Sunday, May 28
More Things Added to Newsline
Greetings. I've just discovered that the monthly magazine Diabetes Self Management and the daily newspaper the Dallas Morning News have both been added to the NFB Newsline service. Before I composed this post, I went to Book Share to see if both were there yet, and only the Dallas Morning News was listed. Still, these are good things for people with diabetes, or those who want to read/learn about Dallas for the coming convention. Or, as for me, those who want to read the Morning News that haven't had that chance before now!
Saturday, May 27
How to Write Good
Greetings. The following article presents writing well in a funny way, but consider the suggestions below the next time you have to compose an email message or write a report. Enjoy.
How to Write Good
Frank L. Visco
Vice-president and Senior Copywriter at USAdvertising.
My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:
1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren't necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: ``I hate
quotations. Tell me what you know.''
12. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
13. Don't be redundant; don't more use words than necessary; it's highly
superfluous.
14. Profanity sucks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Understatement is always best.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
23. Who needs rhetorical questions?
How to Write Good
Frank L. Visco
Vice-president and Senior Copywriter at USAdvertising.
My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:
1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren't necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: ``I hate
quotations. Tell me what you know.''
12. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
13. Don't be redundant; don't more use words than necessary; it's highly
superfluous.
14. Profanity sucks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Understatement is always best.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
23. Who needs rhetorical questions?
Monday, May 22
Facts About Texas
Greetings. Here's another post in the series on Dallas and Texas. For those that don't know, I'm getting the material from an National Federation of the Blind email list, in anticipation of its national convention the first week in July in Dallas. As always, please excuse any formatting errors. And, welcome to those from the Blind Confidential blog. Enjoy.
From the Texas Historical Commission:
Flags Over Texas
Six flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, United Mexican States,
Confederate States of America, the Republic of Texas and the United States
of America,
with eight changes of government:
Country or Government
Dates
Spanish
1519-1685
French
1685-1690
Spanish
1690-1821
Mexican
1821-1836
Republic of Texas
1836-1845
United States
1845-1861
Confederate States
1861-1865
United States
1865-present
Natural and Man-made Wonders
The tidewater coastline of Texas stretches 624 miles along the Gulf of
Mexico and contains more than 600 historic shipwrecks.
The tallest point in Texas is Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 feet.
The Capitol in Austin, built of Texas pink granite, opened May 16, 1888. The
dome of the Capitol stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's
Capitol
in Washington, D.C.
The Governor's Mansion, built in 1856, is the oldest remaining public
building in downtown Austin.
The largest body of water completely within the boundaries of Texas is Sam
Rayburn Reservoir in East Texas, which covers 113,400 acres.
Texas has four national forests (Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine and Sam
Houston), two national parks (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains), one
national seashore
(Padre Island), one national preserve (the Big Thicket), two national
recreation areas (Amistad and Lake Meredith) and one national monument
(Alibates
Flint Quarries).
With more than 267,000 square miles, Texas is as large as all of New
England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined.
Archeology Fun Facts
The Spanish explorers and missionaries, who were the first Europeans to
enter Texas, often adopted Texas Indian names for rivers and other natural
features.
The Spaniards translated the place names into Spanish, and many of the
Indian origins for place-names have been lost. See our selection of
Texas place-names derived from Indian languages
as well as names that are associated with Indians or their activities.
. Native Americans did not use the bow and arrow until about 1,500 years
ago - earlier hunters used spears.
. The horse was introduced to American Indians by the Spaniards after 1500.
. Bison (or American buffalo) were hunted by Native Americans on foot long
before the horse was introduced into the New World.
. The Karankawa of the Texas coast spoke a language related to Indian
languages of the Caribbean region.
. Prehistoric tribes in Texas traded for turquoise and obsidian from New
Mexico, shell from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and exotic stone from as
far
away as Minnesota.
. A stone quarry in Texas was used for millennia by inhabitants of the
southern Great Plains and is now a national monument - Alibates National
Monument
- in the Amarillo area.
buffalo pictograph
. In addition to projectile points (stone points for arrows and spears),
Native Americans used stone, bone and shell for knives, drills, axes, awls,
hoes
and grinding implements.
. Prehistoric people in Texas used plant fibers to make baskets, mats,
sandals and other useful objects. Well-preserved woven sandals have been
found by
archeologists in the dry rock shelters of southwestern Texas.
. Some of the most impressive prehistoric rock art in North America is found
in Texas - visitors can see excellent examples at Hueco Tanks and Seminole
Canyon State Historic Sites.
. Not all Native Americans lived in tipis. Many villagers lived in thatched
or adobe houses, and many nomadic groups lived in brush- or hide-covered
shelters
or rock shelters.
. Corn has been cultivated in Texas for at least 2,000 years. Beans and
squash were other staple foods of the early Texas agriculturalists.
. The accounts of early explorers help archeologists understand many sites.
Much that we know about the historic tribes of southern Texas comes from the
accounts of Cabeza de Vaca, who was shipwrecked on the Texas coast and
traveled through southern Texas and northern Mexico for eight years, from
1528 until
1536.
. The first black explorer in Texas was Esteban, a Moor who traveled with
Cabeza de Vaca.
monkey pictograph
. The Tigua tribe came to the El Paso area from New Mexico in the 1680s, and
some of their fields have been in continuous cultivation since that time.
. The Alamo is a Spanish mission and was the first mission established in
San Antonio, in 1718.
. The first ranches in Texas were the 18th-century Spanish mission ranches
along the San Antonio River, where mission Indians tended the livestock.
. As many as 90 percent of the recorded archeological sites in some areas of
Texas have been damaged or destroyed.
Early Inhabitants of Texas
About 10,000 B.C., the first Indians arrived in Texas. These ancient peoples
are called Paleo-Indians. They hunted mammoths and giant bison and other
animals
that later became extinct.
After 6,000 B.C., Indian lifeways changed, and archeologists call the time
in Texas from then to about A.D. 500 the Archaic Period. During this period
Indians
painted beautiful murals depicting human scenes and religious ceremonies on
cave walls in dry areas of West Texas.
The years from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500 are called the Late Prehistoric Period.
Agricultural Indians domesticated some of our principal crops, including
cotton,
corn, beans, squash, tomatoes and potatoes. Burial and temple mounds of
these early farmers can be found in the piney woods of East Texas.
From the Texas Historical Commission:
Flags Over Texas
Six flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, United Mexican States,
Confederate States of America, the Republic of Texas and the United States
of America,
with eight changes of government:
Country or Government
Dates
Spanish
1519-1685
French
1685-1690
Spanish
1690-1821
Mexican
1821-1836
Republic of Texas
1836-1845
United States
1845-1861
Confederate States
1861-1865
United States
1865-present
Natural and Man-made Wonders
The tidewater coastline of Texas stretches 624 miles along the Gulf of
Mexico and contains more than 600 historic shipwrecks.
The tallest point in Texas is Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 feet.
The Capitol in Austin, built of Texas pink granite, opened May 16, 1888. The
dome of the Capitol stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's
Capitol
in Washington, D.C.
The Governor's Mansion, built in 1856, is the oldest remaining public
building in downtown Austin.
The largest body of water completely within the boundaries of Texas is Sam
Rayburn Reservoir in East Texas, which covers 113,400 acres.
Texas has four national forests (Angelina, Davy Crockett, Sabine and Sam
Houston), two national parks (Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains), one
national seashore
(Padre Island), one national preserve (the Big Thicket), two national
recreation areas (Amistad and Lake Meredith) and one national monument
(Alibates
Flint Quarries).
With more than 267,000 square miles, Texas is as large as all of New
England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois combined.
Archeology Fun Facts
The Spanish explorers and missionaries, who were the first Europeans to
enter Texas, often adopted Texas Indian names for rivers and other natural
features.
The Spaniards translated the place names into Spanish, and many of the
Indian origins for place-names have been lost. See our selection of
Texas place-names derived from Indian languages
as well as names that are associated with Indians or their activities.
. Native Americans did not use the bow and arrow until about 1,500 years
ago - earlier hunters used spears.
. The horse was introduced to American Indians by the Spaniards after 1500.
. Bison (or American buffalo) were hunted by Native Americans on foot long
before the horse was introduced into the New World.
. The Karankawa of the Texas coast spoke a language related to Indian
languages of the Caribbean region.
. Prehistoric tribes in Texas traded for turquoise and obsidian from New
Mexico, shell from the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and exotic stone from as
far
away as Minnesota.
. A stone quarry in Texas was used for millennia by inhabitants of the
southern Great Plains and is now a national monument - Alibates National
Monument
- in the Amarillo area.
buffalo pictograph
. In addition to projectile points (stone points for arrows and spears),
Native Americans used stone, bone and shell for knives, drills, axes, awls,
hoes
and grinding implements.
. Prehistoric people in Texas used plant fibers to make baskets, mats,
sandals and other useful objects. Well-preserved woven sandals have been
found by
archeologists in the dry rock shelters of southwestern Texas.
. Some of the most impressive prehistoric rock art in North America is found
in Texas - visitors can see excellent examples at Hueco Tanks and Seminole
Canyon State Historic Sites.
. Not all Native Americans lived in tipis. Many villagers lived in thatched
or adobe houses, and many nomadic groups lived in brush- or hide-covered
shelters
or rock shelters.
. Corn has been cultivated in Texas for at least 2,000 years. Beans and
squash were other staple foods of the early Texas agriculturalists.
. The accounts of early explorers help archeologists understand many sites.
Much that we know about the historic tribes of southern Texas comes from the
accounts of Cabeza de Vaca, who was shipwrecked on the Texas coast and
traveled through southern Texas and northern Mexico for eight years, from
1528 until
1536.
. The first black explorer in Texas was Esteban, a Moor who traveled with
Cabeza de Vaca.
monkey pictograph
. The Tigua tribe came to the El Paso area from New Mexico in the 1680s, and
some of their fields have been in continuous cultivation since that time.
. The Alamo is a Spanish mission and was the first mission established in
San Antonio, in 1718.
. The first ranches in Texas were the 18th-century Spanish mission ranches
along the San Antonio River, where mission Indians tended the livestock.
. As many as 90 percent of the recorded archeological sites in some areas of
Texas have been damaged or destroyed.
Early Inhabitants of Texas
About 10,000 B.C., the first Indians arrived in Texas. These ancient peoples
are called Paleo-Indians. They hunted mammoths and giant bison and other
animals
that later became extinct.
After 6,000 B.C., Indian lifeways changed, and archeologists call the time
in Texas from then to about A.D. 500 the Archaic Period. During this period
Indians
painted beautiful murals depicting human scenes and religious ceremonies on
cave walls in dry areas of West Texas.
The years from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1500 are called the Late Prehistoric Period.
Agricultural Indians domesticated some of our principal crops, including
cotton,
corn, beans, squash, tomatoes and potatoes. Burial and temple mounds of
these early farmers can be found in the piney woods of East Texas.
Saturday, May 20
Web-Braille is Back
Greetings. It was only a matter of time this would happen. Web-Braille is back!
Certain people and blogs have speculated on the demise of this service for the time it was down, and some have even put together a petition to bring Web-Braille back. Personally, I think that if this service was as popular as it was, and if enough people emailed the people at NLS expressing their concern that Web-Braille was down, it was only a matter of time before it was fully restored. Evidently, this happened, at least in part. We'll probably know the full story, or more of it, later in the summer when the conventions happen and the NLS people give their annual reports. Though I'm glad the service has returned, I still think that the Web-Braille saga in the last week or two will be a big topic/concern and likely be one of the first issues asked about after the NLS presentations at the conventions.
