Obama to pitch infrastructure investments in Miami

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama will press Congress to pass new tax incentives and other flexibility measures aimed at attracting more private sector investment in infrastructure projects around the country, a senior administration official said.

The president will flesh out the details of his proposals during a speech Friday at a Miami port that is undergoing $2 billion in upgrades, funded by public and private money. In his quick trip to South Florida, Obama will try to show the public that the economy remains his top priority in the midst of high-profile campaigns on immigration reform and gun control.

Among the proposals Obama will call for Friday:

? Higher caps on "private activity bonds" to encourage the private sector to spend more on highway projects and other infrastructure needs. State and local governments use the bonds to attract investment.

? Giving foreign pension funds tax-exempt status when selling U.S. infrastructure, property or real estate assets. U.S. pension funds are generally tax exempt under such circumstances. The administration says some international pension funds cite the tax burden as a reason for not investing in American infrastructure.

? $4 billion in new spending on two infrastructure programs that award loans and grants.

? A renewed call for a $10 billion national "infrastructure bank" ? a proposal from his first term that gained little traction.

The administration official requested anonymity because the proposals were not being announced publicly until Friday's event.

The president made private sector infrastructure investment a key part of the economic agenda he rolled out in his State of the Union address last month. He also called in the national address for a "Fix-It-First" program that would spend $40 billion in taxpayer funds on urgent repairs.

Obama's focus on generating more private sector investment underscores the tough road new spending faces on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers often threaten to block additional spending unless it is offset through tax cuts or other measures.

The official said any increased spending associated with the proposals Obama was outlining Friday would not add to the deficit. But the official did not detail how the costs would be offset, saying only that more information would be included in the president's budget.

Obama will release his budget April 10.

___

Follow Julie Pace on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-pitch-infrastructure-investments-miami-103107672.html

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GWH News and Notes: March 26 All-Star Wrestling television

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Source: http://www.gwhnews.com/2013/03/march-26-all-star-wrestling-television.html

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Kansas GOP to legalize quarantine of HIV patients (Americablog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295069999?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Spamhaus Hit With 'Largest Publicly Announced DDoS Attack' Ever, Affecting Internet Users Worldwide

LONDON (AP) -- An Internet watchdog group responsible for keeping ads for counterfeit Viagra and bogus weight-loss pills out of inboxes around the world has been hit by a huge cyberattack, a crushing electronic onslaught that one expert said had already had ripple effects across the Web.

Spam-fighting organization Spamhaus said Wednesday that it had been buffeted by a massive denial-of-service attack since mid-March, apparently from groups angry at being blacklisted by the Geneva-based group.

The BBC identifies one of those blacklisted groups as Cyberbunker, a a web hosting company in the Netherlands. Cyberbunker "offers dedicated server hosting that allow clients to stay online, no matter what," according to its website.

"It is a small miracle that we're still online," Spamhaus researcher Vincent Hanna said in an interview.

Denial-of-service attacks work by overwhelming target servers with traffic - like hundreds of letters being jammed through a mail slot at the same time. In a blog post, San Francisco-based CloudFlare, Inc. said the attackers were taking advantage of weaknesses in the Internet's infrastructure to trick servers from across the Internet into routing billions of bits of junk traffic to Spamhaus every second.

The attack could be bad news for email users, many of whose incoming messages are checked against Spamhaus's widely used and constantly updated blacklists.

Hanna said that his site had so far managed to stay on top of the spammers, but warned that being knocked offline could give them an opening to step up their mailings.

The sheer size of the attack has already affected Internet users elsewhere, according to Patrick Gilmore of Akamai Technologies.

He explained that colleagues at other Internet service providers had been in touch to say their services were affected by the attack. He declined to identify them - saying they had shared the information on a confidential basis - but said problems include sluggish access and dropped connections.

He added to the New York Times: "It is the largest publicly announced DDoS attack in the history of the Internet."

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/spamhaus-cyber-attack_n_2963632.html

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Spelling blasts Kardashian show for killing gator

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

Some Hollywood stars aren't shy about criticizing others in their field, as Tori Spelling proved Sunday when she dissed the latest episode of "Kourtney and Kim Take Miami."

Ethan Miller / Getty Images file

"Any1 else upset by 2nite ep of K&K Take Miami?" Spelling tweeted. "Taking alligators life on camera as a storyline&making a mockery of it sent me over the edge."

On the most recent episode of the E! reality show, Kourtney Kardashian's boyfriend, Scott Disick, went alligator hunting at a farm owned by former "Bachelor" contestant Vienna Girardi. Disick shot and killed an alligator, then helped skin it, and later munched on some fried gator nuggets. His goal was to use the reptile's skin to make a pair of loafers, though the shoe-making wasn't seen onscreen.

Some of Spelling's fans agreed the killing was upsetting. Tweeted one in response, "Preach sis. you're someone who created fun, wholesome reality TV. they're people who will do anything for $$. sad."

"I found it to be disturbing," personal trainer Sam N. Hawkins tweeted at Spelling. "Am sure K&K will hear from Animal Rights."

And he was right.

"It takes a small man to kill an animal for fun," a representative of the animal-rights organization PETA told In Touch Weekly.?"Kind people understand that these intelligent, interesting animals ? who fiercely protect their eggs and babies until their hatchlings are 3 years old ? deserve to live with their families, rather than being hunted down in their homes and killed for a cheap human thrill."

What did you think of Disick killing the alligator? Tell us on Facebook.

Related content:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/03/26/17473351-tori-spelling-blasts-kardashian-show-for-killing-alligator?lite

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Why You Should Have More than One Oil In Your Kitchen (and How to Choose The Best Ones)

Anyone can toss some oil into a pan and cook, but if you want to up your cooking game, consider using different oils based on the dish you're making and how you plan to cook it. Using the right one can mean the difference between a tasty, well-cooked meal and a smoke alarm going off over your burned food.

We're not suggesting that you run out and buy a dozen different oils just in case you need them, but there is some benefit to having more than one type of cooking oil in your kitchen. Depending on whether you plan to bake, fry, broil, or grill, a different oil will yield different results in your food, and give you more control over the cooking time and temperature.

Smoke Point: The Number That Determines When Oil Goes from Tasty to Terrible

First, a little science. Each different type of oil or fat has its own smoke point, or the temperature at which it begins to break down, smoke, and start to taste awful. Around that same temperature, the flavor and nutritional value falls off as well. What you're left with isn't very tasty and isn't very good for you.

The chemical process behind this is simple: As you heat a fat of any kind, it begins to break down into free fatty acids and glycerol. As the temperature rises, the glycerol breaks down further and produces a bitter-smelling, acrid chemical called acrolein. It's that acrolein in the smoke that makes your eyes itch, and it's also what makes the food you cook in that overheated oil taste terrible. Acrolein is no good for you either?too much is toxic, and it irritates the eyes, nose, throat, and ears when its airborne.

This is why it's important to choose the right type of oil for the cooking method and the dish you're going to make. If you plan to fry or grill, you want an oil that will stand up to high heat without breaking down on you. If you're going to use the oven, you have some more flexibility depending on whether you plan to bake, broil, and the temperature you set. With the right oil and the right cooking method, you'll taste a noticeable difference in your food.

