Melania Trump threatens to sue over video suggesting that her son has autism. Update!

Courtesy of TMZ: 

Melania Trump has hired a famous lawyer who is now threatening a lawsuit over a video suggesting her 10-year-old son, Barron, is autistic, and the letter calls out Rosie O'Donnell as a bully. 

According to the letter, obtained by TMZ, the YouTube video falsely insinuates Barron is autistic. The letter, and our sources familiar with the situation, say Barron absolutely is not autistic. 

This is the Rosie O'Donnell tweet that has angered Frau Trump.

Barron Trump Autistic? if so - what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic https://t.co/Acgy1Qxyqi via @YouTube

— Rosie (@Rosie) November 22, 2016

The letter says, "The video allegedly seeks to 'stop the bullying' of Barron Trump. Not true ... The video did instigate further bullying by Rosie O'Donnell and others." 

The video lists a number of signs it claims points to autism, including Barron clapping without slapping his hands together. Melania's attorney, Charles J. Harder, says Barron did this once -- at the end of a long day at the RNC -- but the "vast majority of the time, he claps normally." 

The "vast majority of the time, he claps normally?" Seriously?

Okay well here's the thing.

I also came out and stated that you cannot diagnose autism from a video, because you know what, you can't.  And to make these accusations without real proof is fairly nasty.

However by coming out like this publicly, and actually threatening to sue, Melania kind of gives it extra credibility.

Now I am not saying that the little Trump padawan is actually autistic or has any other mental development issues (Though with The Donald as his dad it is hard to think otherwise.), I am simply suggesting that by addressing this, and then threatening legal action, Melania is pushing this into a more public sphere and ensuring that this video is seen by many, many more people.

What is more, if the makers of the video call her bluff, and force her to take them to court, that might further embarrass the Trump family and this innocent child.

Oh and I almost forgot. This is going to be the First Family, and this is NOT how the First Family solves their problems.

Well, at least it didn't use to be.

Update: Well it looks like Melania won this one:

Melania Trump just got what she was after ... the man who posted the YouTube video suggesting Barron had autism is taking the video down. 

The guy who posted the video says, "TMZ just contacted me to tell me Melania Trump is threatening a lawsuit over this video ... I never ever meant this as a bullying video."

It appears that Rosie O'Donnell also took down her tweet which is why it will not display properly above. 

However if Melania thinks this video is gone forever, she really does not understand the internet.

Well Rosie O'Donnell might have just started another Twitter war with Donald Trump.

Barron Trump Autistic? if so - what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic https://t.co/Acgy1Qxyqi via @YouTube

— Rosie (@Rosie) November 22, 2016

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Comedian and voluble critic of President-elect Donald Trump Rosie O’Donnell kicked off a heated online controversy when she suggested on Twitter that Trump’s youngest son Barron might be autistic. 

On Tuesday, she wrote, “Barron Trump Autistic? if so – what an amazing opportunity to bring attention to the AUTISM epidemic.” The tweet contained a link to a video exploring the idea that Barron Trump might be on the autism spectrum. 

Okay first off let me just say that the Autism spectrum is so broad these days that 1 in every 68 people are considered to be included in that diagnosis.

This means that you definitely know at least one person who if properly diagnosed would be identified as Autistic to some degree.

Having said that then yes it is quite possible that not only does Donald Trump's son possibly have Autistic attributes, but so might his father.

There are plenty of people who live quite productive lives who are included in the Autism spectrum.

However there is NO mental health professional who would presume to make a diagnosis simply by watching a video.

There are a number of tests given to the person and a comprehensive questionnaire provided to his caregivers and family members to help determine if they fit the requirements to be included in the Autism spectrum.

Is Barron Trump a strange kid?

Sure, but aren't ALL of Trump's children a little off?

What do we expect from children who are parented by that orange tinted asshole?

