Exciting Job News

Greetings. It's been an interesting week on the job front. The mountain top however was a call I got this afternoon at about 1:30, from the technology manager who's hiring for the job at the state training center in Austin. He officially made an offer to me, which I accepted. I will start on February 1. There are still a detail or two that need to be worked out to make it totally official, but he doesn't expect any problems, and neither do I.

I've been spending the afternoon emailing and calling family and close friends and telling them of the great news, as well as trying to digest it myself. The reason the start date is a ways off is due to some delays that have happened in this process. However, now I've come full circle.

I have been a consumer that has gone to this particular training center, twice in fact. Now, I'll be standing in front of the room and teaching people who are consumers. Things will really seam weird I think when the high school and college students come in next June for the summer college preparation course that they have every year. So when a young kid looks over and proclaims, "You have no idea what I'm going through," I can confidently reply with, "Wanna bet?"

There's a lot of things to do and prepare for in the time before I start, like finding an apartment, moving, settling in, and countless others. However, for now, I'm just enjoying the thought of having a full time job with a good starting salary, full benefits, and, well, the thought of being employed again.

Winamp 5.12

Greetings. Winamp version 5.12 is out. Note that this is 5.12, not 5.112, like the last minor version. Anyway, here's a list of the new features, fixes, and other changes, taken from the What's New file:

* New: [in_wm] Windows Media Video support (with DRM)
* New: [in_mp4] Support for HE-AAC MP4/M4A files
* Improved: lots of minor plugin improvements
* Improved: Visualization data calculations
* Improved: Significantly less playlist memory usage
* Improved: more multi-user improvements (almost there!)
* Improved: [installer] setup options, saved settings, codec downloading
* Improved: [gen_ff] optimized skinning engine
* Improved: [out_disk] new features
* Improved: [in_cdda] playback/ripping with sonic engine
* Fixed: freezing when cancelling cd burn
* Fixed: video scaling bug (with modern skin scaling < 100%)
* Fixed: minor installer bugs
* Fixed: freeze when loading classic skin with main window hidden
* Fixed: Visualizations for 24bit and 32bit songs
* Fixed: Advanced Title Formatting with Japanese, Chinese and Korean
metadata (thanks mrym)
* Fixed: [in_mp3] raw AAC VBR file seeking and bitrate reporting
* Fixed: [in_mp4] unicode metadata writing
* Fixed: [in_wm/in_dshow] mms:// streaming video playback
* Fixed: [in_cdda] audio cd bitrate display
* Fixed: [in_cdda] Sonic engine on 64bit windows (thanks STanger)
* Fixed: lots of small bugs ...
* Updated: Sonic CD Engine 2.2.50
* Updated: libmp4v2 1.4.1
* Updated: Coding Technology AAC+ Decoder 7.2.0

It looks like there are a few significant improvements and fixes in this minor version, though I must admit that I don't understand all of the lingo. Regardless, here's a direct link to download it.

Cheers!

Greetings. On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot. On December 8, 2004, Dime Bag Darrell of the heavy metal groups Pantera and Damage Plan, was shot while performing with the latter group in a concert. There are some similarities of these two dying on the same day.

Granted, fans of one probably haven't heard of or liked the music of the other, but these two men were icons, and possibly even legendary, in their own rights. John Lennon was famous from being a Beatle; enough said. Dime Bag, whose real name is Darrell Abbott (pardon any misspellings), was the lead guitarist for the heavy metal groups Pantera (popular in the 80's and 90's), and more recently for Damage Plan.

Dime Bag, as fans called him, was an excellent guitarist. At his death a year ago, I heard that he was on a list of the top 10 or 20 guitarists in the world, at number seven. I'm not a big fan of Dime Bag, but I do like some of Pantera's songs. I remember hearing a story of when Pantera performed in an ampla theater in the Dallas area some years ago. (Warning: not for the easily offended). Dime Bag needed to use the restroom while performing on stage, but instead of interrupting his song, he had someone hold a cup off stage. He kept playing the guitar the whole time he was taking care of business. I've also heard that he was a very approachable guy and not stuck up like some musicians that make it big. I never had the chance to meet him, but my friend Heather, said she's met him at a music store once. She said that he was very nice.

I was never really a big Beatles fan, at least not compared with some people. Sure, I like some of their songs. Who doesn't? But I like mainly music after 1975 or 1980. I do respect John Lennon and the other Beatles, those that have passed on and those that are still here, for what they did as musicians and the impact they had around the world. Even 40 years later, you still hear Beatles songs on the radio, and you probably will for a long time to come.

Two musicians in their own rights, died on the same day. People die everyday, but sometimes these deaths fall on the same day of each other, or have other coincidental similarities.

To those that are or were fans of John Lennon or Dime Bag Darrell Abbott, I say, "Cheers!"

Weather Update

Greetings. Thought I'd give a weather update on the massive storm system that hit the Dallas area. Well, true to form, the area is shut down. Since I'm out of school, I didn't really pay attention to the school closings, but as it happened, many schools and districts did close today. Mainly, there's just ice onn the roads, lawns, and possibly some sidewalks.

My parents came back from Guatemala yesterday for the Christmas season and I went with them over to Neil and Brandy's new house for dinner. My mother was very concerned about the steps at my duplex icing up and my safety in going down them with Tony when I took him out this morning. I assured her that I'd be careful and take things slow. As it turned out though, the steps didn't really ice over too much, at least not to the point of being as slick as glass, which I've seen before a few times at other places (remember my Denton story yesterday?). I was careful, but I also was amused by how little ice there was.

One other thing about the weather and news people from yesterday. I heard one of them say that this was, "the first snow of the season." I nearly burst out laughing and said to the radio, "Yeah, and we sure do get lots of snow down here." Truthfully, this will probably be our only big winter storm for the season. We might have another small one in February, as has happened in the past few years, but remember, we are talking about Dallas. My parents told me last night that I'd be a good weatherman, and I replied with, "Why? Because I would be truthful and realistic?"

