tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40769613622997856842024-03-12T22:36:40.828-04:00On the SpectrumA Webcomic about Autsim and Familiy Life by Scott LynnScott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-1610342533455976562012-10-10T22:27:00.002-04:002012-10-10T22:27:05.634-04:00...And now Jacob!Just two days ago one of teh training wheels on Jake's bike was loose. I offered to take it of and the emphatic "NO!" that came back had enough fear in it that I didn't even consdier trying to push the issue.<br />
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Tonight he rode with out them, right out of the gate.<br />
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I don't know what changed, but he also had been practicing a lot on the scooter. And I kept telling him, "Just like the scooter." I can't say for sure that this was really the deciding factor, but there wasn't really all that much that I taught him. So, if you're kid's having trouble with a bike, try a scooter. It seems to be a very helpful intermediate step.<br />
Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-67057347476505768672012-10-07T21:49:00.000-04:002012-10-07T21:52:55.219-04:00More riding...Papa Bear suggested that I put upa picture of the "kick-scooter" I was refering to in the previous post. This is what I'm talking about:<br />
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And in other news...<br />
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Bikes last week, HORSES this week! Here's Michael going for a trot on 'Penny,' his speech therapist's horse:<br />
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And here's Jacob:<br />
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Good times.Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-24872339464433012872012-09-30T14:55:00.003-04:002012-09-30T15:04:10.076-04:00Michael riding his bike for the first time!<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/azT85Aq8AbI" width="560"></iframe>
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Michael (of "On the Spectrum" fame) is now 11 years old. Until today, he had made absolutely no progress learning how to ride his bike. A month ago (for his birthday) he got a "kick-scooter" and really took to it. It was lot easier for him to figure out the side-to-side balancing, since he had one foot on the ground a lot of the time anyway. Within a couple days he was gliding along with no problem at all on his scooter, and today we tried the bike again and he was going completely on his own in no time. <br />
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Obviously this may not be for everyone, but if your child is having trouble learning how to ride his or her bike, you might want to try a kick-scooter as an intermediate step. They're about $30-$40 at Target and Wal-Mart, and I'm sure you can find them in other stores as well. <br />
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A word of warning: While they are fairly easy to balance side-to-side, they are a LOT more UNstable (than a bike) back-and-forth. So wear a helmet, use caution and practice. I take no responsibility for anyone getting hurt following this tip!<br />
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Happy riding!Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-43093936874999402812012-03-30T18:13:00.001-04:002012-03-30T18:13:25.227-04:00A Cause for Celebration!Hello everyone, I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything, let alone another comic, but I want to report some GOOD NEWS as starting October 1st of this year, Autism will now be covered by Insurance in my home state of Michigan, thanks to the Autism Insurance Reform Bills that passed the House Vote earlier today!<br />
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I could not be happier to report that my <em>very first comic</em>, now no longer applies in Michigan:<br />
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I want to say THANK YOU, so very much to everyone who made phone calls, sent e-mails, wrote letters, signed petitions, participated in the Autism walks, or in any other way lent their support to this issue and this legislation.<br />
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And if you happen to live in Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Washington D.C. or Wyoming all I can say is <strong>KEEP PUSHING! </strong>Keep the pressure on the politicians and it CAN HAPPEN! It's a marathon for sure, not a sprint, but progress will be made when people work together and never give up. 30 States down - 20 (+ D.C.) to go!Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-61419906088597110402011-07-06T21:01:00.002-04:002011-07-07T12:08:14.030-04:00So... Where have I been?Well, it's been about five months since I last updated, and given that so many people are still reading this, and commenting, and sending me messages, I think it's long overdue that I filled everyone in on what's going on and give some kind of explanation for the extended hiatus.<br />
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Short version? I was really busy for a while, and it's gotten very difficult to find the time to get back into the habit.<br />
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Long version...<br />
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From January through March of this year, I was actually taking an art class. The idea being that I would learn some new techniques and improve my drawing here. Unfortunately, the class was on Monday nights. That was unfortunate because, being that I'm the way I am, I always put off doing the homework until Sunday night. Which was usually when I would otherwise be drawing the comic. So... for three months there was like... What? Two updates? Anyway, <em>that's how it started</em>.<br />
