cmyk3000

Hi, I have a question I feel silly asking, but I think about it a lot so here goes. Sometimes I'm walking somewhere in public and see someone with a noticeable physical deformity, handicap or something outside the visual "norm" for lack of a better term. If we happen to lock eyes, I generally give a small smile and avert my gaze because I was just letting my eyes wander as I went about my day, not trying to stare, but I worry that they may catch my eye and think that there's some asshole staring at them. Obviously you don't speak for everyone with a physical deformity, but do you ever notice this difference? Just locking gaze with a non-asshole vs. getting stared at and getting cruel looks? I hope you do, because I never want to make someone feel uncomfortable. :( I'm happy that you are rocking at life with your lady and kids despite what happened when you were little. I hope that things work out with your job.

Edit: seeing the photos of your recovery was impactful in a way I don't know how to express. I'm so happy that you have found love and happiness and a family of your own. I can't imagine what you went through as such a little guy.

EDIT: ERMAGERD, GERLD! Thanks for the gold, mystery person! Garsh. I don't know really how to use it but I shall cherish it.

In first grade, I brought a picture book on the solar system to school for show and tell and was crestfallen when no one seemed interested. Seeing those pictures for the first time blew my mind.

They wanted you to stop going to the chapel? Like, as in the you go to participate in weekly faith-based activities?

That is an exciting description of takeoff, possibly the best one I've ever heard. I'm still floored by the fact that we've discovered how to get off our planet at all, much less dock with something in space or land on another surface. The physics and science involved are crazy. Incredible. Best of luck on your mission. :)

A Hmong survivor is interviewed and his niece (I think) translates. He recounts the horrors of several incidents of "yellow rain" showered onto the Hmong people in the early 80s in their remote villages. His account is that it was chem warfare and that people getting rained on--whole villages--would die gruesome and painful deaths shortly after exposure. RadioLab presents the man and his niece with reports that speculate the yellow rain was really bee pollen (they cite research that I can't remember, it's all in the episode) and the niece basically lets them have it that they set her and her uncle up and they aren't even listening to her uncles report and the plight of the Hmong people. There's real pain in her voice and definitely pain on behalf of her people. To be fair, RL aired the whole thing and just kinda let it be known what happened, but it went over very poorly and was controversial.

Edit: my recollection does not do the story justice. Listen to the piece or just read the account of the niece (and award winning writer, btw) of the experience, posted by /u/whosdamike