Neo-tribalism: help a friend in need.

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Monday November 17, 2008 · 11:08 AM PST

2008/11/17 · 11:08

I have always been a big proponent of neo-tribalism: my tribe takes care of its tribe, and I know when I need my tribe, my tribe will take care of me. This is a more expansive concept than 'family,' and a much more loosely defined one. My tribe are the geeks, the progressives, the dog lovers, the parents, and most loosely, my tribe is simply the human race.

Over the years, I have seen this principal at work to amazing effect. Networks of people have come together to do everything from buying a new computer for a struggling author (who has since sold the first book written on that computer, and a series of books to follow) to moving pets from one place to another when people have lost their homes or otherwise been unable to care (temporarily or permanently) for those animals.

And now - I hope this is not inappropriate, I can't see anywhere that says it would be, so someone please help me if it is - I am asking for help for one of my tribe from the larger tribe.

vaspider

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Saturday November 15, 2008 · 2:36 PM PST

2008/11/15 · 14:36

A very important part of the Cub Scout promise is the idea that a Cub Scout gives good will. Boy Scouts promise to help other people at all times. And so many Scouts from Kindergarten through 12th grade will be fanning out across their neighborhoods this fall, distributing plastic bags with slips similar to these inside of them:

We are the Scouts of Pack/Troop ###. Please fill this bag with non-perishable items and place it outside your door before 7 AM on ##/##. Items will be donated to local food banks. Thank you!

These bags support the Scouting for Food program, in which young men across the country gather food donated by their neighbors, sort and separate the donations (often throwing out 1/5 to 1/4 of what they gather due to the food being expired), and then deliver them to local food banks and shelters.

vaspider

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Wednesday November 05, 2008 · 12:49 PM PST

2008/11/05 · 12:49

I hope you and your staff will indulge one of your volunteers for a moment in something that has been a deep passion in my life for the last four years. I know that you have promised your daughters a puppy if the election was won, and now that it has been, and that work is behind us, I hope you will take a moment to consider where you get that puppy as we go forward into the work ahead.

I am sure that you are already aware that puppy mills are a real problem in the United States, contributing to the overcrowding of shelters and the horrible truth of euthanization. The problem of overcrowding is something that I saw myself four years ago when I lived in North Carolina.

Poll

52 votes Show Results

What do you think about the First Dog?

52 votes Vote Now!

What do you think about the First Dog?

First Dog? Bah! First Cat!

5 votes

Definitely a rescue mutt!

14 votes

whatever the girls want, they earned it!

5 votes

whatever the girls want, but you can get any breed from a rescue

20 votes

standard poodle

1 vote

labradoodle

1 vote

golden doodle

0 votes

lab

1 vote

small dog of some variety

1 vote

something from a reputable small breeder

0 votes

some other thing I will detail in the comments

4 votes

Palin's Autism Plans: Thinly-Veiled School Voucher Push, No Real Value to Autistic Kids

vaspider

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Friday October 24, 2008 · 5:05 PM PDT

2008/10/24 · 17:05

Today, Sarah Palin spoke about her plans for special-needs kids. While I understand that autistic children are not the only segment being addressed here, since the autistic dog-whistle has been used by the campaign, and because that is the area with which I am most familiar under that umbrella, that is how I will address her remarks.

First and foremost, let me state that though I feel that the needs of special-needs children are being used as a sort of false political bait in this instance, I do believe that opening up the conversation is extremely important. With the massive rise in children with special needs - and I am not intending to and will not debate why that rise is occurring - it is more important now than ever to address those needs comprehensively and on a national level. The rise in children diagnosed with autism alone is so significant that it could very well become a national economics issue within the next ten to twenty years. These children will be entering the workforce and attempting to build adult lives. If a viable plan for assisting these children now to become the sort of adults who will be able to function in the sort of global community (toward which we are inexorably headed) is not in place soon, we will face a much more expensive and much greater burden later on.

vaspider

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday October 22, 2008 · 6:38 AM PDT

2008/10/22 · 06:38

The first time we understood that something was 'not right' with Scout's development, he was about 2 years old. He barely spoke at 2, an age when most kids are putting together multi-word phrases and sentences. Scout - who is now so amazingly verbal and has a vocabulary that stuns his teachers - had a vocabulary that was approximately six words.

And so it was that we began the first battery of tests for his speech therapy. During those tests, one of the observers noted that Scout, when overstimulated, would withdraw, lie on his stomach, and roll a car back and forth, watching the wheels go back and forth, back and forth.

"Have you ever had him tested for autism?"

RSS

Neo-tribalism: help a friend in need.

Scouting for Food: more important now than ever

Dear President-Elect Obama:

Palin's Autism Plans: Thinly-Veiled School Voucher Push, No Real Value to Autistic Kids

McCain's autism "shout-out."