However, as the Google petition, to make their visual verification code accessible to the blind, got so much coverage and nearly 4800 people signed it, some people have started to think that petitions can solve a problem. Granted, this is just speculation on my part, but I think its valid. Anyway, I never looked at the Web-Braille petition numbers myself, nor did I sign it. Not because I don't support the service, far from it. As I said before, I didn't sign because I had a feeling that the service would be back if enough people emailed NLS, which apparently happened. Petitions, and law suits, have their places. I'm not so sure that Web-Braille deserved one, but that's just my opinion.
Anyway, you can read the text of the return of Web-Braille on the Blind Access Journal among others.
I have enjoyed reading Jonathan Mosen's thoughts on the whole situation, and his reflections and own experiences related to getting material in a specialized format, since he's in the United States from another country. Read his thoughts on the Mosen Explosion Blog. He's currently in a stage where he's putting up lots of news stories and links of different kinds, so you might need to search a little for his comments. One entry that comes to mind immediately is at around 3:30 PM on 5/19/06.
NLS has put some extra security measures in the Web-Braille system, but then again, we knew they would. Speaking realistically here and not with any sort of affiliation with anything implied, its getting harder and harder to exchange free stuff online without any sort of security or copyright concerns. Not that I'm complaining, but just stating fact.
So, go and get that Braille file book that you've wanted to get but couldn't!
Certain people and blogs have speculated on the demise of this service for the time it was down, and some have even put together a petition to bring Web-Braille back. Personally, I think that if this service was as popular as it was, and if enough people emailed the people at NLS expressing their concern that Web-Braille was down, it was only a matter of time before it was fully restored. Evidently, this happened, at least in part. We'll probably know the full story, or more of it, later in the summer when the conventions happen and the NLS people give their annual reports. Though I'm glad the service has returned, I still think that the Web-Braille saga in the last week or two will be a big topic/concern and likely be one of the first issues asked about after the NLS presentations at the conventions.
However, as the Google petition, to make their visual verification code accessible to the blind, got so much coverage and nearly 4800 people signed it, some people have started to think that petitions can solve a problem. Granted, this is just speculation on my part, but I think its valid. Anyway, I never looked at the Web-Braille petition numbers myself, nor did I sign it. Not because I don't support the service, far from it. As I said before, I didn't sign because I had a feeling that the service would be back if enough people emailed NLS, which apparently happened. Petitions, and law suits, have their places. I'm not so sure that Web-Braille deserved one, but that's just my opinion.
Anyway, you can read the text of the return of Web-Braille on the Blind Access Journal among others.
I have enjoyed reading Jonathan Mosen's thoughts on the whole situation, and his reflections and own experiences related to getting material in a specialized format, since he's in the United States from another country. Read his thoughts on the Mosen Explosion Blog. He's currently in a stage where he's putting up lots of news stories and links of different kinds, so you might need to search a little for his comments. One entry that comes to mind immediately is at around 3:30 PM on 5/19/06.
NLS has put some extra security measures in the Web-Braille system, but then again, we knew they would. Speaking realistically here and not with any sort of affiliation with anything implied, its getting harder and harder to exchange free stuff online without any sort of security or copyright concerns. Not that I'm complaining, but just stating fact.
So, go and get that Braille file book that you've wanted to get but couldn't!
Wednesday, May 17
Google SMS
Greetings. Well, now that I have a cell phone that I can access, I can do what I've always wanted to do, or at least have wanted to do for the past few years: send and receive text messages. So, I successfully signed up for a Google account earlier today. While I was poking around on the many parts of the Google empire, I came across its Google SMS service, where you can send text messages and search the web and get information with Google in the driver's seat. I thought I'd try it out and messaged "Dallas Mavericks" to 46645 (or Googl). Within a few seconds, I got a reply back in my phone's Inbox. When I opened it, there was the last game's score, where the game was played, and even stars around Dallas, I suppose to indicate the city of the team I searched for. Below all that, in a separate paragraph, was a listing of the next game at 9:30 Central time tonight.
For once in my life, I doubted Google, remembering that I saw the Mavs Spurs game on at 7 in a TV listing. When I turned on TNT though, sure enough, the announcers were talking about the game between Cleveland and Detroit. So Google was right, as always, :)
I've been looking for a way to get the scores for my favorite teams, since I'm now in Austin and not in my long time home town of Dallas, and all of the Dallas teams I'm interested in, or other teams, may not be reported on the local media; I can now get their scores. I can also get the weather for any city, stock quotes, news briefs, and much more.
If you're interested in the many services available to you with a text messaging or web enabled cell phone, then check out the list of services on Google Mobile. This will really help during football season for checking on those NFL or college teams I like. I'm still looking for a service that will automatically message me with the current scores, etc. So if anyone knows of such a thing, then let me know. That would eliminate the need to send a message out for the information. Regardless though, this Google SMS thing is a truly handy thing to have around!
For once in my life, I doubted Google, remembering that I saw the Mavs Spurs game on at 7 in a TV listing. When I turned on TNT though, sure enough, the announcers were talking about the game between Cleveland and Detroit. So Google was right, as always, :)
I've been looking for a way to get the scores for my favorite teams, since I'm now in Austin and not in my long time home town of Dallas, and all of the Dallas teams I'm interested in, or other teams, may not be reported on the local media; I can now get their scores. I can also get the weather for any city, stock quotes, news briefs, and much more.
If you're interested in the many services available to you with a text messaging or web enabled cell phone, then check out the list of services on Google Mobile. This will really help during football season for checking on those NFL or college teams I like. I'm still looking for a service that will automatically message me with the current scores, etc. So if anyone knows of such a thing, then let me know. That would eliminate the need to send a message out for the information. Regardless though, this Google SMS thing is a truly handy thing to have around!
Saturday, May 13
A Unique T-Shirt
Greetings. When listening to the best sports station in the world, in my humble opinion, Sports Radio 1310, The Ticket, from Dallas, the other day I heard an ad for their item of the month. Each month, they feature a different item, some that you would want to have and some you might not. Anyway, May's item is a Ticket T-shirt done in Braille. The Braille T-shirt is not new, but given that I never thought I'd have one from The Ticket is notable. Supposedly, the shirt says, "Sports radio 1310 The Ticket," in Braille. I'm not sure of this since, I'm wondering if a bunch of people at a guy talk/sports station can make proper braille. I've also heard, in the same ad, that there was raised print, which wouldn't qualify as braille exactly. Regardless, I took the plunge and should get my shirt any day now.
Incidentally, if you're interested in getting one of these shirts, while they last, you can order one from this secure web page.
I suppose this could fit in the series of posts on Dallas. So order your shirt, and show it off at convention with pride. If you're interested in exactly what goes on at The ticket, then click here to listen to The Ticket online. Enjoy.
Incidentally, if you're interested in getting one of these shirts, while they last, you can order one from this secure web page.
I suppose this could fit in the series of posts on Dallas. So order your shirt, and show it off at convention with pride. If you're interested in exactly what goes on at The ticket, then click here to listen to The Ticket online. Enjoy.
ATIA 2006 Archives Available
Did you miss the ATIA Conference in Orlando?
If you made it, did you miss some presentations due to scheduling conflicts?
Now you can access much of the valuable information shared at the ATIA
Conference through www.atiaonline.org
Event Title.........................ATIA 2006 Online Conference
Where.............................Online at www.atiaonline.org
- it's all online!
When?............................ Now! Your virtual booth will be live
through November 30, 2006.
The Cost? ........................Free access to over 50 presentations;
$49.00 for access to all archives
Over 100 hours of audio and video recordings were captured at the ATIA
(Assistive Technology Industry Association) conference held in Orlando this
past
January. ATIA partnered with OcuSource to create the www.atiaonline.org
website. The website, powered by OcuSource's subsidiary service LetsGoExpo online conferencing, brings recordings generated at the live conference to end
users unable to attend the live event held in Orlando. The site has audio
recordings, samplings of streamed video, documents and more.
List of archived presentations:
* A "Continuum of Learning" for Children Using AAC Systems
* AAC Intervention with Children and Adolescents: Getting Results!
* AAC Interventions for Communication Partners: Cross Cultural Applications
* Accessible E-Learning Demonstrations Using IMS Accessibility
Specifications
* Accessible Information Technology in Education: An Awareness Video
* Accessible Multimedia in E-books
* AGE Appropriate Services for Adolescent and Adult Communicators with
Severe- Profound Disabilities
* AT and UDL: Teaming Up to Meet the Needs of All Learners
* AT Consideration in the IEP: To Be or Not to Be
* AT Outcome Data Collection Tools--Platform Independent and Web-Based
* Avoiding the Pitfalls, Brick Walls, and Trees of Assistive Technology
* Blogging the Accessible Way
* Building Effective Campus-Based Teams with the ATSTAR Curriculum
* Building Interactive Classrooms Through Environmental Engineering and AAC
* Closing the Circuit: Building Accessible Modules from the Ground Up
* Developing a Universally Designed Curriculum: One Unit at a Time
* DISTANCE LEARNING: POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
* Expanding the Benefits of Cooperative Buying: Sharing What We've Learned
* Finding Their Bliss: Discovering Ways to Increase Active Participation
* Getting Started with School-based Data Collection on AT Strategies and
Tools
* Guidelines for Submitting Manuscripts to Assistive Technology Outcomes and
Benefits
* Implementing AAC in Acute Care Settings Beginning in Intensive Care
* Increasing Mean Length of Utterances on AAC: An Action Research Project
* Inside the Trainer's Studio
* Instructional Strategies for Using Video Magnifiers
* Integrating AAC Into Leisure and Learning
* Interpretype for Deaf and Deaf-Blind Communication
* Let's Play! Selecting Toys with Universal Design Features
* Low Tech Adaptations Across the Curriculum
* Mastering Microsoft Word
* Moving Students Forward
* Note Taking Strategies Using Technology for Students Who Are Visually
Impaired
* Organizing my Space
* Partner-Assisted Communication Strategies for Children Who Face Multiple
Challenges
* QIATConversations: 2006 Update
* Sorting through Symbol to Text Systems
* STFLS Meets Core Vocabulary for AAC Users: Supporting Language and
Literacy Through Start-to-Finish
* Supported Readings: Understanding Symbol Supports
* Switching to Talk - Not Just Talking Switches
* Tactual Literacy for Students with Severe Cognitive Challenges
* Teacher Use of Kidspiration with Elementary Students: Impact of Teacher
Training
* Technology in the Preschool Setting: The Impact of CollaborativeTraining
* The Assistive Technology Wheel for Young Children
* The C.O.A.S.T.: A Framework to Facilitate Assistive Technology and
Inclusion
* The Economics of Developing Assistive Technology: A Hypothetical Case
Study
* The True Power of Teaching with Technology
* The User Experience: Accessibility and Usability in the Online Environment
* Thinking Beyond AT in the Classroom Phase 2 of ILT Project
* Using Assistive Technology to Increase Undergraduate Student Engagement
* Using Technology to Enhance Literacy and Language Skills
* Using Written Assistive Technology Implementation Plans
* Video in the Classroom on a Shoestring Budget
* Visual Considerations for Individuals with Complex Communication Needs
Music Events Between July 1-7
Greetings. Here's another in the series on the Dallas area, this time on
music events that will be happening during the NFB convention. Enjoy.