Does he have Autism? There is no way to positively identify that without a proper diagnosis from a trained mental health professional

What Rosie O'Donnell has done here is to poke at Donald Trump knowing full well that he is itching to go after her on Twitter. I doubt this is accidental.

I also think that it is probably working, and that if Trump does not respond soon it is only because his advisers have locked him out of this Twitter account or have his tiny hands tied behind his back. 

The head of the police union explains that the North Miami cop who shot the black man was actually aiming for the autistic guy next to him playing with a toy truck. Oh, well okay then.

Courtesy of CNN: 

The police shooting of an African-American caregiver, who was lying in the street trying to help an autism patient, was accidental, according to the local police union representing the North Miami officer. 

The officer had intended to shoot the patient, whom he thought posed a danger, but accidentally shot the caregiver instead, said John Rivera, the President of the Dade County Police Benevolent Association. 

Charles Kinsey, a behavior therapist, was shot Monday by police -- an incident which has sparked outrage. Footage released by Kinsey's attorney showed his client lying on the ground holding both hands in the air, next to a 23-year-old man with autism. 

Rivera offered an explanation Thursday, saying that the police officer opened fire because he thought the white individual, whom they later learned is a man with autism, was going to harm Kinsey. 

"This wasn't a mistake in the sense that the officer shot the wrong guy or he thought that Kinsey was the bad guy," he said in a press conference Thursday.

Mr. Kinsey, that black caregiver who was shot, had this to say:  

Kinsey told WSVN that his patient was holding a toy truck, not a firearm. He said he tried to explain the situation to officers. 

Cell phone footage showed Kinsey lying in the street with his hands in the air. 

"All he has is a toy truck," he shouted. "I am a behavior therapist at a group home."

After shooting him the cops rolled him over and placed handcuffs on him.

At this point I do not even care which one of the two people the officer was firing at, because to shoot at either one of them is completely indefensible.

Look I work with clients very much like this young man with the truck, and I can tell you that they would be almost completely unable to comply with shouted requests coming from the police. 

And the more upset they got the more likely it would be that their actions appeared out of control and possibly aggressive.

Police need to have significant training in how to deal with people with disabilities or who are suffering with a mental illness or deficiency.

There is a way to calm them down and often gain their compliance, but I can guarantee it will not happen with guns drawn.

On the other hand I would like to suggest that this Mr. Kinsey be given a fucking raise and perhaps receive some kind of award or something, because that is a dedicated professional, and deserves all the recognition that he can get.

New study of 95,000 children finds, once again, no link between measles vaccinations and autism.

Former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy making another salient point about autism and measles vaccinations.

Courtesy of Vocativ:  

In a study of 95,000 children, researchers were unable to find any association between the measles, mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. The researchers also examined whether each child had a family history of autism; even for children within this high-risk category, they found no association between MMR and autism. 

Not that we needed this study to prove it—there has never been a single high-quality scientific paper to suggest a connection between vaccines and autism. Yet, over the past 15 years, numerous studies have examined vaccines and their ingredients, and consistently found them safe and effective. 

But just in case you were unable to hear the past decade of solid science over Jenny McCarthy’s shrieks, we’ll recap. Back in 2004 the Institute of Medicine examined a large body of epidemiological evidence and confirmed that the MMR vaccine did not cause autism. In 2011, the same group reviewed another eight major vaccines and found, once again, that vaccines don’t cause autism. Two years later, the CDC tracked 256 children with autism and investigated whether they had received the MMR vaccine—no connection. And we stopped even counting pro-thimerosal papers after nine studies from several countries proved that the mercury-containing chemical was entirely safe.

Okay can we FINALLY put this "controversy" to rest?

Children are dying due to misinformation about this topic, and it is vital that the truth gets out there.

Bleach enemas to cure Autism. The dangers inherent with ignorance of science.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Parents seeking help with children with autism are turning to a “miracle” cure that involves giving the children enemas, using a dangerous industrial solution used for bleaching wood pulp. 