Use Flaxseed Oil, Olive Oil, and Butter for Low-Temperature Cooking and Baking

As a rule, unrefined oils, dairy products, and animal fats have the lowest smoke points, and are best suited for lower-temperature cooking like baking, simmering, and low-heat pan frying. While unrefined oils are as close to the natural flavor of the oil you can get, that they have all of the free fatty acids and other ingredients that lower the oil's smoke point. This rule extends to full-fat diary products, which have milk solids and other fats in them that break down and burn easily. Here are a few oils in this range best reserved for lower-heat preparation methods, where you actually want to taste the oil or fat you're using:

• Flaxseed Oil: Smokes at approx 225?F/107?C
• Unrefined Walnut Oil: Smokes at approx 320?F/160?C
• Unrefined Olive Oil: Smokes at approx 320-325?F/160-162?C
• Butter or Lard: Smokes at approx 350-375?F/176-190?C

It's important to note that as you refine these oils, clarify them, or buy higher quality versions that are free of the same impurities or extra fatty acids (that some people would say clarify the flavor and others complain removes it from its natural quality) the smoke point increases. For example, clarified butter, or Ghee, smokes at a whopping 485?F (252?C), making it ideal for high-heat cooking like stir frying and grilling. Photo by Nicholas Humfrey.

Use Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Medium-Heat Cooking and Frying

Most of your middle of the road oils have applications in low-heat and cold preparations but can also be used on the stove or in the oven. Refined oils?the kind you'll find in most grocery stores?make their way up here, along with some all-purpose oils that you may already have. For example:

• Coconut Oil: Smokes at approx 350?F/176?C
• Extra Virgin, High-Quality Olive Oil: Smokes at approx 375-400?F/190-204?C
• Refined Canola Oil: Smokes at approx 400?F/204?C
• Corn Oil: Smokes at 400-450?F/204-232?C

Other refined oils, like Cottonseed oil (420?F/216?C) and Grapeseed Oil (420?F/216?C) are on the leading edge of this category. In general, these are the oils that are the most flexible, which is why they're easily available almost everywhere. Photo by Steven Tom.

Since the level of refinement and the quality of an oil has a huge effect on its smoke point and final flavor, we should note that there's some controversy around the quality of olive oil, especially imported olive oils that are often mixed with oils from different places with different ages, and then labeled "extra virgin" and sold at a premium. Before you buy, check for a harvest date and weed out the fakes. Check out the full UC Davis study (PDF) that blew the lid off of the issue and the brands they tested for more information.

Use Peanut Oil, Avocado Oil, and Ghee for High-Heat Grilling and Deep Frying

The highest-smoke point oils are generally reserved for high-heat frying, brushing on the grill, and deep frying. Some of these are best used because of their high smoke point and their flavor, others are so heavily refined that a high smoke point is pretty much all they have going for them. A few examples:

• Sesame Oil: Smokes at approx 410?F/210?C
• Peanut Oil: Smokes at approx 400-450?F/204-232?C
• Palm Oil: Smokes at approx 450?F/232?C
• Ghee (Clarified Butter): Smokes at approx 485?F/252?C
• Refined Soybean Oil: Smokes at approx 495?F/257?C
• Avocado Oil: Smokes at approx 520?F/271?C

Depending on your opinion of highly saturated oils, some of these may be your go-to oils or they may be your never-use oils. Regardless, the fact is they're able to withstand the most heat, and often used in situations where extremely high temperatures are required, like broiling, deep frying, stir frying, or other situations where direct contact with flame are required. Keep in mind that some of them?notably peanut oil and avocado oil?impart their own flavors to your dish, so only use them when the taste is complimentary. Photo by Jack Liddon.

Finally, a note about soybean oil?soybean oil's smoke point varies widely based on its level of refinement. Unrefined soy oil can smoke as low as 320?F/160?C and refined soy oil at 350?F/176?C. Almost pure soy bean oil is what's listed here, so remember that when you go shopping if soy oil is a staple in your home.

Choose Your Favorites, and Keep Them On Hand

Like we said earlier, there's no reason to keep a half-dozen oils in your pantry (besides, you don't want your oil to go rancid on you.) Pick a few that you really enjoy using, both for flavor and for temperature. This cooking oil comparison chart, made with the help of Lifehacker friend, nutritionist, and Registered Dietitian Andy Belatti, does a great job of showing you which oils are best left for salads and low-heat preparations versus the ones that can stand a little heat.

I keep soybean oil, extra virgin olive oil, and sesame oil in my kitchen. The soy oil has the highest smoke point, so it's great for grilling or high-heat frying. The olive oil is tasty, and best for baking and low-and-slow sauteeing (and cold preparations, like salad dressing.) The sesame oil can stand high heat, so I use it for stir frying, but I don't shy away from using it to add flavor in colder preparations. I've been experimenting with coconut oil too.

Finally, keep your budget in mind. Some highly refined oils and others that are more natural (or have dubious health benefits) are pretty expensive, so do your homework before buying. There's nothing worse than buying an oil just because it has a high smoke point or someone's book says it's the cure for your ills only to find out it tastes terrible in everything. For a more complete guide to various oil types and their smoke points, check out this table at the Good Eats fan page (nicely formatted for copy/pasting), this chart from Cooking for Engineers, or Wikipedia's list of common oils and smoke points.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/OyW3X7LVSo4/why-you-should-have-more-than-one-oil-in-your-kitchen-and-how-to-choose-the-best-ones

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Illustraing how a am/fm radio works with communication model - All ...

I have to illustrate how a radio works as a communication technology. And use the communication model to illustrate it.

This what I have so far

would the sender and encoder be the radio station, the channel would be radio waves, and the decoder is the radio antenna and the reciever would be anyone listening to the radio?

I need help translating the communication model into how a radio operates.

communication model

Radio transmition -this is suppose to be a simple model of how a radio works, right?

Source: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=82907

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Winx Club With Puzzle for Android

Bloom and her five best friends Stella, Flora, Tecna, Musa and Layla/Aisha, and is situated mainly in the Magical Dimension and on Earth. They call themselves "The Winx Club" and go on countless magical and mystical adventures together. Throughout the story, they discover new evolved, evolutionary, much stronger fairy transformations and forms, unlock new secrets and even stronger magical abilities, battle against the darkness and support Bloom as she tries to discover her true past, home world, and birth parents helped by her best friends.

Install this app and enjoy the videos and puzzle game

Source: http://www.appszoom.com/android_applications/entertainment/winx-club-with-puzzle_ftsin.html?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Free++Applications+for+Android

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Buy a Nook tablet, get a free e-reader

Devin Coldewey , NBC News ? ? ? 1 day

Barnes & Noble is kicking off a seriously nice limited time deal where buyers of a Nook tablet will be given a free Nook e-reader to complete the set. The tablet was already a good buy, but the addition of the e-reader makes this offer nearly irresistible.

The 9-inch Nook HD+ tablet has a nice full HD screen (1920x1280) and solid specs, as well as an eye-grabbing design. It's not the biggest, smallest, cheapest, or most advanced tablet on the market, but it's still a good device (we'd advise spending the extra $30 to double your storage to 32GB).

Adding a free e-reader to go along with it really sweetens the pot. The Nook Simple Touch doesn't light up like the latest generation of e-paper devices, but it's a solid, simple reading device ? and at 100 percent off, the price sure is right.

