[guide.chat] matilda magazine
- From: "Carol O'Connor" <missbossyboots33@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "guide Chat List" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:57:15 -0000
This is the Matilda Ziegler Magazine
Weekly Edition for November 14, 2011
Address: 20 Thorndal Circle
Darien, CT 06820
Local Phone: 203-604-8601
Toll Free: 877-424-5481
Website: www.matildaziegler.com
Email: editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ross Hammond, Editor
Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor
Feature Writer Alena Roberts - Oregon Uses iPads to Help the Disabled
Vote
Feature Writer Steven Famiglietti - A Revolution for Me
Feature Writer Lynne Tatum - Instant Gratification
Feature Writer Karen Crowder - The Historic October Storm and its
Aftermath
Feature Writer John Christie - Braille Labels in Grocery Stores: A
Young Boy's Vision
Op Ed with Bob Branco - What is the Role of State Commissions for the
Blind?
Contributor Deborah Bloom - Former Hadley Student Assumes Next
Mission: Heading Blinded Veterans Association: Part 1
Contributor Nancy Scott - The Gift
News - Reaching out to America's Blind Veterans
Reader's Forum
Recipe of the Week - Sweet & Tangy Garlic Chicken Recipes
You may skip to a new article or section at any time by using your
browser or word processor's Find or Search function to look for the
### symbol. For entries within a section of the magazine, search for
the ## symbol.
Letter from the Editor
Hello Everyone,
I hope you all had a nice weekend. As you know, last week I tried out
a different method of distributing the magazine by separating the new
content and the special notices and pen pals sections into two emails.
By doing this, any spam issues connected to the special notices or pen
pal submissions would not affect the receipt of the new magazine
content. For a few exceptions, this method was successful, and many of
you wrote in to me saying that you received both parts without issue.
However, some of you still did not receive the second email with the
special notices and pen pals, so the problem still persists.
For the first time since we began experiencing these issues, I was
able to reach someone at both Verizon and Comcast, two of the most
affected email providers, to talk to them about this problem. That's
the good news. The bad news is that, for the most part, they don't
know what's causing the problem. The issue remains the same--some
emails make it through, and some don't. They aren't blocking our IP
address, so they don't know why any messages are eliminated at all,
let alone without even reaching your spam boxes at the very least. I'm
still in contact with both providers' departments who deal with these
issues and we're all working on a solution.
Which brings me to my next point--solutions on our end. Active
hyperlinks are the problem-child of the spam world, which is why the
special notices and pen pals sections are bearing the brunt of this
issue. So I want to ask all of you if implementing a slight change
would be acceptable. Rather than using the classic email or web
address links in the magazine, I've received suggestions that we use
john email service com as a way of writing email addresses.
Any web addresses would be written similarly as www website
com. I feel that this change might be very helpful in
eliminating spam issues with the magazine, but it means that selecting
links directly from the magazine will no longer be an option. It will
be a sacrifice of convenience while improving the ability for readers
to receive the magazine.
The other option is to create a secure website, requiring login
information, where the special notices and pen pals sections are
updated. The login information would change weekly, and would be
announced in my letter to all of you for that specific week. This
would allow you all to see those sections with the active links
imbedded, but you would not be able to do this directly from the
email. For security purposes, this information would only be made
available in the email version of the magazine.
Again, these are just some ideas we're considering and they may become
moot if any progress is made with these email providers. However, I
would like your input on the matter if we do have to implement any of
these changes. Feel free to email me at editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with
your thoughts.
In the meantime, I will be sending the magazine in separate parts as I
did last week. The second part will begin sending after the first, so
there will be a delay. If you do not receive the second part, please
email me and I will send it to you personally.
