Autism

Autism is one of five classified pervasive developmental disorders. Asperger's syndrome is another. Approximately 6 in 1000 people are somewhere on the autism spectrum. Children are generally diagnosed as toddlers. The most noticeable signs of Autism are late-developing use of language or a complete lack of language development, repetitive use of words or repetitive hand movements, little to no eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, and a persistent fixation on parts of objects.

Signs of Asperger's syndrome are difficulty reciprocating during conversations, i.e., those with Asperger's see "their turn to talk" as seemingly never-ending. My cousin fails to grasp the pragmatic aspect of a conversation. She will share endless facts with me, because she sees talking as a method of communicating information only, not sharing thoughts, emotions, or feelings. She displays difficulties with topic appropriateness, and knowing when to end the conversation. Her vocal pitch and stress is frequently different from people with normal conversational capabilities. I have learned to live with the fact that she can not "tone down" her voice.

Coincidences

What are the causes for such odd and fascinating things? Some people may say there is a cause for everything, which there certainly is for most things. (Example: My friend and I both have the same exact flowers by our mailboxes in our yard- reason: a group of girl scouts volunteered to plant flowers for one dollar by mailboxes in 2005) But I am talking about a small example of my professor and I running into each other at the grocery store. It definitely has not been at similar times. I do change up my grocery stores. And it has not been connected to -anything- I can think of. She also does not live close to the store, she does not go everyday (just on the days I do apparently) and we do not go on every tuesday or something. It has been random days of the week. Thus, I find no explanation. That I would call a coincidence.
Is there some higher power with a plan? Some people reason with this ideology.
However, I take the I Heart Huckabees approach that everything is connected. How? I use my own logic. Our existence is of molecules connecting everything in the world. Of course you know that atoms and molecules make every tangible material in the universe. They are what make matter possible. I use this in the way that when something becomes connected, it stimulates these atoms and molecules, creating a reaction within us. For example: have you ever "felt" someone looking at you? Or thought of someone and they called you? Or felt comforted just by someone "being around you". I feel like once the molecules and atoms recieve such stimulus they want it more and more and thus, it creates coincidences. Or what we think are coincidences.
That is one explaination. Then you get the unexplainable things such as a man who receives a heart transplant and dies the same way as his donor. How does that happen?
Everything is connected somehow, but this I would not know how to explain. It makes you wonder though, what is out there, why are we here, what are the chances, and if something higher exists.

Congress extends farm bill; Bush will sign

Mar. 14--Congress has extended the current farm bill for another month as it continues talks to craft an acceptable bill.

Lawmakers and the White House have not been able to agree on how to pay for the five-year, $286 billion legislation passed by both chambers last year. The Bush administration has threatened to veto both versions of the bill, saying it is too expensive.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said there has been progress in negotiations with Senate and House members on a new farm bill and that he was confident it could be resolved in a few more weeks.

The negotiators are seeking an agreement on $10 billion in new funding.

"Where does the money come from" is the critical question, he said, adding that the administration has objected to its funding proposals so far.

The House and Senate pushed the expiration of current farm law, signed by Presdiendt Bush in 2002, from March 15 to April 18. The law originally expired Sept. 30 and has been repeatedly extended.

Members were hoping to have agreement on the legislation before Congress heads home for a two-week recess at the end of this week, but progress has been slow.

Bush, in a statement released Thursday, said he will sign the extension. But he also warned that Congress will need to come up with a new bill by April 18 or he will call for a one-year extension of the existing farm bill.

"While long-term extension of current law is not the desired outcome, I believe the government has a responsibility to provide America's farmers and ranchers with a timely and predictable farm program -- not multiple short-term extensions of current law," Bush said. "Without a predictable policy, agriculture producers will be unable to make sound business decisions with respect to this year's crop." Bush said he is "eager" to sign a bill that provides a safety net for farmers, includes significant farm program reforms similar to the administration's farm bill proposal, and does not include tax increases.