According to If You Only News, parents have turned to Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS), containing sodium chlorite which is mixed with citric acid (i.e. orange juice) to make chlorine dioxide. According to the promoters, the solution, which can be taken orally or administered via an enema, can cure HIV, malaria, hepatitis, autism, acne, and cancer. 

Miracle Mineral Solution is the brainchild of Jim Humble, who quit the Church of Scientology to form the Genesis II Church of Health & Healing in order to promote his “miracle” cure in Africa and Mexico. 

The Food and Drug Administration disagrees with Humble’s claims and has posted a warning on their website calling the product “dangerous” and “potentially life threatening,” advising “drinking the amount recommended on product labels can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration.” 

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency warns that chronic exposure to small doses of chlorine dioxide could result in reproductive and neurodevelopmental damage, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued guidance in the use of chlorine dioxide in the workplace. 

Kerri Rivera, founder of the website CD Autism (“Autism: Avoidable. Treatable. Curable.”) which promotes MMS, claims that autism is caused by yeast, parasites, viruses, and vaccines that can be flushed from the body.

Courtesy If You Only News: 

Parents are using bleach enemas/drinks to try to cure their children of autism. They force the bleach solution into their own children orally or via enemas — both of which can cause serious health issues. Parents report their children fighting, screaming and writhing in pain. The monsters who sell the product online say it’s a miracle cure. The sane population calls it child abuse.

From one parent's Facebook page:

 This is quite literally one of the most horrific things I have every heard of, and it makes the actions of the Anti-Vaxxers pale by comparison.

In some cases these parents are giving their children several bleach enemas a day and are literally stripping the lining from their stomachs, which then shows up in their stool. A man named Andreas Kalcher has falsely identified these as "rope worms" and claims that these are among the "parasites" that this treatment flushes from their child's body.

However when tested the "worms" only contain human DNA.

I think we can all understand the desperation of parents searching frantically for something that will magically cure their children and make them behave and think normally, but what these people are doing to their children is nothing short of abusive.

If you read through the entire article at IYON you will likely come away shaken and extremely angry at the assholes who are preying on these poor parents and selling them this dangerously toxic "cure."

Sign seen in pediatrician's office.

This is becoming the new norm.

And this is not the only place that anti-vaxxers are unwelcome, they are also being asked to stay the hell away from the happiest place on earth:

It may be the happiest place on Earth, but California health officials are warning people to stay away from Disneyland unless they're vaccinated.

I myself am somebody who has avoided the flu vaccination for the last twelve years, relying on my own good health and strong natural resistance to see me through the season. And so far so good.

However as somebody who caught both measles and chicken pox as a kid I made sure my daughter got all of her shots and booster shots right on time. Because I love her.

As Americans we are famous for our independent spirit, but when our personal choices put others at terrible risk we have an obligation to put our stubbornness on hold for the good of everybody.

Simply put there is simply NO real scientifically proven connection between vaccinations and autism, despite what disgraced British doctor named Andrew Wakefield and Jenny McCarthy might have you believe.

We put chlorine in our pool water to fight bacteria, pasteurize our milk, and vaccinate our children. And we have never been healthier or safer.

And those are the facts.

Paper handed in by 2nd grader with Autism.

Well, he's not wrong.

Deranged Fox News host claims that Jim Carrey has killed more people than "all rifles combined." Wait, what?

I actually almost missed this inflammatory charge hidden in the midst of "The Five's" Greg Gutfeld's caterwauling and hair pulling over Jim Carrey's brilliant take down of the gun culture. (If you STILL haven't seen it you can see it here. And seriously, why haven't you seen it?)

