The Magical Mischief Maker®

How the Special Needs Mommy Rolls. . .

2011-12-22T10:31:00.004-05:00

It has been one he** of a week. . .one thing after another. . .Taz sick again, his surgeon trying to bill another $1K from August surgery, me sick now and major transmission problems with my car while driving out of town yesterday to drop the 9yo #ASD Tazmanian Devil with his cousin, aunt and grandma for Christmas respite care.

In other words, just an average week in our house where we live according to Nianya's Law:

If anything can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment.

So Taz has been bugging me for an Annoying Orange for Christmas and it isn't called the "Annoying" orange for nothing. . .see for yourself

Needless to say, I don't want one in the house. I've already got a Tazmanian Devil, I don't need an annoying orange.

Yes, yes, I know, he's special needs and we special needs mommies will do anything for our kids. . .we'll almost anything.

A couple of weeks ago, just to assuage my mommy guilt, I looked for one on Amazon. Nada, nothing available for prime shipping and I refuse to pay shipping to a non-Amazon seller. Then, Dh got Daddy guilt and actually walked into a Toys R Us (OMG taboo in our house) and looked for it there. Nothing nada.

So when Taz asked about it a couple of days ago, I told him Santa could not find any. He said "get real Mom, they have them at Toys R Us, they said so on TV." I said "no they don't we checked."

In the meantime, Taz had another bad asthma attack, got a sinus infection and another bout of recurring eczema that makes all the skin peal off his fingers. . .need I go on.

On the way out of town yesterday, I decided to search Amazon one more time. Again, just to get past my mommy guilt.

Low and behold they had one available for free 2-day ship if I ordered it before 5pm. But can't have it shipped to aunt's address from my cell phone, so had to wait until we got back home to order it.

Needless to say, after the car broke down on the freeway, we had it towed 60 miles, left it out of town and got a rental, we did not get home till very late. So no annoying orange. . .

Or so I thought, mommy guilt kicked back in this morning and I got back on Amazon, found the last annoying orange that was available for shipping before Christmas and paid the $3.99 overnight charge to have it sent to Taz's aunt with instructions to wrap the da** thing and mark it from Santa.

This is how we roll. . .special needs mommy guilt assuaged!

Nianya

P.S. Off to the Dollar Store today to stock up on Tylenol. I'm going to need it for my headaches when that orange comes back home after Christmas.

P.P.S. Taz got his Annoying Orange in his Christmas stocking. Now he knows there really is a Santa Claus.

Amateur treasure hunter finds Viking king's silver. . .

2011-12-15T17:12:00.001-05:00

Fascinating story. Nothing like buried treasure with old history attached.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Darren Webster, a metal detector enthusiast, stopped by a field near Canforth, northern England, to practice his hobby and uncovered a hoard of silver Viking treasure buried three feet (0.9 meters) below the earth, The (London) Times reported Thursday.

The 201 silver objects -- including 27 coins, 10 arm-rings, six brooch fragments, two finger rings, a fine wire braid and 14 ingots -- were put on display at the British Museum.

When the exact value of the silver hoard is calculated next year, Webster will be allowed to keep half of its value under the UK's Treasure Act, with the owner of the field, who wished to remain anonymous, taking the other half.
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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The Autism Question

2011-12-15T12:01:00.009-05:00

What is Autism?

You can Google that phrase and find thousands of instant answers, all except the one you'll need when your teen is sitting with a group at school, who don't know she's autistic, and they ask that question.

In a perfect world her response should be "Ask me, not the group. I'm the expert, because I'm the one who's autistic." But this isn't a perfect world and she's not ready for that yet.

So instead, I find myself Googling "How to talk to school kids about autism". . .and needless to say, that search was useless. All I get are expert opinions on How to Talk to an Autistic Child. . .ummm figured that out long ago.

So I try searching "How to talk to Normal school kids about autism". . .and I get nothing but "advice" about autistic children attending Normal schools.

And let's face it, we autistic parents hate the word Normal because our kids are not Abnormal or Different, they are just autistic.

I could keep searching for days and not find any useful information on how my teen should handle this situation, so I'm crying uncle after only two useless searches.

I've always been a firm believer that you can Google anything. Now, I'm amending that opinion to: you can Google anything but useful information on how to deal with questions like these from your autistic child.

That said, I just went with my gut instinct. I told my teen that the next time her classmates start discussing autism and asking questions, she should just tell them to "Ask my mother" she's autistic and so is my little brother.

Almost 16yo Jessie's response to that suggestion was "Won't they figure out that I'm autistic too?" and I replied, "probably, but would that be so bad?"

That's what we are working toward in our house. "Coming out from under the safety blanket of autism." I'm sick and tired of hiding under that blanket and hoping that no one, outside of teachers and therapists, equates the word "Autistic" with our family.

There is such a thing as being too safe, living in too much of a bubble and not facing the world and its realities.

The safety blanket was necessary when my autistic children were very young, because I like all parents want to protect my children from as much as possible.

The safety blanket, however, no longer works for my high school student and it isn't going to help in college and beyond.

I want my teen to embrace who she is and be as comfortable as possible in her own skin.

It isn't easy being autistic but Jessie has some amazing talents that normal kids can only dream of, so why should she hide under a blanket and pretend autism doesn't exist.

Nianya

P.S. For those with young autistic children, there really are autism blankets which are weighted to help meet children's sensory needs and provide a cozy, calm, safe feeling. Just Google Autism Blanket and you'll get tons of options.

iCaughtSanta.com Add Santa to your home photos

2011-12-14T21:25:00.001-05:00

Very nice idea, though if my kids were still young enough, I could just photoshop Santa into my own pic for free. Good price for those who don't have photoshop.

Amplify’d from app.socialspark.com

$11 for 4 Custom Images and a Video of Santa in your Home! ($25 value, save 55%)

About iCaughtSanta.com

visit the site: http://www.icaughtsanta.com/socialspark/

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via email, Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can send this to friends and loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself.
Read more at app.socialspark.com

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Codecademy - Learn to program for free

2011-11-29T09:53:00.001-05:00

Love this idea!

Amplify’d from money.cnn.com

Codecademy says it can turn anyone into a Web programmer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- It's a tough economy out there, but there's at least one skill in high demand: programming.

Industry veterans insist that almost anyone can master the basics of software coding. Now, a pair of entrepreneurs have teamed up to test that idea with a company called Codecademy, which aims to make learning to program simple and fun.

"Coding is going to be the literacy of the 21st Century, and we think we have the easiest way to do it," says co-founder Zach Sims.

"It's totally different from books that are one-way learning experiences," he says. "We think it should be more interactive, more fun than something in a book, where you read for half an hour and then you go code."

Right now, everything on Codecademy is free. Users receive badges and points for completing lessons. The site currently has four multi-part courses available -- a "coding 101" class and three JavaScript trainers -- but it hopes to ramp up quickly. Launched in June, the New York-based site has already attracted $2.5 million in a funding round led by Union Square Ventures and is a graduate of Y Combinator, one of Silicon Valley's most closely watched incubators.
Read more at money.cnn.com

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Items in '12 Days of Christmas' now top $100K

2011-11-28T17:14:00.001-05:00

Think maybe it's time to get back to the true meaning of Christmas?

Amplify’d from www.accessatlanta.com

Items in '12 Days of Christmas' now top $100K

PITTSBURGH — The price of partridges, pear trees and turtle doves has spiked, pushing the cost of every item mentioned in the carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" above $100,000 for the first time.

Holding mostly steady this year: maids-a-milking, ladies dancing, lords-a-leaping and gold rings.

The 364 items repeated across all the song's verses would cost $101,119, an increase of 4.4 percent over last year, according to the annual Christmas Price Index compiled by PNC Wealth Management. The broader government Consumer Price Index increased by 3.9 percent over the same period.

"The story in general is wages are still a very sluggish part of this economy," said Dunigan, who noted that the price of eight maids-a-milking at minimum wage was $58 — the same as in 2009.

But last-minute shoppers who turn to the Internet may be in for some surprises. The core list that costs about $24,000 in stores will come to $39,860 online — a whopping 16.1 percent increase over Internet prices last year. Dunigan said the high cost of shipping live birds explains some of the difference.
Read more at www.accessatlanta.com

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Frosty arrested - End of the World as we know it!

2011-11-27T14:32:00.001-05:00

Amplify’d from www.accessatlanta.com

'Frosty the Snowman' arrested at Maryland parade

CHESTERTOWN, Md. — Who says "Frosty the Snowman" has to be jolly?

A man in a "Frosty the Snowman" costume was arrested Saturday during the annual Christmas parade in Chestertown, on Maryland's Eastern Shore. He's accused of scuffling with police and kicking at a police dog.

Walsh told The Associated Press that he has dressed as Frosty in the parade for at least 10 years. He says he was wrongfully arrested. He says an officer hassled him after he remarked about the police dog's presence. He says he became agitated only after getting arrested.
Read more at www.accessatlanta.com

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Jobs by Horoscope. . .

2011-11-26T09:34:00.001-05:00

Better than waiting in long lines to apply I suppose. . .

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Scorpios and Virgos Need Not Apply

Experience and skills are secondary when it comes to hiring by one Chinese firm. What matters most is your celestial sign.

“We don’t want Scorpios or Virgos, and Capricorns, Pisces and Libras will be prioritized,” reads ad posted at a university in the city of Wuhuan, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported.

According to the Telegraph, the company, which does English-language training, believes that Scorpios are moody and have overpowering personalities, while Virgos are overly critical and constantly changing jobs.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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How to save you credit score on Black Friday. . .

2011-11-25T19:20:00.001-05:00

Two Words: DON'T SHOP!

It's not rocket science. It's just good sense.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

7 Ways to Save Your Credit Score on Black Friday

Overspending on gifts around the holidays isn’t something uncommon. In fact, with high lines of credit available to consumers, credit card companies are doing everything they can to ensure that we overspend.

In a society that oftentimes requires individuals to borrow, one’s credit score is increasingly an important number. Companies use algorithms to calculate how much credit an individual can obtain. With recent dips in the economy and foreclosures on the rise, many people are wondering if there are a few easy ways to improve their credit scores? Here are my seven top tips:

1. Pay bills on time

2. Don’t go crazy over the holidays

3. Keep yourself under 50% of available credit

4. Credit card deals aren’t really "deals"

5. Get help if you are having trouble

6. Get on a budget

7. Get a copy of your credit report
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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Camping Out for Black Friday

2011-11-20T19:13:00.001-05:00

Case in point: Some of us have to work the two weeks before the Big Event and no doubt will easily earn more money than we could save on anything by camping out in front of a store for two weeks before Black Friday. Just saying.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Black Friday Hours Create Employee Revolt

Case in point: Tito Hernandez, who has been camping in a tent outside of a St. Petersburg, Fla., Best Buy store since last Monday. You read that right, last Monday, nearly two weeks before the big day.

