ANA Book Club?

[G_Man]

Ok, thanks, Glen, that makes sense...I must admit that I probably would not have thought of the premise being offensive, but I do see your point and am so glad you pointed it out to me/us.

Here's the link to the website about the Dialog in the Dark exhibit:

http://www.dialogtickets.com/exhibition.html

Cindy
I'm unfamiliar with this but it looks interesting.  There was something else called "Dinner in the dark".  It was a concept some blind people were ok with and others weren't.  It was just eating in the dark to pretend you are blind.  There were no blind guides.  The waitresses wore night vision goggles.  I didn't like the idea.
I wish the dialog in the dark had an affliation with a blind organization here in the states.  I'm going to ask some of my blind friends if they are familiar with it.
Thanks
Glen

[G_Man]

There is really great book.  It's probably 10 years old.  It was made into a movie.  It's the finest example I know of an incredible book being made into an awful movie.  The book is called "The Perfect Storm".  The author is Sebastian Junger.  This book brought me back to reading books after about 10 years. 
Even if you haven't read the book, the author may be familar to you.  He's a reporter for ABC and he's been on the news very recently because his friend Tim Hetherington was just killed in Libya.
Sebastian Junger wrote another book called "War".  I'll be reading it soon. 
Glen

[Keri]

i agree about The Perfect Storm... what a depressing movie.

Glen, i have a couple of friends (married, both completely blind) who live on their own, work full time, are both members of NFB. THey are always  heading to the annual to the conventions. In face, Judy may work for them?? not sure. They are amazing. They go to our church, she's the head of the deacon board and really gets things done. He (Lloyd) sings in the choir, plays congas in the band (just took it up a few years ago) and does a ton of other things. In face, they as a couple, probably do more service that the rest of our church combined (well, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but they are incredible). I think they are in their late 50's early 60's. They know almost everyone at church by their voice and Judy makes sure she meets everyone new. When they are trying to find each other at church, they tap on the floor with their canes. I wonder if you know them. They are not DIS abled at all. I'll have to ask them their thoughts on the movie. Thanks for sharing.

Keri

[ppearl214]

Glen

Not only had I read the book (quite challenging/interesting to follow) and saw the movie (the ending is a pleasant thought as to how we hope things happened, although we will never know).... but I was living here, in the midst of it, when it hit.  In my hometown (just south of Gloucester), we had all kinds of sail/power boats wash up, torn from their moorings, up on roadways.  The winds/rains were relentless and I've never seen anything quite like it.  To sit up in Gloucester now, along Stacy Blvd (where the infamous "Gloucester fisherman" statue resides overlooking the "hah-bah"), it's amazing to look out over the waters, looking just ENE to know that Mother Nature tooks her wrath out on the crew of the Andrea Gail and other boats that were out there.  As one raised (literally) on the waters of New England (house on the coastline and have done all of my boating from Boston up to Gloucester), we have learned around here to say "if you want to see the weather change in New England, just wait one minute" and it does.... and the book/movie truly do demonstrate what happened around these parts during the "Perfect Storm". Definately a good read.

Phyl

There is really great book.  It's probably 10 years old.  It was made into a movie.  It's the finest example I know of an incredible book being made into an awful movie.  The book is called "The Perfect Storm".  The author is Sebastian Junger.  This book brought me back to reading books after about 10 years. 
Even if you haven't read the book, the author may be familar to you.  He's a reporter for ABC and he's been on the news very recently because his friend Tim Hetherington was just killed in Libya.
Sebastian Junger wrote another book called "War".  I'll be reading it soon. 
Glen

[G_Man]

Keri
I'm going to guess that your friends live in or new Baltimore and work at the NFB national center.  At conventions the attendance can be anywhere from about 2,000 to 3,000.  Normally we get about 2,700.  I think about 600 of those come from the national center.  They bring 2 tractor trailer trucks full of materials.  I probably have run across your friends but I can't say I know them.  I will be going to this year's convention in Orlando.  It's just a few weeks after the ANA symposium.