It is another cold day though and I suspect that most people are spending the day inside, under the covers, under quilts, or even by fireplaces. As it is, I've got the heat turned up a lot in my efficiency, am fully clothed, and am still cold sitting at my computer desk, for whatever reason. Oh well. It's supposed to be in the forties tomorrow and in the fifties and sixties over the weekend. That's Texas weather for you, :)

More Problems for Sony

Greetings. It appears that Sony's problems with copy protected CD's aren't over yet, according to the article Sony BMG urges security fix for CDs from the Associated Press. This particular page also lists some of the forum comments by people regarding Sony's problems. These comments are quite interesting and thought provoking to read. Enjoy.

The 10:00 Back Down

Greetings. The title of this post comes from a theory that I've heard on the radio from time to time. It has to do with severe weather, in the snow and sleet category. It says that, weathermen on TV (and possibly on radio as well), when a winter storm is approaching the Dallas area, will overstate the obvious and claim that we might get several inches of snow. But then the night before, they will "back down" from the prediction, and lower it to as little as half or a quarter inch of snow or sleet, or none at all. Case in point, I remember 10 years ago, I was going on a ski trip with my church college group. Before I left for the trip, the weathermen were predicting 4 inches of snow. 5 days later, when we were on our way back, I heard a similar prediction, but this time, the weatherman said it would only be half an inch, if that much.

Since the Dallas area doesn't get lots of snow/sleet to begin with, at least not compared with parts of the central or northern U.S., or even far north or west Texas, people tend to freak out when snow and/or sleet, or even freezing rain, is predicted. And even more when it begins to fall. In short, the entire Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex shuts down.

I bring all this up because today, we're under a winter storm warning. Now, I don't expect too much of The 10:00 Back Down to happen, since it appears to be true, and we very well might get some acumulation on the ground. However, this also depends on where you are. If you live north of the DFW area, then you're more likely to get snow and sleet acumulation, verses living in the southern portion of the area where you will likely get freezing rain or sleet that will freeze and could become real icy on the roads.

Keep in mind that we are talking about Dallas, Texas; the place where it can be snowing one day and in the forties the next. So its not like its going to sleet or snow, and we're going to be shut down any longer than one or two days. Not to mention the fact that these winter storms have tended to only happen once every 4 or 5 years. Granted, they are becoming more common in recent years, happening once a year, but we're still only talking about Dallas. When I went to school in Denton, at the University of North Texas, we got snow and slush more times than Dallas did, since Denton is about an hour north of the DFW area. As I say though, even in Denton, the snow was gone whenever it got above 35 degrees.

So here we are, in the midst of another winter storm; the Metroplex is shutting down and people are being encouraged to stay inside if they don't have to get out. There may be those that will say, "But, even though Dallas doesn't get snow all the time, it can get real bad there." And, I would agree. There are some years when the winter storm has created layers and sheets of ice on the roads, the sidewalks, and other places. I remember once in Denton several years ago where it really iced over, and in fact in many parts of the Dallas area. From where I was in my dorm, the ice covered the metal steps on several of the outdoor uncovered dorm stairways. So, in those cases, it was highly recommended that you stay inside. Or, if you were adventurous, you get a box top and as some have said, "Hit the brakes and go for distance." I was not that adventurous, partly because I didn't have a box top, but mainly because I was too scared to attempt going down the icy stairs.

I guess we'll see what tonight and tomorrow hold for the area.

KeySoft 7 Features and Thoughts

Greetings. The following was taken from the message that's making the rounds on the email list, concerning the upcoming release of KeySoft 7 for the BrailleNote line of products. If you own this product, then contact your dealer or HumanWare for more information on upgrading and so forth. I have only listed the features that will be in version 7, which is supposed to be out sometime next month. Here they are:

Key Base, Available on All Models

With KeyBase, you've got it sorted! This new application, available from
KeySoft's Main Menu, is a powerful database manager allowing easy creation
of your own databases. KeyBase ships with many useful databases to assist
you in cataloging your music collection, keeping track of home inventory,
entering recipes, logging ham radio contacts and so much more. But the step
by step wizard-style interface of KeyBase makes it a snap to create your own
databases too. Simply tell KeyBase the names of your fields and the type of
data you want to store in that field. Be specific right down to the kind of
Braille you want to be entered into a field if you wish. Want to share your
database with others? Then you can even customize the messages users read
when they press the help key when entering data into each field.

KeyBase allows easy importing and exporting to and from many applications
including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access and many on-line banking
systems.

KeyPlus Just Got Smarter with Fractions, Available on All Models

Work with fractions in the updated KeyPlus Scientific Calculator. As well as
performing standard mathematical operations, you can convert fractions to
decimals and vice versa, convert fractions to and from percentages, convert
a fraction to its lowest terms, and much more.

Let the Games Begin, available on all models

One of the most frequent questions asked of HumanWare about the BrailleNote
family has always been, "can you play games on this?" Now, the answer is a
resounding yes, as interactive fiction comes to KeySoft. Interactive
fiction, also known as text adventures, will take you into mysterious worlds
where you can look at your environment, move around, collect objects, talk
to all kinds of strange creatures and sometimes find yourself trapped. There
are hundreds of compatible interactive fiction games available for download
on the Internet, ranging from educational titles for kids right through to
epic fantasy for the serious gamer, and you can play them right on your
BrailleNote or VoiceNote.
Easily switch in and out of games when you need to check e-mail or make a
note, play music in the background while you solve the latest mystery, or
save games for later resumption.

Braille Input for JAWS for Windows, available on all models

Window-eyes users have for some time been able to control their Windows PC
from their BrailleNote in Braille terminal mode. Now, that feature is
available for JAWS for Windows users as well. Compose e-mail, write a
Microsoft Word document or work with your spreadsheets on your PC, all from
your BrailleNote's keyboard.

More Configurable E-mail, available on all models

Some Internet service providers are now using non-standard POP and SMTP
server ports as an attempt to increase security. While most users will not
need to be concerned with this, those customers on Internet providers
adopting this approach can now specify any port for both POP and SMTP
traffic.

More Bluetooth Support, available on BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower, and
BrailleNote PK

The integrated Bluetooth support in BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower and
BrailleNote PK just got even more useful! In KeySoft 7 you can,

* Use your device as a remote synthesizer for your PC with no wires
attached. Take your BrailleNote or VoiceNote mPower or BrailleNote PK up to
10 meters (30 feet) away from your PC and still hear what your screen reader
is saying.