"Definitely having fun here," Hernandez said with a smile. "Looking to save some money and get some good deals."

And are those bargains really worth all the crowds and chaos? Turns out, you may actually be better off waiting. According to Consumer Reports, last year more than a quarter of the most popular electronics were marked down in the two weeks after Black Friday.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Surviving Thanksgiving #ASD, #ADHD

2011-11-18T15:18:00.001-05:00

This is why we leave town for a just the 4 of us get away each Thanksgiving; no relatives, a hotel with maid service and breakfast and no meals to cook or clean. Also fun stuff out to do besides the wasted Black Friday shopping. I'm a bigger fan of Cyber Monday.

With special needs kids, it's the only way to go!

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Surviving the Relatives This Thanksgiving

Honestly, I don’t know how we all do it over the holidays — with a smile no less — even when the guests are oh-so-annoying, the visiting toddler grinds cracker crumbs into the carpet, the tween refuses to eat anything she’s served and the uncle falls asleep on the couch, snoring loudly.

There will be squabbling cousins, know-it-all brothers-in-law, aunts who can’t resist criticizing your cooking and bored teens who make it clear they would rather be anywhere else. Let’s not forget the vegetarians, vegans and picky eaters who make every meal a challenge. Never mind what we think gatherings should be like. The reality is young kids are discombobulated by travel, unfamiliar surroundings and too much sugar; grown-ups are discombobulated by travel, overeating and over-drinking.

HIDE THE GLASS ANIMALS,

STOCK UP ON APPLE JUICE,

CREATE A KIDS’ HANGOUT AREA,

GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE HOUSE

SET THE GROUND RULES.

LEAVE THE EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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Economy Down Heels Up. . .

2011-11-17T12:12:00.001-05:00

I wonder if the reason isn't more that higher heels make women feel taller and feel like they have more of a "leg up" in down times. . .they come across as stronger in a weak economy.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

High Heels for a Down Economy?

A look back at decades of shoe fashion research reveals that high heels soared during the worst recessions. “Usually in an economic downturn, heels go up and stay up as consumers turn to more flamboyant fashions as a means of fantasy and escape,” says Dr. Trevor Davis, a consumer products expert with IBM Global Services.

The average heel height today is six inches, more than double what it was the 1970s.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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No more Gmail app for Blackberry

2011-11-10T22:20:00.001-05:00

Shame on Google. . .normally I support them whole-heartedly, since I used Gmail, Picasa, Blogger, Google+, Google Calendar, you name it.

Luckily I have a Droid not, but my husband still uses a Blackberry as do many we know and he uses Gmail exclusively.

Very Bad Move Google!

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Gmail to Stop Providing Email App for BlackBerry

Google has offered a free app that BlackBerry users can download to read their Gmail on the go, but it has now announced that as of Nov. 22, it will stop. No more downloads, no more technical support if you already have the app. The app will still work if you have it (go to http://m.google.com/mail on your handheld if you still want to get it), but Google says it would prefer you just use the browser on your handheld instead. (Just go to http://www.gmail.com. It’s slow but it works.)
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Call it Black Thursday. . .

2011-11-10T11:24:00.001-05:00

Good news for those who overindulge at the Thanksgiving table this year. . .just put your sweats and track shoes on and head over to WalMart for a marathon sprint beginning, not Friday, by Thursday night. Just make sure you burn more calories than bucks.

Amplify’d from money.cnn.com

Wal-Mart unveils Black Friday circular: See the deals

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- They may as well call it Black Thursday. Joining a slew of other national retailers, Wal-Mart said it too will open its doors nationwide on Thanksgiving night.

Starting at 10 p.m., Wal-Mart is offering doorbuster deals on toys, clothes and home accessories like $5 Barbies marked down from $19, jeans for less than $10, children's pajamas sets for $4.47 and a Black & Decker Coffeemaker for $9.44.

Then at midnight, the retailer said it will begin discounting electronics as well. Deals include a Samsung 51-inch plasma TV for $498 down from $649, a Kodak 14 megapixel camera for $49 and a Magellan GPS for $69, marked down from $89.
Read more at money.cnn.com

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Christmas Tree "Tax". . .

2011-11-09T13:15:00.001-05:00

This borders on the issue of separation of church and state. . .but no worries in my house, since we already stick to hypo-allergenic, non-flammable artificial trees that we can reuse year after year and don't have to water.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Starting today, the government is imposing a 15-cent fee on most fresh-cut Christmas trees, but before critics compare President Obama to the Grinch, officials want to explain this is a growers’ arrangement to boost tree sales. And they insist it is not a “tax.”

As the holidays approach, imported fresh trees will be assessed as they cross the border, and American growers will ante up in February for each fresh-cut Christmas tree sold. Small growers and all-organic tree farms will be exempt.

The money all goes to a marketing board being set up for the tree growers’ industry, just like the “Got Milk” dairy marketing campaign and the beef industry’s “What’s for Dinner” commercials, both examples of what officials call highly successful advertising efforts which boosted sales and consumption.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Macy's to open at midnight Thanksgiving Day

2011-10-31T12:27:00.001-04:00

Personally, I will be snuggled up asleep at midnight and saving my money for Cyber Monday shopping in my bunny slippers . . .get real folks there will be better sales later. You can get a coffee maker today at Sam's Club for less than 40% off Macy's midnight Black Friday price.

Amplify’d from www.ajc.com

Macy's to open at midnight Thanksgiving Day

NEW YORK — Macy's Inc. says it will open all of its namesake stores at midnight following Thanksgiving for the first time, becoming the latest retailer to extend hours on the traditional kickoff to the holiday season.

Target Corp. announced Friday that it was also opening its doors at midnight for the first time ever and will be offering Black Friday specials starting at that time. It also plans to stay open 23 hours. Last year, the discounter had opened its stores at 4 a.m.

"People want to shop through the night," said Martine Reardon, Macy's executive vice president of marketing. She noted the expanded hours were in response to customers' requests.

Reardon also offered a sneak peak at some of the deals shoppers can find starting at midnight following their turkey dinner: 40 percent off select coffee makers, tea kettles and espresso makers, and a $65 Justin Bieber limited-edition fragrance gift set, which includes a 3.4 ounce eau de parfum spray and the singer's new holiday CD. Macy's is also discounting Rampage boots to $19.99, down from $49 to $59.
Read more at www.ajc.com

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Don't Let Food Allergies Make Your Halloween Scary

2011-10-28T12:33:00.001-04:00

As a mother of a child with milk and wheat allergies, I'm glad to see a story about how to get through Halloween. We face the same dilemma on other holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines and Easter, especially with the schools where parents bring in home baked treats and goodie bags. It isn't easy!

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Don't Let Food Allergies Make Your Halloween Scary

Here are some tips and strategies that may help to reduce the risks during Halloween if you have children and adolescents with food allergies or asthma:

• Discard foods, candies, sweets that have been prepared in neighbor’s or friends homes.

• If food or candy is not wrapped with labels, take a pass. And when in doubt, throw it out!

• Before the Halloween holiday, consider pre-giving “safe” snacks to your friends and neighbors ahead of time for your child. This will help you and your child feel more comfortable and at ease.

• Instead of giving out only food and candies, consider having alternatives: themes, games, pumpkin carving and costumes.

• Did you know that smaller sized candy for Halloween may contain different ingredients than their regular sized counter parts?

• Teach your child to politely say no to home baked cakes and cookies, especially when the ingredients cannot be 100 percent confirmed.

• Have an early pre-Halloween dinner for your child with a food allergy. This may help to reduce temptation to try unknown or un-labeled foods.

• Keep safe snacks on hand and with you.

• Bring emergency medications such as asthma inhalers if prescribed, during trick or treating events. Remember, asthma can be a risk for more severe reactions to food allergens. Have an asthma action plan in place for optimal control now, and throughout the year.
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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eBook lending: Libraries go digital

2011-10-26T10:43:00.002-04:00

Can't wait for our local library to start up their ebooks. This is a great resource and it avoids all the hassles with lost books. I actually had to replace a book for a public school library which my son supposedly checked out but never brought home. He loves my Kindle so ebooks are it for us.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

eBook lending: Libraries go digital

(CNN) -- Board a bus or a train today and chances are you'll see several people with eReaders in hand. While most probably bought their electronic books on a popular website, you may find a few who borrowed the paperless books from the library.

While the majority of eBooks sold today are bought by individual readers, a growing number of the paperless books are winding up in public library catalogs.
Read more at www.cnn.com

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Jack the Cat Found at JFK Airport

2011-10-26T10:18:00.001-04:00

Finally some feel good news!

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Jack the Cat Found at JFK Airport

Jack the cat, who has been missing for over seven weeks after getting lost in the American Airlines baggage check area at New York’s JFK airport, has been found.

“American Airlines is happy to announce that Jack the Cat has been found safe and well at JFK airport. American’s team of airport employees have been focused on the search effort since Jack escaped on August 25, 2011. Jack was found in the customs room and was immediately taken by team members to a local veterinarian. The vet has advised that Jack is doing well at present,”

a statement on the airline’s Facebook page read.

Jack’s owner, Karen Pascoe, was immediately informed Tuesday that her pet was found, and according to the statement American will fly Jack to California to be reunited with his owner.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Facebook Friend Numbers Linked to Brain Size

2011-10-19T09:13:00.001-04:00

In other words, having lots of friends on FB gives you a swelled head. . .hmmm wonder what having thousands of followers on Twitter does?

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Facebook Friend Numbers Linked to Brain Size

The more Facebook friends you have, the bigger bits of your brain are, British neuroscientists say.

Using brain imaging, researchers from University College London found that brain areas linked to social skills were larger in college students with sprawling social networks than in Facebook users with fewer friends. The team also found a strong correlation between the size of students’ online and offline social circles.

“Online social networks are massively influential, yet we understand very little about the impact they have on our brains,” study co-author Geraint Rees said in a statement. “This has led to a lot of unsupported speculation that the Internet is somehow bad for us.”

Indeed, some experts fear the Internet is slowly draining its users’ intellect and imagination. But its effects on cognitive and social development remain largely unknown.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Senator: Halt Ban on Over-Counter Asthma Inhaler

2011-10-18T18:40:00.001-04:00

HFA prescription inhalers are three or more times expensive than the prior generic CFC inhalers and many asthma sufferers cannot afford them. Until they get a generic HFA inhaler on the market the cost may be prohibitive.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

DeMint Tries to Halt Ban on Over-the-Counter Asthma Inhaler

Sen. Jim DeMint is trying to stop the federal government from banning a popular over-the-counter asthma inhaler, introducing an amendment that would yank funding for the ban set to go into effect in January.