An amendment to allow a hard cap of $250,000 on the amount of farm payments an individual can receive passed the Senate Budget Committee on March 6. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced the amendment with Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo.

"The farm bills that passed the House and Senate have loopholes that make the farm payment system worse than what we operate under now. So, despite the fact that we're in the middle of conference negotiations, I'm looking for ways to address the problems that weren't taken care of," Grassley said. "The majority of the Senate gave its support to payment limits during the farm bill, so it seems only right to keep pushing for passage." The amendment would save $641 million over five years and $1.401 billion over 10 years. The amendment also specifies that the savings be applied to nutrition.

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Discussion on Classmate's Blog "Boystown"

I found Joshua’s blog about “Boystown” to be very interesting. In his article he mentions that a lot of heterosexual couples and people in general and starting to move into town. I found this very surprising because when I visited Boystown once I didn’t see too many straight people walking around. Although I could see why people who love to move into this area because of all the upscale restaurants, fascinating architecture, and luxury homes, I myself personally could not be a resident of this area for more reasons than one. Just as Joshua stated, Boystown is known for its proud gay community in which new heterosexual couples should not take away from. By me being a straight female, I would not be comfortable knowing that the majority of my neighbors cannot relate to my sexual preference. Although I am open-minded and I accept people from all walks of life, I would not like to be the odd-ball in a community. Also I feel that if someone like myself moves into this community, it will become more and more gentrified and the community will lose its valuable name in which it has worked so hard to achieve. I feel that there is nothing straight couples that move into the community except for when changes and complaints are brought up about the gay community. Boystown should not be a place to live if people are worried that their children will see things that parents feel are inappropriate. I hope that people can respect other peoples’ backgrounds instead of trying to tear them down.

Discussion of the Governing Magazine

After reading the online article about Governing that compares LA and IL, I was very surprised to hear a lot of information that was provided. According to Governing Magazine, Louisiana that has undergone a terrible crisis and has suffered great economic loss scores higher than the third largest city in the United States. I believe that Louisiana scores higher on the scale because Illinois leaders cannot come up with a resolution on how to manage fundamental areas. Louisiana has received plentiful amounts of money due to federal funding coming into the state as well as the state investing their money into things that are more so needed and not wanted. Illinois on the other hand is not an easy state to manage considering troubled revenue streams and outstanding bills. Illinois has struggled for years with a pension system that is underfunded. Although the governor has imposed issuing bonds to generate $26 billion towards the pension shortfall, Illinois still has other problems that hang in the balance such as funding for higher education, roads, schools, bridges, and etc.

Even though it seems like there is a lot of work to be done to get Illinois back up in the rankings with states like Louisiana, there is still some hope to clearing the political atmosphere. One example would be the legislative and Blagojevich working together to expand the state’s pre-school program and children’s health insurance. In my opinion, this is somewhat of a major success knowing that the educational system in Illinois is ranked very low compared to other states

The Rise of The Creative Class

I believe that Richard Florida’s article titled, “The Rise of the Creative Class” has received much attention because it mentions a creativity index that talks about key ways to economic growth. Florida mentions that cities need to learn to have a bigger tolerance for variation. For instance, cities need to “create meaningful new forums.” By this he means that instead of just having a city full of upper-class people who are scientists, engineers, university professors, and etc., we should also include writers, cultural figures, opinion-makers, and etc. who would bring about “thought leadership.” There are many cities in which Florida calls the “plug-and-play” community because these type of communities put together a fascsimile of life in about a week. These kinds of cities make it very easy for people to be themselves, get established early, and find opportunity much faster than other cities. These cities make up nearly half the workforce in nearly 50 small and medium regions across the country. I believe these cities are very attractive to many people because they are very tolerant of things that most cities find inappropriate or illegal. For instance, Vegas is one of very few cities who made prostitution legal. Not only do many citizens of the U.S. despise this idea, but they also allow gay marriages that make it much easier for people of any background to live their lives the way that they would like to.