You can take advantage of the deal by buying a Nook HD+ any time during the week starting Sunday the 24th and ending on the 31st.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/29e32c6d/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Cgadgetbox0Cbuy0Enook0Etablet0Eget0Efree0Ee0Ereader0E1B90A32163/story01.htm

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Is That Really Christian Bale?! See His Latest Look

Christian Bale is Batman no more, and his new physique can prove it. The Dark Knight Rises star has packed on more than a few pounds for his role in an untitled David O. Russell film, where he plays con man-turned-FBI worker Melvin Weinberg -- and Bale is nearly unrecognizable with his new look. 

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/christian-bale-weight-loss-and-gain-movie-roles/1-a-529605?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Achristian-bale-weight-loss-and-gain-movie-roles-529605

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Tech Giants Dive Into Music Streaming - Business Insider

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Technology giants Apple, Google and Amazon are furiously maneuvering for position in the online music business and looking at ways to make streaming profitable, despite the fact that pioneer Pandora has never made a profit.

It has been more than a decade since the iPod heralded the revival of Apple and presaged the smartphone revolution, even as music-sharing site Napster was showing the disruptive power of the Internet in the music business.

Now Google, Amazon.com Inc and Apple are among the Silicon Valley powerhouses sounding out top recording industry executives, according to sources with knowledge of talks and media reports. Streaming service Pandora is spending freely and racking up losses to expand globally. Even social media stalwarts Facebook and Twitter are jumping on the bandwagon.

All of them see a viable music streaming and subscription service as crucial to growing their presence in an exploding mobile environment. For Google and Apple, it is critical in ensuring users remain loyal to their mobile products.

Music has been integral to the mobile experience since the early days of iTunes, which upended the old models with its 99-cent per song buying approach. Now, as smartphones and tablets supplant PCs and virtual storage replaces songs on devices, mobile players from handset makers to social networks realize they must stake out a place or risk ceding control of one of the largest components of mobile device usage.

About 48 percent of smartphone users listen to music on their device, making it the fourth most popular media-related activity after social networking, games and news, according to a ComScore survey of mobile behavior released in February. Users ranked a phone's music and video capability at 7.4 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most important purchase consideration factor, according to the study.

"Music is very strategic for the various electronic devices Samsung manufactures," said Daren Tsui, CEO and co-founder of streaming music service mSpot, which Samsung bought last year to create the Music Hub service now available on Galaxy smartphones in the United States and Europe.

"By owning it, we can absolutely customize the music experience and leverage the fact that it's not just a service but there's also a hardware component."

In January, Beats Electronics, the startup co-founded by recording supremo Jimmy Iovine and hip-hop performer-producer Dr. Dre, and backed by Universal and Warner Music, announced a new streaming-subscription service dubbed "Daisy" to take on Pandora and Spotify starting this summer.

Now, industry insiders expect Apple, Google and other technology titans to jump into the fray. Apple is talking with music labels about tacking a subscription service option onto iTunes, sources have said, while Google is said to be planning a YouTube subscription music service, according to media reports.

"There are some content creators that think they would benefit from a subscription revenue stream in addition to ads, so we're looking at that," a YouTube spokesperson said, but declined to comment on any specific negotiations.

Apple declined to comment.

Microsoft is already promoting its Xbox Music service. Their entry promises to catalyze an industry shake-up and propel music streaming further into the mainstream.

"ITunes was great but it needs a step forward," Iovine, chairman of Universal Music's Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records, told the AllThingsD conference in February. "There is an ocean of music out there that people want."

MOBILE MUSIC LOVERS

Music streaming, or playing songs over the Internet, has in recent years begun to come into its own as listeners increasingly choose to stream songs from apps like Pandora via their smartphones, rather than buy and store individual tracks.

The ad-free subscription model, where consumers pay a flat fee for near-unlimited listening time, is relatively new and quickly gaining popularity.

Pandora, one of the pioneers, is now trying to convert users of its free ad-supported radio service into subscribers. It says mobile users account for more than two thirds of its music, up from just 5 percent of listener-hours three years earlier.

Subscription services are expected to have crossed the 10 per cent mark as a share of total digital music revenues in 2012 for the first time, according to a recent report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the recording industry worldwide.

Consumers spent $5.6 billion worldwide for digital music in 2012, an increase of 9 percent, offsetting the decline in CDs and other physical ways to provide music. That gave the industry its best growth since 1998, albeit a miniscule 0.3 percent, according to the IFPI.

Pure buyers "have to spend hundreds of dollars a month on music, which most people can't afford to do," Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek told Reuters in an interview last week at South-by-Southwest Interactive. "It's pretty obvious that the access model or the subscription model is a much better proposition for most people."

U.S. consumers will stream an estimated 100 billion tracks this year, says David Bakula, senior vice-president for client development and analytics for Nielsen Entertainment.

"The big question is who has the business model to make it work," said Bakula, a former executive at Universal Music, one of the four major music labels. "The first ones in the market may not be the winners."

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently met with Iovine and other Beats executives to find out more about that business. It is unclear if Apple will join Beats' Project Daisy.

SHOW ME THE MONEY

Making money off music streaming is difficult. Leading players Pandora and Spotify, despite attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in financing and millions of subscribers, have never reported a cent of profit.

No less a personage than Steve Jobs himself was a skeptic.

"Never say never, but customers don't seem to be interested in it," the late Apple co-founder and online music visionary told Reuters in a 2007 interview. Apple's current executives have not publicly stated their views on streaming music.

Pandora, which went public in 2011, now has 67 million monthly listeners worldwide - a 41 percent jump from a year ago - together listening to more than 13 billion hours of music.

But its losses more than doubled to $38.1 million in the year to January 31, 2013, hurt by the high cost of standard streaming licenses that typically have a per-track royalty model. This has forced Pandora, which relies mainly on advertising for revenue, to cap free mobile listening at 40 hours per month.

It and other music services such as Clear Channel Communications' iHeartRadio are now urging lawmakers in the U.S. Congress to pass the "Internet Radio Fairness Act," which would set royalty rates for subscription music services using the same standard that has so far been applied to other forms of radio.

But a group of 125 musicians, including Billy Joel and Rihanna, are speaking up against it, arguing that the bill would cut by 85 percent the amount of money an artist receives when his or her songs are played over the Internet.

The issue of how recording labels and musicians will be paid is one of the biggest roadblocks to growth. Competition will almost certainly force a shakeout, with winners and losers.

That could accelerate once major technology companies like Amazon and Google flex their marketing muscles, not to mention Apple with its ability to leverage its enormous base of online music buyers. The California gadget giant is unlikely to cede its lead in selling music without a fight.

While streaming could undercut sales of music tracks, Apple has always maintained that if there is potential for cannibalization of its products, the gadget maker would rather be in charge than let others in on it.

Finally, Microsoft has a large audience of Windows and Xbox players to whom it can promote Xbox Music Pass, a $9.99 a month service it launched in October. The software giant has declined to talk about its future plans in this area.

Bring it on, says Ek from Spotify.

"It's rare that gigantic companies figure out a new way to do something peripheral," Ek said. "I don't believe the world will only be controlled by a Google or an Apple. It will be companies who are great at games like EA, at films like Netflix, or at music like Spotify."