Here is what he said the other day:  

GUTFELD: “He is the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth. And I hope his career is dead, and he ends up sleeping in a car the way his life began. This video only made me want to go out and only buy a gun. He thinks this is biting satire and going after rural America and a dead man. Let’s talk about Charlton Heston. Charlton Heston was one of the first actors to be behind the civil rights movement and march. What did this jackass Jim Carrey do? He was behind the anti-vaccine panic. There are what, 165,000 people that died from measles last year, according to the World Health Organization.” 

“Jim Carrey has killed more people than all the rifles combined,” Gutfeld continued. “He is a dirty, stinking coward. He is a moral coward.

"165,000 people that died from measles last year?" Gee you would kind of think that a statistic like that would have made huge news and that the nation would essentially be in a panic over such an epidemic. Why haven't we heard of this?

Oh, because it is bullshit.

What Gutfeld is all in a tizzy over is Carrey's 2008 statement's suggesting there was a link between vaccines and autism in this country, a belief that is fairly widely held, especially among parents with autistic children.

Now the science on that proved to be false, and was largely based on a now discredited study conducted by Andrew Wakefield.

However clearly Jim Carrey believed the connection was real and, believing he was doing a public service, used his fame to warn others.

Now did this cause an uptick in measles cases? Well perhaps, but it was nowhere near the number that Gutfield claims. This from the CDC concerning last year's numbers:

Each year, on average, 60 people in the United States are reported to have measles. But, in 2011, the number of reported cases was higher than usual—222 people had the disease. Nearly 40% of these people got measles in other countries, including countries in Europe and Asia. They brought the disease to the United States and spread it to others. This caused 17 measles outbreaks in various U.S. communities.

As you can see only a few hundred caught the disease, many of them while overseas, and no one apparently died from it.

Speaking of overseas, THAT is apparently where Gutfeld went to get his data:

In 2011, there were 158 000 measles deaths globally – about 430 deaths every day or 18 deaths every hour. 

Now the idea of connecting some articles on Huffington Post written by an American actor, as having contributed to thousands of deaths around the world seems like a bridge to nowhere in my mind, but hey this is Fox News, why would they be bothered with researching any of those pesky "facts.?"

However if they had, they might have learned this:

More than 95% of measles deaths occur in low-income countries with weak health infrastructures.

Yes, the outbreaks primarily happen in countries that do not have the luxury of surfing the internet to read Jim Carrey's opinion on vaccinations. Sort of hard to blame them on him, don'tcha think?

So has Jim Carrey actually "killed more people than all rifles combined?" Well unless there have been a whole lot of unreported cases of people laughing themselves to death at his movies, than no, of course not. And anybody who thinks so is an ignorant douchebag. Or watcher of Fox News, assuming there is a difference

Which brings up the question of whether this Greg Gutfeld is the MOST ignorant douchebag over at Fox News?

Well he DOES have some stiff competition....

...but I would say that right now that yes, yes he probably is the biggest douchebag at Fox News right now.

And considering the company he keeps that is really quite an accomplishment.

The power of music.

Eight year old Jacob, both blind and autistic, happened upon a street musician in downtown Lawrence, Kansas.

This is the result.

As touched as I am sure that all of you are by this video, the emotions of the musician himself were perhaps even more profound.

It was an ordinary day, walking to my regular spot to busk when I don't have a gig that night, and play music on the corner for a rotating crowd. When Jacob came over I felt excited about having another kid listen to the music. (Makes my day when kids dance to the music on the street... I already had a couple come over that day so it was already nice). However, unlike most kids that come up to me with curiosity, I felt so much energy coming off of him and I was completely overwhelmed. His hand on my leg was very powerful and about brought me to tears while playing. Not because he is blind or autistic.. but because of a connection I have never felt and one that is impossible to explain. Honestly, a feeling that came from my toes all the way up my body and surrounded me. I can't begin to explain it. I want to try to put it into words, but there is no way to tell how powerful his energy felt. 

I guess if there is a lesson here for all of us it is that many of us are also walking around blind, and in a world of our own creation. And every once in a while we stumble upon the opportunity to connect on a level that is both surprising and beautiful.  We should never let those opportunities slip away.