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So class ended in at the end of March, but we took a cruise the first week in April. GREAT Vacation. Western Caribbean. We really needed it too. BUT... that was two more weekends with no comic.<br />
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A couple of weeks later I went to Germany on business. (One more weekend away.) And a couple weeks after that (in June) I was in Boston for my Grandmother's 90th Birthday. (Another weekend down.)<br />
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Now, I'm not trying to make any excuses here, there were still a lot of free weekends left (and I'm sorry, but I just <em>can not</em> do these during the week. This is <em>definitely</em> a week-end thing.) But for the first six months of the year, we're really only talking about 7 or 8 that we really <em>free</em>. And I'll be honest: I just fell out of the habit. And I truly apologize for that, especially in light of all the comments you've all been leaving during that time.<br />
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Moving forward, I do NOT plan to stop the comic permanently. There are still a few strips I'd like to do, although the list of ideas is not as long as it once was and as the kids get older the stories that I have resemble our current lives less and less. Which is a good thing, even thought it a bit of an inspiration-killer for the comic. Add to that that the new material does seem to come as quickly (which is both a good thing and a bad one, at times) and it's been very difficult for me to get back in the groove.<br />
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The real tell-tale for me that I had gotten so far removed from this came a few weeks back when I pencilled and inked the next comic... and then never scanned, colored and posted it. And that was over a month ago! And it was part one of two, so the next one was pretty much already <em>written</em>!<br />
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So... I DO intend to put those up, and I would like to get the rest of the strips drawn and posted. I can't say when that will be, and I don't want to make any promises that I can't keep, but I'm not ready to call it's quits, <em>for good</em>, just yet. <br />
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In anycase, we're all doing fine. And I appreciate everyone's comments and notes and words of support. I hope that everything is OK with all of you, and that we'll be able to share a few more stories in the near future.<br />
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Thanks so much for all of your support,<br />
ScottScott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-87044184933520959832011-02-06T19:35:00.005-05:002011-02-06T19:36:45.783-05:00On the Spectrum #101: Go ask Daddy(click to enlarge)<br />
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Wiseguy.Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-69581373960012978362011-01-16T20:00:00.004-05:002011-01-16T20:06:20.469-05:00On the Spectrum #100!: Sharing(click to enalrge)<br />
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Oh, my god! I've made it to 100! I never thought I'd make it this far! (Yay!)<br />
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OK, back to the strip...<br />
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Believe it or not, Jacob really <em>is</em> every bit as cute as I draw him here; much more so actually. That being said, he can still be a real <em>brat</em> sometimes! LOL.<br />
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The above story actually came from his teacher, during a Paerent-Teacher conference, late last year. She told me what happened, and I <u>immediately</u> thought, "I've <strong>got</strong> to <em>use </em>that!Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-8201621763311711862011-01-09T17:28:00.001-05:002011-01-09T17:32:02.453-05:00On the Spectrum #99: He gets that from you!(click to enlarge)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Welcome back! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. This is a bit of a "breaking the fourth wall" strip. There were rather a few people who left comments, sent me messages or upon reading <a href="http://otscomic.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-spectrum-98-subtle-difference.html">#98</a>, looked at me and said, "Huh?" So this was just a (paraphrased) converstaion that DW and I had about it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One thing about Michael and Jacob (Jacob to a much greater extent): If they're not paying attention, or don't feel like talking to you, they'll answer, "Yes," or "Yeah," to pretty much <em>any</em> question. So before we make that snack he said he wanted, or whatever, I usually ask a really <em>absurd</em> question like, <strong>"Do you want me to put eels in your underpants?"</strong> of <strong>"Do you want to be fed to a wild honey badger?"</strong> And if they say, "Yes," then I know they probably haven't been listening for at least a <em>few</em> questions now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also while we do occasionally play the "He gets <em>that</em> from <em>you</em>" game (always playfully, mind you) usually it's a lot more specific than <em>this. </em>In all honesty, I'll admit that this comes off as a wee bit mean-spirited. But hey, what can I say? She was frustrating me! (And I <em>LIKE </em><a href="http://otscomic.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-spectrum-98-subtle-difference.html">#98</a>! LOL) But there are plenty of traits, both typical and autistic, in both of our boys, where we <em>know</em> which one of us they got them from! (I'm a <em>collector</em> myself, and earlier today Michael was showing me a set of toys from a catalog and said, "I want to get the whole set!" And I was like... *sniff* You <em>ARE</em> my son!) LOL</div>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-15788547048028202292010-12-19T21:48:00.002-05:002010-12-19T21:56:19.708-05:00Thanks, Papa!Well... Looks as though I can't sign off for the year (or even the evening) just yet...<br />