* Use your device as a wireless Braille display. With BrailleNote
mPower and PK operating as a wireless Braille display, coupled with the
keyboard input functionality, you have complete control over your PC as far
as 10 meters (30 feet) away from your PC. Take the BrailleNote outside on a
sunny day and keep on working on your PC using the keyboard input
functionality. Control a PowerPoint presentation in front of your audience,
even when the PC is tucked away in an inconvenient place. The possibilities
are limitless!

* Drive a wireless visual display. Want to give a presentation using
data on your BrailleNote? Are you a teacher who wants to be able to check a
student's work with no wires or fuss? The extension of the visual display
function to include Bluetooth makes all this possible. Use a range of
devices for the visual display function including Palm Pilots and Windows
HyperTerminal.

Voice Recorder for BrailleNote PK

The popular voice recorder for BrailleNote mPower arrives on BrailleNote PK
in KeySoft 7. Just press the handy record button on the front of your
BrailleNote PK, and make recordings using the built-in microphone.

Eloquence Speech for BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower

HumanWare's BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower becomes the first device of its
kind to offer you a choice of speech synthesizer. Use the highly responsive
and accurate KeyNote Gold speech that has been one of KeySoft's strongest
features, or switch to the familiar Eloquence speech that is now widely
available on access technology products. When Eloquence is active, you may
also choose to have hyperlinks voiced in a different Eloquence voice when
using KeyWeb, making the web really come to life.

Fm Radio for BrailleNote and VoiceNote mPower

That's right, your BrailleNote or VoiceNote mPower is now an FM radio too!
Scan the FM band for your stations and save them as presets. Read the
frequency on the Braille display or the station name if you've saved that
information. Listen to the FM radio while you work on other tasks. Control
the volume of the FM radio separately from the volume of the speech. Even
use the recorder to record FM radio stations.

There you go. For the most part, I think that HumanWare is sticking to their model of only using proprietary software, or software that they make for the BrailleNote and related products. They do appear to be stepping out with regards to the interactive fiction genre. However, compared with the PAC Mate, that's not the same as playing a mainstream game like Jawbreaker, which comes preinstalled on the PAC Mate. Though interactive fiction is better than putting people in a proprietary game environment.

Over all though, I think that HumanWare is still playing catch up with the PAC Mate and Freedom Scientific. FS doesn't have a built in FM radio, but this is one of the things that I think should be optional. Sure, if it were on my PM, then I'd likely use it, but its not something I'm going to run out and get on a note taker either. HumanWare is closing the gap as far as Bluetooth access though, and FS might need to address this issue at some point. Though fixing the lack of built in Bluetooth on the PM might very well require some sort of hardware upgrade, or an upgrade to a newer Windows Mobile framework for the PM. However, at some point FS will need to upgrade the Windows Mobile component anyway in order to stay competitive and to continue to work with other devices.

It would be unfair for me to pass any sort of judgment on the new version of KeySoft if I did not see it, but based on these features, it looks like HumanWare is still running to catch up with the PAC Mate. I don't see anything on this list that makes me say, "Wow, they're really stepping up to the plate with that one." Perhaps in KeySoft 7.5 or 8 they will. Then again, Freedom Scientific will likely have things in PM version 4.0 that will raise the bar that much higher. And so goes the note taker saga.

Reflections

Greetings. Usually when I post, I have a clear idea of what I want to say. Not tonight. Pardon any random thoughts or topic shifts that happen.

It's been a month to the day that I was last at my job at the Assistive Technology Center, and this fact along with where I currently sit, has caused me to do some reflecting. A month ago, I wasn't sure where I would go or how I would get there. I had questions of where my income would come from, what kind of job would be my next job, and more. In other words, I was thinking of many of the things that I'm guessing many people think after being laid off. A month later, on December 3, I have some of the same questions, but I'm better off than I was back on November 3.

In the last month, I've had a phone interview, gone for an in person interview and mock training demonstrations, and made other progress on the job front. I have, in various stages, contacted and am waiting on replies from three different companies/groups on job opportunities. Of these opportunities, one is with a state training center (haven't heard anything back yet on that, for those wondering), in customer service and in help desk/technical support. I expect I will hear something soon from the state training center, since when I interviewed with them, I got the impression that they wanted to get someone down there in somewhat of a hurry. So, I don't think it will be too much longer before I hear back from them. As far as what I will hear, I have no idea.

At the same time though, I'm left with some of the same questions I had a month ago, such as income and how this Christmas season will turn out, and what might lay ahead for me in January. I find myself thinking about the upcoming national convention of the National Federation of the Blind next summer which will be in Dallas, and wondering if I can afford to go to it. I find myself thinking about a spring seminar that I've been asked to speak at in April, and wondering if I will be able to afford that as well. If I get a full time job between now and then, I know I will. However, having never had a full time job before, I find myself thinking about the money that I might make and questioning how it might be to have a constant flow of full time money flowing in. I'm not dumb enough to think that I won't have any expenses at all, but these are just some of the thoughts that I've had.

So, I come to the end of this post not really knowing if I accomplished my goal at the start of this post. At least I've put my thoughts out here on paper/the Web. So that feels better I suppose. One more thought before I close. I've also thought about the amounts of money that I could make at some of these jobs, and how one job potentially could pay more than another. Not having gotten any offers, I can't really go far with this thought, I'll admit, but its still a thought that keeps coming back to me.

So, this is the thoughtful and reflective Wayne, signing off.

New Orleans Gets Wi-Fi

Greetings. The associated Press has a story entitled Big Easy launches free wireless system, which talks about New Orleans getting free citywide wireless service. There will probably be a charge at some point, or maybe not. It will be great when this idea spreads to other major cities. Picture yourself sitting at a traffic light or at a bus stop, and being able to use your PDA, laptop, or cell phone to look information up about the next bus or directions to your destination. Ain't life in the 21st century great?

Thanksgiving 2005

Greetings. For those who might be interested, I thought I might write a summary of my Thanksgiving activities this year.

Well, to start with, since my parents are down in Guatemala, our Thanksgiving gatherings have been fractured last year and this year. Last year, I was invited over to my good friend Heather's house for the gathering. This time around though, my younger brother, Tim, worked I think, and my older brother and sister in law (Neil and Brandy), went to Louisiana to spend the holiday with Brandy's family. So, my options were a little limited again. I ended up being invited back for a second time to Heather's house.