Take care, have a great week, thank you all for your patience, and
thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Ross Hammond, Editor
###
Feature Writer Alena Roberts - Oregon Uses iPads to Help the Disabled
Vote
Oregon is a pioneer for accessible voting. Some of their accessible
voting options include large print and html ballots that can be
emailed to voters. I myself have used the accessible html ballot to
vote in numerous elections. The counties also have been sending out
election officials to people's homes and having them use a laptop to
make their votes, but this technology is becoming outdated and too
expensive to replace. In last week's election, they started a pilot
project where voters use an iPad to make their selections.
Some of the reasons that the iPad was chosen for the pilot project was
because of the low cost and built-in accessibility. The iPad can
provide large print as well as high contrast to low vision users,
voiceover for blind users, and even external devices for those with
mobility issues. Apple donated the 5 iPads for the pilot study, and if
it goes well and there's positive feedback, then the secretary of the
state hopes to provide all counties with iPads for future elections.
The ability to vote in private is very empowering. I appreciate that
Oregon is going above and beyond to make the voting process as
accessible as possible. It is my hope that the iPad project is a
success and that this technology will not only be used in Oregon, but
around the country.
To learn about the accessible voting options that Oregon provides
visit this link:
http://www.co.washington.or.us/AssessmentTaxation/Elections/VAP/index.cfm
How do you participate in the voting process? Let us hear about it in
the Reader's Forum.
###
Feature Writer Steven Famiglietti - A Revolution for Me
Recently, I had to visit a school to help evaluate a student who is
having difficulty because of vision loss and it made me think of the
tools I used to use when I was in school.
I graduated from high school in 1991. Although CCTV technology was
available at that time, the CCTV's were very large, expensive, heavy,
and offered limited versatility. There was no such thing as a CCTV
that could magnify the blackboards in my classes. Algebra and Geometry
presented huge problems for me because it was so difficult to see the
teacher working out the equations at the board. My only device was a
hand held monocular that I used to watch the teacher as she wrote on
the board. This meant that I would have no time to copy the equations
into my notes so I used other students to take notes for me. Needless
to say I barely made it through my math classes in high school.
Technology has come a very long way since 1991. This student currently
has the same issue as me in that they can't see the board in the
classroom. So, I had access to an Onyx Deskset XL video magnifier.
This video magnifier consists of a flat screen that has a small camera
head mounted on a swinging arm. The arm can be rotated 350 degrees and
the camera head can also be rotated 350 degrees. Any image that the
camera sees is projected onto the flat screen, located immediately to
the left of the camera. Simply put, a student can move the camera and
rotate it to look directly at the blackboard in class. Then, the
student can use the camera's remote control to zoom in on whatever is
being presented on the blackboard. All of the features that you would
have on a traditional CCTV can be had with this camera head.
Therefore, you can zoom in, zoom out, and change the image mode. The
Onyx we presented had several viewing modes including, color, black on
white, white on black, yellow on black, black on yellow, blue on
yellow and yellow on blue. Another great feature of these cameras is
that they can be rotated to point down at a desk. Then, the student
can use the camera just like a stationary CCTV. That is, if there were
a book or document on the desk, the student could magnify the text and
change the viewing mode to accommodate their needs easily. Finally, a
really cool feature is the ability to point the camera at your own
face. Under normal conditions, your face would appear reversed on the
display screen. But, there is a flip button on the remote and when
pressed, the flip button will make the image on the screen appear
normal. This would allow the user to see their face and put on makeup,
lipstick or use it to shave.
I must say that to me, I am so excited to see that this kind of
technology is now available because students who are now experiencing
vision loss don't have to go through what I went through when I was in
school. Sometimes, I wonder how my education would have been if such
technology had existed when I was in school. Here are a few links to
check out to learn more about these portable video magnification
systems.