(Additional reporting by Gerry Shih in San Francisco; Editing by Claudia Parsons)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/tech-giants-dive-into-music-streaming-2013-3

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Autism Awareness Month - A look at TAP events around Illinois | The ...

By Jarid Brown on March 23, 2013

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Northern Illinois

Sat Mar 23, 2013

8:30am - Rockford Area Autism Conference

Where: Linda K. White Youth Center- 623 N. Alpine Rd.- Rockford, IL 61101

Description: Presentations include: "Recreation, Leisure, Health, & Fitness for Individuals with Autism and Disabilities" -Jeff Chan, Ph.D., BCBA-D "Getting Everything You Can Out of Your IEP Meeting" -Micki Moran, J.D. "Support for Families: Tips and Strategies for Managing Stress" - Frederika C. Theus, PhysD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist "Teaching Functional Skills Using Vide Prompting" -Jesse (Woody) Johnson, Ed.D., BCBA-D To RSVP for this FREE event, please conta Kim Winkelman at (815) 790-1361 or KimW@AutismHomeSupport.com

?

Wed Mar 27, 2013

10am RCADD - Understanding the IEP Process

Where: RCADD - 10 S. Kedzie, Room 205 Chicago, IL 62612

Description: A great opportunity for families transitioning from Early Interventioninto Special Education. RCADD in collaboration with the Family ResourceCenter on Disabilities is proud to be hosting the following freeworkshop. ?Understanding The IEP Process?

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 ~ Time: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Where: Resource Center for Autism &Developmental Delays 10 S. Kedzie, Room 205, Chicago IL, 60612

(312-746-5447) Please email us to register: rcadd2@gmail.com

?

Sat Mar 30, 2013

7:05pm - Autism Awareness Night with the Rockford IceHogs

Where: Rockford, IL

Description: The Rockford IceHogs are pleased to host the inaugural Autism Awareness Night on Saturday, March 30, 2013! $5 from every ticket purchase through the order form, online or by phone mentioning Autism Awareness Night will be donated to help The Autism Program Service Center, a program of Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago - Rockford Region.

?

Mon Apr 1, 2013

9am - Opening of RCADD South

Where: Chicago, IL

Description: The opening of Resource Center for Autism & Developmental Delays -SOUTH! Resources, Referrals & Trainings Books, Games, DVD??s &Software Assistance with Visual Support Creation Access to Computers,Printer & Lamination Basic Case Management and Referrals Available Martin Luther King Community Service Center 4314 S. Cottage Grove RM103Chicago, IL 60612 Mon & Fri - 9am-5pm, Wed - 11am-5pm P. 312.747.8571 -F.312.747.8991

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Thu Apr 4, 2013

7pm - Little Friends Community Presentation - "The Changing Face of Autism"

Where: NCC, Naperville, IL

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Sat Apr 6, 2013

7:45am - Chicagoland Autism Connection Spring Fling

Where: Chicago, IL

Description: Representatives of UIC Developmental Disabilities Family Clinics/TAP will be present. Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences 3857 West 111th Street, Chicago

?

Mon Apr 8, 2013

6pm - Parents Raising Children with ASDs Support Group- Joliet

Where: Easter Seals, 212 Barney, Joliet, IL

Description: This is a wonderful way to meet other parents, get information and get connected to other resources in the community. Childcare will be provided by Easter Seals staff as long as you call ahead to make arrangements. Please let Valerie know if you would like to be included the reminder email list for this group at vlentz@joliet.easterseals.com.

?

Wed Apr 10, 2013

All day TAP 1.1 Training

Where: The Hope Institute Learning Academy - 1628 W Washington BLVD, Chicago, IL 60612

Description: Training will run from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. Cost is $325, lunch included. This course is a prerequisite for TAP 2.0 training. To register, contact Lydia at Have Dreams: lydiawissing@aol.com or 847-685-0250 x 115. Sponsored by TAP and Have Dreams.

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6pm - ?Improving the Social Skills of Children with Disabilities? - EasterSeals Rockford

Where: Oregon, IL

Description: At this FREE workshop participants will learn how social skills arepart of the Illinois learning standards, how social skills acquisitionis addressed in an IEP and methods for teaching social and emotionallearning. Time: 6:00 ? 9:00 PM - A dinner will be provided.

Location:First Presbyterian Church 200 South Fifth Street Oregon, IL 61061Presenter: Rhonda Best 3 CPDUs Available for Educators Certificate ofAttendance Provided To Register: Call Kim at 866-436-7842 X107 or visitwww.fmptic.org/events/trainings Please Register by April 3, 2013.

?

Thu Apr 11, 2013

All day TAP 1.1 Training

Where: The Hope Institute Learning Academy - 1628 W Washington BLVD, Chicago, IL 60612

Description: Training will run from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. Cost is $325, lunch
included. This course is a prerequisite for TAP 2.0 training. To register, contact Lydia at Have Dreams: lydiawissing@aol.com or 847-685-0250 x 115. Sponsored by TAP and Have Dreams.

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Fri Apr 12, 2013

5:30pm - Family Fun Night

Where: Carson Ice Area, Rockford

Description: Annual Family Fun Night for families that have a child with a developmental
disability at Carlson Ice Arena with Therapeutic Recreation Staff from the Rockford Park District Dinner will be provided. Registration is required by April 5 and limited to the first 150 people. register, call Patti at 815-965-5069 x 221 or email to: phobbs@eastersealschicago.org

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Sat Apr 13, 2013

9am - ADORE - A Day of Recognition Event

Where: The Hope Institute Learning Academy, Chicago, IL

Description: Come join us for ?ADORE? A Day of Recognition Event for: Parents,families, and caregivers of children with special needs. We will honorthe hard work, dedication, support and love that special familiesprovide to help their children succeed. The ADORE Event is FREE!Pre-registration is required Register at:adore2013recognition.eventbrite.com Or call Kim Cambric at 773-553-5720(Space is limited to 200 participants)

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10am - Buttons4Autism - Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago

Where: Tinley Park, IL

Description: Volunteer at Buttons4Autism on Saturday, April 13th, 2013 to raise critical funds for Easter Seals Autism Therapeutic School in Tinley Park. Help improve the lives and futures of individuals living with Autism and other disabilities by giving your time to collect donations at local intersections in Tinley Park. Invite your friends, family and co-workers to participate in thi exciting opportunity. All participants must be 16 years and older. Safety vest, badges and collection containers will be provided. A button handmade at HarrysButtons at Easter Seals will be given for each donation. Volunteer shifts are available from 10am to 6pm. Visit: http://chicago.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ILCH_Buttons4Autism for more information

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10am - WOYC - Early Childhood 2nd Annual FREE Family Fun Fair

Where: Heartland Community Church, 1280 S. Alpine, Rockford, IL

Description: Bouncy House Child Centered Activities Community Information Booths Face Painting Raffles & More!!!

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2pm - Road Rally to benefit Trinity Services

Where: New Lenox, IL

Description: You?re invited to attend our new event to help raise funds forTrinity?s Autism Program and School ~Saturday, April 13, 2013~ Lookingfor some fun and adventure?

