2-08-10

In case you missed it...

Shady makes an appearance on today's broadcast!

• The ShadyCam was LIVE and in action again on today's blog! You could tune in and watch in real time while Shady, Rosie's beloved squirrel friend, was getting nuts left for him by Rosie and the radio staff throughout the broadcast.

• Jeannie was hungover Sunday morning and a squirrel got very close to the entry way of her house. Rosie said she wants to spray-paint a hind leg of Jeannie's squirrel for her so she can tell if it's the same one returning in the future. A listener called in who was feeding chipmunks and also marked her chipmunks with spray-paint to see if they were the same ones coming back. Rosie pondered whether squirrel radio was interesting or not to listen to.

• Rosie and Janette talked about whether they listen to themselves on the radio once a show airs and Rosie admitted that she has only listened to the interviews she's done with Gayle Haggard and Christine Ebersole. Rosie's not really a fan of listening to herself on the radio (Good thing we ARE, right?)

• Rosie discussed the HBO film Temple Grandin. Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes is a true life-story about the struggles and perseverance of a woman diagnosed with Autism. Rosie called Claire's performance as Temple "epically genius." (I so agree) Rosie talked about how she knows the real Temple Grandin and when she saw her again recently at the TCA Conference Rosie gave her a huge hug and then remembered that Temple prefers to not be hugged. Rosie gave a great description of the movie and really enjoyed it.

• You can learn more about the real Temple Grandin by visiting her Autism website HERE and her work with livestock HERE. And learn more about her life and her work on Wiki HERE. Check out Temple's many wonderful books she's published HERE.

Temple Grandin Trailer

Claire Danes talks about the role

• Lou played a clip from the movie of Temple's final speech in the film at the Autism Convention and discussed how wonderful the movie was in depicting how the mind of a person with autism works. I too was so moved by this film. I tivoed it Saturday night and started watching it later that evening and was completely engrossed from the first scene. Claire Danes gave the performance of her life, in my opinion. I knew nothing of Temple and her story but I truly fell in love with the film. My son has special needs, possibly Autism, and I saw many of the things he does in Temple. They did an excellent job portraying her view of the world on screen and through watching the film I could see how MY son must see his world and why he is mesmorized by the ceiling fan, or when he studies the automatic door at the grocery, or peers into the VCR to see how it works pressing eject again and again or pulls a chair on top of him to just lay with its weight pressing up against his body for no "apparent" reason. All these quirks/questions I had were somehow explained or answered in this film. He's always been such a little mystery to me and I was crying almost immediately and through its entirety. I have heard some say that because of Temple's work, her work with cows and the slaughterhouse, that they felt like they couldn't watch the film but the story really has nothing to do with the slaughtering of cows. It has to do with a very special woman's ability to see the world in pictures and images and therefore connect with animals in a way most humans cannot. I highly recommend it.

• Rosie then talked about Blake, her youngest son who battles Auditory Processing Disorder and the progress he has made in enlarging his vocabulary. Rosie talked to a caller who's son has Autism who has been doing Brain Balance and the success she has seen with it. Rosie mentioned how her children do Eurythmy (which she explained is like yoga, designed to stimulate both sides of the brain) at the Waldorf school they attend.

• A listener called in to tell Rosie that because of her HBO documentary A Family Is A Family Is A Family her mind has been changed for the better because of it. She admitted to once believing that children of same-sex couples could not be raised with the same love as those that have been raised with both a mother and a father but now sees that that is not true. Rosie talked about how that since she has the access to speak to the public about important issues such as these that she feels that she has a responsibility. Apparently there is a "Million Mom group" saying how horrible the documentary was and that Rosie is just using HBO to "promote her agenda." Pete let Rosie know that this Million Mom group is an offshoot of The American Family Association. Rosie talked about how she aims to just "open the minds" of even one of these individuals and her unsuccessful attempt to even try to open the mind of Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

• A listener called in who discussed her struggles she continues to have with her son with autism and to remind Rosie and the listeners that all stories of Autism are not always successful. Rosie recommended the documentary The Sunshine Boy and encouraged her to keep trying. Rosie mentioned the woman Soma who practices the Rapid Prompting Method for children with autism out of Austin, Texas and the caller mentioned how much she would like to get a hold of her. Rosie encouraged her to write her a letter and stop at nothing to try and help her son.

• Rosie talked about her fight she has with her DVD player and how she found herself yelling at it. Pete described the differences between Blu-ray and typical DVDs (at which point I zoned out) and added how high def has made football games awesome! Janette said "nothing could make a football game awesome." (I knew I loved Janette)

• Google Pete's wife is a florist and he talked about how it is a very busy time for her being VALENTINE'S Day and all. Deirdre admitted she has issues with Valentine's Day and feels it's a Hallmark holiday and if you love someone you should tell them everyday. Lou and his girlfriend (who shall remain nameless) are still "hot and heavy" and he asked for Valentine's advice. Deirdre says not to give a gift yet because its only been 2 months and it's too soon. Janette and her boyfriend Barry aren't good at Valentine's Day. And Jeannie likes Valentine's Day yet felt concerned that every time she tells a story about a holiday or an event she likes it centers around food. (Oh, me too Jeannie. The only reason to go to a super-bowl party for me is the food. I usually don't ever even know, or care, who's playing!)

• Rosie then came back from commercial playing the song I Am Woman and introducing Eve Ensler. Now, I will get to the Eve Ensler interview in a moment but I must digress for a moment. The MUSIC they are choosing on this radio program is dating them. It makes me cringe when I listen. I mean, its 2010 for Pete's sake, can we not think of a better theme song for the amazing Eve Ensler than a song that was written in the 1970s! What about the amazing Pink "what happened to the dream of a girl president?" Okay, I'm better now, back to the interview.

• Rosie interviewed Eve Ensler who is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues. Eve has a new book out called I'm An Emotional Creature: The Secret Lives of Teenage Girls Around the World and Rosie read it and loved it and then gave it to her 12 year old daughter Chelsea who also loved it. Rosie and Eve talked about the many stories in the book and the revelations she makes. Eve stressed that girls should no longer apologize for being alive, passionate, awake, intense and connected to each other. She said it was a call to girls to be their true emotional selves not sans intellect but including it. In fact, Eve said without our emotional energy fueling change change will never happen in the world. Rosie read an excerpt from the book and asked Eve about her childhood. Eve admitted that she did not have a happy childhood and her father was a violent alcoholic and there was also sexual abuse going on in her home. Eve said she was "told she was having a wonderful life while she was dying inside." Eve also talked about how the crisis in the Congo has changed who she is as a person. She said witnessing what is happening to women in the Congo shattered her and yet gave her a new focus for her life at the same time. Eve talked about how many communities now put on their own performances of the Vagina Monologues and use the money to support women in their own communities. Rosie thanked Eve for her book, her work she does for women and for girls and for calling in to the show. Read more about Eve on her V-Day.org website whose mission is to end volence against women around the world HERE.

• Rosie and the studio then took many calls from listeners who shared their struggles with raising teenage girls. One caller recommended the book Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult as a good book for raising teenage girls and Rosie agreed. Jeannie, Janette and Rosie discussed whether it''s actually harder today to be a teenage girl or if it's just different. Jeannie suggested that it may just seem harder today because they're now the parents and not the children. Janette's stance was that it was harder today because of all the access to sex, texting and porn. It was quite a discussion! Rosie closed the show.