1. Freedom Scientific's Onyx systems
http://freedomscientific.com/products/lv/onyx-main-product-page.asp
2. Clarity video magnifiers
http://www.clarityusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=35
3. Enhanced Vision
http://www.enhancedvision.com/low-vision-product-line.html
###
Feature Writer Lynne Tatum - Instant Gratification
It's easy, fast and euphorically satisfying. It's also a great way to
quickly drain the funds in your checking account. What am I talking
about? Why, ordering and downloading online, of course. I was a huge
American Idol fan and it was positively infuriating that the songs
were only available on that then-annoying iTunes service. How I railed
and stamped my feet in consternation each week. We then became
enamored with the fabulous acapella singing contest known as "The
Sing-Off," but found the same obstacle. The host would dutifully
announce that the latest songs could be downloaded from iTunes. It was
only once I purchased an iPhone and painstakingly created an account,
that I began to understand the power of instant gratification on a
mobile device. I am currently slightly obsessed with a
beautifully-arranged song heard on this show and I waited but minutes
for such long-lasting musical pleasure.
Perhaps it was a moment of curiosity that prompted me to install the
iBooks app. I had tried it previously but didn't have the patience to
work with it. I can now relate my experience to new users. Hearing
that John Grisham's latest novel, "The Litigators," was available, I
decided to give iBooks another try. I got through quite a few pages
before deciding to download it from www.audible.com, where it would be
read by an actual human. Incredibly, I downloaded it on my iPhone and
listened to the entire novel. It was a pleasant enough experience that
I vowed to repeat. I attempted to read other books, but wound up
copying them to my beloved VR Stream that has exquisite sound quality.
In the process, though, I learned how to navigate the ever-popular
Audible app.
My instant gratification love-affair began when we were introduced to
www.audible.com almost ten years ago. That was quickly followed by
joining the www.amazon.com/mp3 music download service. How rewarding
it was to hear the name of a new album, by a favorite artist, run to
my computer and purchase it for what I considered a reasonable price.
Highly addictive, it is a guilty pleasure I indulge in to this day.
Lastly, I offer my unbridled (and possibly financially dangerous)
thrill of one-click shopping at www.amazon.com/access. Once that
tempting button has been pressed, a web page opens up thanking me for
my purchase in lightning-quick fashion. This is only a feature I've
taken advantage of in the last two weeks, but I can see myself
succumbing to its charms. Don't worry! There is a link to halt the
process if you've hastily clicked in error. A huge grin spreads across
my face as our security personnel announces that a package has arrived
before its due date.
Black Monday, here we come!
###
Feature Writer Karen Crowder - The Historic October Storm and its
Aftermath
Saturday evening October 29, 2011--while clam chowder simmered on my
stove--large snowflakes fell, covering all of Central and Western
Massachusetts. The storm had begun in Worcester County early that
afternoon and people shopped for necessities in preparation for this
early snowfall. As I listened to the weather channel, I was shocked at
the swath of devastation this storm had already created, with airport
delays and wide-spread power outages across the Northeast. People in
Massachusetts hoped we would be spared the brunt of this vicious
storm. Memories of the devastating ice storm of December 2008 were
still fresh in our minds. At 8:15 that night, beeping from my computer
power strip and a silent TV gave me unwelcome news that our apartment
complex was in the dark. I phoned friends who were lucky to have the
luxury of electricity and I was optimistic it would return by Sunday
morning.
That morning, listening to a talk show on a Worcester radio station, I
was shocked by the storm's devastation in our area. Much of Worcester,
Essex, Middlesex, and Western Massachusetts were now covered with
downed trees, branches, and over a foot of snow. Our governor declared
a state of emergency, as had governors for parts of Connecticut and
New Jersey. NOAA weather was predicting come cold temperatures, too.
It was time to unearth sweaters and winter blankets.
On Monday morning I was listening to the local station in Fitchburg as
more stories of damage were told. Trees were down everywhere in
Leominster, making it difficult for power crews to restore
electricity. All schools in Western Massachusetts were closed. By that
afternoon, the hospital and surrounding areas had their lights and
heat back and we wondered if we'd be next.