Then start your engines, put on yourthinking caps, and get ready for (car) loads of fun at Trinity?s firstRev It Up! Road Rally, a challenging game on wheels in which teams (up to six per vehicle) work together to solve puzzles, answer questionsand uncover clues that direct them to various ?Pit Stops.? Theadventure will conclude at a post-Rally celebration where teams willgather for a casual dinner, drinks (cash bar) and raffles, and to seewhich team earns first- year bragging rights and the Rev It Up! Trophy.Since April is Autism Awareness Month, funds raised for this inauguralevent will go toward building a playground at Trinity?s Autism Center and School in New Lenox. Entry fee is $25 per person (minimum forpeople per vehicle, maximum six per vehicle) Entry fee includesadmission to the post-Rally party. If you have other friends or familywho want to attend just the post-Rally celebration, tickets are $20 perperson.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please help us spreadthe word and watch for online registration information soon to beposted on the Trinity website, www.trinity-services.org If you havequestions, please call Kris at 815-717-3750.

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Mon Apr 15, 2013

4pm - Easter Seals Rockford - Sibling Support Group

Where: Rockford, IL

Description: Siblings play an important, unique, and special role in each other?slives. This support group is geared towards: Youth: siblings ages 8 to12 years old Teen: siblings ages 13 to 16 years old LOCATED AT: UICHEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS 1601 PARKVIEW AVE ROCKFORD, IL 61107

TIME: YOUTH4:00 ? 4:50PM TEEN 5:00 ?5:50PM

PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY AND ATTENDTHE PARENT SUPPORT GROUP COMPONENT

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT BRENDA PARRISH MS, CTRS AT 815.395.5651 OR EMAIL BRENDA.PARRISH@EASTERSEALSCHICAGO.ORG

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Wed Apr 17, 2013

10am - RCADD - Tips & Tools for Homes & Schools

Where: 10 S. Kedzie, Rm. 205, Chicago, IL

Description: This workshop will cover classroom and home strategies meant to address the academic, social and leisure objectives of a child with autism and/or developmental delays. For more information visit: http://illinois.edu/calendar/detail/4211? eventId=24412295&calMin=201303&cal=20130322&skinId=6543

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Thu Apr 18, 2013

4pm - Sibshops- Joliet

Where: 212 Barney Dr., Joliet, IL

Description: Sponsored by Easter Seals Joliet Region, Inc. Sibshops are fun, recreational groups for children that have siblings with special needs. It is an opportunity for sibs to meet other sib talk about the good and not so good things and learn that Sibs R Special 2! Our group is for children in 1st - 8th grade. It meets the third Thursday of every month from 4:00 - 6:00. Call Valerie Lentz at (815) 927-5465 to register or with any questions.

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6pm - Alyson Beytien Talks ASD - Parent / Caregiver Presentation

Where: Dixon Elks Lodge #779 - 1279 Franklin Grove Road, Dixon IL 61021

Description: ?What do I do tomorrow? - 5 Keys to Supporting a Person with Autism?The challenges of supporting a child with ASD are many, and the amountof research and interventions currently available can be overwhelming.This presentation focuses on what everyone??parents, teachers, extendedfamily, support personnel??can do each day to ensure success for thechild and for all involved. This presentation is full of humor,reality, and practical ideas. This presentation is free

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Fri Apr 19, 2013

8:30am - Kreider Services: ?Critical Supports for the Person with Autism? with Alyson Beytien

Where: Dixon, IL

Description: Individuals with ASD exhibit specific characteristics and behaviorsthat correlate to their diagnosis. This presentation looks at Autismwithin the context of the core challenges the individuals experience;communication, social interaction and unusual behaviors. Discussion and examples of what autism looks like in the home and community,interventions, and ideas for supporting specific learning styles arepart of the presentation. Practical ideas, and real ?life incidencesare used to spark discussion on how to help these individuals succeedand thrive in their lives. Required Fee: $50 per person/ Lunch isprovided.

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Sat Apr 20, 2013

All day Curb Appeal Project w/NCC Intersection Group ? Main Campus

Where: Naperville, IL

Description: Curb Appeal Project w/NCC Intersection Group ? Main Campus.

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10am - Chicagoland Autism Connection (CAC)/ Chicago Southside Autism Support Group

Where: Easter Seals School and Center of Autism Research, 1939 West 13th Street, Chicago

Description: Registration is not required for our monthly meetings, except for respite care (see below). RESPITE CARE REGISTRATION Free respite care for children with autism is provided by professionally trained staff from NIA Comprehensive Center for Developmental Disabilities. However, ADVANCE RESERVATIONS are required and an intake form must be completed to m State of Illinois requirements. We regret that typically-developing siblings CAN NOT be accommodated (but all kids are welcome to come to the adult meeting as long as they are supervised). These rules are necessary due to the large demand for the free respite care serv We limit respite care size to 20 kids to ensure safety and personalized care. Please call Allonda McCaster of NIA at (773) 329-0375 to complete your intake form and reserve a space for your child. Projects of CAC include Southside Autism Support Group and the "A-Team" Social and Recreational Club.

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Mon Apr 22, 2013

4pm - Easter Seals Rockford - Sibling Support Group

Where: Rockford, IL

Description: Siblings play an important, unique, and special role in each other?slives. This support group is geared towards: Youth: siblings ages 8 to12 years old Teen: siblings ages 13 to 16 years old

LOCATED AT: UICHEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS 1601 PARKVIEW AVE ROCKFORD, IL 61107

TIME: YOUTH4:00 ? 4:50PM TEEN 5:00 ?5:50PM PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY AND ATTEND THE PARENT SUPPORT GROUP COMPONENT

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT BRENDA PARRISH MS, CTRS AT 815.395.5651 OR EMAIL BRENDA.PARRISH@EASTERSEALSCHICAGO.ORG

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Wed Apr 24, 2013

ARC of Illinois' 63rd Annual Convention

Where: Lisle, IL

Description: Staff & Clinicians from The Autism Program of Illinois network partners will presenting.

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Thu Apr 25, 2013

ARC of Illinois' 63rd Annual Convention

Where: Lisle, IL

Description: Staff & Clinicians from The Autism Program of Illinois network partners will presenting.

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6pm - Little Friends - Friend Raiser Reception

Where: Cafe B's - Naperville, IL

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Fri Apr 26, 2013

7:30pm - Grupo SALTO Annual Fundraiser

Where: Cicero, IL

Description: WishingWell-Concodia Banquet Halls 5838 W. 26th St Cicero, IL 60804 For tickets and information call Jose Ovalle 708-770-1401 Luz Maria Limon 773-574-3868 Donation: $50

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Sat Apr 27, 2013

9am - 3rd Annual Giant Steps Autism Community Resource Fair

Where: Lisle, IL

Description: Representatives from The Autism Program and our network partners will be present with information and resources.