The Food and Drug Administration rule would take off the shelves the epinephrine asthma inhaler known as Primatene Mist. The product is currently the only FDA-approved over-the-counter inhaler and is being banned because it uses something called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as a propellant -- the substance is considered harmful to the ozone layer.

In lieu of Primatene Mist, the FDA has suggested users of the product get a prescription for sanctioned inhalers, such as those that use an "environmentally friendly" propellant known as HFA.

A group called the National Campaign to Save CFC Asthma Inhalers has also complained that some people will end up finding out they need a prescription in the middle of an attack, adding that many asthma sufferers prefer Primatene Mist to other products.
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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Facebook 'social energy' app tracks kw usage

2011-10-17T12:51:00.001-04:00

Get Real FB!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Facebook, OPOWER partner on 'social energy' app

(CNN) -- Add energy consumption to the laundry list of things you can share with online friends on Facebook.

The hope is to get friends to compete against each other to use less energy, and to hold each other accountable for energy-use-reduction goals, said Ogi Kavazovic, a spokesman for OPOWER.

"A person in London could compete in energy usage with a person in California," he said.

A feature called "Friend Rank" lets Facebook friends see who in their social network uses the least energy per day. Another lets the app's users compare themselves to people who have similar-sized homes. The app also will let people compare their energy use with the Facebook community at large.
Read more at www.cnn.com

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Kids as young as 4 can have ADHD

2011-10-17T08:54:00.001-04:00

They can show the symptoms even younger than that, but it's very hard to distinguish between a hyper toddler and a child with ADHD.

Amplify’d from thechart.blogs.cnn.com

Kids as young as 4 can have ADHD

The American Academy of Pediatrics has broadened its guidelines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, expanding the age range for diagnosis and treatment to ages 4 through 18.

While the previous guidelines, from 2000 and 2001, targeted children ages 6 to 12, the new report covers children from preschool to the end of high school. This is based on recent evidence that supports including preschool children and adolescents in ADHD diagnosis and treatment management.

Although Posner views the guidelines for preschoolers positively, Dr. Claudia Gold, a pediatrician and child mental health, expert is concerned that they will lead to more overdiagnosis and overmedication in the preschool group. In fact, a 2010 study found that there are already nearly 1 million children with a misdiagnosis of ADHD. In her opinion, below age 6 is too soon for ADHD medications.
Read more at thechart.blogs.cnn.com

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Free Apps Turn an Android Into Apple iPhone 4S

2011-10-14T14:02:00.001-04:00

Dude get a Droid!

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

6 Free Apps to Turn an Android Phone Into an Apple iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S and its new iOS 5 operating system offer a host of new features, including Siri voice control, a Cards app for sending paper greetings in the mail, Reminders that help keep you up-to-date, and Find my Friends for tracking people down. Fortunately, Android users don’t have to feel left out, as there are a host of third-party apps that bring this functionality to Google’s mobile OS.

But Postagram, a free app that’s available in the Android Market, been providing this very service for quite some time now—and at a cheaper rate, too. For 99 cents per Postagram sent, you choose a photo to mail and the service prints the image out on thick, glossy photo paper at a 300 dpi resolution, which pops out of the card as a 3 x 3 inch print. You can even add a custom 140-character message along with the photo if you wish.

Cards Alternative: Postagram

Siri Alternative: Vlingo

Tell Vlingo to “Text Chris; Where are you?” or “Find French restaurants,” then sit back and watch as it does exactly what you want. Get the app for free on the Android Market.

iMessage Alternative: Whatsapp Messenger

Ditch your carrier’s exorbitant SMS plans and send messages, pictures, audio notes, and video messages over 3G or Wi-Fi with the free Whatsapp Messenger. Like BlackBerry Messenger (and iMessage), the app lets you know when your note has been sent and exactly when the person on the other end has seen it.

Reminders Alternative: Astrid Tasks

Astrid Tasks is the most popular to-do list for Android, and its best add-on feature is Astrid Locale. The app contains powerful organization tools to begin with—reminders, list organization, deadlines, sorting, and audio or vibration alerts—but Astrid Locale throws in the last essential—location-based tasks—into the mix. The only downside is having to shell out $1.49 for the upgrade.
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Money Can't Buy Love. . .

2011-10-13T11:27:00.001-04:00

It shouldn't take a University to figure this out. Less can always be more. God always give you what you Need, not what you think you Want!

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Can't Buy Love: Materialism Kills Marriages

Focusing too heavily on the "for richer" part of the nuptial vows could spell disaster for a marriage, according to research published today by Brigham Young University.

"Our study found that materialism was associated with spouses having lower levels of responsiveness and less emotional maturity. Materialism was also linked to less effective communication, higher levels of negative conflict, lower relationship satisfaction, and less marriage stability," said Jason Carroll, a BYU professor of family life in Provo, Utah, and lead author of the study.

The Things That Money Just Can't Buy

"People who are materialistic tend to be narcissistic and concerned with impressing people,"

"They have a tendency to be anxious, depressed, have relatively poor relationship skills and have low self-esteem.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Columbus Day: 5 Things You Didn’t Know

2011-10-10T12:32:00.001-04:00

Fun Facts

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Columbus Day: 5 Things You Didn’t Know

1. When the Columbus Day Holiday Began

But the first known Columbus Day celebration in the U.S. took place in New York City in 1792, long before it became a national holiday.

Columbus’ Journal Was Intended for an Audience

In that sense, it’s entirely possible that these journals were embellished, with some facts manipulated in Columbus’ favor.

Columbus’ Bones Are Still Shrouded in Mystery

It’s still unclear where Columbus’ bones were finally laid to rest.

Pope Rejected Bid for Columbus’ Sainthood

In 1882 the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s fraternity, supported Italian Americans who rallied for Columbus to be recognized as a saint because they said he had brought Christianity to the Indians. Pope Leo XIII, however, rejected that request because Columbus had an illegitimate son with Beatriz Enríquez de Harana, his mistress.

Columbus Brought Citrus to the New World

In 1493, the year of Columbus’s second voyage, he brought citrus fruit seeds to the West Indies and the trees ended up in the West Indies, Mexico, and Florida.
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Amazon Tablet Launch!

2011-09-26T10:31:00.002-04:00

If it's up to Amazon's usual standards and $250 or less, I'm there.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Amazon's Wednesday Tablet Launch a Threat to Apple's iPad, Analysts Say

Amazon.com, which revolutionized reading with its Kindle e-reader, is expected to unveil a tablet computer this week that analysts say will seriously challenge Apple's market dominating iPad.

It will be a 7-inch device with a full color, touch screen, run on Google's Android software and cost $250, the blog said, well below the price of the least expensive iPad.

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New #Facebook Changes #dislike

2011-09-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

Good thing I already had my Google+ set up and ready to go. . .thanks for giving me the push Facebook. I decide who's most important in my life, I want a chronological timeline/news feed and ' "if I want to hide posts from someone, I will.” '

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Facebook Changes Look — and Everyone Hates New Ticker

Take a look at your Facebook page today, and let us know if you laughed or smashed your screen. Facebook has changed its look, adding a “top story” listing of the newest postings by your online friends, and the reaction is … well, not warm.

The” top stories” on each person’s page, automatically generated by Facebook, are marked with a with a blue triangle. But some users are already taking exception to being told what they should consider the highest priority posts from their friends. One annoyed comment on the Facebook blog: “Quite frankly I don’t want Facebook deciding who is most important in my life. I want my news feed to just go chronologically and if I want to hide posts from someone, I will. Stop changing.”

“News Feed will act more like your own personal newspaper,” said Tonkelowitz. “You won’t have to worry about missing important stuff. All your news will be in a single stream with the most interesting stories featured at the top.”

The “top story” on my own page was a one-liner from an old college friend: “Packing my FB bags and headed for Google+. This sucks.”

Actually, it will now be easier for him to do that. Google+, the social-networking service Google launched over the summer, is now open to anyone who wants to join. In its start-up phase, one could only join if invited by someone who already belonged. The strategy worked: in its first month Google+ claimed 20 million members.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Is Overweight the New Normal Weight?

2011-09-17T09:46:00.001-04:00

This is the second time in a week that Foxnews has posted a photo showing an individual on a scale weighing less than 100 pounds in association with an article on obesity.

Even in kilos the photo shows a person weighing only 132 pounds and I'm pretty sure the scale isn't measured in stones, which would equate to 840 pounds.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Is Overweight the New Normal Weight?

A new report issued last week warned us that, if trends in the U.S. waistline continue as they are, 50 percent of our population would be obese by 2030. There are many reasons why overweight and obesity are such problems right now. Some research suggests that we’ve grown more comfortable being overweight and that being overweight has become “normal,” while being of an ideal weight may appear to be “underweight.”

While national surveys show that 67 percent of Americans are overweight or obese, a new survey of 1,000 Americans by Russell Research commissioned by Pollock Communications, showed only 52 percent of Americans believe they are overweight. This lack of reality around body weight and diet is considered to be one of the many barriers in the nation’s growing obesity epidemic. We’ve become more “numb” to overweight and obesity because it’s everywhere; a person who is of normal weight actually appears to be the one who doesn’t fit in anymore.
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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Health care billing reform or insurance nightmare?

2011-09-14T20:32:00.001-04:00

Somehow I don't think this is going to help!

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Walked Into a Lamppost? Hurt While Crocheting? Help Is on the Way

New Medical-Billing System Provides Precision; Nine Codes for Macaw Mishaps

Today, hospitals and doctors use a system of about 18,000 codes to describe medical services in bills they send to insurers. Apparently, that doesn't allow for quite enough nuance.

A new federally mandated version will expand the number to around 140,000—adding codes that describe precisely what bone was broken, or which artery is receiving a stent.

It will also have a code for recording that a patient's injury occurred in a chicken coop. (See code.)

Some codes could seem downright insulting: R46.1 is "bizarre personal appearance (see code)," while R46.0 is "very low level of personal hygiene (see code)."

It's not clear how many klutzes want to notify their insurers that a doctor visit was a W22.02XA, "walked into lamppost, initial encounter" (or, for that matter, a W22.02XD, "walked into lamppost, subsequent encounter").