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<a href="http://findmyaddress.blogspot.com/">Papa Bear</a> has nominated OTS for a "Stylish Blogger Award." (Now proudly added on the Right.) I would like to extend my sincere thanks, as well as execute my duties as a recipient.<br />
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In accordance with the rules, one must state seven things about themselves, and then nominate three other blogs for the award. So here goes:<br />
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1) I write a comic strip about my two sons, who have autsim. XP<br />
2) I have a love of baseball that borders on mental illness. (Go Red Sox!)<br />
3) My favorite filmmaker is Akira Kurosawa, though admittedly this is a very recent development. (And I'm <i>close </i>to being torn between him and Masaki Kobayashi.)<br />
4) I have a Border Collie-Cattle Dog mix named Haley who didn't make it into the strip for almost two years.<br />
5) I'm an engineer. (Which some people seem to think might explain a thing or two...)<br />
6) I don't watch televison, but couldn't live without movies and anime. (And, of course, the occasional baseball game!)<br />
7) I'm much older, balder and fatter than the "Dad" character who's drawn here!<br />
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And for the blogs I would like to nominate:<br />
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1) <a href="http://kickingkittens.blogspot.com/">Kicking Kittens</a><br />
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<a href="http://autismherd.blogspot.com/">Autismherd</a>, has already been picked, <a href="http://findmyaddress.blogspot.com/2010/12/come-on-down.html">in the exact same post as OTS was</a> as a matter of fact, but I want to strongly "second" that well deserved nomination by nominating Kathleen's other Blog. (The one with the deliciously evil name!) It's probably worth mentioning that Autsimherd was the first blog that started syndicating this one, AND that she put me in touch with the good folks over at Autisable, so I owe her for a lot publicity. But personal gratitude aside, Kathleen is a really cool blogger and both her personal blog ('herd) and her compilation blog ('kittens) are totally worth checking out. (And I agree 110% with PapaBear: I can't imagine having four kids, let alone three on the Spectrum. So, yeah: She deserves an award... <strong>So here's a <em>second one</em>!</strong>)<br />
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2) <a href="http://www.squidalicious.com/">Squidilicious</a> <br />
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Was is it with these awesome names? I can't believe I actually thought "On the Spectrum" was somehow <em>clever</em> at one point! And what adorable kids! If it weren't for my Michael and Jacob, I could SO see those two in a comic strip! The love and affection in that family really comes through in their blog in a way that I can only hope ours does in mine.<br />
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3) <a href="http://daisymayfattypants.blogspot.com/">A Life Less Ordinary</a><br />
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I hate to admit it, but I'm usually not a huge fan of reading people's personal blogs. And that's rather a bit hypcritical, seeing as how I want people to read mine! LOL. But sometimes I read people's anecdotes and take on things and think, "They just... <em>get it</em>." (And surprisingly, NO, that doesn't happen just because someone else happns to have autism in their life!) This is one of those blogs.<br />
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So congratulations! Make sure to keep the chain going, or I'm sure <em>something terrible</em> will happen! LOLScott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-58936878705932860682010-12-19T20:08:00.001-05:002010-12-19T20:09:30.956-05:00Merry Early Christmas Everyone!Unfortunately, due to our travel schedule, and preperations, yesterday was the only day I had to do an update. And I <em>had</em> really planned on doing one! (<em>Really!</em>) What I <em>didn't</em> plan on was getting sick as a dog, falling asleep at 6:00 PM Friday evening and waking up at 6:00 AM this morning, with only one break in between to see the Doctor... who charged me a $20 co-pay for the timeless advice of "rest and stay hydrated." (Um... You don't really need to tell a guy who just slept for 16 hours strait to "get some rest." *roll eyes*) In any case, the 36 hours I lost kind of shot up my weekend schedule a bit.<br />
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<em>And</em>, since we will be out of town for the hollidays, OTS will not be updated until we get back. I <em>might</em> be able to sneak one in mid-week, before the new year, (and I'd really like to,) otherwise, the next update will be on the Second of Januray, 2011.<br />