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6pm - 9th Annual Night of Hope Gala - The Hope Institute

Where: Marriott Downtown Chicago, Chicago, IL

Description: For more information visit - http://www.thehopeinstitute.us

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Mon Apr 29, 2013

4pm Easter Seals Rockford - Sibling Support Group

Where: Rockford, IL

Description: Siblings play an important, unique, and special role in each other?slives. This support group is geared towards: Youth: siblings ages 8 to12 years old Teen: siblings ages 13 to 16 years old LOCATED AT: UICHEALTH SCIENCES CAMPUS 1601 PARKVIEW AVE ROCKFORD, IL 61107

TIME: YOUTH4:00 ? 4:50PM TEEN 5:00 ?5:50PM

PARENTS ARE REQUIRED TO STAY AND ATTENDTHE PARENT SUPPORT GROUP COMPONENT FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT BRENDAPARRISH MS, CTRS AT 815.395.5651 OR EMAIL BRENDA.PARRISH@EASTERSEALSCHICAGO.ORG

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Fri May 3, 2013

7pm - Night of Dreams: Have Dreams Annual Fundraiser

Where: Chicago, IL

Description: For more information visit: http://www.havedreams.org

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Sat May 11, 2013

9am - 4th Annual ?Walkin for?The ANSWERS? Autism and Special Needs Walk-a-Thon

Where: Maywood, IL

Description: Representatives of TAP will be on hand with information and resources.Saturday, May 11, 2013, from 9am to 2pm at Proviso East High SchoolStadium, 801 S. 1st Ave., Maywood, IL. (PARKING IS AVAILABLE). The flowof the day is Registration 9:00am til 9:25?Opening Ceremonies9:30?Let?s Walk 10:00am.

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Central Illinois

Tue Mar 26, 2013

5:30pm - Support Group- Charleston

Where: TAP at CTF, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description:

Support group for adults will be held the last Tuesday of every month at our office in Charleston. For more information, call TAP at 217.348.3869.

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6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description:

Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each
Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of The Autism Program at CTF.

Tue Apr 2, 2013

6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each
Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Thu Apr 4, 2013

6pm - Parent Support Group- Hillsboro

Where: Hillsboro

Description: Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 6-7:30pm. There will
be a speaker and also time to discuss and problem solve challenges faced by families of childre with ASD. Childcare (for the child with ASD and siblings!) is provided during these meetings by teachers and speech pathologists who have experience in working with children on the spectrum. For additional information please contact Kim Draper at 217-710-3598.

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7pm - Parents of Children with Autism Support Group- Springfield

Where: University of Illinois, Visual and Performing Arts Building, Rm. 152, Springfield, IL

Description: Hosted by the Autism Society of Illinois, and by Karen Kirkendall , Ph.D. & Catherine Wells, M.A. Meetings also open to educators and paraprofessionals, such as speech therapists, occupational therapists and emergency personnel and other care givers . Meeting dates: September 2, 2010 October 7, 2010 November 4, 2010 December 2, 2010 February 3, 2011 March 3, 2011 April 7, 2011 May 5, 2011 No Meeting in January due to Holidays For more information contact us at info@asacic.org or (217) 241-2023.

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Tue Apr 9, 2013

TAP Press Conference w/ Secretary of State Jessie White

Where: Illinois State Capitol Building, Springfield, IL Description: Details coming soon!

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6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description:

Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Tue Apr 16, 2013

6am - Asperger's/Autism Adult Support and Self-Advocacy Group- Springfield

Where: Community Room at Schnucks Supermarket, 2801 Chatham Rd, Springfield, IL

Description: This group meets on the third Tuesday of each month in the Community Room at the Montvale Schnucks Supermarket in Springfield. For additional information please contact c facilitator, Debi Edmund at 217-793-2587 or debi.edmund@yahoo.com. Please note that this is not a TAP event. For additional information you will need to contact Debi.

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10am - Project Inclusion- Springfield

Where: University of Illinois-Springfield, Disability Services HRB 80, Springfield, IL

Description: WHO: For students who have exited the K-12 school system; students who are still in school, but have completed their core classes and would like some college experience; or students in the school system who are looking for independent living skills. WHAT: An educational program aimed at improving reading, writing, and computer skills to make them more employable in the future. COST: $75/class, $150/ for both classes during the semester. Some DRS clients are eligible for funding for this program. CONTACT: Susy Woods, Visiting Director of Disability Services, UIS- (217) 206-6666 or swoods06s@uis.edu.

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6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Wed Apr 17, 2013

3:15pm - The Hope Institute: Balloon Launch for Autism Awareness

Where: The Hope Institute for Children and Families, Springfield, IL

Thu Apr 18, 2013

4pm CTF Event - Cooking Class

Where: Coles County Fairgrounds, Charleston, IL

Description: High School & Young Adult - 4:00 - 4:45pm Middle/Junior High Students - 6:00 - 6:45pm To register or for more information contact cherylsowers@ctfillinois.org

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Sat Apr 20, 2013

7pm CTF - Young Adult Club of Champaign - Dinner & Play

Where: Farmer City, IL

Description: Maid to Order - We will have a dinner at Emos in Farmer City & then go to the play to see the comedy! Play starts at 7:00pm at the Blue Ridge High School Auditorium - 411 N. Joh St., Farmer City. Tickets - $8.00 for reserved seats. Please RSVP to Cathy Testory by April 5th a cathytestory@ctfillinois.org or 217-722-4482

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Tue Apr 23, 2013

5:30pm - Support Group- Charleston

Where: TAP at CTF, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Support group for adults will be held the last Tuesday of every month at our office in Charleston. For more information, call TAP at 217.348.3869.

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6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Fri Apr 26, 2013

5:30pm - 7th Annual Passage To India - A benefit for Easter Seals Peoria- Bloomington

Where: Peoria, IL

Description: For more information visit: http://es-passagetoindia.com/

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Sun Apr 28, 2013

2pm - Teen Connect of Champaign / C-U Autism Walk

Where: Hessel Park, Champaign, IL

Description: Registration begins at 11:30am Kick off - 2:00pm Line up - 2:15pm Begin walk - 2:30pm Raffle Drawing 3:00pm (must be present to win) CTF will pay for YAC and Teen Connect Members registration and shirts!

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Tue Apr 30, 2013

6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Thu May 2, 2013

7pm - Parents of Children with Autism Support Group- Springfield

Where: University of Illinois, Visual and Performing Arts Building, Rm. 152, Springfield, IL

Description: Hosted by the Autism Society of Illinois, and by Karen Kirkendall , Ph.D. & Catherine Wells, M.A. Meetings also open to educators and paraprofessionals, such as speech therapists, occupational therapists and emergency personnel and other care givers . Meeting dates: September 2, 2010 October 7, 2010 November 4, 2010 December 2, 2010 February 3, 2011 March 3, 2011 April 7, 2011 May 5, 2011 No Meeting in January due to Holidays For more information contact us at info@asacic.org or (217) 241-2023.

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Tue May 7, 2013

6pm - Social Skills Group- Charleston

Where: TAP, 689 Castle Dr., Charleston, IL

Description: Social Skills groups for children ages 7-8 and for children ages 9-11 will meet each Tuesday evening 5:30-6:30 pm at our Charleston office starting on March 6. If you are intereste in having your child attend Social Skills but have not yet registered, please contact Teasha at (217) 348-3869, x10 or teashawalker@ctfillinois.org. Social Skills group is a free program of Th Autism Program at CTF.

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Southern Illinois

Tue Apr 2, 2013

All day FASTT Balloon Release

Where: Maryville, IL

Description: FASTT will hold a balloon release with a card attached stating a statistic about autism.

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Fri Apr 5, 2013

10am - UCP Heartland Center for Autism Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting- Maryville

Where: UCP Heartland Center for Autism- 2730 North Center Street in Maryville, IL

Description: UCP Heartland Center for Autism Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting April 5,
2013 Ribbon Cutting at 10:00 a.m. More details to come.

