Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

MSC turns down grievance administrator appeal in Stefani case

Excerpt from The Michigan Lawyer: (click for entire article)

The Michigan Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday denying an appeal in the attorney discipline case against Michael L. Stefani, the attorney who gave information to the Detroit Free Press during the newspaper’s investigation into former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s misdeeds in office.

The Attorney Discipline Board had increased Stefani’s discipline from a reprimand to a 30-day suspension.

Increase in negative press coverage of disability

Excerpt from Learning Disability Today: (click for entire article)

The amount of negative reporting of disability issues and people with disabilities in print media has increased significantly in the past 6 years, a study has found.

The report, ‘Bad News for Disabled People: how newspapers are reporting disability’, commissioned by disability equality organisation Inclusion London, compared print media articles from 2004/5 and 2010/11 and found a reduction in the proportion of articles that describe disabled people in sympathetic and deserving terms.

Mainstreaming Children with Autism

Excerpt from Your Mama's Mad Tedious: (click for entire article)

Wow. The connections and exposure from the NY Times article I wrote back in Sept just keep on coming! I had no idea this site, Healing Thresholds: Connecting Community and Science to Heal Autism, was doing this write-up. If you ever get a chance to write for the NY Times, DO IT! It opens doors.

The Media’s Groping Problem

Patti's Comments:  Yikes, this is scary - on many different levels!

Excerpt from Jezebel: (click for entire article)

Kate Harding — Regarding the news that Arnold Schwarzenegger is getting divorced, in part because he fathered a child with a woman not his wife, Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic writes, "I've yet to encounter anyone surprised by the news. It's because we remember. Eight years ago, on the eve of the special election that won him the statehouse, the Los Angeles Times published a scathing story about his groping problem."

I didn't remember, actually, since I was living in Canada at the time, not yet engaged with the feminist blogosphere and, as always, completely uninterested in Schwarzenegger news. So this morning was the first time I learned that, as James Rainey recalled in the L.A. Times earlier this week, "Eventually, a total of 16 women, 11 of them giving their names, described physical humiliations suffered at the hands of [Arnold Schwarzenegger]."

Darth Vader in the flesh gives his best Justin Bieber impersonation

Patti's Comments: I LOVE THIS...MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!

From Oprah.com: (click for video)

Legendary actor James Earl Jones recites Justin Bieber lyrics on The Gayle King Show.

N.J. Supreme Court considers journalism shield laws in blogger case

Excerpt from NJ.com: (click for entire article)

In a courtroom on the eighth floor of the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton today, everyone agreed the internet has changed the face of news gathering and dissemination.

But they couldn’t agree on whether a blogger who wrote online about a New Jersey company involved in the pornography industry should have the same protections as working journalists in keeping their sources confidential.

In a case that could have far-reaching effects on the media, the state Supreme Court heard arguments on whether Shellee Hale, a blogger from Washington state, is protected by New Jersey’s so-called shield law, in her writings about Freehold-based Too Much Media Inc.

Jon Stewart Appointed to 9/11 Board

Excerpt from The Daily Beast: (click for entire article)

Even Jon Stewart might have a hard time turning this one into comic fodder: The host of the satirical news program The Daily Show was appointed Thursday to the board of the September 11th memorial and museum. In December, Stewart invited several first responders onto his show for a frank discussion about their health benefits, after Stewart had spent weeks trying to push Congress into passing the blocked 9/11 First Responders Bill. Many credited Stewart’s efforts as a driving force behind Congress’ eventual action. Joseph C. Daniels, the president and chief executive of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, called Stewart a “passionate advocate of 9/11 workers.” Stewart joins 47 other members of the board, including Robert de Niro and Billy Crystal, and the board is presided over by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Media, Violence and Schoolkids

Excerpt from Education Week: (click for entire article)

Late last fall, after a long and stressful Friday, my husband suggested we grab a margarita and a snack at a local restaurant. It was about 10 p.m. and the restaurant was nearly empty, but the bar was full and the karaoke machine pumping. We took the only available table, right in front of the microphone.

There were three little girls--perhaps 7, 8 and 10--starring on the karaoke stage. Occasionally, an adult would ask the DJ to cue something up, but mostly it was the girls who were taking turns singing pop and country hits. It was a little disconcerting, frankly, to watch them mimic stars, thrusting out a hip or caressing the mic, dropping their heads to look up coyly through their lashes.

The girls were there with their parents and maybe a grandma or two and were basking in the ample and enthusiastic applause their cheering section was providing after each tune. This was pretty harmless fun--more Taylor Swift than Katy Perry--but I was bothered by their come-hither moves and vocal inflections, the "Spoiled!" slogan on one glittery T-shirt and the fact that they were all wearing just a bit of eye makeup to enhance their value as entertainers.

Disabled Russian journalist acquitted of slander

Excerpt from Media dis&dat: (click for entire article)

Once outspoken Russian journalist Mikhail Beketov (pictured), who was nearly beaten to death two years ago and is now confined to a wheelchair, was acquitted of slander Dec. 10.

Russia's Interfax news agency reports that Beketov, who was charged and fined last month for slandering a local mayor, has won his appeal because of his physical and mental disabilities sustained from the violent assault.

In 2007, the reporter and editor of Khimkinskaya Pravda weekly accused the mayor of being involved in blowing up his car. A year later the journalist was savagely attacked, leaving him barely able to talk and brain-damaged.

Bill O'Reilly and some of his Fox News fans should take their own advice to heart

Patti's Comments:  WOW.  Read the comments — so much anger out there!

Excerpt from Freep.com: (click for entire article)

For the past week, Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly and his colleagues at Fox News have been bending over backwards to defend former National Public Radio news analyst and current Fox commentator Juan Wiliams, who was fired from his NPR gig for making disparaging remarks about Muslims. A journalist should not be fired for speaking his mind, according to O’Reilly. No, apparently a journalist who speaks his mind should have his e-mail inbox crammed with threatening, disparaging e-mails, according to O’Reilly.

Last Sunday I drew a cartoon about Fox News and the Juan Wiliams affair. O’Reilly apparently took offense to my cartoon and showed it on the air Monday evening. He then gave out my work e-mail address and instructed his viewers to “let him know what you think.” O’Reilly stressed that his viewers should take the high road in their e-mails to me, which is a little like placing a bowl of Halloween candy in front of kids and telling them not to gorge themselves. O’Reilly’s smart enough to know what would happen.