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And since it's more than likely this this post will close out the year here at OTS, I just want to make sure I give a sincere and heartfelt thank-you to everyone who has left coments, not only here, but over on <a href="http://www.autisable.com/">Autisable</a> and at <a href="http://www.theautspot.com/">the Autspot</a> as well, and I wish that you all take care, and have a safe and happy holiday!<br />
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So give your kids a hug from me, and I'll make sure to pass on all of the kind words, good feelings and warm wishes that you've sent our way over the past year to Michael and Jacob.Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-38405946629836453552010-12-12T16:16:00.006-05:002010-12-12T16:37:45.502-05:00On the Spectrum #98: A Subtle Difference(click to enarge)<br />
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Sorry it's just a 2-panel one this week. I didn't update last week as I'd originally planned and we had a family outing planned today as well, so I was still short on time. In any case I didn't want to miss yet another week, especialy with Christamas coming up (which will also mean a missed update or two) so here you go!<br />
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To make up for it, here's something that I haven't shared before: Pictures of the kids! These are from out trip to DC over the Thanksgiving holiday - the reason that <strong>two</strong> of the last three updates were missed. (Last week I was just being lazy!)<br />
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Here's Michael in front of the Capitol Building:<br />
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Here's one of Jacob, in the Air and Space Museam, in front of the plane he tried to touch last year, as <a href="http://otscomic.blogspot.com/2010/08/on-spectrum-88-national-treasures.html">depicted in #88</a>:<br />
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Just <em>around the corner</em> from where we were standing is the opening in the fence that he went <em>into the exhibit</em> though. (Which is how we were able to be sure that this was in fact the correct plane! LOL)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/thehole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="339" n4="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/thehole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And yeah, fair enough, I didn't draw the plane quite right, or the fence. But hey: I was going from memory! One thing to add, in addition to the fact that the opening is still there...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>It's a CANVAS plane.</strong> <em>Fairly delicate</em>, I'd wager, as least as compared to pretty much any of their <em>other</em> exhibits, which are typically constructed from either Aluminum or Steel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, I hope this make up for just getting a 2-panel after three weeks without an update. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See you next week!</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-53982208983039126562010-11-20T20:43:00.000-05:002010-11-20T20:43:42.593-05:00Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!There will not be an update this week or next , as we will be travelling, visiting family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday. OTS should be back in business on December 5th. Until then, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-91957200831525630062010-11-14T18:41:00.001-05:002010-11-14T18:42:14.560-05:00On the Spectrum #97: Daylight Savings Time(click to enlarge<a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-097.jpg" width="386" /></a>)<br />
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So... Einstein was <em>right:</em> time <strong>is </strong>relative... <em>just not always in the way he suggested!</em><br />
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Are anyone else's kids' <em>schedule</em> thrown off <em>really badly</em> when the clocks change?<br />
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It's seems especially bad in Michigan too because in the fall we down get much sun anyway, so by 6:00 it's pitch black out. But becuase we're a flat state, on the westen edge of our time zone (or so I surmise,) in the summertime it's lik broad daylight out until about 9:30 at night. It's crazy!<br />
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And yeah... they really <em>don't care</em> what <strong>time</strong> it is, do they? LOL<br />
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(And I have <em>no idea</em> where they get their 'morning-person' genes from!)<br />
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There was supposed to be a joke about him being "impervious to cold" in there as well, but I couldn't fit it in. Oh well. ;)Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-3114875333803509032010-10-31T15:36:00.002-04:002010-10-31T17:15:53.094-04:00On the Spectrum #95: The Wonder-Jake!(click to enlarge)<br />
