I was so pleased to see this North American Bluebird in my backyard. I found a great site to help me establish a yard they will want to spend more time in. 
National Children's Health Survey Report Finds Autism Prevalence Now 1 in 91
Autism Society Calls for Answers to Crisis Now
A national report released today in the journal Pediatrics reveals that 1 percent of U.S. children ages 3-17 have an autism spectrum disorder, an estimated prevalence of one in every 91 children. This is a dramatic increase from the one in 150 prevalence rates currently reported.
“This national study charts a dramatic rise in the prevalence of autism in the United States and we applaud this administration’s recognition that autism is an urgent public health priority,” said Autism Society President and CEO Lee Grossman. “But families today are asking: how high must these prevalence rates rise before the nation responds? Significant resources must be directed toward screening and diagnosis, affordable interventions that treat the whole person and comprehensive education plans to foster lifelong skill development so that people with autism will have the ability to work and live independently.”
The report, entitled “Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the US,” published in today’s issue of Pediatrics, was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services National Survey of Children’s Health, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report was conducted via a telephone survey of over 78,000 parents, and determined a point prevalence of 110 per 10,000 respondents, roughly 1 percent of the population of children in the United States.
On a constituent call to discuss the report, the CDC reported that its initial analysis of the Autism and Developmental Delay Monitoring project data, due out later this fall, confirm the 1 percent figure. This report will also contain more data on age of diagnosis, groups affected, and access to interventions.
The increasing numbers have long-term economic costs to the country, as autism is a chronic medical condition affecting people across the lifespan. “Lifespan services, particularly for adults, are typically inadequate and inappropriate,” Grossman stated. “This new data should be a call to action to the government to improve and increase services and supports first.”
The Autism Society has been working with Congress on several key bills, which have stalled. “The information in this new report highlights the pressing need for additional services, support and treatments for families affected by autism spectrum disorders,” said Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL). “My bill, the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act, will help children and adults with autism gain better access to coordinated services, improve training for professionals treating these disorders, and will relieve the financial burden on the millions of families struggling with this disability.”
This bill, if funded, would provide funding for applied research into effective interventions, the first ever demonstration grants on adult services, create an adult prevalence study, and fund family support and information networks.
“Autism affects millions of American families, and the cost of diagnosis, early intervention, and treatment imposes a heavy burden on most of them,” said Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus. “This legislation, the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009, would improve the dissemination of information between autism researchers and service providers, improve training for professionals treating autism spectrum disorders, and mandate that health insurers cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Enactment of this legislation would do a lot to help millions of American families.”
“The increase in the reported prevalence of autism across the nation testifies to the urgency of executing a comprehensive strategy in response to this public health emergency,” said Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus. “For its part, Congress must ensure robust funding to support aggressive programs of research, education, and services. Furthermore, Congress needs to enact additional legislation, such as the Autism Treatment Acceleration Act of 2009, that will establish the infrastructure and mechanisms for delivering appropriate services across the lifespan to individuals with autism and their families. We must look to maximize the reach and impact of our investments and activities by closely coordinating government efforts with those of national advocacy organizations, such as the Autism Society.”
Just look at that smile!
When I was vacationing in Bellingham, WA last month, I happened upon this couple sitting looking out over the ocean bay. I thought their body language was interesting.
I posted photos previously from the Tori Amos concert my sweet husband gave me for my birthday. Well the concert was just the cherry on top of an absolutely delicious day! We started our evening out with dinner at Roast, (Iron) Chef Michael Symon's new restaurant located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It was AMAZING! It is definitely on our top 5 Best Meals EVER list. We dropped a pretty penny on the meal and it was well worth it. 
The restaurant is located in the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel at the intersection of Washington Blvd and Michigan Avenue.
These bar stools were upholstered in the softest leather. I wanted to rub my cheek across them, but I refrained. They were luxurious!
This wine vault was HUGE! I tried to get shots of the whole thing, but it was surrounded by glass and the reflection from the street was too distinct to get the full effect of the vault. It was a cool decorative element in the bar.
Roast is all about meat! Even though Vegetarians probably could find something to eat here, this restaurant is certainly NOT for them. The photo above shows the two spits that frame the window to the open kitchen. The empty spit to the left was HUGE and the smaller one to the left was roasting a whole pig throughout that evening.
The grill is located just below the huge spit. It was fun to watch the chefs, sous chefs & line cooks at work through the open kitchen. 
Oysters
We went all out and had a different beer or wine with each course and we had five courses. It was fabulous and our server, Craig was amazing! He had plenty of suggestions without being overbearing and along with the kitchen, our entire meal was timed perfectly!
Beef Cheek Pierogies
Roasted Marrow
I didn't take photos of the rest of the meal, because I was there to eat. And by the time our entrees came out, my husband was saying things like, "Hey Ansel Adams, let's eat!" When he starts calling me Ansel, it usually means I've taken enough photos for the moment. But for the foodies out there... here's what we ate.
The dwellers of God's heavenly abode,
Drank wine with me-a beggar of the road.
Heaven could not bear this wonderful trust,
That to a madman this honor was thrust.
Disputes of religions is but a false pretense,
Having not seen the Truth, they speak nonsense.
Thank God! There is peace between Him and me.
So dancing mystics took their cups with glee.
What makes the candle laughing isn't a flame.
The fire that burned the butterfly is my aim.
No one can display thoughts as Hafiz can,
No such words are written by the pen of man.
-Poem by Hafiz
The butterfly bushes in our yard have certainly been living up to their name. There were about 10 of these butterflies on the bushes as I was shooting. AMAZING!!!
With the exception of the following two, most of these have had very little editing. Just a bit of cropping here and there and a smidge of blurring around the edges. Colors are pretty much untouched. (I did mess with the color a bit on photo #4)