Music Events Between July 1 and July 7:
07/01
Salsa Lessons
214-654-9595,
Escapade 2009 -
07/01
Kerry Daniel & Nitebeat
214-826-8104,
Balcony Club -
07/01
Reggae Vibes
214-742-4743,
Palm Beach Club -
07/01
80's Retro Music
214-939-0077,
Club Clearview -
07/02
Cool Down Sundays
214-742-4743,
Palm Beach Club -
07/03
Arthur Riddles
214-826-8104,
Balcony Club -
07/03
Daniel Pitzer
214-826-8104,
Balcony Club -
07/04
Southern Strums: Texas Edition
877-887-5902
Hilton Anatole, Room To Bbe Announced (location will be in convention
agenda)
07/05
B&B Chorus
214-821-3340,
Betwixt & Between -
07/06
Electric Campfire Acoustic...
214-747-4422,
Sons of Hermann Hall -
07/07
Merengue, Bachata, Salsa a...
214-654-9595,
Escapade 2009 -
Most popular bars in Dallas, according to AOL City Guide:
1. 8.0 Restaurant & Bar
2. Purgatory
3. Cowboys Red River
4. Monica's Aca y Alla
5. Venice Beach Teen Club
6. Gypsy Tea Room
7. Blue
8. The Capital Grille
9. Lizard Lounge
10. NOKIA Theatre Grand Prairie
11. Abacus
12. Cuba Libre Cafe
13. Fox and Hound English Pub & Grille
14. Velvet Hookah
15. Billy Bob's Texas
Friday, May 12
Email Posting
Greetings. When I first heard of posting via email, I never thought I'd get
into it as much as I am. I tried to set it up for my trip to Guatemala last
summer, but had some troubles. Now though, I'm able to post flawlessly,
aside from getting used to putting links in a different way in my messages.
Plus, there's the bonus of an automatic spell check from Outlook Express or
Outlook, instead of hoping a word is spelled correctly. I may even be able
to post like this at the national convention in a few weeks, but we'll have
to see. That would be cool though: to pound out a message and send it from
the hotel's Wi-Fi connection, while sitting and drinking my morning brew.
Anyway, posting like this beats trudging through forms mode and dealing with
the occasional, but sometimes frequent, stops and starts of JAWS. Give me
email posting any day!
Until later.
Getting Around the Metroplex
Greetings. For those going to the National federation of the Blind's
upcoming national convention in Dallas, or anyone else interested in the DFW
transportation scene, here's the scoop. This message originally appeared on
the NABS-L email list, a list for the NFB's student division. I'll post
other related messages about the Dallas area and the convention, as I get
them. For more information on the upcoming convention, refer to the NFB website (www.nfb.org/convent/conven06.htm). Enjoy.
Method 1: DART Light Rail
DART - Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Our extensive network of DART Rail,
Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and bus services moves more than 200,000
passengers per day across our 700-square-mile service area. We serve DFW
International
Airport and Fort Worth via the TRE. The DART Rail System provides fast,
convenient service to work, shopping and entertainment destinations in
Dallas, Garland, Plano and Richardson. Plus, our TRE commuter line links
DART customers to DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth(only an
hour away by TRE). Free parking is available at most rail stations, and all
are served by DART bus routes specially timed to make transfers between
buses and trains quick and easy. Whether you're headed to a concert, a
Dallas Mavericks or a Dallas Stars showdown, ride the TRE to all Monday
through Saturday events at American Airlines Center. Or ride DART Rail to
West End Station and catch the free special events shuttle bus. The TRE gets
you to and from DFW International Airport for a fraction of the cost of taxi
fare or long-term parking. Just take it to CentrePort/DFW
Airport Station and transfer to the DFW Airport bus serving airline
terminals.
Airport buses meet all trains, departing every 15 minutes Monday through
Saturday. There is no Sunday service. Airport bus service between the rail
station and the airport terminals is free.
DART operates local and express bus routes serving Addison, Carrollton,
Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland
Park, Irving,
Richardson, Rowlett, Plano and University Park.
To get going, call DART Customer Information at 214.979.1111. DART Day
Passes are your best transportation value. $2.50 for Local bus and rail,
which includes local bus, DART Rail and TRE service in Dallas County. $4.50
for Premium bus and rail, which includes express bus service and TRE service
to DFW Airport and Fort Worth. DART offers two basic, one-way fares: $1.25
for Local bus and rail service, $2.25 for Premium service, which includes
express bus service between downtown Dallas and free park & ride facilities
in Addison, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Glenn Heights, Irving, Plano and
Rowlett.
TRE fares are in two zones: $1.25 one-way to all stops between downtown
Dallas and West Irving Station.
$2.25 between stations in Dallas County and Tarrant County.
Passes are sold in Ticket Vending Machines located at each rail station. Day
Passes can be purchased in advance by visiting the DART Store online (http://www.DARTStore.org).
Method 2: McKinney Ave Trolley
Visitors can ride McKinney Avenue's nostalgic trolley between Dallas' Arts
District and the McKinney Avenue Uptown neighborhood, enjoying the route's
eclectic
offering of antique shops, restaurants and clubs. The restored, historic,
vintage streetcars are also available for private events. Runs 7 days a week
10:00 am - 10:00 pm.
214-855-0006
Method 3: The M-Line
The historic M-Line Streetcar is FREE!
The M-Line Streetcar offers you a ride down McKinney Avenue, within walking
distance of the Dallas Museum of Art.
Whether you're eating lunch, shopping, browsing art or making a bus or rail
connection, the M-Line takes you there!
M-Line service operates 7 days a week every 15 minutes during peak and lunch
hours, every half hour off-peak hours and weekends between 7 a.m. and 10
p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays, and 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Sundays.
Method 4: Footmobile?
Response from Judy Dixon on Web-Braille
Here is the current NLS reply coming from Judy Dixon (Consumer Relations
Officer) in response to patron inquiries:
"Web-Braille has been removed from public access temporarily. We apologize
for the inconvenience that the removal of Web-Braille has caused. At this
time, it is not known how long Web-Braille will be unavailable but we have
every hope that the curtailment of the service will be short-lived. We are
making every effort to resume this service as soon as possible.
In the interim, all NLS-produced books and magazines are available in
hardcopy Braille from your Braille-lending library. If the status of
Web-Braille changes, information will be posted on the main Web-Braille
page."
More on Web-Braille
Greetings. Since the shutting down of Web-Braille, there have been several different rumors of why it has stopped. Some say that since there is no "digital rights management," like in Windows Media Player when trying to play certain kinds of copyrighted music from some sites, the books should not be viewed by people. Further, there is speculation that some of these Web-Braille books have been sent to other parts of the Internet, which I agree, violates policies of the program. I don't think it should be shut down just because of this though. There have been attempts to control this by other groups, like Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, such as coding digital playback equipment to only work with RFB&D books. While it saddens me that we have to take such measures to protect materials, I'd rather have these measures in place instead of simply pulling the plug on a successful project as Web-Braille.
The other big rumor that I've seen/heard is that the director of the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Frank Kurt Cylke, thinks that only a few people will care about the shutting down of Web-Braille. I've seen this thought on a respectable blog, so please don't accuse me of undue speculation. At any rate, to show him otherwise, you can email him at fcyl@loc.gov, and tell him how much Web-Braille means, or has meant, to you. If he hears from many different people, then perhaps the program will be reinstated. There is talk of a petition from The Desert Skies Podcast (www.jeffbishop.net) to show how many people care about Web-Braille. Read more on the 5/11/06 entry.
As I said yesterday, if this decision is not reversed by the time of the summer conventions, then I pity the person, or persons, that have to go and give their annual reports to a room full of upset blind people.
Respectfully submitted.
Thursday, May 11
A Disturbing Development
Greetings. The following information is being circulated around the Internet, and I thought I'd do my part. Web Braille is no more. Read on for more. I know people that have used, and love, this service. I even considered using it a few times, though I never signed up. In a larger sense though, there's one less resource for blind people to use on the web for getting books and other information. Hopefully the NFB and ACB will jump on this pretty quick, if not at their summer conventions coming up shortly. You can be sure that serious questions will be asked of the NLS people when they go to the summer conventions of why this was done.
If you haven't heard yet, you will all probably be hearing from your patrons
very soon about the shutdown of Web-Braille. Any patron logging into the
Web-Braille site as of 5-10-06 is receiving the following message:
NLS: That All May Read
Web-braille notice
Because of technical and security difficulties, Web-Braille will be
unavailable in the near future. NLS regrets the inconvenience and will
provide further information as soon as possible.
For more information contact:
Judith Dixon
Consumer Relations Officer
If you haven't heard yet, you will all probably be hearing from your patrons
very soon about the shutdown of Web-Braille. Any patron logging into the
Web-Braille site as of 5-10-06 is receiving the following message:
NLS: That All May Read
Web-braille notice
Because of technical and security difficulties, Web-Braille will be
unavailable in the near future. NLS regrets the inconvenience and will
provide further information as soon as possible.
For more information contact:
Judith Dixon
Consumer Relations Officer
Tuesday, May 2
Rebuilding Begins
Greetings. For those that have not heard, or couldn't access, my latest audio post from last Friday, note the following: last week, my main hard drive decided to fail. When I took my computer to work, I learned this from one of my coworkers. I was able to go to a nearby computer store and get a new drive, 160 GB in size, and have it put in by said coworker. Yesterday, he was able to put the initial software on my computer, such as computer applications, drivers, JAWS, etc. I brought my computer home yesterday afternoon and have begun the lengthy process of rebuilding. This has happened to me before, in different circumstances and from different causes, about two years ago, so the process is a familiar one to me, though tedious. I say all this to say that: if you don't hear from me immediately, then don't be too concerned. I've got my email setup again, so I'll be able to respond that way again, which is good. After a week of not having access, when I pulled my email down from the ISP's server, I had 1100 messages, half of which were spam. On top of putting the initial stuff back on my system, I'm getting things ready for my parents, who are coming to see me this weekend from Dallas (they're back in the good old USA), so I'll be busy either way this week.
I'll write something more substantial when I have the time, :) Until then, ...
I'll write something more substantial when I have the time, :) Until then, ...
Friday, April 28
Saturday, April 22
New Portable Reading Machine Coming Soon
Greetings. Here's an article that has made it rounds of the email lists in recent days, and I thought I'd post it here. It talks about the upcoming Kurzweil NFB Reader, a portable reading machine you can carry in your pocket. The NFB plans to debut it this summer in Dallas at their annual convention, and hopefully, they'll have a few for people to buy. I've seen a demonstration of this device and it looks very promising and very cool. Enjoy, and as always, please excuse any formatting errors.
Kurzweil-NFB Reader: Device provides words to live by
By Frank D. Roylance
Baltimore Sun, April 14, 2006
Hand-held reader that can convert text into synthesized speech may increase
independence for the visually impaired
Not long ago, James Gashel was on Capitol Hill, waiting for a meeting to
start, when he realized that he needed some numbers from a chart he was
carrying.
That was a problem. Gashel is blind, and so was his companion. And the chart
was not in Braille. Gashel was reaching for his cell phone to call someone
at his office to retrieve the numbers, when his colleague stopped him. "Why
don't you try the reader?" he asked.
Of course.
Gashel, an executive at the National Federation for the Blind in Baltimore,
was carrying the world's first hand-held reading machine for the blind -
just developed by NFB in collaboration with Kurzweil Technologies Inc. of
Wellesley, Mass.
Combining a 5-megapixel digital camera with a personal digital assistant, or
PDA, the 13-ounce Kurzweil-NFB Reader converts digital images of text into
synthesized speech.
Gashel pulled out his reader, snapped a picture of the chart, "and within a
minute I had the numbers I wanted," he said. And he didn't have to bother
anyone else to get them.