Sarah Palin to take to Facebook and "refudiate' Sharron Angle's attack on funding for special needs children in 1..2..3..yeah keep waiting suckers you KNOW it will never happen!

If this were Rahm Emanuel, or Nancy Pelosi, or President Obama, Palin would be banging her digits on her Blacberry as fast as she could sending texts demanding that RAM write up some vicious smackdown over their heartless attack on "our most precious Americans."

But Sharron Engle is one of her hand picked "Mama Grizzlies" so she will have to practice that famous brand of Palin hypocrisy and either ignore it altogether, or make up some lame excuse for why THIS is completely different than when Democrats do it.

Sarah addresses New York crowd about Autism as Bristol Palin doppelganger Willow Palin looks on.

I found this YouTube video on the blog Blow-Pop-Palin of our crazy ass Governor addressing a crowd in New York about Autism and just had to share it with you.

The video is very shaky so you may want to take some Dramamine before viewing it.



By the way check out the outfit that poor Letterman insulted Willow Palin is sporting.

I am sorry but if the Governor is REALLY concerned about her young daughter being sexually harassed she may want to suggest that the young teen wear some less revealing clothing.

I am just saying.

Palin press conference.

I am watching Sarah Palin giving a "policy speech" concerning increased care for special needs children if she and John McCain win the election.

I have no idea why she is talking about this today since the campaign is in serious trouble and she is scheduled to give her deposition later today to the second troopergate investigation. You would think she would be concentrating on that.

She has mentioned that her "son" has special needs almost a dozen times, and has also outed her sister's son as having autism. Why?

This whole thing seems like some kind of preemptive strike but I am not sure for what reason.

I will update this post as I learn more. But so far I am just puzzled. (I am no longer puzzled, just go to the bottom to learn the REAL reason for this speech.)

Update: I found a portion of the video. But it does not feature the bizarre portion at the beginning where Palin seemed to be struggling to make some point about Trig being her child, and how she and Todd first learned that he would be special needs, and how they have felt so blessed to have him in their lives. And also how her sister, Heather, has a special needs boy as well and how both Palin and her sister have been advocates for special needs children for over ten years. I do not believe there is any evidence of that, but I will surely check.

But anyhow here is the part of that interview where she lies about Obama taxes having an impact on special needs parents ability to save for their children's future. This is absolutely false by the way.



Update 2: Okay so like I said up above at the beginning of this post, I was very confused as to why Palin was giving her first policy speech so late in the game. It was not until I saw FOX News talking about it that I had an epiphany.

This has NOTHING to do with the McCain/Palin campaign! This is the first policy speech of the Palin 2012 campaign!

Now hear me out on this. You see the Republicans have come to realize that the McCain campaign is doomed and the time has come to start planning for the future. Many Republicans on the down tickets are treating John McCain much like they did George Bush in 2006.

Ultimately they will blame the failure of this ticket on John McCain himself. He was not a REAL Republican. He was not CONSERVATIVE enough. He was too OLD. In other words he will be thrown out with the unused election night confetti.

But Sarah Palin is a whole other matter. The spin will be that the only time the McCain campaign showed any life was when they added her to the ticket. That at least she had managed to achieve a draw in her debate with Joe Biden, while McCain lost all three of his debates. If the numbers tighten up in the end right before election night, Palin will be given the credit. And the reason given will be that America finally saw the REAL Sarah Palin in this speech today, and the ones that are sure to follow.

In other words, the Republicans will make the case that if SHE had been at the top of the ticket she could have beaten Barack Obama! IS that crazy? Hell yeah!

Will the Republican base eat it up? OH HELL YEAH!

So my friends this will be the new battle, stopping Palin from being nominated to run in 2012.

And the battlefield? Right here in Alaska, the last frontier.

Stay tuned kids this is going to get very, very interesting.