I should say at this point that Heather and her family don't make a production out of the holiday. They have all the food you might associate with Thanksgiving, like the turkey/ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, yams with marshmellows, and of course the pies; but they don't add other things that you might see in a tradditional celebration. In fact, they refer to it as a more relaxed gathering. Heather told me before last year's visit, to not expect to be entertained after the meal. That everyone would find their spot and nap. But then, she said that every hour, people would get up and go back for pie. I must admit that I didn't take this statement seriously, but true to form, once an hour, there was a line by the pies.

All this sounded great to me last year, this year, and truthfully, I wouldn't mind doing that from now on, in having a more relaxed Thanksgiving gathering, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Heather works in Sherman, a town outside of the Dallas area. She asked me if I could take the rail train from Dallas to Plano (another suburb), and either she or her dad would meet me there. I was thinking of offering this exact solution, so that's what I did. I caught a bus about 2:10 on Thursday that took me a short distance to the DART rail station, and then went down to the platform and boarded the rail train. The particular stop that I was going to was the last one northbound, so it wasn't hard to figure out where to get off at, :) Heather's dad met me shortly after that and we went back to their house.

The gathering lived completely up to their definition of the holiday: no muss, no fuss. I had a good time interacting with heather, her parents, and a couple of other people there. Sadly, I didn't really get to tune into the Cowboys game, at least not by listening to the radio play by play. However, after the meal, which was later since Heather worked for part of that day, when we all were in their living room, I was able to keep up more or less with what was going on by the TV announcements and Heather's dad and one of the other guys there. It sounded like a great game though and very exciting. (Though Dallas lost, they stayed in it and even went to overtime).

Meanwhile, Heather and I worked on her laptop. She had asked me to show her how to use part of her laptop, a media player, and buy and download music. We didn't accomplish all of those things, but we did cover a lot of ground. And, what we didn't cover, I was able to show her a few websites where she could buy music from.

Since we didn't actually sit down till around 5, I didn't participate in the hourly pie run. However, Heather did give me plenty of left overs that I have been working on since then. She gave me two plate fulls of food, one with several different kinds of pies (which disappeared first), and the other with some of the left overs from the meal itself, along with several rolls. Heather drove me home after 7, since I needed to come back and feed Tony, and Heather had to work the next day, which was yesterday.

All in all, I had a great time. Next year's Thanksgiving plans might be different and I might be back with my family, which actually, as I've said, I've enjoyed Heather's family's definition of Thanksgiving, and actually will likely miss it. I'm not sure it would go over all that well if I asked some people in my family to skip my own family's celebration, and go to Heather's house, :) But that's ok, I like the regular family celebration just as much. Each has their own qualities.

Disability Awareness Increasing

Greetings. Here's an encouraging article about Starbucks, and how they're reaching out to the disabled commmunity. While I don't agree with all that they are doing, such as the "political correctness." For instance, instead of flowering the speech to, "people with disabilities," why not call it like it is and simply say, "disable people?" However, the article does show that they are trying, and that's not always a bad thing. Perhaps I'll write in another post of my feelings about politically correct speach. For now though, here's the article. Enjoy.

A Special Effort

Starbucks is reaching out to people with disabilities -- both as employees
and as customers

By MICHAEL CORKERY Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL November 14,
2005; Page R8

If Starbucks has its way, its future work force will look more like Michelle
Penman.

Thirty-six-year-old Ms. Penman, who has cerebral palsy, spends three hours
getting ready for work every morning. Because she has trouble speaking and
has limited mobility, customers must write down their orders and place them
on her wheelchair. She returns with their coffee and food on a tray or in a
backpack affixed to her motorized wheelchair.

The Seattle-based coffee giant has already turned Ms. Penman into something
of a company icon. The Starbucks CEO mentions her in his speeches as an
example of the devotion of the company's work force, and says he keeps her
picture in his office.

Now StarbucksCorp. wants to make Ms. Penman a literal model employee. As the
company expands its outlets, it is trying to tap into the growing pool of
job seekers with disabilities. The goal: to make its stores more inviting to
customers with disabilities, as well as their caretakers, family members and
friends.

"This is a group that most businesses have not addressed," says May Snowden,
Starbucks' vice president, global diversity. "As I look at changes in
demographics, it is one of the groups that are very important."

Indeed, people with disabilities have discretionary spending power of $220
billion annually, according to the American Association of People With
Disabilities. Of the 70 million families in the U.S., more than 20 million
have at least one member with a disability, according to the association.
For Starbucks, the equation is simple. "Customers tend to patronize a
business that is like them," says Jim Donald, president and chief executive
officer.

A Wake-Up Call The Starbucks effort, which is still in its early stages, is
proceeding on a couple of fronts. The company recently hired Marthalee
Galeota, who worked with Seattle-area nonprofits on disability matters, as
senior diversity specialist in charge of disability issues. The job goes
beyond making sure Starbucks complies with the Americans With Disabilities
Act, the law that mandates equal access to jobs and services for the
disabled. Ms. Galeota focuses on establishing a companywide etiquette for a
range of issues.

For instance, she has changed the labels on tables designated for wheelchair
users to read, "For a customer with a disability," instead of "Disabled
customers."

The company also has designed its counters at a height that is easily
reached by customers in wheelchairs, and the majority of its roughly 10,000
stores around the world have at least one handicapped-accessible entrance.

In addition, Ms. Galeota is working to incorporate disability etiquette into
employee training. For example, employees should ask a customer with a
disability if he or she would like help, rather than automatically lending a
hand; they should also refrain from petting a working service dog for the
blind.

Then there are day-to-day matters. Ms. Galeota fields calls from employees
with disabilities as well as store managers to give advice about potentially
tricky situations -- for instance, what a manager should do if an employee
goes deaf.

In terms of recruiting, the company has joined the National Business
Disability Council, which provides a national database of résumés of people
with disabilities.

"We have to make sure we are sourcing at every source that is available,"
Ms. Snowden says. On average, the company hires 200 to 300 people overall
every day.