Now in final field tests before its release for sale by Kurzweil this
summer, the device was officially unveiled last week at ceremonies at NFB
headquarters in South Baltimore. Thanks to the new reader, Gashel and 75
other blind product testers across the country are sorting through their own
mail, reading restaurant menus, identifying packages in the freezer by the
labels and discovering many other tasks they can now do without assistance.
It's liberating, Gashel said. "You start to think about your capabilities
differently."
In addition to many of the nation's 1.3 million blind people, he also
predicts a demand from older people with failing eyesight, and young people
with dyslexia or learning disabilities.
The NFB's collaboration with Kurzweil began more than 30 years ago, when
founder Ray Kurzweil, a pioneer of character recognition and text-to-speech
devices, came to the federation's offices, then in Washington.
He had developed the first Kurzweil Reading Machine. The size of an office
copier, it could scan a document and read it in a synthetic human voice.
"That was very revolutionary," Gashel said. Until then, blind people were
pretty much limited to live readers, or the limited number of publications
available on tape or records, or transcribed into Braille.
The Kurzweil reader was big and expensive - $50,000 each, Gashel said. It
couldn't read photocopied matter and it had problems with pages crowded with
pictures. But it was clearly a breakthrough. So the NFB bought six, and
began working with Kurzweil to improve them. "This was the first time an
inventor of a product had ever come directly to us," seeking input from the
blind in the development of an "access" machine, Gashel said.
Eventually, Kurzweil began to sell improved versions to schools, libraries
and rehabilitation agencies. But even though prices fell over the years, the
reader remained too costly for individuals.
Just as importantly, "There was always a need for something portable,"
Gashel said. By the mid-1990s, the advent of desktop computers and scanners
enabled Kurzweil to develop a PC-based reader - the Kurzweil 1000.
Character-recognition software was improving, too. And laptops made the
hardware required smaller. But one problem remained: "You would have to have
a scanner - it would be quite a bit of paraphernalia to carry about," Gashel
said.
Digital photography provided the needed breakthrough; that, and the
miniaturization of computer power in the PDA - the hand-held computer that
millions use to organize their lives. The Kurzweil-NFB Reader, which is
expected to cost less than $3,000, marries a small, 5-megapixel Canon camera
to an ASUS A730 PDA. They are wired together and held by a vinyl case about
6 inches by 3 inches by 2 1/2 inches. It's all operated with just nine
buttons, with voice prompts from a small speaker or through earphones.
Holding the device about 16 inches above a sheet of paper lying on a table,
Gashel lines up the shot. He is guided by a sort of audio viewfinder:
"Right, bottom edges are visible ... two degrees counterclockwise relative
to page."
The camera speaks in an oddly Eastern European male voice, but it's one
that's familiar and comfortable for people who use electronic readers.
Gashel pushes a button and the shutter clicks. A few seconds later, the
device is reading the release aloud, flawlessly.
Tests on a business card and an ATM receipt are rougher. The device misses
some lines of type, and mistakes some characters for others. But it does
better on a second try, "learning" as it goes along.
Had it been his own ATM slip, Gashel said, "I would have known what I
withdrew, and I'd know most of the information, even if it didn't hit it
right."
Many times, he said, "you're not going for perfect; you're going for 'What
is this?'"
Jim McCarthy, 39, director of governmental affairs at the federation, has
also been testing one of the readers. A new office arrangement has left him
without a nearby assistant, so something as simple as sorting through papers
on his desk becomes an issue.
"I'm probably 25 feet from the closest person," he said. It's not a big deal
to walk around the corner and ask someone to identify a piece of paper, "but
it seems like a waste of time."
The reader "allows people to sort pertinent documents in a way a lot of us
aren't accustomed to. That is pretty liberating," he said.
Lou Ann Blake, 46, a visually impaired research specialist at the
federation, has also been a test-driver. "I read the cooking directions on a
bag of pasta," she said. "It was plastic and I kinda had to flatten it out.
But it did quite well."
Videotape labels, bills, letters, 401(k) statements - it read them all.
"Some of the pronunciations it doesn't get quite right - legal terms, Latin
terms," she said. But "it's amazingly easy to use. I have a harder time
using the copy machine here sometimes."
But the key advance is the new device's portability, said John Pare, 47,
director of sponsored technical programs at the NFB, who started to lose his
sight at 35. "No matter where you are, you're constantly being handed
printed material," he said. "It's the way the world works. In restaurants,
the airport, hotels, at a conference."
The Kurzweil reader enables the blind to grab an image quickly, anywhere -
even in the dark - and "read" it themselves instead of relying on friends or
strangers to read the documents aloud.
"It's been very gratifying," Kurzweil said. "When we started this project
about four years ago, we weren't ... entirely sure to what extent we could
compensate for distortion in the images that would occur using a hand-held
camera."
Where a scanner provides a flat, uniform image and perfect lighting, the
hand-held digital camera would tilt and rotate relative to the page - then
the user would move and the lighting would be uneven. Worse, the pages of an
open book are curved, with portions at different distances from the camera.
"So we developed image enhancing software that takes this image and modifies
it to get rid of all those distortions," Kurzweil said. "And we had to fit
all this software [along with the character recognition program] into this
little computer."
But it worked. "We have 75 in the field, and hundreds very soon," he said.
"And the feedback from blind users is that it's having tremendous success."
If it does well, the federation could eventually profit. Gashel said the NFB
owns 40 percent of the rights to the technology. In the meantime, the
software will continue to be improved so that the device can read more
varied and complex material.
Kurzweil also predicts a time when a blind person will be able to enter a
room, snap a picture, and have the reader identify the types and locations
of lamps, tables, people and other items in the room.
Also, devices "will continue to get smaller over time," he said. Gashel
expects the gadget will be crammed into a cell phone some day. But Kurzweil
is thinking even smaller. "In five to seven years, the camera will pin on
your lapel and take pictures as you walk around," describing the scene as
you go, he said.
NFB chef and teacher Marie A. Cobb, 59, of Catonsville, who is visually
impaired, has been using the reader since January. She has her own hopes.
"What I'm looking for is the day when I can take it into a mall and have it
tell me the name of the stores, and the locations on those big directories.
I would love that," she said.
Kurzweil-NFB Reader: Device provides words to live by
By Frank D. Roylance
Baltimore Sun, April 14, 2006
Hand-held reader that can convert text into synthesized speech may increase
independence for the visually impaired
Not long ago, James Gashel was on Capitol Hill, waiting for a meeting to
start, when he realized that he needed some numbers from a chart he was
carrying.
That was a problem. Gashel is blind, and so was his companion. And the chart
was not in Braille. Gashel was reaching for his cell phone to call someone
at his office to retrieve the numbers, when his colleague stopped him. "Why
don't you try the reader?" he asked.
Of course.
Gashel, an executive at the National Federation for the Blind in Baltimore,
was carrying the world's first hand-held reading machine for the blind -
just developed by NFB in collaboration with Kurzweil Technologies Inc. of
Wellesley, Mass.
Combining a 5-megapixel digital camera with a personal digital assistant, or
PDA, the 13-ounce Kurzweil-NFB Reader converts digital images of text into
synthesized speech.
Gashel pulled out his reader, snapped a picture of the chart, "and within a
minute I had the numbers I wanted," he said. And he didn't have to bother
anyone else to get them.
Now in final field tests before its release for sale by Kurzweil this
summer, the device was officially unveiled last week at ceremonies at NFB
headquarters in South Baltimore. Thanks to the new reader, Gashel and 75
other blind product testers across the country are sorting through their own
mail, reading restaurant menus, identifying packages in the freezer by the
labels and discovering many other tasks they can now do without assistance.
It's liberating, Gashel said. "You start to think about your capabilities
differently."
In addition to many of the nation's 1.3 million blind people, he also
predicts a demand from older people with failing eyesight, and young people
with dyslexia or learning disabilities.
The NFB's collaboration with Kurzweil began more than 30 years ago, when
founder Ray Kurzweil, a pioneer of character recognition and text-to-speech
devices, came to the federation's offices, then in Washington.
He had developed the first Kurzweil Reading Machine. The size of an office
copier, it could scan a document and read it in a synthetic human voice.
"That was very revolutionary," Gashel said. Until then, blind people were
pretty much limited to live readers, or the limited number of publications
available on tape or records, or transcribed into Braille.
The Kurzweil reader was big and expensive - $50,000 each, Gashel said. It
couldn't read photocopied matter and it had problems with pages crowded with
pictures. But it was clearly a breakthrough. So the NFB bought six, and
began working with Kurzweil to improve them. "This was the first time an
inventor of a product had ever come directly to us," seeking input from the
blind in the development of an "access" machine, Gashel said.
Eventually, Kurzweil began to sell improved versions to schools, libraries
and rehabilitation agencies. But even though prices fell over the years, the
reader remained too costly for individuals.
Just as importantly, "There was always a need for something portable,"
Gashel said. By the mid-1990s, the advent of desktop computers and scanners
enabled Kurzweil to develop a PC-based reader - the Kurzweil 1000.
Character-recognition software was improving, too. And laptops made the
hardware required smaller. But one problem remained: "You would have to have
a scanner - it would be quite a bit of paraphernalia to carry about," Gashel
said.
Digital photography provided the needed breakthrough; that, and the
miniaturization of computer power in the PDA - the hand-held computer that
millions use to organize their lives. The Kurzweil-NFB Reader, which is
expected to cost less than $3,000, marries a small, 5-megapixel Canon camera
to an ASUS A730 PDA. They are wired together and held by a vinyl case about
6 inches by 3 inches by 2 1/2 inches. It's all operated with just nine
buttons, with voice prompts from a small speaker or through earphones.
Holding the device about 16 inches above a sheet of paper lying on a table,
Gashel lines up the shot. He is guided by a sort of audio viewfinder:
"Right, bottom edges are visible ... two degrees counterclockwise relative
to page."
The camera speaks in an oddly Eastern European male voice, but it's one
that's familiar and comfortable for people who use electronic readers.
Gashel pushes a button and the shutter clicks. A few seconds later, the
device is reading the release aloud, flawlessly.
Tests on a business card and an ATM receipt are rougher. The device misses
some lines of type, and mistakes some characters for others. But it does
better on a second try, "learning" as it goes along.
Had it been his own ATM slip, Gashel said, "I would have known what I
withdrew, and I'd know most of the information, even if it didn't hit it
right."
Many times, he said, "you're not going for perfect; you're going for 'What
is this?'"
Jim McCarthy, 39, director of governmental affairs at the federation, has
also been testing one of the readers. A new office arrangement has left him
without a nearby assistant, so something as simple as sorting through papers
on his desk becomes an issue.
"I'm probably 25 feet from the closest person," he said. It's not a big deal
to walk around the corner and ask someone to identify a piece of paper, "but
it seems like a waste of time."
The reader "allows people to sort pertinent documents in a way a lot of us
aren't accustomed to. That is pretty liberating," he said.
Lou Ann Blake, 46, a visually impaired research specialist at the
federation, has also been a test-driver. "I read the cooking directions on a
bag of pasta," she said. "It was plastic and I kinda had to flatten it out.
But it did quite well."
Videotape labels, bills, letters, 401(k) statements - it read them all.
"Some of the pronunciations it doesn't get quite right - legal terms, Latin
terms," she said. But "it's amazingly easy to use. I have a harder time
using the copy machine here sometimes."
But the key advance is the new device's portability, said John Pare, 47,
director of sponsored technical programs at the NFB, who started to lose his
sight at 35. "No matter where you are, you're constantly being handed
printed material," he said. "It's the way the world works. In restaurants,
the airport, hotels, at a conference."
