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In honor of Autism Awareness month I wanted to share this. I know it's off topic but I truly feel it's important. Thanks in advance for giving me a few minutes of your time.
By now most of you are familiar with my personal quest to spread Autism Awareness from using my midNIGHT ROM or reading my Lost and Tired blog. For anyone not familiar with me or my mission I'll briefly share my story. I'm the father to 3 Autistic boys. Emmett is 2 1/2 years old. Elliott is 5 years old and Gavin is 11 years old. Life on the very best of days is a struggle for survival. My kids are AMAZING and I love them more then anything in the world.
The problem is that world is not always understanding. In fact it can be very cruel. The things I have heard people say about my kids or kids like them is disgusting and ignorant. Families like mine are very often judged harshly and unfairly by people unaware of what's on. There have been several occasions my kids have been referred to as "retards" by people in my own neighborhood. My kids may not understand what they mean, but I do. I can't explain the restraint I must show in order to not draw attention to what was being said. It literally breaks me to hear things like that.
My mission is to spread Autism Awareness to anyone willing to have an open mind and open heart. I want people to understand what life is like for my family and families like mine. My kids are EXTREMELY intelligent as are most if not ALL Autistic kids. They struggle in the area of social interaction and tend to have MAJOR sensory issues. Imagine if you couldn't help but hear EVERY SINGLE sound around you. Ticking clocks, buzzing lights, the whirling of the ceiling fan and even people breathing. When I say "hear" I mean these sounds are deafening and overwhelming as they have little or no ability to filter these things out. Did you know that's the most common reason Autistic kids to have meltdowns? They take in the ENTIRE world through all of their senses at one time and it is COMPLETELY overwhelming to these children. That is why they meltdown not because they are "brats" as many people incorrectly assume.
The way I see it is if people are more "Aware" of what's going on then maybe they can show understanding, support and compassion instead of cruelty, ridicule and judgement. I share my story as honestly as I do because I want people to be able to emotionally connect on some level. That's when Autism Awareness takes root and grows naturally.
I wanted to take a moment and ask everyone to help me spread Autism Awareness. April is Autism Awareness month. I ask that you show the same support for other families like mine that you do for me. Most of us have become isolated because no one understands. If you know anyone like that please reach out to them. Teach your kids to show compassion at an early age. You have no idea the positive impact you can have. I can honestly tell you that there have been some pretty dark moments for recently. I found strength in the kind words from people in this community. Please share my blog so others can become aware as well. Do what you can to remind people this is Autism Awareness month.
I want to thank you all for the making a difference in my life and helping to make the world a more understanding and compassionate place for my kids and all special needs kids and their families. I'm proud to be a member of this community and I look forward to working with all of you in the future. I would also be happy to answer any Autism related questions you may have as well.
If anyone would like to show support for Autism Awareness Month Johnny Bravo and I put together a banner. It's not branded with midNIGHT ROM or anything like that but it does link directly to my blog. It's not about a ROM it's about Autism Awareness. Please feel free to use and share it. I have attached the code.
Thank you for listening and thank you for support....
High five
good work
Keep at it eventually the whole world will understand
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Rob you are an Inspiration. I look forward to reading your blogs. You have taught me a lot about autism. I wish there were more people in this world like you. It would be a better place. I just wanted to let you know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your wife and your 3 angels. Please continue to write on your blog and I promise I will do my part in helping others understand. I'm sorry for the dark moments you've been through but they made you who you are today.
Sent From My Evo Killer!!!
You guys should read his story about shopping at the super market before a winter storm. I have known many people who have had wrongs done against them and live in poverty due to chance or because of what others have done to them. One of these people left a real impression on me and I probably won't be able to retell his story very well but this is what I remember.
Last summer I had serve some community service hours to pay for a scholarship I got from my tribe. I chose to serve those hours at the John 3:16 mission in the poor side of town. While I was there I cleaned up the areas where the homeless people slept at night along with several permanent residents in the mission. These people were called "students" and they worked to get off of drugs and take classes in theology and various other things.
Over the course of working there I had the unique opportunity of meeting a particularly abused individual who was in their program, I'll refer to him as Jeff. Jeff seemed cheerful enough and always loved to joke around about everything. I came to find out he had been abused consistently since he was five years old (he is now in his 20's). One of the other residents liked to joke around about the shape of his head then he told us without even a hint of anger that it was because he had been hit in the back of head with a baseball bat by his father when he was five. He would later tell me many other stories about how he had fathered a child with a woman who didn't care about the child. The mother ran off with the child and wouldn't let him see her. He later came to find out his child had died (I didn't ask for any details, he was raining tears as he told me about all this).