For all:
Ok, so I read another book.  Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea, Chelsea, Bang Bang!"  I had previously read her book "Are you there Vodka?  It's Chelsea".  She's really an acquired taste.  You have to be able to tolorate a pretty sizable dose of crass.  Parts of it are pretty funny.  Her books basically consist of her telling about practical jokes she plays on the people close to her and stories about her awful relatives and weird friends.  It's totally mindless.  Her writing can be very uneaven.  Some chapters are very well thought out and concise while others just wonder around with no real focus.

[Soundy]

I did finish Blindness ... didn't like the way it was written but it did hold a message about human nature and how different people
would react in time of crisis ... some help others while some are all about taking care of themselves ...

Soundy
When the movie "Blindness" came out the National Federation of the Blind, an organization which I am a member of, protested the movie.  I was part of a protest here in New York.  Basically we felt that it was supporting stereotypes of what it's like to be blind that were just ridiculous.  The movie actually turned out to be a bomb in theaters.  That's the funny thing about protesting a movie.  Sometimes you can have the opposite effect.  I think more people actually went to see it because they wanted to know what all the controversy was about.  As a person affected by blindness, I see how people are repelled by those of us who are blind.  The NFB strives to show blindness for what it is and that's not what was portrayed in that film.  I've found a sort of parallel in my disability and the AN in my head.  People don't seem to get either concept too well.  I have low vision.  I am a blind person.  Yes I have some vision.  I have vision that is so low that I AM A BLIND PERSON!  Being blind isn't just "no sight at all" and that's the definition that most people think about. 
I would be very upset to know that some teacher is using this book in a school to teach 7th and 8th graders unless it was a leasson on disabilities and part of the class consisted of various blind people visiting the class and to teach what blindness really is about.  By the way if any teachers in the US are reading this and would like to have a school visit from blind people I may be able to put you in touch with people who can make that happen.
Glen

Our teachers after several of us read it and reported our opinions rejected it for the reading list …

The story could have used any disability or major crisis to put these people at a disadvantage and still shown the message that in a crisis some people will rise to the top as people who care and others will take advantage of others and make sure that their needs are met no matter what …we are seeing this locally right now with all the tornado victims and the way people have reacted …

one gas station owner that still had power letting people with proof of living in the area to get 10 gallons and he paying for it until his tanks were dry while others were charge with gouging when they upped the price on the then limited supply they had to $5 - $6 a gallon , well over the $3.60 or so it was running …

The best thing about the small school my girls attend is that we are very accepting and conscientious to people with any kind of disability … right now we have one boys that was born with an incomplete brain … his parents live out of district but bring him to our school because he gets a lot of love and attention from teachers , students and volunteers … anything he learns is a celebration … when he came to us he was anti social and at 6 not walking even though doctors thought he should be able to … he grunted and cried most of the time …he now walks after wearing most of us out as it took two people to hold his hands and walk with him … now he is is a walking machine and loves walking the halls … he will never talk but now signs to us or communicates using pictures we have taking of different places and people at school … he can’t swallow and has a tube in his chest that goes to his stomach … he can tell us he is hungry and can now get a snack of liquid nourishment between his regular feedings … and now at 9 he is beginning potty training … I am so glad we have him … not only for the good he has received but for the good he has done for our kids from Kindergarten through 8th grade …. It is hard to explain it but he belongs to all of us …