Exactly how much progress Starbucks is making in hiring people with
disabilities is difficult to measure. The company doesn't keep statistics on
how many employees with disabilities it hires because employees are not
required to record that information on an application.

Beyond the Coffee Line The Starbucks effort comes as a number of other large
employers are reaching out to disabled workers. International Business
Machines Corp. offers internships for students with disabilities and runs
sessions for managers to meet potential hires with disabilities. It also has
put together a video for hiring managers that addresses questions they might
be afraid to ask, such as how much it will cost to accommodate these
employees and how they can ensure that these employees will be able to do
their jobs properly.

"It's sending a message that we are a company that wants the best talent and
we are inclusive of everyone," says Millie DesBiens, an IBM program manager
who focuses on disability issues.

Verizon Corp., meanwhile, sends employees to conferences and conventions
hosted by nonprofit groups working with the disability community. It also
informs disability advocates about certain job openings, says Jeff Kramer,
Verizon's director of public policy and strategic alliances.

But Starbucks faces a higher hurdle than most companies when it comes to
recruiting people with disabilities. Its workers are constantly interacting
with the public in its fast-paced, high-volume stores. Some Starbucks
employees with disabilities acknowledge the challenges -- but also the
rewards.

Since she started at Starbucks in 1998, Cindy Rogers, 50, has lost much of
her vision. She uses special tactile pads on the cash register and takes her
guide dog along to work. She can no longer do much work behind the
fast-paced espresso bar, so she focuses on the pastry case and register.
Sometimes, she means to take a credit card and instead grabs the customer's
hand. She once called out to say she could help the next person in line only
to be told by a colleague that there was no line. At times, "customers are
not the nicest they could be," Ms. Rogers says.

"Customers will say, 'Isn't that nice that Starbucks will let people like
you work there.' " One man, commenting on her antiglare glasses, said, "
'Cool, I'll put on my sunglasses so we can communicate,' " she recalls.

But she says her co-workers at the Mesa, Ariz., outlet have been extremely
supportive. "I am sure they get frustrated," she says. "I try to use humor,
and if I didn't laugh I would cry."

And she says many customers are tactful and kind. She's gotten to know the
regulars by the sound of their voices and knows exactly what they are going
to order. On her days off, she runs a Braille reading group at the store for
local children and their parents.

Corey Lindberg, a deaf 46-year-old senior business systems analyst working
at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, says he's less prone to distraction
around the office. If he needs to concentrate, he can just close his eyes.
In some ways, he says, his hearing impairment -- which he developed later in
life -- makes him work harder.

He relies on instant-messaging software and writing notes on paper to
communicate, and the company supplies a sign-language interpreter when he
attends meetings. When he speaks on the phone, he uses a device that
captions the conversation on a computer screen or a videoconferencing
service with an interpreter.

Before Michelle Penman joined Starbucks, she worked at a restaurant where
the owner insisted that she sit out of sight of customers, according to her
mother, Renee.

"He made her sit back behind the kitchen where she would not be in anyone's
way," Renee Penman wrote in an email. "Sometimes she sat there for four
hours without anyone even speaking to her. I talked with the owner several
times about finding another place for her to sit while she waited for an
order to come in, and he would not budge."

At Starbucks, the younger Ms. Penman sits in the front of the store, and
"there are times when customers have to go around her to get in the coffee
line," her mother says. But the manager has never suggested that Ms. Penman
move out of the way, according to her mother. When Ms. Penman is out sick,
customers ask where she is. Mr. Donald, the CEO, attended her 10th
anniversary party at the store. Michelle has been the subject of a local
newspaper story and television news spot, her mother says.

"People talk about Starbucks in such a positive way, they say, 'That's where
Michelle works,' " Renee Penman says. She says she knows her daughter is
giving the company a wealth of positive press, but she doesn't mind. "If
they want to be selfish and do it for them, that is OK. The person with the
disability is winning, too."

--Mr. Corkery is a staff reporter in The Wall Street Journal's New York
bureau.

Thanksgiving Message

Greetings. On this day of Thanksgiving, I would like to offer a reminder. Not only should you be thankful today, since it is Thanksgiving, but all the time. So, tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday and so forth, don't forget to be thankful for what you have. Happy Thanksgiving (and go Cowboys!).

Yahoo and TiVo Combine

Greetings. In my long string of posts today (I'm in a posting mood for whatever reason), I present the following:

I found the following story while surfing the web. Though its a couple of weeks old, it does present interesting ideas. Yahoo, TiVo team up to blend TV, Web services.

Though this doesn't make TiVo completely accessible to the blind user, since you would still need to access the screen to play, pause and operate the running of the show, it does mean that we could schedule shows through the Yahoo TV Listings area, and that might be the best start yet. Now if we can only figure out how to watch all the hours of shows we scheduled.

New Twist in the Sony Story

Greetings. Here's an interesting, but funny, twist on the Sony CD saga, from the International Herald Tribune, Shoppers become venters on Amazon.

Christmas Music .... Now?

Greetings. I come from the old school, of not playing Christmas music until at least the day of Thanksgiving or even better, the day after Thanksgiving. However, it seems that it is popping up more and more places, before Thanksgiving. Most notably was when I went to Wall Greens about 10 days ago and they were already playing it. I asked the cashier about it, and her response was, "But its Christmas music." To which I replied, "Yes, I realize this. I have nothing aginst Christmas music, but can we wait until we get through Thanksgiving?"

I know that people are putting out the Christmas decorations and ads earlier each year. Personally though, since I don't see those, they don't count. Its the music that is coming too early. I'm all for feeling joyful, but let's take this one Holiday at a time. Can we wait until we at least are stuff with turkey and ressing, and the beloved pies, before we play the music?

I must admit that Christmas music is feeling more likely today, the day before Thanksgiving, than it was two or three days ago. But its still not Thanksgiving yet!

Cooll Desktop Search Tool

Greetings. I've had the Google Desktop Search tool on my computer for some time. IMO, Google does a much better job at searching my computer than the bland search tool that comes with the computer ever could or dream of doing. Let me give an example.