Eventually he decided to move in with the only family he had left (deadbeat uncle) who also gave him crap and frequently took advantage of his position. Eventually the constant abuse was too much so he left the town his uncle lived in, on foot, and walked all the way to Tulsa, (over 100 miles). Eventually after wandering around he found John 3:16 and began the program. I am glad for him and hope that others like him will find refuge there.
Having said all this I do have one issue I can't ignore. Many people who ask you for money only do it to be lazy (Not you OP) and take advantage of nice people. Let me give you an example.
I was at a gas station a couple months ago and a guy, (who made sure I wasn't looking when he snuck up on me), walked up and asked me if I support African Americans, (oh boy.....), and told me he and his buddy were out of gas and had no money, then asked me for money. He was close enough to me to be able to knife me and he had snuck up in such a way that out of fear (not compassion). I gave him my money. I didn't feel good about giving it to him and felt I did more harm than good to that man by giving him that money. Jeff never asked me for anything.
I don't know if you guys believe in God or not but one thing that we are always taught is not to judge and to help people if they ask for help. At the same time, I think we aren't called on to necessarily give people in need what they want but what they need. In the case of the guy at the gas station, I would love to do something to help him get out of the cycle he's in but I don't know how. I think that if you can figure out a way to help a person even if you do something for them they don't necessarily want, you have done the right thing.
Too often people are quick to misjudge the poor and underprivileged. I have had everything given to me in my life and have never really had to worry about basic necessities or dealt with real pain but having known others who were afflicted with disease or just bad luck, I know that I should be thankful.
Next time you have a chance to really help someone in need don't let it slip. Many people need the help and I know if I were in their position I would appreciate it.
Sorry if this appears a little unrelated to autism.....
what i do is when im at a gas station and someone comes up and says they ran out of gas and need money for gas. i tell them ok pull your car up to the pump and ill give you some gas. the sad thing is most of them at that point just walk away. they donnt need money for gas. they wanted it for drugs. im not gonna support that. ill help someone out but i dont hand out money. you know what i mean.
I support this message. I'm not usually one to support public campaigns, but Rob (ptfdmedic) is one of the most honest and giving people I have met as an Android developer - and beyond. The cause is truly a worthy one - 1 in 110 children are now born with autism.
If anyone is interested in donating to charity, please consider the Autism Research Institute. As noted by charitynavigator.org, they are the most efficient and highly-rated autism-fighting charity out there, and they support medical science in searching for a cure.
EDIT: Temple Grandin recently spoke at my university. I didn't get a chance to see her, but she's working on methods of greatly increasing humane practices within the meat industry. Ms. Grandin holds a PhD in animal science, and has been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the "Heroes" category. She gave a talk during TED 2010, has been interviewed by many major media outlets, and a biographical film about her won five Primetime Emmys. Ms. Grandin is autistic.
I will often spend a day off in my wife's classroom (of 7 autistic children, elementary aged). Any one who says these kids are retarded doesn't have a clue.
You know there's no easy answer to that. Shortly after I published that story last month I had someone at xda contacted me. He told me that my story inspired him and he wanted to share this story. He said that he was at a gas station and he was approached by someone asking for help. Because he had just read my story he helped the man out and gave him some cash. He proceeded to tell me how good he felt doing that for someone. He then told that the next thing he knew the man he gave the money to hopped into a newer Jeep and drove off. Turns out he wasn't really homeless. The guys heart was in the right place and he had a sense of humor about it at least.
Sometimes people are dishonest and by sometimes I mean frequently. When I was approached last month at the grocery store I assumed he was looking for drug money as is often the case in my experience. It was only after I gave him a chance that I realized there was more at work here. Honestly I was cornered and wasn't physically able to get away. I turned out ok for me but it could have very easily been a dangerous situation.
Always put your personal safety first. Thats the only thing I would suggest to do 100% of the time. My point was that you just never know. Many of these people have a story and many of them are good people that the world failed. Some aren't. I wouldn't want my wife in a situation like that.
You guys are awesome. I appreciate the feedback and the stories. Even if you don't give them money all I was asking people to do was reserve judgement because you never know what's going on behind the scenes, if that makes sense. But ALWAYS stay safe and be smart.