Why are there codes for injuries received while sewing, ironing, playing a brass instrument, crocheting, doing handcrafts, or knitting—but not while shopping, wonders Rhonda Buckholtz, who does ICD-10 training for the American Academy of Professional Coders, a credentialing organization.
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SpongeBob makes Preschoolers Slower Thinkers

2011-09-12T10:49:00.001-04:00

You have to wonder. . .it's on all the time and it can't be good when your going on 16yo still watches the show with her 9yo brother.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Watching SpongeBob Squarepants Makes Preschoolers Slower Thinkers, Study Finds

He may be one of the longest-running, best-loved cartoons in Nickelodeon history, but SpongeBob SquarePants is getting no love from child psychologists.

According to research published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, watching fast-paced cartoons like SpongeBob, even for just a few minutes, hinders abstract thinking, short-term memory and impulse control in preschoolers.

Study authors note that it's hard to say what it was about the adventures of this friendly kitchen sponge that seemed to have such an immediate negative effect on kids, but they suspected it was the fantastical events and rapid pacing of the show. By contrast, the PBS show was slower and exhibited real life events about a preschool-age boy.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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More News About the Origin of Autism

2011-09-08T22:40:00.001-04:00

I have to take issue with this study, since I have a boy and a girl with autism, neither has an enlarged brain and neither has an improperly functioning immune system. It's genetic. We're not looking for a cure, we need treatments and services, which we pay for OOP because we can't get them any other way.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

More News About the Origin of Autism

Researchers at the UC Davis’s MIND Institute have been studying the brain growth, environmental exposure and genetic make-up of 350 children since 2006 as part of the Autism Phenome Project.

So far, they have identified two different strains of autism. One group of children--all boys--had enlarged brains, and most regressed into autism within 18 months, while another group all appeared to have improperly functioning immune systems that contributed to their autism.
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Weight Watchers Members Lose Twice as Much

2011-09-08T09:25:00.001-04:00

I've been a WW advocate for nearly 16 years, so I love these types of stories. It's not a diet, it's a way of life.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Weight Watchers Members Lose Twice as Much Weight as Other Dieters

Weight Watchers' approach to dieting seems to tighten the belt more than other approaches to weight loss, according to a new study published in the Lancet.

The new research, which was funded by Weight Watchers International but conducted by the U.K. Medical Research Council, compared 772 overweight and obese adults in Australia, Germany and the U.K. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 12 months of standard health care or a 12-month free membership to Weight Watchers.

"Our studies didn't compare different commercial weight-loss programs, but did test the general concept of whether the various schemes available might work better than the current standard care," Dr. Susan Jebb, lead author of the study, said during a presentation at the International Congress on Obesity. "Regardless of which commercial program people opt for, it's having a weekly weigh-in and support that seems to work. People are more likely to stick at it."
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Apple loses another iPhone prototype in another bar

2011-09-01T08:56:00.001-04:00

Was it perhaps an iBar?

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Again? Apple reportedly loses another iPhone prototype in another bar

(CNN) -- Here's a theory: Maybe there's some sort of connection between drinking and losing things?

Exhibit A: Last year, an Apple employee reportedly left a pre-release version of the iPhone 4 in a German beer hall in Silicon Valley. The gadget blog Gizmodo proceeded to buy the phone for $5,000 and splashed the details all over the Internet.

And exhibit B: Another Apple employee this summer appears to have left a prototype iPhone in a Mexican bar and restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District, according to a report on Wednesday from the tech site CNET.
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Introducing the Apple iPlank

2011-09-01T08:46:00.001-04:00

Next time try eBay!

Amplify’d from blogs.ajc.com

Introducing the Apple iPlank

The Smoking Gun provides the details: Ashley McDowell, from Spartanburg, S.C., was at the fast food restaurant when two men asked her if she wanted to buy an iPad. They showed her a brand new iPad and told her they’d give her one just like it for $300.

She talked them down to $180 and they gave her a FedEx box from the trunk of their Impala.

Lo and behold, when she opened the box, she found out she was an iDiot.

Instead of a much-beloved tablet computer, she was the proud owner of a piece of wood painted black and adorned with Apple and Best Buy stickers.

See more at blogs.ajc.com

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Boy ‘too noisy to play outside’

2011-08-30T05:38:00.001-04:00

If an average 4yo is too noisy I can only imaging what they would say about my #ASD 9.5yo Tazmanian Devil. Absolutely ridiculous!

Amplify’d from www.iol.co.za

Boy ‘too noisy to play outside’

Like most boys his age, Alfie Lansdell can spend hours playing happily in his garden.

But playtime could soon be over for the boisterous four-year-old after a neighbour complained to council officials that he was too noisy.

As a result, his parents have been warned that if he doesn’t keep quiet, they will be issued with an abatement order and could face a £5 000 fine.

Alfie, who starts primary school next month, has always played in the 8ft by 8ft front garden at the family’s end-of-terrace home without a problem until now.

But the letter from the council’s environmental health team claims he is a “noise nuisance”.
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New swing set for child with autism

2011-08-22T08:08:00.001-04:00

We have kept our cedar play set long past the time our autistic son stopped climbing the tower and using the slide and sandbox because swinging has always been a calming mechanism for him to.

Amplify’d from couriernews.suntimes.com

Contractor pushes new swing set for child with autism

SOUTH ELGIN — A local contractor has coordinated the donation of a new swing set for a South Elgin resident with autism spectrum disorder. Family and friends celebrated the gift Sunday when it was installed at the home of Summer Sosa and her children, Jordee and Drewn.

Burke, who has known the family for more than a decade, said that as an infant, Jordee cried 24 hours per day. Social, communicative and emotional challenges are still present, but swinging outside is a major comfort and daily ritual for Jordee, Sosa said.

Recently, however, the original wooden set Jordee enjoyed for several years grew wobbly and unstable. Paul Sayers of Elgin was hired to work on the home’s bathroom and he said he knew the set’s days were numbered.

So Sayers began a fundraising crusade. Using Facebook and word on the street, he asked for community support. Home Depot in Elgin donated materials, and several business associates gave cash or in-kind donations, too. Piece by piece, Sayers had $400 worth of materials, so he donated his labor and enlisted some friends to help him build it.

The swing set had been a major calming mechanism for her, her mother said.

“She goes out in the morning, swings until lunch, comes in and eats, and then goes back out til dinner,” Sosa said.
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The 'heart attack proof' diet?

2011-08-19T15:04:00.001-04:00

Or should we say the Bill Clinton diet?

I'm a vegetarian who eats very little dairy, mostly egg whites and a bit of lean turkey on occasion for extra protein. That's going to have to be good enough.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

The 'heart attack proof' diet?

(CNN) -- Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. didn't become a doctor to change the way America eats. He was a general surgeon.

Follow his dietary prescription, the 77-year-old Esselstyn says, and you will be "heart attack proof" -- regardless of your family history.

The Esselstyn diet is tough for most Americans to swallow: no meat, no eggs, no dairy, no added oils.

Other key factors include physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight, she says. The meat, dairy and egg industries defend the benefits of their protein-rich foods, all of which remain on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate dietary guidelines for healthy eating.
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Quaker school for special needs students

2011-08-17T19:19:00.001-04:00

I wish there were more of these schools and more funding for them, since most schools that offer such therapies are expensive private schools.

Amplify’d from www.courierpostonline.com

South Jersey school has a unique mission

Scott VanZandt, 15, of Woodbury Heights works on a solid fuel model rocket during class at Orchard Friends School. / JOHN ZIOMEK/Courier-Post

Orchard Friends operates as a Quaker school that adheres to Friends values while offering nonsectarian services to a niche group of special-needs students with sensory problems.

Spearheaded by two mothers whose children had attended Moorestown Friends School, Orchard Friends opened in 1999 in Moorestown Community House and moved to its current location in 2007. Its students have language-based learning differences -- the school emphasizes that terminology rather than "disabilities" -- ranging from dyslexia and attention deficit disorder to Asperger's syndrome and other high-functioning forms of autism.

Academics and speech and occupational therapy are on the syllabus for students, who are grouped by ability for language arts, reading and math, and by grade level for science, social studies and physical education. The emphasis is on creative, hands-on, multisensory learning experiences that don't end with the school day.
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Autistic students find greater success in college

2011-08-17T14:55:00.001-04:00

It would be nice if we could find more grants and scholarships for those with #ASD; so says a mom with and HF ASD 10th grader.

Amplify’d from www.deseretnews.com

With support, autistic students find greater success in college

There are different levels of functionality for those diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders, a range of developmental disorders which includes Aspergers Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. For many with ASD, socializing doesn't come easy, because of sensory hypersensitivity and the failure to pick up on social cues.

Steven Moody, a junior and psychology major at Utah Valley University, has been diagnosed with high-functioning Aspergers. Moody worries about parking, class assignments and making deadlines, like every other student, but he also has other stresses others don't.

Moody had to learn through trial and error the right amount of eye contact to make during conversations and even the appropriate number of questions to ask.

The social struggles also make it difficult for Moody and others with ASD to approach an instructor about their special needs. Approaching an instructor can be intimidating, and Moody is often hesitant.
Read more at www.deseretnews.com

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5 Healthy Back to School Lunches for Under $25

2011-08-16T18:27:00.001-04:00

I'm all for healthy lunches but this still works out to $5 per day for lunch and of course most of these foods are not #GFCF so they do no good for a child with food allergies.

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

5 Healthy Back to School Lunches for Under $25

Shopping List

Whole Wheat Bread Loaf: $3.00

Whole Wheat Tortillas: $1.89

Turkey: $2.00/ .25 lb

Tuna: $.99/can

Low-Fat American Cheese: $1.00/2oz

Hummus $2.50/8oz

Reduced-Fat peanut butter: $2.50/16oz

Salsa: $2.50

Low-Fat Mayonnaise: $.75/4oz

Lettuce: $.99/1 head

Tomato $1/1 tomato

Apple: $2.49/4 apples

Carrots: $.99/1lb

Whole Grain Goldfish: $2.39/ 11oz box

Make Your Own Snacks

Portion controlled products have exploded on the market and while they may be helpful to minimize overindulging, you don’t need to pay for the packaging. Buy your own snacks and pre-pack appropriate portion sizes in re-sealable plastic bags.

Buy Generic

Generic brands can save you a lot! Typically, generic brands are labeled as the store brand. Whether it’s canned, bagged or frozen, the product usually contains the same exact nutritional value as the name brand.

Don’t Buy Precut Fruits and Vegetables

If you do, you are paying for the added costs of labor for cutting and the container they come in.
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Evidence shows autism raises risk for later siblings

2011-08-15T10:15:00.001-04:00

We know it's genetic, so how about providing services instead of talking about watching later sibs for the risk of ASD.

