocent?...Yes, I’m also surprised by this...

Ok...first attempt to post something to thewideninggyre without submitting it as a request. This could all fail since I don’t know what I’m doing...

Just finished listening to an episode of Thaddeus Russell’s "Unregistered” podcast. Russell has been equal parts compelling and repelling in my virtual relationship with him. His most recent guest, John Ziegler lays down a very, very compelling case for the idea that Jerry Sandusky is innocent. If the case holds any interest for you whatsoever, this is worth your time.

http://www.thaddeusrussell.com/podcast/84

[misinformationsghost]

Mary Whitehouse has a lot to answer for.

Whitehouse, who attempted to police the nation’s morals in the 1980s under the guise of the National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association (Nvala), the body she ran, has become a figure of hatred among many for her attempts to spoil fun. Sex, drugs, swearing and violence were all forbidden in Whitehouse’s world, and the 1978 horror film Faces of Death was absolute anathema to her.

Faces of Death was one of the famed “video nasties” – questionable content that had spread like a virus throughout the new video rental stores that had popped up on high streets across the world as a result of the shiny VCRs that sat under many household televisions. For the first time ever, movie watching wasn’t limited to a big screen cinema.

Faces of Death had this legend about it. It was this forbidden thing. People were talking about it and how it was all real; you got to see people actually killed on screen

In the comfort of their own homes, people could watch whatever they chose – and people’s personal tastes were quite often depraved.

Horror films – particularly a semi-realistic documentary subgenre called mondo – had been popular in the 1960s and throughout the 1970s, but, says Mark Goodall, the head of film and media at the University of Bradford, “the audience had to seek these things out. Most of the mondo films were shown in less salubrious cinemas up and down the country.”

Suddenly, the home video revolution meant that people could indulge their violent side at home.

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