The Kurzweil reader enables the blind to grab an image quickly, anywhere -
even in the dark - and "read" it themselves instead of relying on friends or
strangers to read the documents aloud.
"It's been very gratifying," Kurzweil said. "When we started this project
about four years ago, we weren't ... entirely sure to what extent we could
compensate for distortion in the images that would occur using a hand-held
camera."
Where a scanner provides a flat, uniform image and perfect lighting, the
hand-held digital camera would tilt and rotate relative to the page - then
the user would move and the lighting would be uneven. Worse, the pages of an
open book are curved, with portions at different distances from the camera.
"So we developed image enhancing software that takes this image and modifies
it to get rid of all those distortions," Kurzweil said. "And we had to fit
all this software [along with the character recognition program] into this
little computer."
But it worked. "We have 75 in the field, and hundreds very soon," he said.
"And the feedback from blind users is that it's having tremendous success."
If it does well, the federation could eventually profit. Gashel said the NFB
owns 40 percent of the rights to the technology. In the meantime, the
software will continue to be improved so that the device can read more
varied and complex material.
Kurzweil also predicts a time when a blind person will be able to enter a
room, snap a picture, and have the reader identify the types and locations
of lamps, tables, people and other items in the room.
Also, devices "will continue to get smaller over time," he said. Gashel
expects the gadget will be crammed into a cell phone some day. But Kurzweil
is thinking even smaller. "In five to seven years, the camera will pin on
your lapel and take pictures as you walk around," describing the scene as
you go, he said.
NFB chef and teacher Marie A. Cobb, 59, of Catonsville, who is visually
impaired, has been using the reader since January. She has her own hopes.
"What I'm looking for is the day when I can take it into a mall and have it
tell me the name of the stores, and the locations on those big directories.
I would love that," she said.
Saturday Cleaning
Greetings. Saturday has typically been the day that we (or most people anyway) clean our houses or places of living. So, here's a "clean up" of things that have happened from the past week, or thoughts I've missed in recent weeks.
Frequent shopper's cards. Many stores these days have the frequent shopper's cards, where they say it saves you money on things you buy every day. At some stores, you really do save money on things you buy often, however others you don't. I've got about 5 different cards like these on my keychain. Funny thing though, only about 2 or 3 of them are actually for stores in the Austin area. Well, yesterday I went to the neighborhood CVS Pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions. When I finally made it up to the pharmacy area, I had a few other items and was ready to pay for those along with the medications. The clerk asked if I had a CVS card, and I promptly pulled out my keychain, held it out to her with the cards spread out in a fan-fold fashion, and said, "Pick a card." She took the card, scanned it, and gave it back to me. She then gave me the updated total for money I owed her. Strangely, the second total I got was exactly the same, minus a few pennies, as the first total, before she scanned my card. As I was leaving with a friend, we chuckled about how these frequent shopper's cards don't seem to really save you any money anymore.
Overly helpful people. In recounting the story of paying my own taxes, I forgot to mention someone that tried to be helful to me. When I was walking up to the H&R Block place along the strip shopping center, a woman came running over to me. She was so intent on helping me that she tripped over my cane and took a spill on the sidewalk. I worried for a moment that my cane would break, since it got caught between her legs, but I then turned my attention to the woman on the ground. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "Are you all right?"
Her: "Oooh, ah, ooh. Ouch, I'm not sure. My side hurts."
Me again: "Are you ok?"
Her: "No, well, ... I was coming over to help you. Are you ok?"
Me, standing and grinning at her: "Yes, I'm fine. Are you ok?"
Her: "Oooh, I'll be ok, ... I think."
I walked away, waited a few minutes to put distance between us, and then burst out laughing.
Throwing darts. There's a dart board in the cubicle area at work. This has been the subject of stress releaving activity, as well as down right fun. I know that blind people throw darts, I've done it before myself, but never with other blind people. So far, in my experience with this particular dart board, no one has gotten hit by flying darts, but I suppose its possible. The funniest thing is when one or two totally blind guy sstand off to the side, and critique a certain person's dart throwing skills and where the dart landed, just by the sound. One day, I thought my sides would split from laughing so hard. Well, the dart board has taken on new menaing, since while I was in training this past week, it was put to a new use: argument decider. I learned later that a couple of instructors got into an argument about who was going to teach a particular class, and they ultimately threw darts to decide the winner. The person who first hit the board would get the choice of classes. The day after this worthy competition happened, I talked with the winner about it, asking him how many darts he had to throw to hit the board, and he answered, "Two." Another funny incident with the dart board was when another instructor climbed up on top of the table behind the board, peeked over the top, and called out to the person throwing, "I'm over here. I'm above the board; now I'm below the board; now I'm above the board." I never thought that I would come across blind people with darts after I left college. There were a couple of guys down the hall from me in the dorm who had a board and darts. They weren't blind, but that didn't stop us from having hours of fun. In conclusion, I suppose darts can be used for: fun, stress releaving, and deciding arguments. Hmm, if I get good enough, I might put my dart throwing abilities on my resume, ..., or maybe not, :)
The Rapture. For those interested in the Left Behind series, you can listen to an interview with Jerry Jenkins about the upcoming book, "The Rapture." The book will be released on 06/06/06, and is the third in the pre-quel miniseries, about life before the rapture. This book focuses on the time leading up to, and the moment of, the rapture itself. It features many of the characters from the main series of 12 Left Behind books. If you want another sneak peek, you can read the first chapter or read more about the other books in the series at the Left Behind website.
That's about all for now. I'll write in a separate post about my training this past week and some observations and realizations. Until then.
Frequent shopper's cards. Many stores these days have the frequent shopper's cards, where they say it saves you money on things you buy every day. At some stores, you really do save money on things you buy often, however others you don't. I've got about 5 different cards like these on my keychain. Funny thing though, only about 2 or 3 of them are actually for stores in the Austin area. Well, yesterday I went to the neighborhood CVS Pharmacy to pick up my prescriptions. When I finally made it up to the pharmacy area, I had a few other items and was ready to pay for those along with the medications. The clerk asked if I had a CVS card, and I promptly pulled out my keychain, held it out to her with the cards spread out in a fan-fold fashion, and said, "Pick a card." She took the card, scanned it, and gave it back to me. She then gave me the updated total for money I owed her. Strangely, the second total I got was exactly the same, minus a few pennies, as the first total, before she scanned my card. As I was leaving with a friend, we chuckled about how these frequent shopper's cards don't seem to really save you any money anymore.
Overly helpful people. In recounting the story of paying my own taxes, I forgot to mention someone that tried to be helful to me. When I was walking up to the H&R Block place along the strip shopping center, a woman came running over to me. She was so intent on helping me that she tripped over my cane and took a spill on the sidewalk. I worried for a moment that my cane would break, since it got caught between her legs, but I then turned my attention to the woman on the ground. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "Are you all right?"
Her: "Oooh, ah, ooh. Ouch, I'm not sure. My side hurts."
Me again: "Are you ok?"
Her: "No, well, ... I was coming over to help you. Are you ok?"
Me, standing and grinning at her: "Yes, I'm fine. Are you ok?"
Her: "Oooh, I'll be ok, ... I think."
I walked away, waited a few minutes to put distance between us, and then burst out laughing.
Throwing darts. There's a dart board in the cubicle area at work. This has been the subject of stress releaving activity, as well as down right fun. I know that blind people throw darts, I've done it before myself, but never with other blind people. So far, in my experience with this particular dart board, no one has gotten hit by flying darts, but I suppose its possible. The funniest thing is when one or two totally blind guy sstand off to the side, and critique a certain person's dart throwing skills and where the dart landed, just by the sound. One day, I thought my sides would split from laughing so hard. Well, the dart board has taken on new menaing, since while I was in training this past week, it was put to a new use: argument decider. I learned later that a couple of instructors got into an argument about who was going to teach a particular class, and they ultimately threw darts to decide the winner. The person who first hit the board would get the choice of classes. The day after this worthy competition happened, I talked with the winner about it, asking him how many darts he had to throw to hit the board, and he answered, "Two." Another funny incident with the dart board was when another instructor climbed up on top of the table behind the board, peeked over the top, and called out to the person throwing, "I'm over here. I'm above the board; now I'm below the board; now I'm above the board." I never thought that I would come across blind people with darts after I left college. There were a couple of guys down the hall from me in the dorm who had a board and darts. They weren't blind, but that didn't stop us from having hours of fun. In conclusion, I suppose darts can be used for: fun, stress releaving, and deciding arguments. Hmm, if I get good enough, I might put my dart throwing abilities on my resume, ..., or maybe not, :)
The Rapture. For those interested in the Left Behind series, you can listen to an interview with Jerry Jenkins about the upcoming book, "The Rapture." The book will be released on 06/06/06, and is the third in the pre-quel miniseries, about life before the rapture. This book focuses on the time leading up to, and the moment of, the rapture itself. It features many of the characters from the main series of 12 Left Behind books. If you want another sneak peek, you can read the first chapter or read more about the other books in the series at the Left Behind website.
That's about all for now. I'll write in a separate post about my training this past week and some observations and realizations. Until then.
Thursday, April 20
Whipping up food, fun, awareness for the blind
Greetings. Here's an article that appeared in the Austin American Statesman about a cooking competition that took place at the Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center, the state training center I work at, entitled, Whipping up food, fun, awareness for the blind. Though I didn't get to sample the food myself, since my lunch hour was shortened by the week long training, I've heard that the food was very good and the contestants did a great job. In fact, the two students that headed up the competition were featured on a local news program yesterday morning, as well as on the public radio station here in town. I'd say that's a good dayss work if you get coverage on three different media outlets. Granted not all of the media sources covered the story in the same way, but its still a good thing.
Wednesday, April 19
Mid Week Training Update
Greetings. Just a quick note to tell a little about my training this week. First off, the training is here in Austin among the massive complex of state government buildings. For my part, someone who is local and going to the training, verses coming in from out of town and staying in a motel all week, its been weird taking the bus to and from training, just like I do when working normally. It seems like two different worlds, going from putting my stuff in my cubical, checking email and voicemail, and then gathering the materials and going to the training location. Then, at the end of the day, returning to my cubical, leaving my materials, catching up on any missed messages, and then going home like I always do. I haven't thus far had to come in from out of town to training, even before my employment with the state, except on one occasion at a technology workshop last year. That truly felt like I was coming from out of town, since I was (driving with coworkers down from Dallas). This time though, and I suppose most of any further training I get, I'm commuting back and forth. Anyway, the whole thing is interesting. In addition, the fact that I come home to my own apartment and bed, instead of the sometimes good motel living space, is a bonus for me.
On another topic, the training itself is going well. Since it is training with the state, I had the option of requesting my materials in Braille, which I did. After I got the three big Braille volumes though on Monday, I found myself wanting the electronic version instead, since its much more portable than those three volumes. This morning, I did acquire the electronic version of much of the materials, which I loaded onto my Pac Mate note taker. Today, we were told to review some of the various laws affecting the blind and vision impaired. Instead of lugging those big volumes home to read for a few hours, I brought my notes and materials home on my note taker, which was much better. I've since changed my preference of media to electronic for future training classes.
Tomorrow should be interesting, since for the afternoon, we'll be going to a local mall and will navigate around. I say this will be interesting since most of my fellow trainees will be wearing blindfolds and using canes to get around. They had introductory lessons yesterday on cane use. But the first time lessons are different from going through a mall. Its probably mean to say, but this will be one of those times that I think to myself, "Ha ha, now you get to see how the other half lives."
I'm off to bed. I'll write more this weekend about the week's worth of training, or at least the highlights. Until then.
