meara, PECS is a picture exchange communication system -- using icons to communicate. The PECS software is RIDICULOUSLY expensive, cumbersome and stupid -- like Boardmaker which is only PC, costs $300 and must be run from a CD.

Is there any good stuff for iOS? I thought I had read at one point that iPads looked like they might be a really good option for some of this type of software.

Either it is thundering or someone is setting off a big fireworks display. Leaning towards the latter because I see no storms on the radar.

Home warranties can help reassure buyers, but they're mostly an exercise in discovering what they don't cover. You might want to have a home inspector, java. You probably know most of the problems, but inspectors can find things that you never imagined would be the case. For example, your stove hood might just be spewing greasy air into the attic rather than through a roof vent. You can negotiate to get things like that fixed.

Inspection got me a new roof, fixed electrical outlets, confirmation the deck was a deathtrap, fixed plumbing and a list of things to keep an eye on and predicted lifetimes of existing hardware.

For those who geek on the legislative process, NY is voting on gay marriage NOW.

ND, there sort of is good stuff for turning an ipad or itouch into an AAC device. The issue is Grace isn't ready for something of that complexity (something that has multiple folders which require her to understand categories and is a dynamic device). The device she DOES have is static and needs to be programmed by us with limited options. Once she masters the static device, getting her to understand a dynamic device, where I won't need to make fucking templates, will be possible.

That's great, java!

This weekend I'll be seeing Serenity with a friend.

33-29!!!! We did it!!!

For those who geek on the legislative process, NY is voting on gay marriage NOW.

Twitter says it passed.

BEST PRIDE WEEKEND EVER