I am making CD's for some people for Christmas presents, since I've got loads of disks and music on my computer. In my main music area, I've got over 2100 songs. Anyway, I wanted to find songs by a particular group. I first typed in "*-the cure.mp3" and Google showed a song by Metallica called "The Cure." I then took out everything but "the cure", and got 10 results back, all from the group The Cure. Google's desktop results page lists the results in different categories, like files, web history, chats, email, etc, and if the category has results then it is linked. I clicked on the Files category, and then could further narrow my results by selecting file formats for the results I was looking for, from a combo box. After selecting Mp3 and pressing the Go button, I was presented with the 10 results. As if all this wasn't enough, each linked result had the size of the file in megabytes, its direct location on my computer, and more.

As far as I'm concerned. Google's Desktop Search utility is the way to go if you need to search your system. It can be especially helpful if you have lots of different documents (Word, Excel, PDF, etc), images (JPG, GIF, BMP, etc), or other things on your computer, like if you have a network or have lots of things stored over many years. It can even be set to search in secure password protected documents. I would advise unchecking the "search secure pages" checkbox in the preferences area, unless you want to access online shopping pages as search results. Google does not share the results with the rest of the WWW, and the tool is free. Plus, as with any of Google's tools, the search results are displayed on a web page so they're extremely easy to navigate with a screen reader. Though I don't have to do searches on a regular basis, Desktop Search is the place I turn to when and if I do need to search.

Another Tool to Tackle Black Friday

For those that don't know, "Black Friday" is the day after Thanksgiving. This year's shopping just got easier thanks to Google. Read the article entitled, Google Introduces New Tool For Mapping Out Shopping Trips from Information Week. This article shows that planning ahead can save lots of time and money.

How to Handle a Telemarketer

Greetings. This just happened and might give you some ideas for how to handle a telemarketer. My philosophy on telemarketting calls is: they took the time out of their day to call me, so therefore, I should make it worth their while. I could just hang up, but that's the easy way out and isn't really all that fun, for me or them. With that in mind, consider the following:

As I was coming back on my porch after taking my retired guide dog Tony out, I heard the phone ring. I quickly got him and myself inside and raced over to the phone only to pick it up and realize that a woman wanted to get me to participate in a survey. I agreed to do so, wondering if this was the call, why didn't I just let it ring instead of answering. But then my philosophy came to mind, and I started grinning.

I forget what the study/survey was about, but I was asked if I was over 21. I said yes, and then I was asked the ages of everyone in my house over 21. I said that there were two, a 30 year old (me) and an 84 year old (Tony's age in human years). The woman then asked to speak with the 84 year old male, so I said, "Certainly." I went and got Tony and brought him over to the phone, and put the phone down by his mouth. He sniffed it a few times than turned his head away. I got back on the phone and asked the woman if she spoke dog. She said, "What?" I repeated my question. It then must have occurred to her that the 84 year old was a dog, and her response was, after a brief pause, "Sir, this is a serious study. I don't have time for this," after which she hung up. I was in the process of saying, "Hey, you called me," but she had already disconnected. As my friend Carman Fan #1 likes to say, "I shreaked with laughter!"

More on Sony Protected CD's

Read more about the Sony CD's that are affected. This page recommends turning off auto run to prevent the CD from starting when you put it in the drive of your system, but I would go further and recommend not buying any of the affected CD's, or any Sony CD's for that matter, until this issue has been fully resolved.

Website Combines Blogs and Journalism

Greetings. Here's an interesting story on a Web site to blend journalism with blogs from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. For those that like reading blogs, this sound very cool.

Sony to Recall CD's

Greetings. So much for copying CD's to your hard drive, at least if they are from Sony. Check out this article from the New York Times and see how Sony has royally screwed up. Enjoy.

Sony BMG to recall copy-restricted CDs
By Tom Zeller Jr. The New York Times
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2005

NEW YORK The global music giant Sony BMG has announced that it plans to
recall millions of CDs by at least 20 artists, from the pop-music stars
Céline Dion and Neil Diamond to the country-rock act Van Zant, because they
contain copy-restriction software that poses risks to consumers' computers.

The move, announced on Tuesday, is expected to cost the company tens of
millions of dollars. The company said it would remove all unsold CDs
containing the software from retail outlets and offer exchanges to consumers
who had bought any of the CDs involved. A toll-free number and e-mail
message inquiry system will also be set up on the Sony BMG Web site,
sonybmg.com.

"We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause our customers and are
committed to making this situation right," the company said in a letter that
it said it would post on its Web site.

Neither representatives of Sony BMG nor the British company First 4
Internet, which developed the copy-protection software, would comment
further.

Sony BMG estimated last week that about five million discs - some 49
different titles - had been shipped with the problematic software, and about
two million had been sold.

Market research from 2004 has shown that about 30 percent of consumers
report obtaining music through the copying and sharing of tracks among
friends from legitimately purchased CDs.

But the fallout from the relatively aggressive protection system has raised
serious questions about how far the companies should be permitted to go in
seeking to prevent digital piracy.

The recall and exchange program, first reported by USA Today, comes two
weeks after news began to spread on the Internet that certain Sony BMG CDs
contained software that was designed to limit users to making only three
copies of the music but that also altered the deepest levels of the computer
systems of consumers and created vulnerabilities that Internet virus writers
could exploit.

Since then, computer researchers have identified other problems with the
software, as well as with the software patch and uninstaller programs that
the company has issued to address the vulnerabilities. Several security and
antivirus companies, including Computer Associates, F-Secure and Symantec,
quickly classified the software on the CDs, which is only known to affect
users of the Windows operating system, as malicious because, among other
things, it attempted to hide itself on the machines of users and
communicated remotely with Sony servers once installed.

On Saturday, a Microsoft engineering team indicated that it would be
updating the company's own security tools to detect and remove parts of the
Sony BMG copy-protection software to help protect customers.

Researchers at Princeton University revealed on Tuesday that early versions
of the "uninstall" process published by Sony BMG on its Web site, which was
designed to help users remove the copy-protection software from their
machines, created a vulnerability that could expose users of the Internet
Explorer Web browser to malicious code embedded on Web sites.

Security analysts at Internet Security Systems, based in Atlanta, also
issued an alert on Tuesday indicating that the copy-protection software
itself, which was installed on certain CDs beginning last spring, could be
used by virus writers to gain administrator privileges on multiuser
computers.

