I missed this one. Monsignor Denis Faul was a towering figure in Northern Ireland. He stood astride both sides of the conflict by criticizing both. He spoke out strongly against the IRA at the height of their power. Brass ones indeed. He also had no qualms about detailing the abuses by the RUC and other instruments of state. He was a rare breed and the Irish are poorer without him. I don't think they'll see his like again.
So....the autism thing
Since April is nearly over and it's autism awareness month, I suppose I should talk a bit about it. I guess the best way to start is to rehash the story of How I Got Here. My oldest was born in 1999. Healthy, happy and so on. One peculiar thing he did as an infant was to avoid eye contact. Our doctor assured us it was because he was so young and his eyesight was undeveloped and he was probably focusing on something in the background that was more interesting. Besides, babies don't recognize faces for a few months after birth. Only later did we find out that our doctor was an idiot. He was 16 mos. old when his little brother was born and he was walking and making wishes known by pulling me or my wife by the hand to whatever he wanted etc. He was fascinated with the wheels on toys. If you gave him a truck he'd turn it over and spin the wheels and smile. Only later would I find out this is a major warning sign. This was our first born and what the hell did I know? ...
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