Mute 2004 Pastel on paper 30 X 31

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This was during one of those times I was having computer problems, for me the computer was the gateway to the would before people got hook to smartphones. Maybe know the rest of society can relate to how it feels when a computer, or wheelchair breaks and you are depended on it for daily life.

 

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Arts Participation among People with Disabilities

New NEA Research on Arts Participation among People with Disabilities

Very interesting article, It is just funny how art is still that to be as a luxury, or something that should be done on intellectual level.  When one still goes to a museum there are still expectations of how one should act. Don't point, if you talk you need to whisper almost everything what art is against.

Art to me, is just about expressing how one feels! Art does not need to be complex, or cost a lot to produce. Of course there are different level of art, but the commend thread of every form of  art is the power of  emotions.

Really the lack of art in disability community is sad, because art is the only thing that is not full of rules.  Being creative is freedom, there are no right or wrong. For people with disabilities it might be the only true freedom they would have.

Evil Geniuses

I am finally getting around to tell about Brooks and me getting the stair lift installed.  To remind you this is the stair lift from our other place. Most people act like they would not think about transplanting a stair lift unless the fit is right. Tom was willing to rebuild our current stairs so it could fit as a straight shot, but he was nervous about cutting the rail.

We asked a lot of people if they would help us install the stair left and cut the rail since our new steps are shorter. Most people said that it was not a good idea to cut the rail. If you cut it in the middle, you mess up the connection of the two pieces. Then if you cut off end, you loose the chargers at the top.

So the stair lift sat unplugged for about a year and that is not good for medical equipment.  Until these two hippies said we can do this. Brook got it all installed and plugged in. Nothing happen plus it would not charge!

We kept adding to things that we had to trouble shoot. The first step was to cut the rail off to size and put the cap back on the end. While Brooks was during that, Wifey and I were able to find the remotes. The remotes worked, brooks finished up on the end and even re-drill the wholes for the charges so the next step was to fix the controller on the seat. I was like take it apart, I bet a wire is loose and sure enough it was.

Now we got two problems solves and the biggest one was still to come, getting this thing to charge. There were 4 contacts for the charger, but only two wires. No matter how we connected wires it would not charge. I am sure we spent two hours on the web looking for manuals and videos to show us how to connect the chargers and we never found anything.

I asked Brooks, if he could see how the contacts line up under the chair? To do this, Brooks had to take off the end cap and ran the chair half way out of the rail. By George, it work then it was a snap to the chargers working.

So far it keeps working and has not blown up yet!

Forget Laws, Be Human

On Saturday morning Wifey and I were on our way out to run some ernes. Mike was on his way out to walk Camden, Mike is wifey’s ex-husband that we share the house with. His name is on the house; he really does not act like a landlord.

Mike goes on to tell Wifey the neighbor emailed to complain again about the noise I make when I move around our house.  This time the bitch was that I took a shower too early when we left for California. The other thing is packing up to early on Sundays to go tailgating, other gigs.  In other words he wants me to be consider and not start my day until 9 A.M. 

The neighbor has been complaining about me for 2 years now and has never talk to me. I was sitting in the car with the door open and legs out.  Wifey brings the neighbor over to talk.  I started out by stating Mike is not my Father and you do not pay my bills.  If you have a problem talk to me, not Mike, or Wifey, which just pissed him off. As I went on he got more piss off because he had to take time to listen to me while wife translated.  I am so pissed off/frustrated that I bit my tongue and bleeding.

The whole time he was hiding being the car door never making I eye contact with me, as if I am below him. He is just a bully and I am the gimp that is going take him down. When we first moved in, we explain my disability and my work is as an artist and public speaker.  We also said I will be using my Special Needs Trust to help make the house more accessible. He said maybe he could help with the trust to make it work for me.

Saturday I asked how can you work with the disabled when you cannot understand them as people?  The whole he said he just wanted more consideration and that means living by his rules.  I told him if he thinks I’m doing wrong, just call the cops next time.  He replied I do not want go that far.  If you think I am doing wrong back it up.

This is the same guy that wanted us to put off the work on the bathroom to make it more accessible, because he showing his house. Another example of how he thinks his life is more important then others.

Wifey and I got back home and everyone was out side. The neighbor plus wife, Mike and us, I am sitting in the same position in the car.  Once again they are talking about more consideration. Like taking showers the night before, WHAT THE FUCK!!!!! I jump on down on the grown and slammed car door.

The wife says you do slam the door close and the pictures on their wall shake.  If they want more consideration, they can pay for an O.T. to evaluated me and pay for any commendations they suggest.

They just want more consideration and want us to be friends. Now the husband is calling my name and trying buddy up to me. I repeat it is too late, next call the cops if you think I am doing wrong. Back up what you believe in!  I crawled over to my chair, got in it and came into our house.