Amplify’d from thechart.blogs.cnn.com

More evidence shows autism raises risk for later siblings

It's already known that children with older siblings who have autism spectrum disorder or ASD, have a higher risk of developing the condition themselves, and a new study in Pediatrics finds that risk is even higher than previously expected.

In the study, the largest of its kind, according to Ozonoff, researchers monitored 664 infants, registered with the Baby Siblings Research Consortium who either had an older biological brother or sister with ASD. They followed the little ones from infancy to 36 months. Previous studies estimated that the ASD recurrence risk in younger siblings was between 3% and 10%. But this study found that the overall risk was much higher, at 18.7% and even higher in families with more than one affected sibling – about 32.2%.

"This does not mean that every family who has a child with ASD will have a second child with ASD. It's just their risks are higher," noted Ozonoff. "And keep in mind we found that 80 percent of children with older siblings who had ASD never developed any signs of autism. It's just an indicator that parents and physicians need to be aware of."

Male babies experienced nearly three times the risk over female infants, 26% versus 9%. Age of parent, gender of the older sibling or birth orders were not predictors of the condition, meaning if the first child in the family does not have ASD, and the second child does, the risk percentages are still the same for the next child.
Read more at thechart.blogs.cnn.com

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Healthy eating adds $380 to annual grocery bill

2011-08-04T12:18:00.001-04:00

This is nothing new. Those of us who have been eating healthy all our lives have paid lots more than $380 a year for lot fat, high protein and high fiber foods, and fruits and vegetables.How about giving us a tax credit for eating healthy to make up for the cost. Just add the expense as a tax on fast food and junk foods.

Amplify’d from www.11alive.com

Study: Healthy eating adds $380 to annual grocery bill

(MSNBC) -- If you are trying to eat as healthy as the government wants you to, it's going to cost you: at least $7.28 a week extra, that is.

A recent update of U.S. nutritional guidelines -- what used to be known as the food pyramid and is now called "My Plate" -- calls on Americans to eat more fresh foods containing potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D and calcium.

But for a typical consumer, the simple act of adding more potassium to your diet could tack on hundreds more dollars to your annual grocery bill, scientists reported Thursday in the journal Health Affairs.

That could make it tough for many Americans to meethealthy diet recommendations during lean times -- and the government should do more to help, according to lead author Pablo Monsivais, an assistant professor of public health at the University of Washington.

"Given the times we're in, I think we really need to make our health guidance, in particular the dietary guidelines, more relevant to Americans," he said.
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World Cup star now runs horse farm in Powder Springs

2011-07-14T09:06:00.001-04:00

Ms. Akers sold World Cup memorabilia to raise money after the 2009 flood; we were excited to get one of her signed books for our own daughter who is working toward soccer in college. Ms. Akers is an amazing athlete and woman.

Amplify’d from www.11alive.com

World Cup star now runs horse farm in Powder Springs

POWDER SPRINGS, Ga. -- Michelle Akers doesn't think much about soccer anymore ... except when the World Cup is on.

Akers is widely regarded as one of the greatest women's soccer players of all-time. In fact, in an article in Sports Illustrated last month, her former coach Tony DiCicco called Akers "the best player who ever played."

As this World Cup takes shape, Akers is still into it. But after every game, she is right back on the job.

The job, in this case, is running a horse farm in Powder Springs. Akers spends her time rescuing and nursing horses as well as tending to goats, chickens, and her three dogs.

But for the past two years, she has been climbing out of a major issue: flooding that resulted from the infamous September storm in 2009.

"That flood, I mean ... it was up to my waist, in my barn," Akers recalls. It left her farm flooded for several days and the ground over-saturated for months.

Now, two Junes later, it's finally at full strength.

"I had a lot of people help me, and I was like, 'Thank God these people helped,'" Akers says, "and so I want to help people who have been through something horrible."
Read more at www.11alive.com

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TV presenter selling home to pay school fees for ASD son

2011-07-12T08:02:00.001-04:00

It's appalling what we all have to sacrifice to get our children the help they need. I thank God everyday for our state special needs scholarship which covers most tuition.

Amplify’d from www.dailymail.co.uk

TV presenter Annabel Giles selling home to pay school fees for her autistic son

It is a dilemma facing many middle-class families in these austere times – how to pay the school fees.

Now former model and TV presenter Annabel Giles has revealed that she is to sell her home to pay for secondary education for her teenage son Ted, who suffers from autism.

Miss Giles – the face of Max Factor in the 1980s and ex-wife of pop star Midge Ure – is sending Ted to Stanbridge Earls School in Romsey, Hampshire, where the boarding fees are £10,366-a-term.

See more at www.dailymail.co.uk

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Google to retire Blogger & Picasa brands

2011-07-06T14:55:00.001-04:00

Don't fix it if it ain't broke. I like my Picasa and Blogger. I use both to teach my journalism and photography students.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Google to retire Blogger & Picasa brands

(Mashable) -- Say goodbye to the Picasa and Blogger names: Google intends to retire several non-Google name brands and rename them as Google products, Mashable has learned.

Blogger and Picasa aren't going away, of course -- they're two of Google's most popular products. Instead, according to two sources familiar with the matter, Google intends to rename Picasa "Google Photos" and Blogger will become "Google Blogs."

Picasa and Blogger were also Google acquisitions, although both companies have been part of the Google empire for far longer. Picasa was acquired in 2004 and Blogger (co-founded by Evan Williams of Twitter) was acquired in 2003 and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world.

Although the rebranding could upset some existing customers, it also gives Google the ability to completely integrate both services into Google+.
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Another new and expensive way to get rid of fat?

2011-07-05T15:56:00.001-04:00

Hello people: Hit the treadmill and go join Weight Watchers. These are tried and true methods.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Brown Fat May Help People Lose Weight, Lower Blood Pressure

Looking for the holy grail of weight loss? In the future, people may be able to receive an injection that burns calories and melts away fat, or at least that's what a new study on mice may suggest.

Our bodies contain two kinds of fat: white and brown. White fat is the kind that most people are trying to get rid of. It stores calories, but too much causes obesity and increases risk of type 2 diabetes, along with several other obesity-related diseases. Brown fat acts like muscle—it contains iron and even burns calories within the cells. It is also responsible for maintaining body temperature. The brown fat is naturally lost as people age, and it cannot be gained by eating certain foods or performing certain exercises.

But in a finding that may be exciting for many, researchers were able to turn white fat into brown fat by blocking a natural chemical in the body. The change led to weight loss, improved blood sugar levels and insulin tolerance in the mice.

Meanwhile, some doctors wonder why so much money is going into biomedical attempts at weight loss when we all know the tried and true methods of shedding pounds.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Much ado about a comma #oxfordcomma

2011-07-01T07:59:00.001-04:00

As a writer and editor, I deal with commas on an hourly basis. Maybe they should ask my opinion.

Amplify’d from www.ajc.com

Twitter Oxford comma commotion punctuated by fact

LONDON — A report that Oxford University had changed its comma rule left some punctuation obsessives alarmed, annoyed, and distraught. Passions subsided as the university said the news was imprecise, incomplete and misleading.

Guides to correct style differ and the issue became heated on Twitter after reports of the Oxford comma's demise.

William Strunk, Jr., who has guided generations of writers through "The Elements of Style," wrote in the book's first edition of 1918: "In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last."

That position is backed by "The Chicago Manual of Style" and the style manual of the U.S. Government Printing Office. The style guide of the British Broadcasting Corp. also commends liberal use of commas "in those pesky lists," and advises a comma to separate each item.

But style guides from The Associated Press and the London newspapers The Times and The Guardian dispense with a comma before the conjunction. The Queen's English Society agrees that "there is no need for a comma before the 'and' unless the sense demands it."

And there is even a third school, exemplified by Henry W. Fowler. In "The King's English" (2nd edition), published in 1908, he gave this example his approval: "Industry, honesty, and temperance, are essential to happiness."

Students at Oxford University are free to choose a style in writing their papers. "They are just expected to use proper spelling and punctuation," Coyle said.
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Summer Camp Teaches Social Skills

2011-07-01T07:44:00.001-04:00

This sounds great for wealthy parents, but at more than $1,000 per week it's out of the question for the majority. If they're training grad students and using it for research it should be more in line with a regular summer camp i.e. no more than $200 - $300 per week.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Specialized Summer Camp Teaches Social Skills, Sportsmanship

Reed Tucker is a bright 8-year-old who lights up a room and delights others with his wicked sense of humor. But when he entered the second grade last fall, the impulsivity and defiance from his ADHD escalated. Medications helped somewhat, but his mother credits his ability to complete tasks to a special summer day camp north of Chicago where arts and crafts, sports and field trips provide as much therapy as recreation.

At Camp STAR in Highland Park, Ill., Reed and fellow campers with ADHD, anxiety and socially disruptive disorders earn points and rewards for participation and following rules. They lose points and receive timeouts for angry outbursts, rule-breaking or other inappropriate behavior.

Parents pay $6,300 for the six-week session, which began on June 13 and ends July 29, with 30 percent of the families receiving some financial assistance, said clinical psychologist Mark A. Stein, the camp director. Counselors are students or graduate students going into pediatrics, psychology or social work. Their detailed observations contribute to research into the program's effectiveness, Stein said.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Financial compatibility with spouse? @Dave Ramsey

2011-06-29T08:41:00.001-04:00

Well Dave, can you come up with a better version of this quiz because I don't consider myself financially driven. Rather I am fiscally conservative.

Quiz Link: http://money.cnn.com/quizzes/2011/pf/financial_education_life_values/index.html

Amplify’d from money.cnn.com

Are you financially compatible with your spouse?

Do you jump at the chance to spend money on vacations, but dread saving for retirement? Take this quiz to better understand what motivates you to spend and save. Then ask your partner to take it and compare results.

You are Financially Driven

Financial Life Values are about money and finances. They are unrelated to how much money we actually have. These values reflect what we think or believe about our money and financial affairs. They reflect how we value money and what it can buy or how it can grow as an investment. Financial values may or may not be related to what we actually know about money and finance. As with any deeply held value, we might intend action to increase savings or decrease debt, but choose instead to reinforce our self-esteem on "needs" manufactured in the marketplace.
Read more at money.cnn.com

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Cable/DVR boxes use more electricity than Fridge

2011-06-27T10:00:00.001-04:00

Not happy to read an article like this, especially since we no longer have an option for no cable boxes if we want to receive even basic channels.

Amplify’d from blogs.ajc.com

Cable and DVR boxes use more electricity than refrigerator

The New York Times reports that the little boxes that transmit cable signals and digital recording capacity to televisions have become the single largest electricity drain in many American homes.