Hopes of heat and lights returning Monday night were dashed and we
were forced to wait some more. Tuesday morning, I stepped in to the
hall, searching for help to make cell phone calls. A kind lady helped
me make calls, and as I was going out to the mailbox I heard welcome
news--"The lights are on!" Hearing the elevator door open, you could
feel moods lift. This long ordeal was over.
As I entered my apartment, there was the welcome hum of the
refrigerator. I flipped the thermostats up and felt the wonderful
heat. It was good to have hot coffee and toast after surviving on
fruit, water, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches since Sunday.
Life was back to normal. At the height of the storm, 98 percent of
Leominster was without power and we received roughly 14 inches of
snow, all before Halloween, and all of which is now gone.
With unusual weather and budget cuts to our infrastructure, the next
outage could be just around the corner. Be prepared with extra
batteries, perishables, paper goods, radios and a charged cell phone.
Be grateful for electricity, you never know when you may be without
it.
Note: Power statistics were gotten from a local radio station and
early snow totals gotten from a TV station.
###
Feature Writer John Christie - Braille Labels in Grocery Stores: A
Young Boy's Vision
One day while at the store, Joshua Goldenberg was looking for
batteries. However, he couldn't find the ones he wanted. The clever 7
year old boy looked up at his mother and asked why Braille can't be
put on the store shelves.
"I went online and started how blind people grocery
shop," said Christie Goldenberg, Joshua's mother. "Of all the things I
had thought of having a child that never dawned on me once. Here I am
ready to send him off to college and everything else, but I never
thought of the simple things."
Joshua and his family went to the Newtonville Whole Foods Store one
recent Friday to help launch the Braille Independence Initiative. The
Newtonville Market is the first store on the East Coast to have
Braille labels on its product shelves.
"This is the first step of a strategic plan," National Braille Press
President Brian MacDonald told Patch last week. "This is a great start
and a great opportunity."
The National Braille Press, along with The Carroll Centre for the
Blind and Perkins School for the Blind, teamed up with Whole Foods and
the Goldenbergs to launch the initiative.
It all started when Christie Goldenberg started writing letters,
making phone calls, and arranging meetings with her local Whole Foods
to address these types of problems.
"When I saw there were stories of [visually-impaired] people going
into stores and waiting 20 minutes , I thought, Josh
is so fiercely independent, he'll never go for that," Christie said.
"So, I thought, there has to be a better way. And said, 'Mommy,
just make them put Braille on the labels.'"
She initially thought her son's idea would be brushed aside, but the
reaction was quite the opposite--Whole Foods embraced the idea. Soon
after, Joshua was making Braille labels for the Thousand Oaks, CA
store.
Christie says that Josh likes to run the show when his family goes
shopping for groceries. He also has plans for labels with braille on
them as well as coupons with braille on them at his local library.
"People say to me, 'oh it's so great you thought of that,' but you
know, I really can't take any credit," Christie said. "We're simply a
vehicle for this kid who drives us."
The National Braille Press found out about his Whole Foods project and
flew him and his family to the East Coast for a NBP's Hands On! Award
at the NBP annual gala.
But the trip was not just about an award. The trip was about the
Braille Independence Initiative. The Goldenberg Family wanted to bring
the Braille Independence Initiative to a Massachusetts store and the
Newtonville Whole Foods location.
"Because of our proximity to Perkins and Carroll, we were the logical
choice," said Terri Petrunyak, a marketing and community relations
representative for the Newtonville Whole Foods.
Aisle by aisle and department to department, they plan to have braille
labels throughout the store in order to serve the blind and visually
impaired community in the area. The store started with the produce
department and will move on to the frozen food and bakery, said
Petrunyak.
"This is really a demo project where we're doing a section at a time,
evaluating what works and then we're going to determine how to better
improve the next section," Petrunyak said.
MacDonald said that braille labels are just the beginning of
independence for blind and visually impaired customers. He also said
that technologies incorporated with smart phones, such as bar code
scanners and text scanners, will make shopping easier for blind
customers as well.