On another topic, the training itself is going well. Since it is training with the state, I had the option of requesting my materials in Braille, which I did. After I got the three big Braille volumes though on Monday, I found myself wanting the electronic version instead, since its much more portable than those three volumes. This morning, I did acquire the electronic version of much of the materials, which I loaded onto my Pac Mate note taker. Today, we were told to review some of the various laws affecting the blind and vision impaired. Instead of lugging those big volumes home to read for a few hours, I brought my notes and materials home on my note taker, which was much better. I've since changed my preference of media to electronic for future training classes.
Tomorrow should be interesting, since for the afternoon, we'll be going to a local mall and will navigate around. I say this will be interesting since most of my fellow trainees will be wearing blindfolds and using canes to get around. They had introductory lessons yesterday on cane use. But the first time lessons are different from going through a mall. Its probably mean to say, but this will be one of those times that I think to myself, "Ha ha, now you get to see how the other half lives."
I'm off to bed. I'll write more this weekend about the week's worth of training, or at least the highlights. Until then.
Saturday, April 15
Long Awaited Entry
Greetings. Well, this has probably been the longest amount of time between the last few entries, especially from April 1 to April 10. I hope to not have that lapse in time happen again, then again, going into this month, I had no idea that I'd only have done 3 entries by this point.
Anyway, a lot has happened in the last two weeks, which I'll attempt to summarize here.
First, a personal notable thing, I did my own taxes! Last year, I had a friend help me file, but this year, that wasn't an option since I'm in a new city and don't know that many people, or not well enough to ask for tax filing help. So, I went down to the H&R Block office near my complex and filed my taxes on my own. I'm not real tax or financially for that matter, oriented. So I was quite happy to just answer questions while the tax person filed them for me. And, as it happened, I walked away with a bigger refund this time around than I got last year, keeping in mind that last year I was still working part time. I'm guessing that the big refunds might disappear when tax time comes around again next year. Then again, you never know I suppose. Anyway, I had a great sense of satisfaction and pride when I left H&R, and the tax professional said to me, "Have a great year. See you next year."
Next, though many people might find this hard to believe, especially considering my lifestyle up until now, I've started exercising with a coworker of mine, where we get on his eliptical trainer on what we hope is a daily basis. We're still working some of the kinks out in this program. However, I am exercising more often than not during a week's time, and I can already tell a bit of a difference, in that my legs and feet don't hurt as quickly when I walk on some of my longer trips. Keeping in mind that since I haven't typically walked long distances; what's long to me might not be long to you. I don't have all of the "exercise" lifestyle figured out yet, but I'm working on it. I'm of the belief that when you start to exercise, you don't just change all of your habbits (including eating) over night and shed the pounds immediately. These things take time, and I'm not just talking about the exercise. So there's something that I never thought I'd write about, :)
After the exercise, we have typically sat around and talked for an hour or more. That has been neat as well, to get to know and exchange ideas and thoughts with a colleague and frowing friend.
I have another "cool feeling" report to offer. I went to downtown Austin today to the NFB chapter meeting. Afterward, I went to lunch with a group of people. After lunch, a student from the training center and I were walking to a nearby bus stop to catch the bus for the ride home. The cool feeling happened while we were walking to the stop. I must say here that I haven't been the best thus far at getting out and exploring Austin. What I know comes largely from where I was sent to and places I walked through while in blindfold training when I started. One of those areas happened to be the area I walked through with the student today. Anyway, she was asking me where we were going, exploring her surroundings with her cane, and telling me that she didn't know a lot about Austin and wasn't as experienced as I was in getting around. I grinned when she said this, since, well, read my last statement. Anyway, that was cool to be showing her the way to go to get back to the bus stop. I also took the opportunity to tell her interesting tidbits, such as the movie theater we passed by on our way down the block. On a previous trip down there, I had passed by that theater. I knew what it was since when I walked, or attempted to walk by, the theater, I found a long line of people waiting to get in, and several people told me what it was. I tried to ask them what they were waiting to see, but they didn't understand, or they were too worried about where I was going, which happens with sighted people, :)
I've been spending the past few hours looking at the various reward levels for my new bank credit card and calculating what I need to do in order to get a certain reward. That has been tedious, but fun, since until now, I haven't had a large enough income to qualify for many of these types of rewards. And, before anyone asks, I'm not going to overspend and get myself in trouble; I'm not that kind of person. Anyway, this is one more thing on the list of benefits of full time work: you can build up and obtain credit card rewards.
Looking ahead slightly, I have another round of Center, or perhaps its organizational, training coming up next week. I'm looking forward to that, since I'm mainly curious what its about. Also since I will be getting a whole volume, or two, of Braille materials. That will be neat, to actually get workshop materials in a medium I can read, instead of adding to my stack of hardly-read print stuff. Looking further ahead, it also looks like, from all indications, I'll be going to the NFB national convention this summer in Dallas. I'm looking forward to that as well, mainly since I didn't think I'd be able to go with my new job. However, since my employer has basically told us, "If you want to go, you can," I've answered with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" Kind of ironic that after several years, the NFB convention finally makes it back to Dallas, but I'm not living there anymore, grin.
Well, that's about all for now. I'll write again when I think of it or when I can, whatever comes first. Until then, ...
Anyway, a lot has happened in the last two weeks, which I'll attempt to summarize here.
First, a personal notable thing, I did my own taxes! Last year, I had a friend help me file, but this year, that wasn't an option since I'm in a new city and don't know that many people, or not well enough to ask for tax filing help. So, I went down to the H&R Block office near my complex and filed my taxes on my own. I'm not real tax or financially for that matter, oriented. So I was quite happy to just answer questions while the tax person filed them for me. And, as it happened, I walked away with a bigger refund this time around than I got last year, keeping in mind that last year I was still working part time. I'm guessing that the big refunds might disappear when tax time comes around again next year. Then again, you never know I suppose. Anyway, I had a great sense of satisfaction and pride when I left H&R, and the tax professional said to me, "Have a great year. See you next year."
Next, though many people might find this hard to believe, especially considering my lifestyle up until now, I've started exercising with a coworker of mine, where we get on his eliptical trainer on what we hope is a daily basis. We're still working some of the kinks out in this program. However, I am exercising more often than not during a week's time, and I can already tell a bit of a difference, in that my legs and feet don't hurt as quickly when I walk on some of my longer trips. Keeping in mind that since I haven't typically walked long distances; what's long to me might not be long to you. I don't have all of the "exercise" lifestyle figured out yet, but I'm working on it. I'm of the belief that when you start to exercise, you don't just change all of your habbits (including eating) over night and shed the pounds immediately. These things take time, and I'm not just talking about the exercise. So there's something that I never thought I'd write about, :)
After the exercise, we have typically sat around and talked for an hour or more. That has been neat as well, to get to know and exchange ideas and thoughts with a colleague and frowing friend.
I have another "cool feeling" report to offer. I went to downtown Austin today to the NFB chapter meeting. Afterward, I went to lunch with a group of people. After lunch, a student from the training center and I were walking to a nearby bus stop to catch the bus for the ride home. The cool feeling happened while we were walking to the stop. I must say here that I haven't been the best thus far at getting out and exploring Austin. What I know comes largely from where I was sent to and places I walked through while in blindfold training when I started. One of those areas happened to be the area I walked through with the student today. Anyway, she was asking me where we were going, exploring her surroundings with her cane, and telling me that she didn't know a lot about Austin and wasn't as experienced as I was in getting around. I grinned when she said this, since, well, read my last statement. Anyway, that was cool to be showing her the way to go to get back to the bus stop. I also took the opportunity to tell her interesting tidbits, such as the movie theater we passed by on our way down the block. On a previous trip down there, I had passed by that theater. I knew what it was since when I walked, or attempted to walk by, the theater, I found a long line of people waiting to get in, and several people told me what it was. I tried to ask them what they were waiting to see, but they didn't understand, or they were too worried about where I was going, which happens with sighted people, :)
I've been spending the past few hours looking at the various reward levels for my new bank credit card and calculating what I need to do in order to get a certain reward. That has been tedious, but fun, since until now, I haven't had a large enough income to qualify for many of these types of rewards. And, before anyone asks, I'm not going to overspend and get myself in trouble; I'm not that kind of person. Anyway, this is one more thing on the list of benefits of full time work: you can build up and obtain credit card rewards.
Looking ahead slightly, I have another round of Center, or perhaps its organizational, training coming up next week. I'm looking forward to that, since I'm mainly curious what its about. Also since I will be getting a whole volume, or two, of Braille materials. That will be neat, to actually get workshop materials in a medium I can read, instead of adding to my stack of hardly-read print stuff. Looking further ahead, it also looks like, from all indications, I'll be going to the NFB national convention this summer in Dallas. I'm looking forward to that as well, mainly since I didn't think I'd be able to go with my new job. However, since my employer has basically told us, "If you want to go, you can," I've answered with an enthusiastic, "Yes!" Kind of ironic that after several years, the NFB convention finally makes it back to Dallas, but I'm not living there anymore, grin.
Well, that's about all for now. I'll write again when I think of it or when I can, whatever comes first. Until then, ...
Tuesday, April 11
Want a Google Account?
Greetings. Though Google says that a workable solution to the visual/word verification problem they have won't be out until ate April, now you have the option of Signing up for a Google account on this secure web page. Note that there is now an option to listen to the characters in the verification graphic. Also note that this solution may not be completely full proof yet, since they're not officially supposed to have it ready until the end of the month. Case in point, I tried to play the audio clip and had problems. However, I know of another blind person that was able to successfully create their Google account. The good news is that Google is definitely working on a solution to their long standing issue. My only complaint is: why didn't they do it sooner? Then again, that's in the past. Hopefully, Google will now be a leader, instead of a follower, in accessibility issues.
Saturday, April 1
Article on NFB Newsline and Book Share
Greetings. The following article arrived in my Inbox a few days ago and I thought I'd share it here. For those interested, in the coming weeks and months, the Associated Press, the Austin American Statesman, and the Dallas Morning News will all be added to the Newsline collection of newspapers and also made available through Book Share. The Associated Press materials will be organized by state, and unlike the daily papers, it will be updated hourly! Read more to find out about this exciting service. Now you don't have any excuse for not reading a newspaper, since you can get it over the phone or online. I'm personally looking forward to reading the Dallas Morning News, since that's a paper that I've been wanting to read for some time now. The fact that I no longer live in the paper's city is irrelevant. Of course, it will be cool to read news about Austin as well. Enjoy.
Ascribe Newswire
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Accessible Newspapers, Magazines Available Daily From NFB-NEWSLINE and Bookshare.org
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- For the print-disabled, a copy of the local newspaper delivered to one's doorstep is not accessible.
Fortunately, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's largest organization of blind people, and Bookshare.org, the largest online digital
library specifically for the print-disabled, have teamed up to make local and national newspapers and magazines available and accessible online to this
underserved community.
Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech, Bookshare's parent company, announced his organization's full commitment to the new partnership with the NFB, saying:
"As soon as we started offering NFB-NEWSLINE titles through Bookshare.org, many of our users instantly made it a part of their morning routine to
log on to our site to download their favorite daily newspapers before heading out the door. Our subscribers are now more informed and aware of what's happening
in their local communities, in their state, and across the country. We feel we're already lowering the barrier to accessible daily news each and every
day. Our agreement with NFB-NEWSLINE will allow us to make this a rich and ongoing aspect of Bookshare.org."
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, which created and operates NFB-NEWSLINE, agreed, saying:
"Lifetime learning, including detailed awareness of current events, is part of what makes a good citizen, a successful employee or employer, and
a valuable participant in community life. This partnership with Bookshare.org gives blind and disabled individuals another way to gain access to crucial
information, so that they may compete on equal footing with everyone else in the world."