Our neighbors' actions are not about breaking ADA laws, or discrimination it’s about being human.

What Is Your Opinion?

Buzz Kill – Bully (What Is Your Opinion)

Went up for my first shower since the project has been finished. I went in my studio to undress, what at most that takes 5 minutes. But Mr. neighbor must have not liked that, because I hear him banging. We exchanged banging on the floor 3, or 5 times. I really don’t want to stoop to his level, but also want let him know this gimp is no wimp.

What Is Your Opinion

When we moved into our new house I knew the neighbors would have issues when I started back with my art. I thought it would be over smells, not because of noise. Also to remind you we do live with Dena’s ex-husband Mike. Last summer Dena and I was in the carage and started to talk with our neighbor, it was like an introduction to Dan. I have C.P. and have a career as an artist, so I work at home.

This really started on Christmas Eve, mike goes away and we would were having company. Dena Started cleaning, her back was hurting, so I took over the laundry. Our laundry room is on the third floor; I went from the second and third floors many times that night, but was done by 11 p.m. The next morning he stops one of our guests and says we kept him up all night going up and down the stairs until 2 a.m. also we are lucky he does not go to the home owner association about us. Then Mike gets home and the guy next door tells him what happened. This is making me feel like we are back in high school and telling on us.


In my studio there must be a floor Joyce loose, because when I crawl around the floor squeaks. During the time I was making work for my new show I never worked past 8 at night. Although I did reasonable hours, he complained many times to Mike about the noise. He never speaks to me about this issue, because I will tell him different. They do have a new baby, but never expressed that the noise was disturbing their baby just him.

I did get a chance to say that I was helping my wife with the laundry on Christmas Eve and he just blew that off. When we had the big snow, he came to help dig out our car. I wanted to explode, because I knew he was being fake. Dena thought he was apologizing, but he did not disappoint. A few days later I was doing art and he comes knocking again about the noise. He is basically telling me what I can do in my own home, if not being discriminating.

The same neighbors now have their house up for sale. He has express concern to Mike about noise from the bathroom project, during his open houses. Most people looking at homes like to know that other owners maintain the surrounding places. You can tell this guy is uptight and does not like others to challenge him. For the people that know me, maybe you should send your condolences his way.

The Other Living Skills

I know in Maryland there has been an overwhelming task to get the disabled out of institutions. I see why this is a very big ordeal from finding affordable housing to support staff to make independent living possible. I know in my case it took months to get all of this line up and people still looked at my mom and I as is we were crazy for even thinking of this.


When I was in my third semester at Towson U., I took my Intro. Psych class. I did a paper on the topic of Social R****, at the time it was a hot topic, because a lot of the disabled were being mainstream into school. The problem was that they did not know how to interact with the rest of the students in a social setting that are there peers, since many came from protective environments at school and the home.

I am wondering if any studies have been following the disabled that have been in institution and now live in the community? I have been on my own since I was 18 and even had to learn proper hygiene, keeping clean living space, and knowing whom to trust. Where as a person that was institutionalized had no opportunity to develop these skills.

Mrs. G. my assistant at Parkville said it best. Even if I wanted to keep a condom in my wallet, I could not. Because she would know it was in there. Trust is the best skill the disabled community can fine tune and uses. 


This is just one of the many issues that need to be address in the disability community, but is over looked because of time and funding.

FINALLY! Telling Gravity Where To Go

All of my life I wanted to do stuff that defies gravity, as jumping off our clubhouse roof, for a couple seconds of freedom. Also life risking sports as hang gliding, or parachuting. I guest it has been a way to give my body a break from the fight of gravity, or the ultimate lack of control that everyone feels when doing these sports.
I finally got to go on a zip line when we were in Tenn. It took us three tries to set it up, but was worth the wait. The first time we went to Wahoo Zip line http://www.wahoozip.com/ we were too late for that run. Went back the first thing in the morning and they did not have enough staff. So we set up to go later that day. Have you ever seen the harness that one needs to put on. It is a full body harness, so when you are on the line it holds you like a baby sling. That was the only thing I was worry about, could I lean back wards and turn up side down but I could not.
As we pulled up to the first tower, they said I could not do all the lines because of access to the towers. I am sure other people would be mad since they paid full price. Not me, because the staff has to work twice as hard carrying my ass up and down the towers, Dena and I were driven from tower to tower in a bob cat cart and I still got to go on the best line of the course. Even if I only went on one line, it would have been worth the experience.
It was not scare getting hooked in and I was really relaxed. You would think my body would be super wired, but it was nice and calm. When I was on the line my body just felt like jello, taking the shape of the harness and flowing into the wind. I really did not keep any memories of my body fighting. I was just there enjoying the ride.
The staff was great the hole time, when we got back to the office they all signed a T-shirt for me. That day was to put the human back into everyone’s soul.