During Friday's event, Josh helped label a few of the items in the
store such as some papaya, fruit bowls, and watermelon. Students from
Perkins and The Carroll Centre walked through the fruit and vegetable
aisle and were able to identify the produce on their own.
This new initiative is a great sign that companies are taking the
problems facing the blind and visually impaired community seriously
and are involving members of that community in the processes necessary
to fix those problems.
Source:
http://newton.patch.com/articles/seven-year-old-brings-braille-to-shelves-of-newtonville-whole-foods#video-8141891The
###
Op Ed with Bob Branco - What is the Role of State Commissions for the
Blind?
I am proud that we have a State Commission for the Blind in
Massachusetts. I believe that when lobbyists fought for an agency
separating the blind from other disabilities, they meant well. It's
not that persons with other disabilities don't need a supporting
agency--of course they do. However, it is the fear of many people in
the disability community that if you lump the blind in with others
with disabilities under the same agency umbrella, the blind will drop
to the bottom of the barrel as far as support and attention are
concerned. I don't know that for a fact, but I agree with this public
fear. In fact, I know many people with other types of disabilities,
especially those with developmental disabilities, who have jobs, no
matter what that job is. Can you say that about a majority of any
sample of blind people in this country, no matter how hard they try to
be employed?
As a blind consumer, and as someone who wants to live as normal a life
as possible, I have certain expectations of a Commission for the Blind
which I feel are quite reasonable. While I don't think that
Commissions for the Blind should figuratively hold our hands and guide
us through life in every way possible, I feel that when we have
obstacles put in front of us because we are blind, that Commissions
should advocate for us more than they do in order to help us face
these obstacles. For example, if I go on a job interview, and if my
potential employer refuses to offer me a reasonable accommodation to
help me on the job, I would much prefer that a powerful agency, who is
responsible for knowing the laws, should step in and help. While there
are blind people with enough knowledge to be their own advocates, many
are not trained to be, yet they have the same rights as those of us
who are.
On one occasion I was asked by a potential employer to describe the
nature of the adaptive technology that would help me with my job.
Where I knew I couldn't explain it to his satisfaction, I counted on
the Commission for the Blind to explain it, because the Commission
employs computer engineers in this field who know all there is to
know.
If I decide to go for an extended period of job training at a company
that will ultimately reward me with a job, either on their premises or
here at home, I expect the Commission for the Blind to play a role in
the process, especially where it comes to easing the employer's doubts
in every way possible. Many employers will think of ways not to hire a
blind person, and will exercise these ways in a manner where we can't
prove they are practicing discrimination. Commissions for the Blind
have many professionals who can motivate employers to think outside
the box by considering blind people for jobs.
What are your feelings about the involvement of Commissions for the
Blind?
###
Contributor Deborah Bloom - Former Hadley Student Assumes Next
Mission: Heading Blinded Veterans Association: Part 1
Like many young men, when Steve Beres joined the U.S. Army in the
early 1980s, he thought he was invincible. His tour of duty took him
from Ft. Louis, Washington to Europe to the Persian Gulf to the Middle
East over the next few decades. That is until he sustained a traumatic
injury in 2002 that resulted in blindness in both eyes.
Steve had never met a visually impaired person before he lost his own
sight. He notes that his perception of blind people was "the person on
the street corner with a tin cup full of pencils." Today, that image
couldn't be further from his mind. "Going blind was a "rebirth," says
Steve. "It changed every facet of my life in ways I never could have
imagined and it changed the way I viewed those who experience vision
loss. People who are blind or visually impaired can do anything," he
says confidently.
So how did a guy who had never met a blind person go from a passive
observer to passionate advocate? Because of the people he met along
the way. After losing his sight, Steve started blind rehabilitation.