We also have a boy who is autisitc … he is an 8th grader and will move to the high school which scares me …he is also from out of our district … we have another 8th grader who as a 6th grader begin his self appointed job of helpmate to his boy and his aide … he came to our school in the 5th grade … he was not toilet trained  at school even though he was at home …and he would read but wouldn’t write … he screamed a lot and his aide had a hard time with him … at the school he had been at , when he acted out he was restrained … at the start of the 6th grade the other boy saw the aide crying and just started helping … he potty trained him … I know his sounds odd , but he would take him in the bathroom and show him how to pee in the toilet …he would drop a square of TP in it and sink it … he thought this was funny and had to try …result is he was trained at school in about 6 months … his friend didn’t even have to try to work on BM training …once he got down the peeing in the school bathrooms he decided on his own that the other could be done there too … the old school had him since kindergarten and didn’t figure out how to work with him and just strapped him to a Gerry chair and let him sit looking out windows for a big part o the day …

he hates math and refuses to do anything other than adding … but makes straight As in history … we set up a lab to teach life skills (shopping , folding clothes , simple cooking etc) …he will spot any of the  items that are out of place in the store area and puts things in order all lined up neatly… at the talent show with his helping shadow standing beside him he sang in front of a crowd of about 600 people … a long way from the boy who was scared if more that a dozen people were near him …I hope that the boy that shadows him and has become a very important part of his life can be with him part of the time at the high school … I fear he ill once again become lost in the shuffle … his aide applied for and was given the job of continuing on with him …at least he will have her and not be passed off on someone else

Sorry to go on … I am just proud that our school has a reputation as where to take your child if they need something extra … we have some parents that complain about what they term the added trouble and distraction … but the kids at school get such a valuable lesson from these special needs kids …it makes them better people to have the exposure … I have thought at times that they are angels sent to teach along with being children there to learn …

The book aside from not being written very well ( in my opinion) just didn’t have much to offer to 7th and 8th grade readers ( again my opinion) …

[leapyrtwins]

I recently picked up some new books - well, actually I got them at the used bookstore, so technically they aren't new.

Now I have a huge stack to read; just have to find the time.

Some of them are ones recommended by Lori.

I still want to buy Steven Tyler's new book though.  I think Steven Tyler is a hoot 

Jan

[G_Man]

Soundy
It sounds like great things are happening at that school.  I know a lot of blind people and I could get into a pretty long conversation with you about a lot of aspects of blindness.  Way too much for this forum.  I will say in short that a lot of what a disabled person achieves depends on the support system.  I see this all the time in people I know and even myself.  I feel the important thing is to make a differerence by setting an example. I am as independent as a visually impaired person gets.  I know many totally blind people who are also independent and just as many who are scared to leave their homes.  It all depends on the situation.

[G_Man]

I still want to buy Steven Tyler's new book though.  I think Steven Tyler is a hoot 

Jan One of the books I recently downloaded is the Aerosmith autobiography. 
 This weekend I read Craig Furgeson's Autobiography which was light and enjoyable.  He's the host of the late show.

[leapyrtwins]

G-Man, let me know what you think of the Aerosmith autobiography.  I've watched Craig Furgeson (or is it Ferguson?) on occasion, but don't share his humor - I'm more the David Letterman type when it comes to late night.  One of my sisters thinks Craig is a riot, though.

I'm also adding another book to my wish list @ Amazon; a colleague at work recommended it.  It's called The Devil in the White City.  Anyone here read it?

Jan

[msmaggie]

I read The Devil in the White City. As a resident of Chicago, you will really enjoy it.  I learned a lot about the movers and shakers during the World's Fair. Good read...but really creepy bad guy!

Priscilla

[dalern]

Jan,
You will really love Devil in the White City and you'll be able to relate to a lot of it.  Great read.
~Dale

[Jeanlea]

I'm just jumping in the middle (or really the end) of this thread to see what people are currently reading. I read Devil in the White City and really enjoyed it. :-)

Jean

[leapyrtwins]

Thanks for the feedback on Devil in the White City - good to know it's worth the read.

I added it to my list, but I currently have a stack of books about 24 high that I need to get to before I can even justify purchasing another 

Too many books, too little time,

Jan

[msmaggie]

I know what you mean, Jan.  My sister works in a library and is constantly recommending books, many of which I have read and enjoyed.  They DO pile up, though, and then I start to feel guilty. I have my Nook stocked with three or four books to read while I am on vacation this summer, but at the rate I am going, I will need to go on a trip around the world! 

Priscilla