<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" nx="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-095.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a lot of fun drawing this. : )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hopefully I'm not dating myself too much with this one. I assume most people with grade-school aged kids remember the <u>Super-Friends</u> growing up, right? And the Wonder-Twins, Zann and Jaina? Well, if not, you can Google it. ; )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In any case, Jacob has a tendency to go into what we call "puddle mode," usually when when we're walking in a public places, parking lots, malls, etc... Very frustrating, and sometimes not very safe. Anyone else get this sort of thing?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and... HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone! Hope everyone has a fun and safe time trick-or-treating!</div>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-37682534487568646292010-10-24T18:56:00.001-04:002010-10-24T18:57:08.702-04:00Comic delayed due to pink-eye<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/Pinkeye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/Pinkeye.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ugh. This is awful! Michael got it first (presumably brought it home from school), then DW got it and now it's my turn.<br />
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BTW... Why<em> on earth</em> do they even <em>give</em> you eye-drops to use on an Autistic Child when there are oral antibiotics you can take instead? What the heck? Has anyone else had trouble administering eye-drops to their child? Autistic or otherwise I guess, but<em> come on</em>! They may as well hand me two sticks and some duct tape and ask me to build an airplane.Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-6294999637143358002010-10-22T11:37:00.000-04:002010-10-22T11:37:33.440-04:00Wikio / Autism Blog RankingWhoever sent me the Wikio / Autism Blog Ranking email, can you <em>PLEASE</em> re-send it? <br />
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It tripped the spam filter in my e-mail and and when I hit the "Not Spam" button, the program went and deleted it anyway! <br />
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So if you're seeing this, I'm not ignoring you. Just having software issues!Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-15663708772274339012010-10-17T15:21:00.002-04:002010-10-19T11:32:16.836-04:00On the Spectrum #94: Issue #1 / #1 Issue Redux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(click to enlarge & feel free to pass on!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-094-001Redux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="400" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-094-001Redux.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br />
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This is a updated version of issue #1 of "On the Spectrum" because the final push is on, in Michigan anyway, to address one of "On the Spectrum's" <strong>#1 <em>issues</em></strong>: <strong><u>Autism Insruance Reform</u>!</strong><br />
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As readers in Michigan may already know, autism insurance reform legislation passed the Michigan House last year and for the past several months, the legislation has had seveal hearings before the Michigan State Senate. Compelling testimony has been provided by those who attended, describing the incredible burden placed on families trying to provide treatment for their loved ones on the specturm. In addition, a strong case has been made that the state of Michigan’s economic health and recovery depends on this much needed reform. <br />
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What all of my readers in Michigan need to do now is contact <strong>Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop</strong>'s office at <strong>(517) 373-2417, </strong>ask him to move the Insurance Reform Legislation forward now, and ask at least ten of your friends to do the same! Remember to be courteous when you call, and ask for his leadership on this issue. Let him know that autism insurance coverage means a great deal to your family and is the fiscally responsible thing to do for Michigan. <br />
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<strong>There are 23 States down, and 17 to go.</strong> To anyone reading this in one of those 17 States: If you send me the info on the appropriate State Legislators, I will gladly run this again for your state once the time comes to step up the effort. And,m as always you are more than welcome to download the image above and use it in your own campaigns of mailings, if you wish to.<br />
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It's been a long road to get this far in Michigan, but progress is finally being made, both here in my home state and all over the country. Let's keep up the presure!<br />
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For more infomration, go to <a href="http://www.autismvotes.org/site/c.frKNI3PCImE/b.3909853/k.BE44/Home.htm">AustimVotes.org</a>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-31187899291581969732010-10-10T16:14:00.000-04:002010-10-10T16:14:01.833-04:00On the Spectrum #93: Who's Your Alpha, con't(click to enlarge)<br />
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You know how I mention last week that Michael had learned not to leave his food unattended where the dog could get it?<br />
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This was how he learned. LOL. (And yes, that's exactly what he said afterwards.)<br />
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Tried a little mock-impressionism with the emotional panels. Might do that some more, might not, we'll see. Let me know what you think. (Be gentle though - first time! LOL)Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-88163581304476745752010-10-03T23:19:00.004-04:002010-10-03T23:26:35.460-04:00On the Spectrum #92: Who's Your Alpha?(click to enlarge)<br />
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I assume we're not the only ones with a wanderer at meal time?<br />
