Comments on: A Couple of Notable Things

By: Nancy

Nancy — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:16:31 +0000

I watched Tropic Thunder at the theatre last week. The film is actually poking fun at actors and directors, not retarded people. It shows the Ben Stiller character playing a character who is retarded. The performance is “over the top”..obviously ridiculous, and the laughter is at the stupidity of Stiller playing the character is such a ridiculous manner, not at retarded people.

I have a minor in “exceptionalities” (degree is in psychology) and have worked with mentally retarded children. I can understand how one might be offended at the portrayal of a retarded person in the film, but I really think the intention is to satire the filmmaking industry.

Personally I think the “Simple Jack” part of the film should have been replaced, it wasn’t that funny and if one didn’t understand the point of the film, it was seen as offensive.

By: Krock

Krock — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:59:45 +0000

When a person uses the slang word “retard” they typically are not doing it in a way as to be mean to or make fun of those people with disabilities. The semantics of language, especially slang words, is volatile, and people need to take both locale and current usage patterns in to account before being so easily offended by things they hear.

By: The Frugal Momma

The Frugal Momma — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:56:41 +0000

All you can do is be as prepared as possible for the work you have to do before you move in. It will be worth it in the end!!!

By: Anon again

Anon again — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:41:19 +0000

WORD – not work in above post. Sorry – typo.

PS – The kids will follow your lead in this camping out at Grandpa’s house. If you are stressed, so will they be. If you treat it like an exciting adventure – as in How Wonderful We get to Stay at Grandpa’s for a week or two – then the kids will follow your lead and be excited about it. Give each of them their out suitcase, and a cardboard box/plastic or two to hold their ‘must have’ things in an organized fashion, and they will be at home anywhere. Find a semi-quiet place/porch/garage/table/corner for study and set a workable schedule. If they have a schedule and expectations to follow, they’ll be ok. Use the sleeping bags and pillows and have them roll them up each morning. Call it camping out, which they are used to. Kids are amazingly versatile and adaptable! Smile and they will too! :) Really :)

By: Anon again

Anon again — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:31:44 +0000

Hang in there – the house is coming….sooner or later! And will be soooo much sweeter for all the sweating it out. Keep focused – it should eventually work out. Hang on!

As a 12 yr special ed teaching assitant (prior life), thanks for the link to the petition! It’s a work my grandkids are NOT allowed to use either! Says Grammi – that’s who says! :)

Hope you have a/c for this weekend… even here on the coast is going to be in the 80’s… that’s rare for us! Stay cool and good luck with the house and all!

By: Julieanne

Julieanne — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:31:35 +0000

Lynnae, from our experience and everyone else we’ve ever talked with about home purchasing, ya’ never (or rarely!) get the keys to your house on the day it was promised. Even if things go smoothly, it seems like it’s always a day or few days later than what was expected. Fortunately for us, our landlord was flexible enough to allow us to stay another few days in our home…so we were never “homeless”. We’ll be praying for you as you wait for the keys to your new house!

By: Shay Jansen

Shay Jansen — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:56:42 +0000

I will be signing the petition as a son with learning disabilities and Autism, Cerebral palsey…But I know what you mean about the purchase of a house, for two months I have been arguing with my morgage broker everytime she requested documents I wrote down what she wanted to find they wern’t, cost to me $35 per day after our original settlement date, second hickup we had was the bank puttin the wrong lot number on the morgage document! But come the 14th I will offically own my own home 2.5 months after I was supposed to have owned it! and it is people like you I have to thank because of your ideas for saving and frugulism has helped!

So thank you!

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:30:16 +0000

Hi,

I’m glad to be getting my first posts from your great blog. I’m one of the folks who “found” you because of your NPR interview on the weekend. I was driving from Minnesota to S.D. and listened intently to every word. Great interview. Afterward, I was so glad to learn that your blog site was being listed and I almost drove off the road trying to write it down (not a good thing; don’t do this!).

Looking forward to much more and continued great ideas and concerns. I wholeheartedly concur with what you wrote about the movie above. Keep up the great writing.

–Dan J. in Minn.

By: Britney

Britney — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:16:11 +0000

Thank you very much for providing that link to the petition. I am also protesting the word “retard”. I am deaf and I struggle everyday with the ignorance of people in this world stereotyping me being “deaf and dumb” or the other one “deaf-mute”. I often shock people with how well spoken I am and have had people to apologize to me for under-estimating me and my intelligence. Again thank you very much for posting that link.

By: plonkee

plonkee — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:31:44 +0000

Funny, in the UK the word retard isn’t really used in slang or in official medical-type diagnoses. But yeah, it’s never cool to make fun of people for things that they can’t help, which includes disabilities, learning or otherwise.