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k0nane said:
I support this message. I'm not usually one to support public campaigns, but Rob (ptfdmedic) is one of the most honest and giving people I have met as an Android developer - and beyond. The cause is truly a worthy one - 1 in 110 children are now born with autism.
If anyone is interested in donating to charity, please consider the Autism Research Institute. As noted by charitynavigator.org, they are the most efficient and highly-rated autism-fighting charity out there, and they support medical science in searching for a cure.
EDIT: Temple Grandin recently spoke at my university. I didn't get a chance to see her, but she's working on methods of greatly increasing humane practices within the meat industry. Ms. Grandin holds a PhD in animal science, and has been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the "Heroes" category. She gave a talk during TED 2010, has been interviewed by many major media outlets, and a biographical film about her won five Primetime Emmys. Ms. Grandin is autistic.
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You know it took me a while to work up to watching that movie because it's really hard for me to know how cruel people can be especially to people with disabilities. I do have to say that after watching it I walked away with a much better understanding of my kids. That was a great thing to bring up. K0nane you never fail to impress me.
I really appreciate how this community has taken to this. It's truly amazing to me that something so unrelated to the general topic here can bring so many people together.
Thanks it really means a lot and it really does help. At some point one of you will find your self in a position where Autism crosses your path. Maybe your at a store or out to eat and someone is struggling with their child. So many people would jump to conclusions about the parents or the child. Maybe with what you guys have learned you could just offer them a few words of support or just a smile. I promise you it makes a difference...a very profound one. Families like mine are not used to kindness like that. Often times a kind word or an understanding smile it all it takes to make it through.
Thanks everyone
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This effects 1/10 children ,that's 10% to many,I plan on donating to you this month,keep your head up,thoughts and bleesings to you and your family...
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ecooce said:
This effects 1/10 children ,that's 10% to many,I plan on donating to you this month,keep your head up,thoughts and bleesings to you and your family...
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I really do appreciate it. Thank you..
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The actual statistics are 1/110 over all but 1/70 boys are diagnosed Autistic. That's a really scary number. If you follow the history of progression we're approaching a point where people that are considered to be "neurotypical" today will become a minority. I don't know if the human race has ever faced anything like that before.....
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My wife is also a school teacher. I see autisms affects weekly and it is devastating to the families, but its amazing how so many of them are up beat about everything. Really shows how staying a family and staying close can help conquer all of the odds.
I'm a Sophomore in High School and my brother has Autism. I'm older than him, so I've been around it for my entire life. While I can't say I understand it(but really, who can?), I know I have a better understanding than most people my age. So many times I've had to listen to people ask me what was wrong with my brother and call him slow. I immediately correct them and inform them that he has Autism. I always have to explain what it is and they still never get it.
There have been many times where I've stood up for my brother and any Autistic child at my school. I don't regret a single moment or instance of it.
i n00b teh pwns said:
I'm a Sophomore in High School and my brother has Autism. I'm older than him, so I've been around it for my entire life. While I can't say I understand it(but really, who can?), I know I have a better understanding than most people my age. So many times I've had to listen to people ask me what was wrong with my brother and call him slow. I immediately correct them and inform them that he has Autism. I always have to explain what it is and they still never get it.
There have been many times where I've stood up for my brother and any Autistic child at my school. I don't regret a single moment or instance of it.
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You are absolutely AMAZING. My middle child is actually the "older brother" to my oldest. He will most likely walk the same path you do. I never hear from siblings like you. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. You made my day.
Thank you.
Please check you PM
the following is an email i received 2 hours ago... read on
The largest online protest in history has fundamentally changed the game. You were heard.
On January 18th, 13 million of us took the time to tell Congress to protect free speech rights on the internet. Hundreds of millions, maybe a billion, people all around the world saw what we did on Wednesday. See the amazing numbers here and tell everyone what you did.
This was unprecedented. Your activism may have changed the way people fight for the public interest and basic rights forever.
The MPAA (the lobby for big movie studios which created these terrible bills) was shocked and seemingly humbled. “‘This was a whole new different game all of a sudden,’ MPAA Chairman and former Senator Chris Dodd told the New York Times. ‘[PIPA and SOPA were] considered by many to be a slam dunk.’”