He began that process just a few months after being injured - even
before his prosthetic eyes were put into place. Through the rehab
process, he ran across very successful blind people, including blinded
vets who took their own adversity and turned it into action. These
individuals were extremely independent and back out in society
quickly, and they served as his role models.
Steve also credits his success to his coursework at The Hadley School
for the Blind which he learned about during his rehabilitation
programs. For Steve, Hadley provides a wealth of distance education
opportunities in a variety of subject areas unmatched by other
organizations serving veterans. "The VA is great on the rehab side
helping with your daily living and orientation and mobility skills,
like cane travel. Hadley complements this work by providing lifelong
learning opportunities that reinforce and extend everything they have
learned at the VA." He adds that Hadley is especially strong "in
providing accessible resources to help you get back into the
workplace." For Steve, this means business, communications and access
technology courses focused on Word, Excel and the Internet - courses
that he still uses today as refreshers.
Following his rehabilitation and coursework at Hadley, Steve went on
to earn his master's degree in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy at
Western Michigan University and today is a VIST (Visual Impairment
Services Team) Coordinator and Technology Instructor at the Battle
Creek (Mich.) VA Medical Center VISOR Clinic. Steve served as past
president of the Northern Arizona and Michigan regional groups of the
Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) and in December becomes the BVA's
new executive director in Washington, D.C.
###
Contributor Nancy Scott - The Gift
Have you ever pondered the messages of the unique present you've given
or received? As we move toward a gifting season, here are my thoughts
about the most unique gift I ever got. It sits on my ¬bedroom dresser
and still defies exact explanation.
The gift was a stuffed parrot (about six inches tall) with a tiny
pirate on its shoulder. I knew it was a pirate because he (surely he)
had the obligatory patch over one eye. You will doubtless know that
this is the opposite of the fictional pirate-and-parrot pairing.
I received him (or them) around the time I turned 40. (And I assume
the parrot is a he too.)
But why did my friend David create this plushy paradox? From the
moment I touched this gift, I knew
David was trying to tell me something.
Was the parrot unable or unwilling to put the pirate down or force him
off? Did the pirate like holding the parrot back? Did the pirate just
need someone who could see better? Do they need each other? Do they
like being different?
Does the parrot need to shoulder his burden and stay put? Can the
parrot fly carrying his extra cargo? Does the pirate need to take a
big step? Are they afraid? Are they content?
How do we balance caution and creativity? Or imagination and the
seemingly impossible? Or independence and interdependence?
I've heard it said that teddy bears are mystics in disguise. But these
two characters were sewn together for magical purpose. Or maybe
magical difference.
Will I find the courage to soar and to sit? Will I mind not always
seeing my way? Are there always squawkings and risks and boredoms to
shoulder or leave behind?
Maybe this is what David had in mind. Maybe I will just ask him. After
eighteen years of wondering, I think it's time.
Have you given or received great cleverness? Let us know in Reader's
Forum. Maybe some of us will be inspired by your experiences.
###
News - Reaching out to America's Blind Veterans
It's an unfortunate fact, but roughly 13 percent of all veterans
returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan have suffered from eye-related
injuries that have left them blind. Now Serotek, a company many of you
are familiar with, is stepping forward to help out our brave soldiers
who have a new struggle to overcome.
Serotek's popular SAMNet service, which allows users access to an
amazing internet portal filled with material available to the blind,
will now be made available for free to blind veterans. Any legally
blind veteran will be eligible for a lifetime subscription to this
service starting December 15, 2011 when this new initiative kicks off.
"For many veterans sight loss is a new battleground," remarked Serotek
CEO Mike Calvo. By offering this wonderful service to them for free,
Calvo hopes that they will be given all of the tools that they'll need
to maintain the same confidence they carried when they served our
country.
In addition to opening up SAMNet for free to all veterans who qualify,
they are also adding a bunch of different services as well. These
include chat rooms, forums, and other communication channels geared
towards veterans as well as the general public who utilize the SAMNet
service. They hope that these new features will greatly increase the
amount of communication channels within the blind community and allow
individuals to reach out and connect with others.