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Jacob has a habit of getting up about fifty-seven times a meal. So he's always the last one finished. He's also the ONLY one who ever leaves food <em>unattended</em> (Michael's learned) so Haley pretty much knows who to camp out near at dinner time.<br />
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You'd be surprised how often this still happens. LOL<br />
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Oh, and... first appearance of <strong>Haley</strong>, our dog. We've had her since Michael was about one and a half, before we knew he was autistic, and just after Jacob was born. She's a Border Collie - Australian Cattle Dog mix. She's a good dog (apart from her table manners) but she hasn't really figured into any of the stories so far, so I've never drawn her in. (Also because she's kind of<em> hard to draw</em>! LOL)Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-84101288316606773262010-09-26T16:08:00.000-04:002010-09-26T16:08:09.062-04:00On the Spectrum #91: A Woman's Work...(click to enlarge)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-091.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><br />
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No, I'm sure he didn't understand the irony in what he'd said. He <em>is</em> pretty good at making vacuums though!<br />
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As for me, I'vs still got a lot way to go before I'm used to this new software. For one thing, I don't know how Michael ended up so much darkwer in the right hand panels. I'm <em>pretty sure</em> I was using teh same colors. Oh well. I'll keep practicing! LOLScott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-18958351972558985782010-09-19T19:30:00.003-04:002010-09-19T20:39:10.910-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/1sttry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" qx="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/1sttry.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep. Finally took the plunge and got a tablet and some decent drawing software! Unfortunately, while there are some amazing tools available, figuring them out and getting the hang of the tablet itself isn't as easy as I thought it looked. Oh well. So I don't have a full comic this week, but once I get a few things figured out, regular updates will resume. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh yeah... and just so you know, I didn't realize that Blogger was moderating everyone's comments. So yesterday I stumbled (purely by accident) across about two dozen comments (not including the spam) that were pending approval. It should be back to <em>unmoderated</em> commenting now, with a spam filter, so we'll see how that goes. In any case, if you've left a comment in the past month or so it's now been posted, along with my responses. I really appreciate everyone's feedback and stories, so thanks a bunch for your support.</div>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-86034374324880715582010-09-12T23:20:00.001-04:002010-09-18T15:44:56.461-04:00On the Spectrum #90: Family Geography(click to enlarge)<br />
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Just in case it's unclear... No, we're not <em>related</em> to Barack Obama. :) Oh, and my apologies to anyone who doesn't think what I drew looks much like them. This is harder than it looks. LOL. ;)<br />
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Needless to say, we end up doing a LOT of traveling on the holidays. Luckily the kids are really good in the car and on the plane. <em>Getting through security</em>... not so much, but they are really good considering how far we go. (We live in Michigan, and this doesn't even<em> mention</em> anyone up in Massachusetts!)<br />
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First apperance of Nana, Grandad, Uncle Mike, Aunt Lorie, Baby Cousin Paige, Auntie Lauren and Uncle Dave. (And Barack Obama.)Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-19626081738773352202010-09-06T00:04:00.000-04:002010-09-06T00:04:47.358-04:00On the Spectrum #89: Jurassic Lark(click to enlarge)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" ox="true" src="http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u339/ScottLynn-OTS/OntheSpectrum-089.jpg" width="386" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Poor Jacob! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the last of our trip to D.C. (Natural History Museam, if you couldn't tell!)</div>Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076961362299785684.post-44813295407042582010-08-30T19:43:00.001-04:002010-08-30T19:44:15.158-04:00On the Spectrum #88: National Treasures(click to enlarge)<br />
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A word of advice to the curators at the Smithsonian: If you’re going to secure a National Treasure with a fence that has an opening in it large enough for a small child to fit through, at some point a small child is going to cram himself through that opening!<br />
<blockquote>“It is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness… and exploit it.”<br />
~ General Taage</blockquote>Now how my wife got through that same ‘small, thermal exhaust shaft’ I’ll never know.<br />
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One more thing... To better understand the little joke in the first panel, please see <a href="http://otscomic.blogspot.com/2010/03/on-spectrum-71-excelsior-for-science.html">#71</a>.Scott Lynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115945738402492172noreply@blogger.com3