Some typical home entertainment systems consume more power than a new refrigerator and even some central air-conditioning systems, the Times writes.

These set-top boxes are energy hogs mostly because their drives, tuners and other components are generally running full tilt, or nearly so, 24 hours a day, even when not in active use, the Times writes.

Similar devices in some European countries, for example, can automatically go into standby mode when not in use, cutting power drawn by half, the Times writes. They can also go into an optional “deep sleep,” which can reduce energy consumption by about 95 percent compared with when the machine is active, the Times reports.
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Focus in Photography a Thing of the Past?

2011-06-24T07:35:00.001-04:00

This sounds intriguing at first glance, but photography is an art that takes years to learn. . .digital photography has already taken much of the art out of original photography where you spent hours in the dark room creating the perfect photo. . .I agree that this is a gadget type thing for those with money to burn, not true photographers.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Photographer's Dream? Focus Is a Thing of the Past

"Shoot now, focus later" – that's the tagline for a new camera technology out of Silicon Valley that will allow photographers to snap a photo, and worry about the focus of the image long after the picture is taken.

The camera uses what's called light-field technology, which rather than taking in the usual snapshot of light hitting a sensor, it separates rays of light so as to record their individual characteristics. That way it's possible to alter the focus afterward, creating what Lytro founder and CEO Ren Ng says is a "more powerful photograph."

But some say that the new technology might be more of a gadget than a game-changer in the photography industry. Tech blogger John Biggs of crunchgear.com said that while the camera is interesting, future cameras are moving in this direction.

"It's going to be hard to sell something like this. It'll be massively expensive. The difference between the way cameras work now than in the next couple of years is that you [will] choose the point of focus anyways," he said.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Mother turtle gets help laying eggs

2011-06-11T18:41:00.001-04:00

Finally, a feel good story!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Injured by a shark, mother turtle gets help laying eggs

Long after the suntanned crowds pack up their umbrellas and chairs and the tide has washed away that day's sand castles, Clover slowly makes her way onto the beach.

The special affection for Clover comes from her disability; she is missing her rear flippers. According to Martin, the scars indicate that the flippers were bitten off by sharks.

"With no rear flippers, leatherbacks and any sea turtle are not able to dig a proper egg cavity," Martin said, "so they end up depositing their eggs on the sand, and they don't survive."

Clover must be very thankful. This season, with a little help from her friends, she has filled seven holes.
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New Clues to the Genetic Roots of Autism

2011-06-10T13:12:00.001-04:00

Interesting, but doesn't really help us families with two or more ASD kids.

Amplify’d from healthland.time.com

Studies: New Clues to the Genetic Roots of Autism

Random changes in genes, rather than changes handed down from parents, may be responsible for some cases of autism, say scientists who report in three new papers a major breakthrough in understanding where those genetic changes may lie.

For the new studies, published in the journal Neuron, researchers focused on about 1,000 families in which only one child was affected with autism. Much of the past research on the genetic roots of autism has looked at families with at least two affected siblings; these families may represent cases in which inherited genetic mutations may play a more prominent role in the disorder, but researchers wanted to understand the genetic factors involved in children whose condition cannot be traced back to their parents. Most cases of autism involve children whose other family members remain unaffected.

Two groups of scientists, working independently, focused their attention on these families, and compared the genetic differences between autistic and non-autistic members within each. What they found was that children with autism were about four times more likely than their unaffected siblings to have copy number variants (CNVs), mutations in which a part of the genome is either duplicated or deleted. The CNVs in children with autism were also larger and contained a higher density of genes than the CNVs in unaffected siblings. These differences may account for anywhere from 5% to 10% of autism in families with only one autistic child, the researchers said.
Read more at healthland.time.com

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Personal Google Music Recordings. . .

2011-06-10T08:42:00.001-04:00

I recorded my own song on Google. How about you?

Nianya's Song: http://www.google.com/webhp?tune=EAxAiCGEGEQYgJATBinIJES4EhxDHBGMQIgggBKECIMIEg4qBxiREsBQcQxwTgiADIQIQwgQhmIGJJMSoFByBmDEOMIsxIRLGCOEHYgA

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

In commemoration of legendary musician Les Paul, who would have been 96 today, Google’s homepage has been transformed into an interactive guitar. The doodle features a stylized guitar that lets you mouse over the strings to make music, and even record your song. Recordings can be up to 30 seconds long and the site gives a URL for the recording so rocker-wannabe’s can show off to their friends.
Read more at www.foxnews.com

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10,000 Steps a Day for 90 days?

2011-06-09T16:32:00.001-04:00

I've probably bitten of more than I can chew but I've signed up for my company's 10K per day challenge. Starting next Weds. and through mid-Sept. Encouragement welcome and maybe a few fun comments from the peanut gallery as well. I'll be tweeting and blogging about this all summer.

Amplify’d from www.canadafreepress.com

Who Says 10,000 Steps a Day?

How many steps do most people take daily, and how many are needed for good health? I had no idea how many I take and thought it would be interesting and prudent to find out. And who is right about exercise, Mark Twain or the Earl of Derby?

I discovered it was the Japanese who came up with the figure of 10,000, and there's nothing magic about it. Rather, the number was used as a smart marketing device in a campaign to sell pedometers. But even though it was a smart sales move, medical authorities have agreed the proposed Japanese figure of 10,000 steps is a healthy number to aim for. But it does mean walking a hefty five miles each day.

My next question was how many calories does 10,000 steps burn up? Let's say you've just enjoyed a lunch of a double burger, fries and a sugar-loaded 10-ounce soft drink. This packs a caloric wallop of about 1,700 calories.

That's when the pedometer sends bad news. You will be surprised at the small number of calories you've burned up after a brisk walk. For instance, a 150-pound person, after five miles of moderate walking, loses only 500 calories. And it takes one hour of moderate walking to consume the energy of one jelly-filled doughnut.
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First it was Y2K, today it's IPv6 Day. . .

2011-06-08T09:21:00.001-04:00

What's next?

Amplify’d from money.cnn.com

Google, Facebook test IPv6 Internet upgrade

Wednesday is World IPv6 Day, a clunky name for an experiment that should be invisible to Web surfers but plays a critical role in keeping the Internet running smoothly.

One of the Net's foundational layers is the Internet Protocol, a global communications standard used for linking connected devices together. Every networked device you own -- your PC, smartphone, laptop, tablet and other gizmos -- has a unique IP address. The problem is that we're running out of them. The current system, called IPv4, has the technical capacity to handle 4.3 billion addresses. They're almost all used up: The last remaining batch was assigned out in February.

The old system could handle several billion addresses. IPv6 has room 340 undecillion of them. That's 34 followed by 37 zeros -- enough for every human on Earth to have trillions of personal gadgets.

For 24 hours, starting at midnight UTC (8 p.m. ET) more than 400 major websites around the world are switching their sites over to IPv6 delivery. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500), Facebook and Yahoo (YHOO, Fortune 500) are leading the charge.

"The vast majority (99.95%) of people will be able to access services without interruption: either they'll connect over IPv6, or their systems will successfully fall back to IPv4," Google wrote earlier this week in a blog post about the test. "However, as with any next-generation technology, there may be teething pains. We estimate that .05% of systems may fail to fall back to IPv4, so some people may find Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Bing and other participating websites slow or unresponsive on World IPv6 Day."

Google has a tool posted at http://ipv6test.google.com/ that you can use to test your own connection.
Read more at money.cnn.com

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Fla. couple threatens bank with foreclosure

2011-06-07T09:55:00.001-04:00

Strike one for the little people, finally. . .this is funny but it's also very serious and very sad. THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN!

Amplify’d from www.ajc.com

Fla. couple threatens bank with foreclosure

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Months after Bank of America wrongly foreclosed on a house Warren and Maureen Nyerges had already paid for, they were still fighting to get reimbursed for the court battle.

So on Friday, their attorney showed up at a branch office in Naples with a moving truck and sheriff's deputies who had a judge's permission to seize the furniture if necessary. An hour later, the bank had written a check for $5,772.88.

After the moving company and sheriff's deputies get their share, the Nyerges should receive the rest of the money this week, ending a bizarre saga that started when they paid Bank of America $165,000 cash for a 2,700-square-foot foreclosed home in Naples in 2009.

In September 2010, a Collier county judge ordered Bank of America to pay the couple's $2,534 attorney fees. But by last week, the bank hadn't paid up, so Allen got a judge's permission to seize assets.
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The DASH Diet Eating Plan

2011-06-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

Sounds like Weight Watchers to me, except it's low sodium. This is just healthy eating folks. It's not rocket science and it works.

Amplify’d from dashdiet.org

The DASH Diet Eating Plan

The DASH diet is recommended by physicians for people with hypertension (high
blood pressure) or prehypertension. The DASH diet eating plan has been proven to lower blood pressure in studies sponsored by the National
Institutes of Health (Dietary
Approaches to Stop Hypertension). In addition to being a low salt (or low sodium) plan, the DASH diet provides additional benefits to reduce blood pressure. It is based on an eating plan
rich in fruits and
vegetables, and low-fat or non-fat dairy, with whole grains. It is a high fiber, low to moderate fat diet, and is rich in potasium, calcium, and magnesium. The full DASH diet plan is shown
below. The DASH diet is a healthy plan, designed for the whole family. New research continues to show additional health
benefits of the plan.

Specifically the DASH diet plan includes:

Type of food

Number of servings for 1600 - 3100 Calorie diets

Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet

Grains and grain products

(include at least 3 whole grain
foods each day)

6 - 12

7 - 8

Fruits

4 - 6

4 - 5

Vegetables

4 - 6

4 - 5

Low fat or non fat dairy foods

2 - 4

2 - 3

Lean meats, fish, poultry

1.5 - 2.5

2 or less

Nuts, seeds, and legumes

3 - 6 per week

4 - 5 per week

Fats and sweets

2 - 4

limited

Although weight loss was not a part of the original DASH diet research, the book provides guidance and plans for adapting the DASH diet for successful weight loss. Many women need to follow a lower calorie diet in order to lose weight, so we include a 1200-calorie version of the DASH diet. Although this book was not intended to be an aggressive weight loss program, many of our readers have reported 10 - 35 pound weight loss in a few months.

The design of the meal plans in the book are based on newer research on how to make satisfying meals, helping to prevent between meal hunger. That is a key feature of high-fiber, low caloric-density, balanced meals with appropriate serving sizes.
Read more at dashdiet.org

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Kindle still #1 for e-readers. . .

2011-05-27T13:05:00.001-04:00

Time to get my Kindle 3G with special offers. I've been waiting a long time to get one, since I already use Kindle for computer, Blackberry and Droid.