Using a synthetic speech engine, NFB-NEWSLINE has been delivering national and local newspapers over the phone to subscribers for a number of years.
Content is acquired electronically via a direct feed from the newspaper, and it is accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, through a local
or toll-free telephone number.
The new partnership with Bookshare.org takes this model a step farther. In 2004, Bookshare.org began making a limited number of NFB-NEWSLINE titles
available through its online digital library on a trial basis, expanding the availability of accessible periodicals to those who are not able to benefit
from telephone-based access, such as the deaf-blind and individuals with organically based learning disabilities or other disabilities which prevent the
reading of print due to a physical cause. Bookshare.org made the periodicals available daily for download from the site in either DAISY (a digital audio
file format, which can be read aloud with synthesized speech by screen-reading software, or desktop and portable devices) or BRF (a digital Braille format,
which can be used with highly-portable refreshable Braille devices).
"I do a lot of traveling around Northern California, and the Braille newspapers from Bookshare.org allow me to make good use of my time by reading
the New York Times and other papers," said Brian Bashin, a management consultant from the San Francisco Bay area. "Without this partnership of Bookshare.org
and NFB-NEWSLINE, blind people would have no access to newspapers in places where there's no cell phone service - whether that be in a subway tunnel or
on a camping trip."
"This is a crucial service for those of us who cannot access newspapers either in print or over the telephone," said Lydia Roth, a deaf-blind individual
from Ellicott City, Maryland. "Now, thanks to Bookshare, NFB-NEWSLINE is available to those who require Braille access. I like to choose a newspaper at
random, just to see what's going on in other parts of the country."
Aside from large circulation national and metropolitan newspapers like the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los
Angeles Times, Bookshare.org's NFB-NEWSLINE offerings include newspapers with smaller circulations such as the Billings Gazette, Ukiah Daily Journal, and
Paducah Sun. Spanish-language dailies La Opinion from Los Angeles and El Nuevo Herald from Miami are available for download, along with nationally prominent
magazines, such as The Economist, The New Yorker, and AARP The Magazine.
Access to NFB-NEWSLINE periodicals, either through NFB's toll-free telephone service or through Bookshare.org, is limited to residents who provide
documented proof of a qualifying print disability and live in a state that funds the service. To download newspapers, the qualified reader joins Bookshare.org
by paying its annual subscription fee for unlimited access to all the titles in its collection.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A complete list of the more than 125 NFB-NEWSLINE periodicals currently available through Bookshare.org, as well as information concerning qualifications,
is available at
http://www.bookshare.org/web/AboutNewsline.html.
Additional information concerning the NFB-NEWSLINE service can be found at
http://nfb.org/newsline1.htm.
About the National Federation of the Blind:
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. The NFB headquarters has been located in Baltimore, Md., since
1978. In January 2004, the NFB opened the NFB Jernigan Institute, a $20 million, 188,000 square foot research and training facility adjacent to its headquarters.
About Bookshare.org and Benetech:
Bookshare.org is one of the literacy programs of Benetech, a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California, that develops sustainable, technology-based solutions to address pressing social challenges in areas such as human rights, disability, education, and literacy.
Bookshare.org is a subscription-based digital library that provides instant, independent access to over 26,000 books and periodicals - opening up a whole new world of reading for people with print disabilities.
http://www.benetech.org/literacy/bookshare.shtml
Ascribe Newswire
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Accessible Newspapers, Magazines Available Daily From NFB-NEWSLINE and Bookshare.org
PALO ALTO, Calif., March 29 (AScribe Newswire) -- For the print-disabled, a copy of the local newspaper delivered to one's doorstep is not accessible.
Fortunately, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation's largest organization of blind people, and Bookshare.org, the largest online digital
library specifically for the print-disabled, have teamed up to make local and national newspapers and magazines available and accessible online to this
underserved community.
Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech, Bookshare's parent company, announced his organization's full commitment to the new partnership with the NFB, saying:
"As soon as we started offering NFB-NEWSLINE titles through Bookshare.org, many of our users instantly made it a part of their morning routine to
log on to our site to download their favorite daily newspapers before heading out the door. Our subscribers are now more informed and aware of what's happening
in their local communities, in their state, and across the country. We feel we're already lowering the barrier to accessible daily news each and every
day. Our agreement with NFB-NEWSLINE will allow us to make this a rich and ongoing aspect of Bookshare.org."
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, which created and operates NFB-NEWSLINE, agreed, saying:
"Lifetime learning, including detailed awareness of current events, is part of what makes a good citizen, a successful employee or employer, and
a valuable participant in community life. This partnership with Bookshare.org gives blind and disabled individuals another way to gain access to crucial
information, so that they may compete on equal footing with everyone else in the world."
Using a synthetic speech engine, NFB-NEWSLINE has been delivering national and local newspapers over the phone to subscribers for a number of years.
Content is acquired electronically via a direct feed from the newspaper, and it is accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, through a local
or toll-free telephone number.
The new partnership with Bookshare.org takes this model a step farther. In 2004, Bookshare.org began making a limited number of NFB-NEWSLINE titles
available through its online digital library on a trial basis, expanding the availability of accessible periodicals to those who are not able to benefit
from telephone-based access, such as the deaf-blind and individuals with organically based learning disabilities or other disabilities which prevent the
reading of print due to a physical cause. Bookshare.org made the periodicals available daily for download from the site in either DAISY (a digital audio
file format, which can be read aloud with synthesized speech by screen-reading software, or desktop and portable devices) or BRF (a digital Braille format,
which can be used with highly-portable refreshable Braille devices).
"I do a lot of traveling around Northern California, and the Braille newspapers from Bookshare.org allow me to make good use of my time by reading
the New York Times and other papers," said Brian Bashin, a management consultant from the San Francisco Bay area. "Without this partnership of Bookshare.org
and NFB-NEWSLINE, blind people would have no access to newspapers in places where there's no cell phone service - whether that be in a subway tunnel or
on a camping trip."
"This is a crucial service for those of us who cannot access newspapers either in print or over the telephone," said Lydia Roth, a deaf-blind individual
from Ellicott City, Maryland. "Now, thanks to Bookshare, NFB-NEWSLINE is available to those who require Braille access. I like to choose a newspaper at
random, just to see what's going on in other parts of the country."
Aside from large circulation national and metropolitan newspapers like the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los
Angeles Times, Bookshare.org's NFB-NEWSLINE offerings include newspapers with smaller circulations such as the Billings Gazette, Ukiah Daily Journal, and
Paducah Sun. Spanish-language dailies La Opinion from Los Angeles and El Nuevo Herald from Miami are available for download, along with nationally prominent
magazines, such as The Economist, The New Yorker, and AARP The Magazine.
Access to NFB-NEWSLINE periodicals, either through NFB's toll-free telephone service or through Bookshare.org, is limited to residents who provide
documented proof of a qualifying print disability and live in a state that funds the service. To download newspapers, the qualified reader joins Bookshare.org
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A complete list of the more than 125 NFB-NEWSLINE periodicals currently available through Bookshare.org, as well as information concerning qualifications,
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About the National Federation of the Blind:
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Friday, March 31
Eloquence Fix Available from FS
Greetings. For those that have had problems with JAWS crashing after reading a certain set of characters, such as from an email message on certain email lists, Freedom Scientific has posted a Technical Support Notice that fixes the problem. Even if you haven't had JAWS crash, I'd highly recommend you follow the steps in the TSN just to be on the safe side.
Thursday, March 30
PM 4.0 Released
Greetings. This was actually released yesterday, but I first heard about it from a coworker this morning, so I am just now getting around to posting it here.
PAC Mate version 4.0 has been released. Read about the new features/fixes here. I've only just downloaded it myself, haven't yet installed it, but from the list of new features and fixes, it looks like a great release. At first glance, I'm extremely glad they're listing the fixes as well as the new features. I'm not sure why they didn't before, since JAWS releases always did. They are now though, and that's what counts. Other things that jump out at me include: the ability to have 2 FS Edit documents open at once; the enhancements to FS Edit in general, especially opening and saving files; and the built in check register template in Pocket Excel. I did speak with a tech support person this afternoon about the check register, asking him if credit and debit cards were accounted for, as well as written checks, and he said they were not in this release. He did suggest that I email Freedom Scientific and let them know of my ideas, which I have done. I dont' know about others, but I'm at a point in my life where I make more purchases with my debit card than I do actually writing checks. I could probably count on one hand the number of places I still write checks to. Anyway, this looks like a very promising program. And, you can save it to the flash disk or storage card, which pleases me greatly.
For more on the features/fixes in this release, refer to the link above. Enjoy. I'll write back later about anything else that jumps out at me. By that point, I'll have had some time with the new release. Rest assured, I'll go to work tomorrow with version 4 on my PM!
PAC Mate version 4.0 has been released. Read about the new features/fixes here. I've only just downloaded it myself, haven't yet installed it, but from the list of new features and fixes, it looks like a great release. At first glance, I'm extremely glad they're listing the fixes as well as the new features. I'm not sure why they didn't before, since JAWS releases always did. They are now though, and that's what counts. Other things that jump out at me include: the ability to have 2 FS Edit documents open at once; the enhancements to FS Edit in general, especially opening and saving files; and the built in check register template in Pocket Excel. I did speak with a tech support person this afternoon about the check register, asking him if credit and debit cards were accounted for, as well as written checks, and he said they were not in this release. He did suggest that I email Freedom Scientific and let them know of my ideas, which I have done. I dont' know about others, but I'm at a point in my life where I make more purchases with my debit card than I do actually writing checks. I could probably count on one hand the number of places I still write checks to. Anyway, this looks like a very promising program. And, you can save it to the flash disk or storage card, which pleases me greatly.
For more on the features/fixes in this release, refer to the link above. Enjoy. I'll write back later about anything else that jumps out at me. By that point, I'll have had some time with the new release. Rest assured, I'll go to work tomorrow with version 4 on my PM!
Wednesday, March 29
Slick Credit Card Scam
Greetings. A friend sent me a notice about a slick credit card scam, involving Visa or Master Card holders. This has been verified as a "for real" scam, so watch out! Here it is.
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information,
except the one piece they want. WARNING...New Credit Card Scam. Note, the
callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This
information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &MasterCard
Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect
yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I
was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person
calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud
Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460 Your card has been flagged for
an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on
your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an
Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in
Arizona?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be
issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching
and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase
pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will
be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?" You say "yes". The
caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have
any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your
card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this
Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me
to read it again?" Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The
caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card".
He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are
7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the
security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are
the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have
the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you
tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed
to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still
have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the
caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do",
and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell
you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back
within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA
Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new
purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. Long story made short - we
made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us
a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back
of the card . Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or
Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA
told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already
know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers
your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by
the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't
make, and by then it's almost to late and/or more difficult to actually
file a fraud report. What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I
got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word
repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We
filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are
taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody
we know that this scam is happening. Please pass this on to all your family
and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other..
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the information,
except the one piece they want. WARNING...New Credit Card Scam. Note, the
callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This
information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA &MasterCard
Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect
yourself. One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I
was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person
calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud
Department at VISA. My Badge number is 12460 Your card has been flagged for
an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on
your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an
Anti-Telemarketing Device for $497.99 from a Marketing company based in
Arizona?" When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be
issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching
and the charges range from $297 to $497, just under the $500 purchase
pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will
be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?" You say "yes". The
caller continues - "I will be starting a Fraud investigation. If you have
any questions, you should call the 1- 800 number listed on the back of your
card (1-800-VISA) and ask for Security. You will need to refer to this
Control Number. The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me
to read it again?" Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The
caller then says, "I need to verify you are in possession of your card".