I agree with Florida’s theory because much of what he is saying seems to be the reason as to why our society is the way it is. I believe an attractive city is what attracts crowds of people but I believe improving more important aspects such as transportation, health care, and education are even more important.

Chicago Metropolis 2020

After reading the article “Part IV: Land Use and Housing” from the Chicago Metropolis 2020, I realized how much the city can use improvement. This company aims to improve Chicago’s area with great city planning. The Burnham plan would have been a great idea back when Chicago was still developing and becoming a huge city but now that Chicago has become established as the third largest city in the U.S., the goal of the plan has changed. The new plan focuses on making Chicago a great city for people to live instead of the original plan that was focusing on making Chicago a great city. This includes plans that will help out with gentrification, sprawl, sub-urbanization, and etc. Although I believe Chicago is doing a decent job of making the city a nice place for all inhabitants, I also think there is much improvement that could be done to make life in Chicago even better. One concern of mine is to focus more on bringing cultures together instead of keeping them separated by housing developments. I believe if the city made housing more diverse such as building single family homes and big high-rise complexes together, then there would be a better chance of people from different backgrounds living with different cultures.

Furthermore, I believe that Chicago Metropolis should not be so focused on transit-oriented develop which is what they call the “sensible approach.” Instead I think they should be more concerned with redevelopment, low income housing, and better use of open spaces.

My five favorite places in Chicago

Club 720
www.720chicago.com

















Club 720- This is one of my favorite dance clubs on Friday nights! It is located on 720 N. Wells and it is a very diverse place. Instead of just having one dance floor, 720 has four floors so it is very hard to get tired of being in one spot. Each floor plays different genres of music which keeps the place very exciting. The basement floor plays reggae music, the first floor plays a mix of hip hop and pop, the second floor plays salsa and bachata, and the third floor plays techno music. I recommend this place to dancers from any background because you can learn a lot of different dances.

Japonais
www.japonaischicago.com
















Japonais is one of my favorite restaurants of all time! As you can see from the photo, Japonais has a beautiful setting that was designed by a man named Jeffrey Beers. Not only is this a place to eat a wonderful dinner of both contemporary and traditional items, but it is also a great place to lounge around and chat with friends. Two really excellent dishes that I recommend are Salmon Japonais and The Rock.

Millenium Park
http://www.millenniumpark.org/














I'm sure most people from Chicago are familiar with Millenium park. What I really like about Millenium park is that there is always something to do here no matter what the weather may be or what time of day it is. When its cold outside, Millenium park turns into a skating rink and people are able to rent skates for a low price and skate for a long period of time. When its night time, Millenium park looks gorgeous because everything is lit up and it catches the attention of many people passing by. Also, when it is warm outside, this place is just a great way to spend time with family and friends because there is a huge water fountain, many different sculptures, and also a lot of festivals and events that take place here.

Dave and Busters Chicago
www.daveandbusters.com













Dave and Busters is a really great spot because it is a place for young adults to play games and interact. I like this place a lot because you can eat, drink alcohol (if you are of that age), and socialize with friends and family. Being a young adult there aren't many places where I can feel much like a kid again because many places don't have video games and prizes to win. The prizes are really awesome because they are not limited to things that kids could enjoy. Examples of prizes would be shot glasses, lava lamps, Dave and Busters souvenirs, and more! I recommend this place for birthdays and social gatherings.

Plush Chicago bar and Lounge
http://www.plushinchicago.com/












Plush is a wonderful bar and lounge spot to visit. I like this place better than most bars and lounges that I've visited for many reasons. On the inside, the place is beautifully designed and has a dim light setting for an evening with your boyfriend/girlfriend or just to hang out with a group of friends. Also, this is a great spot because you have the option of dancing if you are in the mood to do so or you can just sit down order some food and watch t.v.