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

E-Book Report: Nook Is Gaining, iPad Still Catching Up

As the publishing industry wrapped up four days of digital talk at its annual national convention, Amazon.com's Kindle was seen as the clear, if not dominant, player in the growing e-market; Barnes & Noble's Nook was considered a pleasant surprise and Apple's iPad an underachiever.

Apple spokesman Jason Roth declined to comment on any specific criticisms, but did say that the iBookstore had over 150,000 titles — an Amazon spokesman says the the Kindle store has more than 950,000 — and that more than 100 million books had been downloaded worldwide through the iBookstore. He would not say how many were downloads of free books. Selections at the iBookstore were greatly improved this year when Random House Inc., publisher of Stieg Larsson and John Grisham among others, agreed to sell through Apple after resolving differences over pricing.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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School vouchers for children with disabilities. . .

2011-05-25T14:27:00.001-04:00

I cannot agree that parents lose control when they move their child to a private school through a state voucher system. There are schools that work directly with the parents and students to design the education that your child needs. We have children in two such schools and we are more than 100% satisfied.

Amplify’d from blogs.edweek.org

More Vouchers, But at What Price?

This year, vouchers that would pay for at least part of the tuition at private schools seem to have surged in popularity. And in particular, lawmakers across the country are touting private school vouchers for scholarships for students with disabilities.

The American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice tells me that in all, 15 states have passed or proposed laws that expand or create vouchers for students with special needs.

But parents of children with disabilities need to be sure of what they're getting into when they trade public school for private school, even if it's with the help of the government, said Lindsay Jones, senior director of policy and advocacy services for the Council for Exceptional Children.

In private school, children with disabilities lose all their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That means giving up the right to participate in meetings about a child's education, the ability to have hearings about the way a school is or isn't meeting a child's needs, and so on. "Do they really understand this?" she said.
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Long-Lasting Marriages

2011-05-19T21:37:00.001-04:00

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Divorce Drops, Long-Lasting Marriages Rise: U.S. Census Report

Fifty-five percent of all married couples have been married for at least 15 years, according to the census report, while 35 percent have celebrated their 25th anniversaries and a special 6 percent have made it more than 50 years.

Kathy Rogillio Birt says she has been married 27 years and shared the secrets of her success on the World News Facebook page.

"You must put the other person first, be a good listener, communicate, start and end the day with a kiss, don't go to bed mad, laugh a lot, keep up the romance, be spontaneous, and be quick to forgive," she wrote.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Business Credit Cards Jeopardize Personal Credit

2011-05-18T11:50:00.001-04:00

Shorts story: don't use credit cards at all!

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Business Credit Cards Could Jeopardize Your Personal Credit Rating: Study

Users of business credit cards are increasingly being subjected to potentially deceptive and harmful practices by card issuers, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Offers for business credit cards have skyrocketed after new protections went into effect in 2009 to protect consumer credit card users. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD for short) mandated consumer protections to combat harmful, unfair and deceptive practices. Pew researchers say the CARD Act does not extend to business credit cards, leaving many households at risk.

Consumers targeted for business credit card may be unaware of a card issuers' ability to change account terms in the first year, charge penalty fees for existing balances and hold an individual liable for money owed.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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World's Most Expensive "Fly"

2011-04-25T19:36:00.001-04:00

Too bad it wasn't my children's book selling for that price!

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Amazon seller lists book at $23,698,655.93 -- plus shipping

This unthinkable sticker price for "The Making of a Fly" on Amazon.com was spotted on April 18 by Michael Eisen, an evolutionary biologist and blogger.

The market-blind book listing was not the result of uncontrollable demand for Peter Lawrence's "classic work in developmental biology," Eisen writes.

Instead, it appears it was sparked by a robot price war.
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LED vs. incandescent: Easter "meltdown"

2011-04-25T08:40:00.001-04:00

Should have used this idea for Jessie's science experiment this year. We could have had lots of fun.

Amplify’d from www.mnn.com

LED vs. incandescent: An Easter-time 'meltdown'

One of the things that amazes me most about the ordinary incandescent light bulb is that in addition to its superb ability to drive up household electric bills (when compared to more efficient CFLs and LEDs), is how much heat one actually gives off. I mean, seriously, you can bake a tray of moist and delicious brownies with a single 100-watter!

To further demonstrate that a whopping 90 percent of the energy emitted by a standard incandescent light bulb is heat and not light, the folks at Cree are sacrificing a poor, unsuspecting chocolate Easter bunny.
Read more at www.mnn.com

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Journey to the Cross - On the Path of Autism

2011-04-23T21:03:00.003-04:00

There are certain times of year when I always get introspective. Easter is one of them because it always seems to be a turning point for us. My 15yo was baptized on her first Easter and last year she was confirmed into our church on that day.

This year Jessie will celebrate Easter wearing jewelry for the first time - a Disciple's Cross, and I will be sitting next to her in church tomorrow wearing a matching one.

As usual, we will be surrounded by mothers and daughters in their Easter finery. I will be wearing mostly black, as per my usual eclectic self and I'll be lucky if Jessie wears khakis instead of jeans and a t-shirt.

So obviously this story is not about Easter dresses and fine jewelry.

It's about a journey, that keeps getting harder each year, no matter how hard Jessie tries.

Jessie has a dream she is determined to achieve and she has to jump through a great many hoops and over some really high hurdles to get there in only three more years - soccer in college on a scholarship.

A challenge for any 15yo, even one who's very athletic.

Totally daunting for a 15yo on the spectrum, who was nonverbal until age 6 and who still struggles with language arts in high school.

Last year I finally gave Jessie a word for why she struggles so hard to communicate with others - Autism.

This year Jessie started asking me why God made her autistic.

I tried giving her a logical explanation - genetics.

Today I found a better answer - it's all part of Jessie's journey.

If Jessie can achieve her goal, so can any child on the spectrum, and nothing will stand in her way as long as she's determined to follow the path God leads her on no matter how winding or how difficult.

Nianya

Some Parents Shell Out Big Buck For Prom

2011-04-21T17:32:00.001-04:00

These stories make me glad I'm a special needs parent. I can sum up my special needs daughter's Winter Ball with just a few words: Silver Hat - $10, borrowed velvet pantsuit $0, a smile on her face all night. . .PRICELESS! https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/12JWzlUTbvlh8A92fjfP_g?feat=directlink

It doesn't get any better than this!

Amplify’d from abcnews.go.com

Prom Night Pressures Mean Some Parents Shell Out Big Bucks

Proms are rite of passage. Some parents are spending lots of money on their children's big event. Scott Handcock/Getty Images

Kimberly Gamcale is the co-owner of Diane and Company, one of the biggest prom dress retailers in the country. She recalled one girl's request.

The average couple will spend $800 for prom night and in $4 billion industry. But the price tag on that eye-catching dress? About $6,000.

Fifteen-year-old Caroline Noce's parents have spared no expense for their prom princess.

Her dress was $1,700. The grand total for Caroline's prom was more than $3,000.
Read more at abcnews.go.com

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Report: iPhones track users’ every move

2011-04-20T17:04:00.001-04:00

There's only one thing to say about that: DUDE GET A DROID!

Amplify’d from blogs.ajc.com

Report: iPhones track users’ every move

Everyone loves their iPhone, and the super-popular device loves secretly tracking your location.

According to an article on the tech site O’Reilly Radar, the new Apple iOS 4 appears to log customer locations and timestamps to a file called “consolidated.db.”

The file exists on iPhones and the 3G iPad and is secretly copied to the owner’s computer when the two are synchronized.

Potentially, the unencrypted information stored on your phone or computer could be subpoenaed and used by law enforcement agencies.

Or, as a commenter said on the O’Reilly site, it’s getting more difficult for criminals to have cool phones.
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Craziest Tax Deductions for 2011

2011-04-15T13:43:00.001-04:00

For those off us procrastinators who still haven't filed. A little levity for a change.

Amplify’d from www.foxbusiness.com

10 Craziest Tax Deductions for 2011

Behold Bankrate's sixth installment of the year's craziest, laughably outrageous, utterly true tax deduction tales, culled from the seasonally imbalanced minds of certified (if not certifiable) public accountants from across the land, some of whom requested anonymity.

And if The Fridge Breaks, I'd Starve to Death!

Ah, the evergreen home security system ploy. We've seen legitimate home businesses try to claim their dogs and even cats as a security expense. Me-ow! But the Hunter Group in Fair Lawn, N.J., reports that one client had a personal stake in her home security system.

"One client tried to write off the cost of her home security system. Rationale? If the client's home was burglarized and she was killed, she could no longer pay taxes."

Does it Count if I Wrote the Checks in There?

Home office deductions continue to entice would-be tax evaders. The rule: Improvements to the office portion itself are deductible; improvements to the rest of the house may be reimbursed based on the percentage of total square feet devoted to the office.

"The most troubling return was a lady that was self-employed who demanded that she get to deduct more than $30,000 she had paid in remodeling her home," says Sibley. "The only trouble was, the area that was remodeled did not include her actual home office."
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Trouble @Twitter>

2011-04-14T10:32:00.001-04:00

Maybe this is why I haven't hit 10,000 followers yet. It's certainly not the fact that I tweet in fits and spurts or my bone-dry wit.

Amplify’d from tech.fortune.cnn.com

Trouble @Twitter

Boardroom power plays, disgruntled founders, and CEO switcheroos are clipping the wings of this tech high flier.

There's no shortage of drama at Twitter these days: Besides the CEO shuffles, there are secret board meetings, executive power struggles, a plethora of coaches and consultants, and disgruntled founders. (Like Williams. The day after Dorsey announced his return to the company -- via tweet, naturally -- Williams quit his day-to-day duties at the company, although he remains a board member and Twitter's largest shareholder, with an estimated 30% to 35% stake.) These theatrics, which go well beyond the usual angst at a new venture, have contributed to a growing perception that innovation has stalled and management is in turmoil at one of Silicon Valley's most promising startups, which some 20 million active users rely on each month for updates on everything from subway delays to election results -- and which a growing number of companies, big and small, seek to use to market themselves and track customers.

Just two years ago Twitter was the hottest thing on the web. But in the past year U.S. traffic at Twitter.com, the site users visit to read and broadcast 140-character messages, has leveled off. Nearly half the people who have Twitter accounts are no longer active on the network, according to an ExactTarget report from January 2011. It has been months -- an eternity in Silicon Valley -- since the company rolled out a new product that excited consumers. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg used to watch developments at Twitter obsessively; now he pays much less attention to the rival service. Meanwhile companies are hungry to advertise, but Twitter hasn't been able to provide marketers with enough opportunities. Last year the company pulled in a mere $45 million in ad revenue, according to research firm eMarketer. Facebook brought in $1.86 billion.

