Pressing Puzzles

On March 31, 2017; the steaming service known as Netflix released a new mini series called " 13 Reasons Why ". This has quickly become one the most talked about series throughout the world. The story is based on the book by Jay Asher where the character Clay Jensen who had a high school crush on Hannah who ends up committing suicide. Suddenly two weeks after her death Clay receives a mysterious package on his porch which contains several cassette tapes of Hannah's recordings explaining the 13 reasons why she chose to end her life. Within the last few days since the show was released it has created a lot of concern in the mental health, education and youth advocacy groups. Groups have demanded that the books be banned from the school libraries including Colorado, which has had seven teenangers ending their own lives: http://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/colorado-school-district-pulls-suicide-book-thirteen-reasons-why-1.3415692 The show claims they had gotten expert...

Throughout many of my postings, I have highlighted news stories about people with autism/Asperger's and the plight they had to inure. This one honestly makes me very angry and sad because the end is one that was truly tragic. The story is that of the late Graham Gentles who had Asperger's Syndrome and he had found himself face to face with a traumatic situation all because of his condition. Below is the story from Yahoo news: Three days after Graham Gentles was fired without warning from the Pasadena Target where he worked last July, the 22-year-old committed suicide. Now his mother, Virginia Gentles, is calling for Target to take responsibility for its role in his death. In the wrongful death lawsuit Virginia filed against Target in L.A. she alleges that the company engaged in intentional infliction of emotional distress on her son, who had Asperger’s syndrome, negligence, and false imprisonment as part of a company practice that subjects employees to a “walk of shame” ...

This year marks my 25th high school class reunion. I've only attended one reunion and that was my 10th. Why the 10th? I guess because I was curious to see what had happened to everyone in that first 10 years. Sadly when my wife and I attended, I came to find out that not a lot really changed. They all acted the same way I remember from school, but just 10 years older. I haven't been to a single reunion since. I know there are college reunions, but I've not seen any invitations to any and I'm not sure if I'd ever go. Jaimee had her 25th union last year and she never even gave it a thought. In fact, she hasn't been to any of her reunions. I don't blame her. I guess in some ways technology has bridged the gap for my curiosity into what has happened to old friends...Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. In a small way, I wouldn't mind seeing everyone again, but with my Asperger's, it makes it REALLY difficult to suck it up and go. We're having it at a ...

Being a teacher as long as I have and seeing thousands of students over the years, I have a terrible habit of trying to remember names. There have been times when I run into a former student and I want to so badly try to remember their name, but dejectedly I usually end up having to be refreshed on their name...and many times which school they attended! I really feel disappointed when the student is looking at you in hopes that I would remember everything about them. I guess I can remember when I was younger and I'd see my former teachers and some of them would remember my name (though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing). Although, I have had other teachers not remember my name, but they remember me by my face. So to all my students that I've had or will have, I apologize if I can't remember your name, but understand I will probably recognize you by your appearance. I have noticed that as my wife has gotten older, many people don't realize it...

'I'm goin'ta Kansas City...Kansas City here I come!' The song by Wilbert Harrison sounds so easy, since I'd lived there for most of my life, finding a house should be a piece of cake...right? Welllllllll, that wasn't the case, it proved to be a lot harder than I thought. The bad part was for the first time we had to try to sell the house in Seneca before an official move could be made! ( And that wasn't easy either !!!) By the time August rolled around, we were still unsuccessful in finding a home or even being able to sell the current house, and school was starting...soon. We only had one real option, I was going to stay at my parent's house in Kansas City and Jaimee and the girls would have to stay in Seneca. So with the school year beginning, I was at Kansas City Middle School of the Arts (KCMSA for short) and the girls attended Seneca elementary. When I wanted to see my family, I would have to drive about 3 hours to Seneca for my beautiful wife an...