David Maynor, a researcher with the X-force division of Internet Security
Systems, which analyzes potential network vulnerabilities, said the
copy-protection system was particularly pernicious because it was nearly
impossible for many computer users to remove on their own.

"At what point do you think it is a good thing to surreptitiously put
Trojans on people's machines?" Maynor said. "The only thing you're
guaranteeing is that they won't be customers anymore."

Some early estimates indicate that the problem could affect half a million
or more computers around the world.

Data collected in September by the market research firm NPD Group indicated
that roughly 36 percent of consumers had reported that they listened to
music CDs on a computer. If that percentage held true for people who bought
the Sony BMG CDs, that would amount to about 720,000 computers - although
only those running Windows would be affected.

Consumers who listen to CDs on stereo systems and other noncomputer players,
as well as users of Apple computers, would not be at risk.

Although antivirus companies have indicated since late last week that virus
writers were trying to take advantage of the vulnerabilities, it is not
known whether any of these viruses have found their way onto PCs embedded
with the Sony BMG copy-protection software.

Security and digital rights advocates say that does not matter. "There may
be millions of hosts that are now vulnerable to something that they weren't
vulnerable to before," said Dan Kaminsky, a prominent independent computer
security researcher.

For some critics, the recall will not be enough. "This is only one of the
many things Sony must do to be accountable for the damage it's inflicted on
its customers," said Jason Schultz, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, a digital rights group in California.

TV Program on Medicare Changes

Greetings. For those that have access to CNBC on Cable or Satellite, and who have Medicare or a related program, you might want to pay attention to this upcoming TV show. Here are the details. I received this from an email list I'm on. Please excuse any formatting errors.

I wanted to let you guys know about a TV program you should watch this
weekend. It is sponsored by CMS. The program is titled "Medicare Rx: A
National
Conversation" and will air on CNBC from 5:30 - 6:00 PM Central Time on
Saturday, November 19th and again on Sunday, November 20th.

If you have Medicare, you should make an informed choice on whether to
enroll in a plan of your choice even if you are on Medicaid or the state
pays your premiums (QMB, SLMB) or if you have been approved for the LIS
Subsidy. If you do not enroll, CMS will place you randomly in a plan which
may not be the best one for your needs! If you have drug coverage under
private policies, check with your insurance plan to find out if you should
enroll in Part D.
For assistance in picking a plan, Medicare beneficiaries can call:
List of 3 items
* Medicare at 800-633-4227 (or TTY at 877-486-2048)
* Texas SHIP at 800-633-4227
* Capital Area Agency on Aging (AAA) at 512-916-6062 or toll-free at
888-622-9111
list end

Austin Recap and Personal Reflections

Greetings. First off, I must give credit where credit is due: to God. He answered a number of prayers for me on Monday's trip to Austin, not the least of which was energy to go throughout the day, having no worries about what I was going through, safe airport travels, and probably the big ones, a good interview and presentations. Now that a couple of days have passed, I can truly look back and appreciate how some things fell into place. Such as, getting my return boarding pass when I checked in at Love Field in Dallas Monday morning.

I initially wondered why they were giving me both passes, going and the return, but I accepted. As it turned out, I had a 2 hour interview. In order to get the presentations, or mock training sessions, in, I had to cancel my shuttle return trip back to the airport from Criss Cole (the rehab center). I did the presentations, and did very well if I can say so myself. Anyway, I had mentioned to the interviewer that I could take a cab back to the airport, but he ended up offering to drive me back, which I gratefully accepted. As it happened, even though I started to worry about the timing, I got through security and to my gate with literally 1 or 2 minutes to spare before they called for the pre-board people. In other words, just in the nick of time. So, getting that return boarding pass Monday morning ended up working to my advantage, since I likely wouldn't have had enough time to get it and do the usual airport stuff since I was running late coming back.

I've really only interviewed for jobs relating to blindness or people with disabilities, such as this job at a rehab center, or a job with Bender Consulting Services, that I wrote about a few days ago, who place disabled people with corporations. So, I haven't yet had to interview in the "mainstream." I have had quite a few phone interviews and a couple of them in person. I say all this to say that I hit a point sometime during Monday's interview where I was enjoying it. Really. There were times that it turned into more of a discussion about philosophy or techniques, than an interview. I had to remind myself that I was interviewing to work there. Anyway, during the entire 2 hour period, my mind was clear (which was something else I had prayed about), and I was able to give clear and concise, or detailed where necessary, answers to all of the questions. There was only one question that I didn't know the answer to, but I said as much and the interviewer rephrased it, which made the question more clear to me.

In closing, I want to point out something that a friend brought to my attention yesterday. He said that he was proud of me, and that I should be proud of myself, for traveling all the way to and from Austin, to an interview, arranging transportation for myself, all on my own and with little help from anyone. Upon reflection and being a couple of days removed, I can appreciate this and feel proud about it. At the time I might not have recognized the significance of this because, its what I had learned how to do. I remember being on the shuttle that took me to the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, and talking with another passenger who was marvalling at my ability to travel alone. I told him that basically, it might be scary the first time or two, but then you learn how to do it and are able to go through with it. Between asking directions, possibly getting help from a skycap or other airport person, and using a little common sense, I have been able to travel alone for quite some time now, probably around 10 years or so, perhaps more.

As I say, being two days removed from the trip, I can appreciate this independent travel more, and am grateful for those that have helped teach me the ways of independence, whether they be caseworkers from a state agency, blind role models that I might know locally, or other plain old blind people that I might come across in daily conversation or at a well grounded rehabilitation center. So, to all of those, especially those people at the Colorado Center for the Blind and other NFB related training centers, I say thanks. Thanks for giving me the confidence to travel to and from a city for a job interview, which I stand a pretty good chance of getting.

Just the Facts

Greetings. For those that want to know what happened yesterday but don't want to read a long narrative, here are just the facts, man:

* I feel real good about the interview.
* I feel real good about the presentations (mock training sessions) I did after the interview.
* A number of prayers were answered in which I had asked different people to pray for specific things, such as: stamina, energy, not to worry about things, good travels through the airports, among other things.
* And perhaps the big thing people want to know: I'll know something by the end of this month or possibly in the middle of next month. Some of that time is paperwork, going through the necessary regulations before a decision can be made, and getting the person who is hired in the payroll system, etc. It sounds like I should know something in 2 or 3 weeks though.