See more at tech.fortune.cnn.com

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Autism Researcher Poul Thorsen indicted

2011-04-13T17:08:00.001-04:00

Poul Thorsen indicted for allegedly concocting a scheme to steal more than $1 million in autism research money from the CDC

Amplify’d from www.bizjournals.com

Dane indicted for defrauding CDC

A Danish man was indicted Wednesday on charges of wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly concocting a scheme to steal more than $1 million in autism research money from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

The indictment charges Poul Thorsen, 49, with 13 counts of wire fraud and nine counts of money laundering. The wire fraud counts each carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and the money laundering counts each carry a maximum of 10 years in prison, with a fine of up to $250,000 for each count.

According to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, the charges and other information presented in court, Thorsen worked in the 1990s as a visiting scientist at the CDC Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, when the CDC was soliciting grant applications for research related to infant disabilities.

Thorsen promoted the idea of awarding the grant to Denmark and provided input and guidance for the research. From 2000 to 2009, the CDC awarded more than $11 million to two governmental agencies in Denmark to study the relationship between autism and exposure to vaccines, between cerebral palsy and infection during pregnancy and between childhood development and fetal alcohol exposure.
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Will a gluten-free diet improve your health?

2011-04-12T22:02:00.002-04:00

A #GF diet can improve your health if you have celiac disease, are gluten intolerant or are allergic to wheat/gluten. It may also benefit those on the autism spectrum, but it's a way of life, not a diet. It's difficult to go gluten free, it can be very expensive and it requires careful monitoring of proteins, vitamins and fiber that you would otherwise get from whole grain breads.

I have two children on the spectrum, one is allergic to wheat and has been gluten and casein free since birth, he also stims if he gets even a tiny dose of wheat. My teenage daughter can eat all the gluten she wants without any side effects or worsening of her #ASD symptoms.

In short, gluten free is not for everyone.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

Will a gluten-free diet improve your health?

Experts now think of gluten intolerance as a spectrum of conditions, with celiac disease on one end and, on the other, what's been called a "no man's land" of gluten-related gastrointestinal problems that may or may not overlap.

Leffler estimates, for instance, that half of the approximately 60 million people in the U.S. who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are probably sensitive to gluten. (Gluten allergies, which are similar to other food allergies, also fall on the spectrum but affect only about 0.1 percent of the population.)

Gluten-free doesn't equal healthy

If you suspect your body can't tolerate gluten, the first thing you should do is get tested for celiac disease. If the test comes back negative, try a gluten-free diet for a week to see if you feel better, Leffler says.

Cutting out gluten is the most reliable way to determine if you are, in fact, sensitive to the protein -- and if you are sensitive, it's the only treatment.

However, Leffler stresses that you should get help from a dietitian to make sure that you avoid hidden sources of gluten (like soy sauce and salad dressing), and that you don't miss out on the vitamins that wheat products provide.

Even though celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Gwyneth Paltrow have reportedly cut out gluten to "detox," there's nothing inherently healthier about a gluten-free diet.

"It can be very healthy, or it can be junk food," says Dee Sandquist, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
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Ryan Budget Cuts Spending by $6.2 Trilli

2011-04-05T09:28:00.002-04:00

I have major qualms about such a change to medicare, but something has to be done to reduce the staggering debt.

Amplify’d from blogs.abcnews.com

Ryan Budget Cuts Spending by $6.2 Trillion

While congressional leaders meet at the White House Tuesday morning to haggle over a few billion in spending cuts in this year's budget, GOP budget chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will be unveiling a budget for 2012 and beyond that would cut TRILLIONS.

In an op-ed in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal, Ryan reveals that his budget, to be released at 10am, would cut government spending $6.2 tillion more over the next 10 years than the budget President Obama released last month.

Even with these cuts the budget would not be balanced by the year 2021.

To address the long-term problem, the Ryan plan would transform the Medicare program beginning in the year 2022, changing it from a government-run system that pays health bills for seniors into a system where seniors buy insurance plans subsidized by the federal government.
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Gmail Motion - newest easiest mail yet

2011-04-01T19:23:00.001-04:00

Gotta Love It!

Amplify’d from mail.google.com

Motion ^BETA

A new way to communicate

The mouse and keyboard were invented before the Internet even existed. Since then,
countless technological advancements have allowed for much more efficient human
computer interaction. Why then do we continue to use outdated technology? Introducing
Gmail Motion -- now you can control Gmail with your body.

Try Gmail
Motion

Don't have Gmail? Create an
account

How it works

Gmail Motion uses your computer's built-in webcam and Google's patented spatial
tracking technology to detect your movements and translate them into meaningful
characters and commands. Movements are designed to be simple and intuitive for people
of all skill levels.

See more at mail.google.com

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The new Amazon Cloud Drive

2011-03-29T16:53:00.001-04:00

Awesome; Love Amazon

Amplify’d from money.cnn.com

How Amazon beat Google and Apple to the music cloud

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Amazon on Tuesday launched the Amazon Cloud Drive, an Internet service that lets customers store music and other digital files on the company's servers and access them on computers, smartphones and other devices.

Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) will give customers 5GB of Cloud Drive storage for free, and if users buy an MP3 album through Amazon, they'll be upgraded to 20GB of cloud storage for a year. The Cloud Player works on PCs, Macs and Android devices.
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Parent's Magazine neglects Autism month

2011-03-26T16:41:00.001-04:00

Imagine the coverage for World Autism if Parents Magazine had chosen their April issue this year to feature an autistic child on their cover and stories inside about autistic children of all ages. Instead they chose to headline baby sleep solutions, the 10 family restaurants and 21 Mom-tested discipline tips, none of which work on my 8yo #ASD son.

Imagine the possibilities if Parents Magazine had chosen to list therapy programs around the nation where parents of autistic children can find therapist-tested ways to calm an autistic meltdown, respite care, autistic friendly parks and restaurants.

Now imagine another year lost for parents who don't have access to any of these saving graces. Another year lost without proper diagnosis and treatment. Another year worrying and wondering if your autistic child will ever speak or socialize with others.

Shame on parents magazine for missing this opportunity. Oh and FYI: We've been to several of your top 12 restaurants, without any sympathy for our son's GFCF special diet (we were actually told in some restaurants that we could not bring in his food); without special seating or understanding service when our son is starting to meltdown and with other customers and staff who just stare and comment loudly over the fact that our son is on the floor under the table rather than dining like a "normal" child. . .as if we could control his behavior.

The only exception I'm going to note is that we have received excellent service at Panera Bread company, where they will go out of their way to try to find something our son can eat or to cut his apple just so.

Amplify’d from communities.washingtontimes.com

Parents magazine vs. the autism community?

Silver Spring, Md. March 25 — It all started when Jennifer Ethirveerasingam looked at her April issue of Parents magazine. Mother to a child with autism and aware that April is Autism Awareness Month, she began to page through the magazine, looking for an article—anything—about autism. Finding nothing, she told some friends, who posted on the Parents magazine Facebook page under the heading "Lack of Autism Coverage."

"What a missed opportunity to raise awareness, provide information and to include families with autism in your parenting discussions," wrote Beth Andersen, the first to broach the topic on the magazine's wall.

Within hours, this slight gained traction in the online autism community, collecting dozens of comments on the Facebook posting and inspiring a string of posts around the blogosphere criticizing the magazine for neglecting a demographic that makes up a sizable chunk of the parenting population.
Read more at communities.washingtontimes.com

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The Voyage for Autism Awareness

2011-03-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia Firefighter is planning a 425 mile journey during Autism Awareness Month. . .someday maybe this will be us to. . .right now we are still trying to get a handle on our own autism issues.

Amplify’d from voyageforautism.blogspot.com

The Voyage for Autism Awareness
Read more at voyageforautism.blogspot.com

Down Rivers, Up Bays, Across Canals

The Voyage will make use of several diverse bodies of water getting from Washington, DC to NY. ETA's are based on fair winds and no boat problems, with slim odds on maintaining both for the entire trip!

This first leg is about half the trip. We'll take the Potomac River from DC's Fire Boat Station . . .

See more at voyageforautism.blogspot.com

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Happy 5th Birthday to Twitter

2011-03-21T09:44:00.001-04:00

Do you tweet? I do!

Amplify’d from www.11alive.com

Happy 5th #Birthday @Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO -- The message was cryptic. Two words. No context, no punctuation, just: "inviting coworkers".

But that short statement proved to be enough to launch a global phenomenon that has launched careers, reunited long-lost relatives, and even, some would argue, topple dictators.

It was the first tweet.

Since Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey posted it on March 21, 2006, Twitter has registered nearly 200 million users who now post more than a billion tweets every week.
Read more at www.11alive.com

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Shine a Light on Autism

2011-03-17T15:35:00.001-04:00

Help me raise awareness by wearing blue on April 2, World Autism Awareness Day

Amplify’d from www.lightitupblue.org

Autism Speaks: Light It Up Blue

Shine a Light on Autism

24058

people are joining Autism Speaks to shine a light on autism by raising awareness in communities across North America.

Join them and sign the pledge.

WELCOME TO LIGHT IT UP BLUE

On the evenings of April 1 and 2, 2011, prominent buildings across North America and the world — including the Empire State Building in New York City and the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada — will turn their lights blue to raise awareness for autism and to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day on Saturday, April 2.

We’re aiming to light the world blue all throughout April — city by city, town by town — by taking action to raise autism awareness in our communities.

World Autism Awareness Day

The fourth annual World Autism Awareness Day is on April 2. People, schools, organizations, and companies are hosting events around the world.

Click here to find out more

Read more at www.lightitupblue.org

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AT&T puts broadband users on monthly all

2011-03-16T12:46:00.001-04:00

This is NOT good news and I'm ticked since I just switched back from Comcast to AT&T three months ago. We'll see if this sticks.

Amplify’d from www.cnn.com

AT&T puts broadband users on monthly allowance

(WIRED) -- AT&T broadband users will soon face a cap on the amount of internet data they can download a month.

Traditional DSL users will be capped at 150 GB per month, while subscribers to the fiber-backed UVerse system have a 250-GB limit. Usage over that will be charged at $10/month for 50 GB, the company says.

So, how could a user end up hitting these caps? Streaming video such as HD movies from Netflix, using bittorrent to download movies and heavy gaming with services like Steam can easily eat up lots of data, especially in households with multiple heavy internet users.
Read more at www.cnn.com

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