Jordin Sparks feat Chris Brown - No Air Lyrics

Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air

If I should die before I wake
It’s ’cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air
Oh

I’m here alone, didn’t wanna leave
My heart won’t move, it’s incomplete
If there was a way that I can make you understand

But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
‘Cause my world revolves around you
It’s so hard for me to breathe

[Chorus]
Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there
It’s no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gon’ be without me
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe
It’s no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air

I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew
Right off the ground to float to you
There’s no gravity to hold me down for real

But somehow I’m still alive inside
You took my breath, but I survived
I don’t know how, but I don’t even care

But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
‘Cause my world revolves around you
It’s so hard for me to breathe

[Chorus]
Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there
It’s no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gon’ be without me
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe
It’s no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No more
It’s no air, no air

[Chorus]
Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there
It’s no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gon’ be without me
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe
It’s no air, no air

[Chorus]
Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air
Can’t live, can’t breathe with no air
It’s how I feel whenever you ain’t there
It’s no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gon’ be without me
If you ain’t here, I just can’t breathe
It’s no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air

2016 Olympic Games

The Olympics is always a great attraction especially if it is held in your own city. If Chicago is chosen to be host of the 2016 summer Olympic games, the city will attract many more newcomers and it will also prove Chicago to be one of the greatest cities in the nation. I welcome the idea of bringing the 2016 summer Olympics to Chicago for many reasons. The main reason is that Chicago already has much experience with hosting historic and major world gatherings. The 1959 Pan American Games and the 1995 FIFA World Cup soccer tournaments were two big successful events that put Chicago on the map for its strong accommodations. Chicago is so large that it has over 30,000 hotel rooms in the downtown area alone and has one of the largest skilled labor workforces that are very beneficial for catering to conventions and other large events. Not only does Chicago have experience and strong accommodations, but the city also has significant transportation infrastructure. This is important because the Chicago Transit Authority connects over 230 suburban destinations to the city of Chicago. CTA’s transportation allows public assess to the games for city residents and people from northeastern Illinois, north Indiana, and southern Wisconsin.

Although the idea of the Olympics being held in Chicago has more positives that outweigh the negatives, the city has negative elements to worry about just as Athen’s Greece did for the 2004 Olympic games. One big concern for Greece at the time was terrorist attacks. I believe they had a successful Olympic games because they are a small country with more control over sprawl. In comparison with Greece, I believe the terrorist concern will be a much more bigger problem for Chicago because we are the third largest city in the world and we consistently have new people visiting and even residing within the city.

UIC's campus development over the years......

UIC’s campus has gone through an interesting and quite amazing transformation since its beginning in the 19^th century. While reading about the Chronology of the University of Illinois at Chicago on UIC’s website and the south campus redevelopment, I saw how the university started out as being a place primarily focused on research and private institutions and not anything like how it is today. I did not like the idea of UIC’s original campus planning because it gave no type of excitement and college life to its students. Other factors that I disliked about the original campus is that there were no residence halls or recreational centers which would force students to remain at home and ultimately making UIC a bottom pick in colleges for those who wanted to be away from home. Although more of the negatives outweighed the positives with this campus layout, there is a benefit that comes from students staying focused on their schoolwork because there were hardly any distractions that surrounded them.

The redevelopment of UIC was a big accomplishment in more ways than one. After all of the main institutions were put into place for educational purposes, developers realized that more had to be done in order to bring diversity and college life to the campus. Once the original residence halls were established, I believe that was the starting point for UIC to become a real campus. Soon after that, developers also realized that students who lived on campus needed to stay interested and also participate in activities that would bring life to the campus. Sports teams were put together and also many new buildings that were designed to enhance students’ learning and make them feel more at home in their environment. I love that UIC is constantly expanding its campus because it is pushing away from being primarily a commuter university which subtracted from the excitement of campus life. I believe the next big step would be to add a football team so that basketball games wouldn’t have to be our primary sport!