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Fri Apr 12, 2013

6pm - Monster Mock! Concert a tribute to KISS and music of the Scorpions

Where: Family Arena, St Charles, MO

Description: April 12 ? Monster Mock! Concert a tribute to KISS and music of theScorpions at Family Arena. A portion of the proceeds will go to FASTT.For more information contact Dawn at program.director@fasttfoundation.org or 618-741-6409

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Sat Apr 13, 2013

6pm - Cirque du Soleil World Away - Sensory Friendly Movie

Where: Helen Matthes Library, Effingham, IL

Description: RSVP to Cheryl at 217-348-3869 or cherylsowers@ctfillinois.org

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Sun Apr 14, 2013

1pm - Autism Special Needs Families Potluck and Hike in the Park

Where: Evergreen Hollow Park, Effingham, IL

Description: Wear blue and bring a covered dish and join other families for Potluck in the Park! The children will make and fly plastic sack kites! For more information contact Cassie Heynen a 217-663-7080

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Mon Apr 15, 2013

4:30pm - SIU - Manicure and Martini Night

Where: Carbondale, IL

Description:

Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders Fundraiser - The Blue Martin in Carbondale is hosting a Manicure and Martini night for us on Monday, April 15th. $20 will buy you 2 martini appetizers, and a mini-manicure. Appointments will run from 4:30-10:30 pm. Please email Kir at schaper@siu.edu, if you are interested.

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5:30pm - CTF - Effingham Parent Support Group & Social Skills Group

Where: Effingham, IL

Description: 2511 S. Veterans Drive - Effingham Contact Kristin Gharst for more information at kristingharst@ctfillinois.org or 217-348-3869

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Tue Apr 16, 2013

6pm - New Diagnosis Family Orientation Program- Maryville

Where: UCP Heartland Center for Autism, 2730 N. Center St., Maryville, IL

Description: New Diagnosis Family Orientation Program WHEN: April 16, 2013 6:00 ?9:00 p.m.

WHERE: UCP Heartland Center for Autism, 2730 N. Center St.,Maryville, IL PRESENTERS: Fiona Plunk, Autism Resource Specialist andAmanda Marti, Autism Resource Coordinator PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS: familymembers of individuals recently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: This program was developed at The AutismProgram Central Illinois Regional Training and Service Center for thepurpose of assisting family members in understanding autism spectrum disorder and provides opportunity for families to interact with otherswho are on the same journey. REGISTRATION: Please call (618) 288-2218to be placed on the mailing list.

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Posted in TAP |

Source: http://www.theautismprogram.org/2013/03/autism-awareness-month-a-look-at-tap-events-around-illinois/

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NRA affiliate files lawsuit challenging New York's gun control laws

By Joseph Ax

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The National Rifle Association's affiliate in New York filed a lawsuit on Thursday challenging the state's new gun control measures, passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

The state Rifle & Pistol Association charged that New York's laws banning assault weapons and limiting the size of ammunition magazines violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to bear arms.

The lawsuit, filed in Buffalo federal court, also alleged that the law's "radically broadened" definition of assault weapons is unconstitutionally vague.

"This is an action to vindicate the right of the people of the State of New York to keep and bear arms," the lawsuit said.

It comes on the same week that backers of gun control in the Senate dropped their bid to re-impose a federal ban on assault weapons, a measure that had faced considerable opposition in both houses of Congress.

Democratic lawmakers instead opted to scale back White House proposals for sweeping gun-control measures, saying they would focus on a bill that penalize "straw purchasers" who help criminals to avoid background checks. That measure has broader support in Congress.

New York's gun control measures, known as the SAFE Act, were enacted in January, making New York the first state to pass tougher laws following the December 14 mass shooting in Newtown that left 20 children and six adults dead as well as the shooter.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office will defend the law in court, declined to comment on the lawsuit but said in a statement that the law makes New Yorkers safer while "ensuring constitutional protections to responsible gun owners."

A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who signed the law after the state legislature passed it within hours of its introduction, did not immediately return a request for comment.

The lawsuit is one of a handful of court challenges to the new regulations. But Thursday's complaint marks the first time that a group officially linked to the powerful NRA has weighed in on New York's new law.

Other plaintiffs in the case include gun dealers, other gun owner groups and several individual gun owners.

In addition to Second Amendment claims, the lawsuit alleged that the SAFE Act violated equal protection rights by allowing owners to load 10 rounds of ammunition into their guns at shooting ranges or in competition while limiting them to seven rounds when at home.

It also claimed that the law violates interstate commerce protections by requiring all gun sales to be made by sellers who are licensed and based in New York, thereby excluding out-of-state dealers.

The lawsuit was filed on the same day that Vice President Joseph Biden, who has led the Obama administration's effort to pass new federal gun control measures, joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at City Hall to call on Congress to adopt the president's proposals.

Colorado became the second state this week to pass stricter gun control laws since Newtown, expanding background checks and banning magazines with more than 15 rounds.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax, Editing by Scott Malone; Editing by David Gregorio)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nra-affiliate-files-lawsuit-challenging-yorks-gun-control-212815905.html

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Osborne's homes package carries risks

By Brenda Goh

LONDON (Reuters) - A government plan to promote economic recovery by helping home-buyers carries some risk of fuelling a new housing bubble and incurring taxpayer losses, industry executives and analysts said on Thursday.

Under the plan announced on Wednesday, the government will shoulder the risk of billions of pounds in mortgages by allowing Britons to buy homes with only small down payments.

"It's a gamble," said Mark Farmer, head of private residential at building consultancy EC Harris. "If people start defaulting on their mortgages ... then the taxpayer will end up bailing them out."

Britain's housing market has been weak since the financial crisis struck five years ago, hurt by austerity measures, near-zero growth in the economy and a reluctance by banks to lend. Construction of new homes has also been slow.

The new scheme, called 'Help to Buy', involves the government guaranteeing up to 130 billion pounds of higher-risk mortgages from 2014 for three years, which property consultancy Savills said could increase mortgage-reliant sales by 34 percent.

That will allow banks to provide more loans to people without the 20-30 percent deposits that have become a common demand of borrowers since the crisis.

The government also committed 3.5 billion pounds over three years to shared equity loans for newly-built homes worth less than 600,000 pounds, allowing buyers to purchase them with a 5 percent deposit.

"We're not talking about returning to the situation of four or five years ago where people had 125 percent ... mortgages and self-certified mortgages where no one checked what peoples' incomes were," Chancellor George Osborne told BBC television on Thursday.

Osborne said the new plans were prudent and would not put Britain back at risk of a property boom and bust, in large part because the UK housing market was currently flat.

Shares in Barratt Developments, Britain's biggest housebuilder by volume, have risen 7.8 percent to a five-year high since Wednesday, while rivals Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey have seen their shares gain 5.7 and 6.9 percent respectively.

Guaranteeing mortgages can come with huge costs. The U.S. government was forced to bail out mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2008 after losses from years of lending to high-risk borrowers threatened the two companies' solvency.

Since then, they have drawn about $188 billion in taxpayer funds to stay afloat, while paying about $58 billion to the U.S. Treasury in dividends.