So, there are the facts. I'll fill in some of the gaps later, but I wanted to post this short summary so people can get a brief idea of how things went. There were several interesting and amazing things that happened yesterday, which I'll write more about later.

Audible's Response

Greetings. At the suggestion of a friend, I emailed Audible about my concerns I wrote of yesterday. Below is their response to my username/password concern:

Response (Lori B. CC) - 11/12/2005 09:22 PM
Dear Wayne,

Thanks for contacting Audible, the world's largest online destination for downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment.

Please note the call was legitimate. Our Marketing Department is contacting customers for various promotions (ie 2 free book trial). Please note that
there should be no need to ask you for your password, however, to reassure you, even we, cannot see neither your full credit card number nor your actual
password on the account.

I apologize for the inconvenience and concern this has caused you.

If you need further assistance, please try our online Help Center, where you'll find quick answers to many common questions and issues. You may also contact
us directly during our regular business hours:
Mon - Fri we are open 24 hours
Sat & Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST.

We appreciate your interest in Audible, and wish you many hours of great listening.

Sincerely,
Lori
Audible Customer Support

Now, I'm still wondering about the phone number access (them calling my home number and how they got the number), but perhaps I gave my home number instead of my cell. At any rate, the larger security concern has been addressed. So, I guess that if you get a call from Audible asking you for your username and password, then its legit.

Another Job Opportunity

Greetings. First off, my apologies for the "test posts" that have ended up on today's entry. I had a problem with Blogger for awhile when composing one of them, and it trippled itself.

Anyway, onto the news of consequence. I have applied to work with, or be placed, with a company called Bender Consulting Services. In brief, they help place disabled people with companies in management, human resources, and information technology. I had applied with them before, submitted several resumes, done a couple of interviews, and filled out some other paperwork. The last time I heard from them was back in June or July, when I was told that I would be contacted if something opened up.

Well, yesterday in the late afternoon, I got a call from them. Their home office is in Pennsylvania, but they place people all over the U.S. and in a couple of Canadian provinces. Anyway, the person I spoke with was an assistant to someone, and he said that his boss wanted to interview me on the next day (today). I said that I was free and we agreed upon a time. I never found out what the position was that I was being interviewed for though, and when I asked, the assistant said there was several openings but he didn't know which one either.

Well, today I had the interview and did very well, if I can say so myself. The positions are in the help desk arena, and for two corporations in Los Colinas, near Dallas. I got an email address to send updated copies of my resume to, and was told that they would be in touch, which could be soon or not so soon. It all depends on the client and what they want to do. However, since I was told that the next step would be a detailed technical interview with the client, and since I haven't been told about that before, I'm inclined to think that there might be a possible job in this for me. We'll have to wait and see though.

Wouldn't that be a fix to find myself in: to have to choose between a job with the state, and one in help desk stuff locally. Off hand, I can't say which one I'd ultimately choose, but who knows. Watch this space for further updates.

I feel like I did well with the interview too. It was kind of like a dry run before the interview on Monday, so that's good. There were never really any times when I was lost for words. The truth of the matter is that I've been interviewed over the phone more often than I've had face to face interviews. I'll try and put up one more post before I leave Monday morning, and I'll definitely write about my travel and experiences when I get back, probably sometime on Tuesday.

Beware of Audible

Greetings. I got a weird call today and wanted to share.

I haven't used Audible.com in months. Their website is certainly very doable with JAWS, however listening to audio with their Audible Player leaves a little to be desired. Plus the fact that they charge for all their content, when I can get an unlimited number of books (for a small annual fee) from Book Share.

Ever since I first got an interview from them, I've been getting emails from Audible offering me any number of free books/memberships if I will only visit their site again and get my free books, or even better, buy another book/publication from them.

Late this afternoon, I got a call on my home phone from someone claiming to be with Audible offering me 2 more free books, with no restrictions, if I will only give them my username and password. As soon as the guy took a breath and stopped, I politely refused and hung up. Then it hit me: how did they get my home number? When I register with many, but not all, sites, I will give my cell number instead of my home number. With the thinking of using a forwarding email address: at least they don't have my "real" number or address. I reluctantly concluded that they could have looked my number up on the Internet or through directory assistance, but the question of how they got my number still lingered. After I thought about it though, I became more concerned.

I've grown up in the computer age, and have been told numerous times never to give out your password, under any circumstances. I remember hearing of a study that was done in an information technology department of a company, to see how willing people would be to give up their passwords. The study had a supposed head of the IT department, call various people that worked at the company, and for security reasons, ask the people to verify their passwords. 100% of them did, without question, probably thinking nothing of it. I'm not sure I would do the same if I were in that situation, but then you never know.

Anyway, I mention the study to ask: why would someone from Audible want to verify my username and password in order to give me free books? Wouldn't it be more pheasable for them to ask for the last few digits of my credit card I used with them, or something other than a password? I have no idea if the person actually was from Audible, but in thinking about this for the last few hours, I'm sure glad that I didn't give them any information.

Which brings me to my warning: I don't know if any of this is specific to Audible, and I'm certainly not intentionally wanting to draw any business away from them, however, beware if anyone calls asking for any of your account passwords from specific websites. You never know who's out there these days.

Test post

Test post

More on Monday

Greetings. I talked with the man who is hiring for the position in Austin this morning, and he told me that Monday's interview would also include a presentation of my teaching skills in a mock training session. This led me to ask if the interview and presentation would be in person, in Austin, and he said that it would. He went on to say that, if someone wasn't "in the cut," then they would have a phone interview. This leads me to believe that I am "in the cut" for this position!

I haven't made my reservations yet due to some details that have yet to be worked out. Monday will be a cool, long, but satisfying day in Austin. The schedule is for an interview at 1:30 and then after a 30 minute break the presentations start at 3, and go until 4. Thanks to those that have been praying for me. Now, please pray that I do well in the interview and presentations, and that I would have a clear mind and not be too nervous. I'll write more about it when I can.

Even if I don't get the job, at least I will have more practice interviewing and doing the presentations, though I'd love to get the job. Especially considering that I applied two years ago for almost the exact same job and didn't get it, mainly due to lack of experience.