“'This is altogether a new effect,' Mr. Dodd said, comparing the online movement to the Arab Spring. He could not remember seeing 'an effort that was moving with this degree of support change this dramatically' in the last four decades, he added."
Tweet with us, shout on the internet with us, let's celebrate: Round of applause to the 13 million people who stood up - #PIPA and #SOPA aretabled 4 now. #13millionapplause
We're indebted to the people who helped in the beginning -- you, and the sites that trusted us -- Boing Boing and Mozilla Foundation! And the grassroots groups -- Public Knowledge, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Demand Progress and Fight for the Future. Press release is here: http://bit.ly/w4DYz0 and https://fightfortheftr.wordpress.com/press-releases/
13 million strong,
Tiffiniy, Holmes, Joshua, Phil, CJ, Donny, Douglas, Nicholas, Dean, David S. and Moore, Fight for the Future!
P.S. China's internet censorship system reminds us why the fight for democratic principles is so important:
In the New Yorker: "Fittingly, perhaps, the discussion has unfolded on Weibo, the Twitter-like micro-blogging site that has a team of censors on staff to trim posts with sensitive political content. That is the arrangement that opponents of the bill have suggested would be required of American sites if they are compelled to police their users’ content for copyright violations. On Weibo, joking about SOPA’s similarities to Chinese censorship was sensitive enough that some posts on the subject were almost certainly deleted (though it can be hard to know).
...
After Chinese Web users got over the strangeness of hearing Americans debate the merits of screening the Web for objectionable content, they marvelled at the American response. Commentator Liu Qingyan wrote:
‘We should learn something from the way these American Internet companies protested against SOPA and PIPA. A free and democratic society depends on every one of us caring about politics and fighting for our rights. We will not achieve it by avoiding talk about politics.’"
WOOHOO! time to grab my cold 6 packs of beer!
These were almost passed....but then the government took an arrow to the knee
Yes! I would have been extremely pissed if these had passed! Almost started looking at homes in Canada!
Mostdef said:
WOOHOO! time to grab my cold 6 packs of beer!
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Pass me a beer
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voohoo said:
These were almost passed....but then the government took an arrow to the knee
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Exactly man, we got lucky but then again 13 million is a lot people.
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now to take those 13 million to samsung to get an update! cheers!
I told you it will NEVER happen crap like this.
Se7eN43 said:
now to take those 13 million to samsung to get an update! cheers!
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I will love to see that!
xriderx66 said:
I told you it will NEVER happen crap like this.
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Never is a kind of stretch. It could and it will, just not yet. Freedom is earned not given, and when people become lazy, it is lost.
Great news though, hopefully this will make the MPAA and others hold off on censorship and blocking of innovative technology for a while.
"delayed" all of us have to stay vigilant about every thing like this.
SGSII
The bill didnt get dropped. Its been put on the shelf. It will rear its ugly head in a year or so.
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a new problem! after SOPA/PIPA, its turn for ACTA just like SOPA PIPA
kazumahits said:
a new problem! after SOPA/PIPA, its turn for ACTA just like SOPA PIPA
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Yeah I know, that's been worst. They're going to have control over your isp if that passes...
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We have to be on the lookout for similar bills, its retarded how they lobbied to try to sneak it into law hoping people wouldn't notice. Glad this one is shelved indefinitely
curious to see if anyone wanted to form a fantasy football league? we'd do it just for pride of course.
ideally, I'd like to have 10-12 teams, but wouldn't mind expanding the league to non-Razr M owners (maybe even split up into 2 divisions of RazrM vs. RazrHD (or whichever).... or devs vs noobs.....
I'd use the ESPN platform.
NFL season starts with my SB champion Ravens playing on Thursday, Sept 5th, so I'd like to have the draft no later than labor day (Sept 2nd). I'd prefer a live online draft (takes about an hour).
let me know y'alls thoughts, and if enough folks are interested, just PM your e-mail and I'll send you the invitation.
We have a league from last year that most are going to probably him back in, if you'd like to join post there so we can send you the invite when it's time http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1888754
flastnoles11 said:
We have a league from last year that most are going to probably him back in, if you'd like to join post there so we can send you the invite when it's time http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1888754
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just saw that, but the thread closed.... see if you can get any other interested folks.... I already got the league setup. just need more participants.
jco23 said:
just saw that, but the thread closed.... see if you can get any other interested folks.... I already got the league setup. just need more participants.