BUBBLE RISK

However, housebuilder Persimmon's chief executive Mike Farley said government schemes launched so far had a robust vetting process for prospective buyers, safeguarding against bubble risk.

Smaller housebuilders, which missed out on previous schemes such as New Buy because they could not afford the required equity investment, were also likely to be able to access Help to Buy, he said, providing a further boost to growth.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors said the measures were "much-needed" but that the government "needs to be careful this doesn't create another housing bubble".

James Pargeter, head of residential at consultancy Deloitte, said there was a risk the plans would push up housing prices by allowing a lot more borrowing while doing little to get building under way.

Annual private homes completions currently stand at 90,000, far behind the 230,000 that Britain needs each year, data from Savills showed. The government hopes the shared equity component of the scheme will help about 75,000 buyers to purchase homes over the three years, encouraging construction.

Housebuilders have to date taken a cautious approach to building and have focused on improving profit margins rather than volumes after seeing demand crash during the crisis.

Cenkos Securities analyst Kevin Cammack said the scheme's shared equity component would enable housebuilders to shift property reasonably comfortably. "So if they can see the certainty of demand they're likely to build more property so hopefully the supply side does improve."

"But there's no guarantee of that and they may just think to maximise the price at which they're selling it," he said.

(Additional reporting by William Schomberg; editing by Stephen Nisbet)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/osborne-says-homes-package-wont-spur-bubble-082701425--business.html

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On Australia's Great Barrier Reef, There's A Turf Battle Raging

Guillermo Diaz-Pulido from Griffith University in Brisbane grows bits of seaweed attached to pieces of coral in tanks at the research facility on Australia's Heron Island.

Richard Harris/NPR

NPR Science Correspondent Richard Harris traveled to Australia's Great Barrier Reef to find out how the coral reefs are coping with increased water temperature and increasing ocean acidity, brought about by our burning of fossil fuels. Day 2: The good news is life could get better for seaweed.

Picture a coral reef and the first things likely to come to mind are brilliantly colored fish swimming among stout branches of coral. Let your mind wander a bit more and you might imagine some sea turtles, stingrays and sharks.

Seaweed? Not so much. But it turns out there are 700 species of algae that grow on coral reefs (compared with about 300 species of coral). And if you ask Guillermo Diaz-Pulido of Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, seaweed shouldn't just be an afterthought.

Diaz-Pulido is nurturing tanks full of seaweed clinging to small pieces of coral at the Heron Island Research Station out on the Great Barrier Reef.

Sure, some algae look a bit grungy. Some reef seaweed, though, happen to be quite beautiful if you take a moment to appreciate their less flashy charms. And algae turn out to play an important role on the reef.

For one thing, algae are always jockeying with coral for space on the reef. When algae win out big-time, they often make the reef look less interesting, compared with the glamorous marine life that draws divers into the water.

But algae, being plants, also consume carbon dioxide. The ocean has been absorbing a whole lot of it since we started burning fossil fuels and putting billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air. So what will happen to algae as carbon dioxide levels race even higher, making the oceans more acidic?

Diaz-Pulido is trying to answer that question. Actually, he says, it's not one question, but really 700 questions ? one for each species of algae.

In general, seaweed seems to be less vulnerable to increasing ocean acidity than coral, which is quite vulnerable. Algae gobble up carbon dioxide during the day, and by so doing, actually reduce the water's acidity in their vicinity. At night, though, algae respire like the rest of us ? they take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide, just as we do when we exhale.

And on balance, algae aren't taking in enough carbon dioxide to counteract the effect of all the carbon dioxide we're putting into the air.

It's possible that as ocean acidity attacks the corals, algae will prevail in its turf battle on the reef. What does that mean for the entire reef ecosystem? Diaz-Pulido says it's likely to be a lot different from today. But as an algae aficionado and a scientist, he's not passing judgment about the nature of the new ecosystem that could emerge in the coming decades.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/03/15/174411737/on-australias-great-barrier-reef-theres-a-turf-battle-raging?ft=1&f=1007

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Andy Griffith's widow gets permit to raze his home

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) ? The widow of actor Andy Griffith has gotten a permit to tear down the house where he lived for many years on the North Carolina waterfront, upsetting friends who had hoped it would be preserved as a museum or Graceland-type estate.

Cindi Griffith obtained the demolition permit Monday, according to Dare County records. County officials and friends confirmed the permit is to demolish a smaller house along the Roanoke Sound that Griffith bought in the 1950s, not the larger house that he and Cindi built nearby several years ago.

William Ivey Long, the Tony Award-winning costume designer whose parents were friends with Griffith and his first wife, Barbara, said Griffith told him in 2007 that he wanted to preserve the older home as a museum. The two discussed the possibility when Long had an exhibit of his costumes at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, Long said.

"We compared notes," Long said in a phone interview from his studio in New York City. "I had to fit mine into an existing museum. I told him, if you're doing yours, you can make it however you want it."

Griffith, who died last July, was best known for playing the wise Sheriff Andy Taylor on "The Andy Griffith Show" and folksy lawyer Ben Matlock on "Matlock." He starred as the manipulative Lonesome Rhodes in the movie "A Face in the Crowd." One of his last roles was as a cranky diner owner in the movie "Waitress."

Griffith wanted the museum to include items from his TV shows, along with memorabilia from his music career, Long said. They didn't discuss whether it would compete with the Andy Griffith Museum in Griffith's hometown of Mount Airy, Long said.

Cindi Griffith didn't return messages Wednesday. Her husband's will doesn't mention a museum or the property. The will ? dated May 3, 2012, two months before Griffith died ? turns over most of his property and estate to the trustee of a trust, whose records aren't public. The attorney for the will declined to comment.

The demolition contractor, Calvin Gibbs, also didn't return a call. It wasn't clear Wednesday if the demolition had begun.

Della Basnight of Manteo, whose family was friends with Griffith since she was a child, said she understood that Cindi Griffith had the right to do whatever she wanted with the property.

But concerning the demolition, Basnight said, "When he gave her the power to do anything, I don't think he thought she would want to do that."

Many of Griffith's older friends met him while they worked in "The Lost Colony," an outdoor drama that tells the story of the 1587 colony on the North Carolina coast that mysteriously disappeared.

Ira David Wood III, who is the show's executive director this summer, first worked at "The Lost Colony" in 1968. He recalled going to Griffith's house and taking a pontoon boat to a sandbar where Griffith and his guests played volleyball for hours. "He hated to lose, and he did cheat," Wood said, laughing at the fond memory.

He said he was shocked to learn the house would be demolished. "I always assumed the property would be eventually preserved and opened to the public," Wood said, saying he thought it might be maintained like Elvis Presley's property Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. Just as Presley is buried at Graceland, Griffith is buried on the large piece of property he owned on the North Carolina coast. It was not immediately clear how far Griffith's grave is from his older house or the newer one.

"I imagine Cindi has her reasons, and I don't pretend to know what they are," Wood said. "It's a beautiful bit of property with a lot of memories attached to it. I just hope they're not moving too fast."

Griffith bought the house the first time he had any real money and raised his two children there, Basnight said.

"I had really sort of always thought it would be secured," she said. "I always thought it would remain."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-andy-griffith-widow-raze-home-195852092.html

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