He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers". There are
7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the
security Numbers' that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are
the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have
the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After you
tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just needed
to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still
have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the
caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do",
and hangs up. You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell
you the Card number. But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back
within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA
Security Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new
purchase of $497.99 was charged to our card. Long story made short - we
made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing us
a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back
of the card . Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or
Master card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA
told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already
know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers
your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by
the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't
make, and by then it's almost to late and/or more difficult to actually
file a fraud report. What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I
got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word
repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We
filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are
taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody
we know that this scam is happening. Please pass this on to all your family
and friends. By informing each other, we protect each other..
Sunday, March 26
The Level Star Icon
Greetings. I just listened to a demonstration of the Icon, from Level Star on the ACB Radio CSUN blog. Here's an interesting approach to a note taker. From what the demo covered, it sounds like the device is based on proprietary software, but before you tune completely out, check out the design. The main part of the unit is a Qwerty or Braille style note taker like computer. What sets it apart from other similar competitive units is that the Icon has a remote-control like piece that will detach from the main unit, so you can take your books, music, podcasts, RSS feed stories, email, and other content, with you on the go. The Icon is not out yet, but it sounds like it will be a worthy competitor to the Pac Mate and BrailleNote mPower. Not knowing much about it beyond what the demo covered, it would be silly for me to speculate just how well the Icon will do; time will tell. To read more about the Icon and the company, visit the Level Star website.
Wednesday, March 22
Life without Active Sync Sucks
Greetings. While talking with a colleague tonight, it occurred to me just how much we depend upon Active Sync. For those that don't know, Active Sync is a programs that bridges the gap between your computer and your PDA device, whether it be a Palm Pilot, other mainstream PDA, or adaptive device such as a Pac Mate, BrailleNote, or Maestro. The following is a short list of what you cannot do if you don't have access to Active Sync. (In these examples, I'm using the Pac Mate, since that's the device I have).
Synchronize whatever you want: Yes, you can synchronize any number of items from your Pac Mate (PM) to your PC and vice versa, including: files, calendar appointments, contacts, notes, tasks, Internet Explorer favorites (though they're berried within the PM and can be hard to find if you haven't looked before), AvantGo stories (a free service that you can get daily stories or pages from a wide variety of sourses), and more.
Install and remove programs: Though I have heard of a select few programs that you can install without Active Sync, 99% of the programs out there for Pocket PC compatible devices require Active Sync to be installed. Programs that fall into this category might include: AvantGo, some free utilities from Freedom Scientific like FS Commander (to use the PM as a wireless remote control for any IR device) and the Book Share unpack utility; Internet Explorer Power Toys (which improves your surfing experience), plug-ins to enhance your PM, such as a calendar program that display more than the standard 1 appointment on your Today screen; and many others. Even drivers for specific compact flash cards or ethernet cards must be installed through Active Sync.
Backing up your device: Here's a little known fact, you can backup or restore a backup of your device from within Active Sync. You can even customize it so that a backup is done each time you synchronize, which is pretty cool. Granted, the people that sware by Sprite Backup can perform their backups from anywhere on their CF cards, they are still limited since they need Active Sync in order to install Sprite on their PM.
Wirelessly sync/control your PC: In the most recent version upgrade to the PM, of 3.0, FS has made the ability to wirelessly connect to your PC with the PM, provided that you have the necessary equipment. In doing this, you have the ability to wirelessly syncrhonize your data, or you can setup the ability to remotely control your PC wirelessly. This can be quite handy, since you can read your email or surf the web, over your PM, through your PC, all while sitting in your easy chair. I know people that have done this.
All of this, and more I'm probably missing, can be done if you have Active Sync to do it with. Of course, if you don't, then your stuck. Thus, life without Active Sync sucks!
Synchronize whatever you want: Yes, you can synchronize any number of items from your Pac Mate (PM) to your PC and vice versa, including: files, calendar appointments, contacts, notes, tasks, Internet Explorer favorites (though they're berried within the PM and can be hard to find if you haven't looked before), AvantGo stories (a free service that you can get daily stories or pages from a wide variety of sourses), and more.
Install and remove programs: Though I have heard of a select few programs that you can install without Active Sync, 99% of the programs out there for Pocket PC compatible devices require Active Sync to be installed. Programs that fall into this category might include: AvantGo, some free utilities from Freedom Scientific like FS Commander (to use the PM as a wireless remote control for any IR device) and the Book Share unpack utility; Internet Explorer Power Toys (which improves your surfing experience), plug-ins to enhance your PM, such as a calendar program that display more than the standard 1 appointment on your Today screen; and many others. Even drivers for specific compact flash cards or ethernet cards must be installed through Active Sync.
Backing up your device: Here's a little known fact, you can backup or restore a backup of your device from within Active Sync. You can even customize it so that a backup is done each time you synchronize, which is pretty cool. Granted, the people that sware by Sprite Backup can perform their backups from anywhere on their CF cards, they are still limited since they need Active Sync in order to install Sprite on their PM.
Wirelessly sync/control your PC: In the most recent version upgrade to the PM, of 3.0, FS has made the ability to wirelessly connect to your PC with the PM, provided that you have the necessary equipment. In doing this, you have the ability to wirelessly syncrhonize your data, or you can setup the ability to remotely control your PC wirelessly. This can be quite handy, since you can read your email or surf the web, over your PM, through your PC, all while sitting in your easy chair. I know people that have done this.
All of this, and more I'm probably missing, can be done if you have Active Sync to do it with. Of course, if you don't, then your stuck. Thus, life without Active Sync sucks!
Tuesday, March 21
Snapshots and Immersion Wrap Up
Greetings. For those that may not know, "snapshots," are what I call memories of specific things, incidents, or events. Here are some of the snapshots of immersion, in no particular order: my various experiences in mobility; some of the dishes I made in cooking and rediscovering the confidence in making those dishes; the home maintenance part of shop; buying my toolbox and some tools at Lowes; successfully running the table saw; going to places independently in and out of mobility (such as to the NFB meeting in February); my first day; telling a former caseworker, when asked what I was doing at the Center, "I work here."; seeing the many people that I've known from prior times at the Center, and seeing that they're still there; getting and depositing my first pay check; exploring a strip shopping center near my apartment on mobility one day; and many more.
There have been so many things in such a short amount of time, that its hard to recall all of the neat things that have been snapshots. Probably one of the most exciting things though is, that was only the first part of my time at the Center. In other words, its not the end, but rather the beginning.
I've also discovered other things in immersion. One relates to my goals in mobility. When I started immersion, my goals were two fold: to regain the confidence of independence that I once had, and to get to know all of the various systems and layout of Austin. One day though, I was talking with one of my coworkers, and he admitted that even though he's lived in Austin for a long time, he doesn't know all of the bus routes and systems. It then occurred to me that if he's not worried about not knowing everything about Austin, then why was I worried? So, then my focus shifted to building my confidence. That was a key point for me, since it in essence took away some of the extra stress I was putting on myself, of having to learn a lot in a short time. And, as I've written here many times before, the stress was at times more than enough. Anyway, after I realized that and shifted my focus, mobility became much more enjoyable. Not all of the experiences were fun, such as trying to problem solve your way out of being lost when no one's around, but I think I did accomplish the goal of getting my confidence back. Or at least I'm on my way to doing so.
Another big realization for me was the people I met in immersion. As I finished with certain classes, like Braille or shop, I would feel a little sad that I was done with the class. But then I'd remember that just because I was done with that class, didn't mean that I wouldn't see the person(s) again, since we worked together. This has been a constant back and forth with me. For those who may not know this yet or have figured it out, I bond with people really well. So some of these little changes can get to me. Case in point, after observing a computer class yesterday, I left and wanted to turn a corner and go to mobility, even though I knew my immersion was over. I was a little sad, but then I realized, "Hey, wait a minute, I can talk with them anytime."
I've also been constnatly amazed at just how many people work at this agency. At my last job, there were only 9 other people, not counting myself. This one has over 100. I find that cool.
I've found it interesting to observe interactions between teachers and students in different classes, such as Braille, keyboarding, and others. For instance, when on mobility, I would listen closely to how the instructor handled different situations with other students. One of the most valuable methods that teachers love but students hate (I've been on both sides, even before now), is when the student asks a question and the teacher asks a question right back, instead of answering. Even though I might have sworn to never do that, at one point many years ago, I now find myself doing it. As I say though, teachers love this but students hate it.
Over all though, it was a great experience. Now that my daily activities are returning to normal, perhaps I can relax a little, :) As I say, it's terribly exciting though to think that this is only the beginning, ...
There have been so many things in such a short amount of time, that its hard to recall all of the neat things that have been snapshots. Probably one of the most exciting things though is, that was only the first part of my time at the Center. In other words, its not the end, but rather the beginning.
I've also discovered other things in immersion. One relates to my goals in mobility. When I started immersion, my goals were two fold: to regain the confidence of independence that I once had, and to get to know all of the various systems and layout of Austin. One day though, I was talking with one of my coworkers, and he admitted that even though he's lived in Austin for a long time, he doesn't know all of the bus routes and systems. It then occurred to me that if he's not worried about not knowing everything about Austin, then why was I worried? So, then my focus shifted to building my confidence. That was a key point for me, since it in essence took away some of the extra stress I was putting on myself, of having to learn a lot in a short time. And, as I've written here many times before, the stress was at times more than enough. Anyway, after I realized that and shifted my focus, mobility became much more enjoyable. Not all of the experiences were fun, such as trying to problem solve your way out of being lost when no one's around, but I think I did accomplish the goal of getting my confidence back. Or at least I'm on my way to doing so.
Another big realization for me was the people I met in immersion. As I finished with certain classes, like Braille or shop, I would feel a little sad that I was done with the class. But then I'd remember that just because I was done with that class, didn't mean that I wouldn't see the person(s) again, since we worked together. This has been a constant back and forth with me. For those who may not know this yet or have figured it out, I bond with people really well. So some of these little changes can get to me. Case in point, after observing a computer class yesterday, I left and wanted to turn a corner and go to mobility, even though I knew my immersion was over. I was a little sad, but then I realized, "Hey, wait a minute, I can talk with them anytime."
I've also been constnatly amazed at just how many people work at this agency. At my last job, there were only 9 other people, not counting myself. This one has over 100. I find that cool.
I've found it interesting to observe interactions between teachers and students in different classes, such as Braille, keyboarding, and others. For instance, when on mobility, I would listen closely to how the instructor handled different situations with other students. One of the most valuable methods that teachers love but students hate (I've been on both sides, even before now), is when the student asks a question and the teacher asks a question right back, instead of answering. Even though I might have sworn to never do that, at one point many years ago, I now find myself doing it. As I say though, teachers love this but students hate it.
Over all though, it was a great experience. Now that my daily activities are returning to normal, perhaps I can relax a little, :) As I say, it's terribly exciting though to think that this is only the beginning, ...
Keeping Up with CSUN
Greetings. If you can't attend CSUN this year, then you can keep up with many of its happenings by reading the CSUN 2006 blog from ACB Radio. Note that this is their general blog, so you may see announcements for their variety of programs. Both Marlaina Lieberg and Jeff Bishop, among others, will be posting to the blog with updates as they become available. Marlaina and Jeff will each go one step further though by having audio recordings of interviews or presentations about key vendors/products at the conference. There are also supposed to be announcements from vendors about new or improved products. Enjoy.
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