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I actually already started another league and but it's already full... Just start a thread in off topic, it's what I did and it filled up in less than 24 hours
bump.... anyone else?
I have 1 spot open in my league if your interested. Its on NFL.com and its a live online draft. Draft is @8pm.est. Aug 25th. Not trying to hijack your thread but I seen you were not getting much of a response.
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MOD EDIT: Thread closed. Please use the existing thread, thanks!
UPDATES
22/11/14
BY VIKAS ON ONE PLUS ONE FORUM.
[Announcement] Week 49: Get ready, India. We are coming
VikasAdministratorStaff Member
Hello everyone,
It always feels great to bring smiles to our ardent followers. We appreciate the positive feedback received on our previous week’s announcement. This week we have even bigger and better news to share - something that everyone has been waiting patiently to hear.
Firstly, we are thrilled to confirm that the One will be available for our Indian users in December. We can’t wait to bring your favourite phone to your hands. As all the details have now been perfected and last-mile hurdles have been cleared, the exact launch date will soon be announced in the coming days on our forums.
As announced earlier, the product will be exclusively available through our e-commerce partner for users who have a valid India-specific invite. This is to ensure that all of our fans across India can easily buy the product online or through a mobile app without having to worry about payments, logistics or support.
The other key element that everyone has been waiting for is price. While we obviously can’t share the price at the moment, I can confidently suggest that it is priced at a very competitive price point.
Secondly, we have recently launched a contest to win India specific invites in celebration of our first anniversary. We are totally impressed with the enthusiasm and creative talent of our Indian fans. To our passionate fans, thanks once again and a sincere request to share your entries on your favorite platforms as well to spread the love. Today is the last day of our very first*India specific contest and you can still submit your entry here*by 10.30 PM today if you have not participated yet.
In case, you were not able to participate or did not win the coveted invite this time, don’t worry this is just the beginning and we have many more surprises up our sleeves in coming days. But for now, we’d like to thank all the participants and congratulate lucky winners who will get an opportunity to own the mighty One very soon.
How soon? Well, sooner than most people expect. We pride ourselves in positively surprisingly our fans and this time will be no exception.
Lastly, we have few other smaller yet important good news to share. The Indian team is set to expand as we have narrowed down our search to handful of individuals and will hopefully have them on-board very soon. In addition, we will be moving to our first local office next month. Recently, we also crossed*5,000 likes on our Facebook page*in less than a month. Do join us on Facebook in case you have not already done so.
We are excited to work together with you as we move forward. Keep watching this space for more updates as we will be back very soon. As always, your feedback and suggestions are welcome.
Never Settle.
*
20/11/14
By CAT H - ONE PLUS ONE INDIA INVITE COMPETITION
LINK- https://forums.oneplus.net/threads/neversettle-contest-for-india.183715/
Dear friends,
As our first birthday grows closer every day, we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about the people who made this all possible. Our fans in India have been extremely passionate and supportive over the past 11 months, and we want to take this time to say thank you.
To show our appreciation to our friends in India, this contest will award 100 winners with the first India-specific invites for the OnePlus One. Enter to win by creating a “Never Settle statement.” Your statement can be anything that begins with #NeverSettle, such as “#NeverSettle for less than the best.” or “#NeverSettle for boring.” Post a picture of yourself holding your statement to enter the contest.
Please submit your entry to this thread. Winners will be chosen randomly in 48 hours and a confirmation email will be sent 24 hours after closing. All 100 winners will receive an India-specific invite for the One.
Rules:
Read our Terms & Conditions below.
Take a photo of yourself displaying your #NeverSettle message (i.e. “#NeverSettle for less than 100%”).Reply to this thread with your #NeverSettle photo (only one entry per person).
Hello, Thank you for your interest in the Project Ara Module Developers Conference.
Please join us for the global Livestream tomorrow on Wednesday, January 14th beginning at 8:00AM PST. We hope that you’ll join us to hear about the latest and greatest platform developments. View the agenda and join the Livestream here .
Feel free to get in on the conversation on Twitter using #AraDev. Thank you, The Project Ara team.
Source:- Project Ara Forum
Watching now. Looks great
I don't have time to watch it unfortunately. Can someone write in here if there are any interesting news? That would be awesome!
N0he said:
I don't have time to watch it unfortunately. Can someone write in here if there are any interesting news? That would be awesome!
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Go here http://projectaraforum.com/tag/project-ara-release-date-news-photos-and-updates.54/