Showing appreciation to all veterans who have come back home is
incredibly important. By also providing services for those who have
come back wounded, Serotek is reaching out to help a new segment of
blind Americans who have to learn how to live with both the memories
of battle and the physical scars that occasionally accompany them.
Hopefully, with help from Serotek and their SAMNet network, our
soldiers will be able to be able to heal and adjust to their new lives
as quickly as possible.
For more information on Serotek or SAMNet, you can visit
www.serotek.com
###
Reader's Forum
For your convenience, all Reader's Forum submissions are separated by
the ## symbol.
In response to Feature Writer Terri Winaught - So Tragic and
Preventable, Beth wrote:
If I were sighted and if I chose to drive, I would not talk on a cell
or text, I would not use ham equipment while driving, and I would not
have a radio or other audio entertainment on. When you are in charge
of a ton or two of steel, your rapt attention is indicated. Even years
before onset of my severe hearing disability, my thought has been that
people who have less than good vision should not travel alone. Why do
people feel they have to prove themselves? We are human beings, not
human doings. The dangers are many to solo travel, whether with a dog
or cane: Drunk or distracted drivers, weather impediments, "right turn
on red", traffic overload, quiet cars, roundabouts, curb cuts, and I'm
sure there are more, such as mugging potential. Sighted people should
not travel alone either, also for these reasons, police will tell you
that, I have heard it on the news.
##
In response to Feature Writer Terri Winaught - So Tragic and
Preventable, Marie wrote:
Just what we need: another unnecessary law. Why can't sighted people
sit still during bus rides and so on? Do they have to use their cell
phones every single second? There is no common sense: If you cannot
walk and chew gum at the same time, and doing so would make it unsafe
for you to travel, just sit still and concentrate on the one thing you
can do without endangering yourself. Even though I cannot drive, I
don't use my cell phone while riding. I wait till I get home before I
get back to anyone. No one needs to hear my conversation out there in
public. As for texting, I'm not into that. I prefer to send email.
Sighted people are too distracted by too much technology. That is why
we have yet another unnecessary law. And there are more of them as the
years go by, all because of lack of common sense.
##
In response to Op Ed with Bob Branco - Is it Work From Home or a Scam?
Beth wrote:
I have found 2 legit job search sites and they are great:
https://www.elance.com/php/landing/main/login.php?crypted=cGVyc2lzaWQ9MzUyMzIwNTIz
https://www.flexjobs.com/login
##
In response to Op Ed with Bob Branco - Is it Work From Home or a Scam?
Linda wrote:
The question was asked, "How do you know that some work at home
businesses are legitimate and can help a blind person?"
The very first thing I consider is, are you being charged to get into
the business? If you are, how much, and what is the company actually
giving you in return? I wouldn't fall for a company that insists that
you make a large initial investment, sometimes actually receiving
nothing in return but training. I am visually impaired but on Social
Security Disability. For now, those who are on SSDI can still work and
earn a certain amount of money each month without jeopardizing that
income. So I feel quite safe in seeking to do what I can to increase
my income.
I am a Scentsy consultant. I paid approximately one hundred and
fifteen dollars to join the business, but believe I received that same
amount of materials to start my business immediately. I do pay ten
dollars for a web site every month. That is optional, but I choose to
do it that way. The web site is very good, and the areas that are not
completely available to the blind are being worked on at this time, as
there are several blind consultants who want to have full
accessibility. It is definitely possible for a blind person to order
from the website. The person whom I joined under told me right up
front, "This is not a get rich quick scheme. Your business will build
slowly, but it will build." And, of course, it depends on how much
time you put into it.
My husband is sighted, and he assists me in different areas. It is
nice, for example, if I am displaying my products at a booth, to have
someone there with me to spot people who may be looking at my products
if I am unaware of it because of the noise around me. Also, he can
check checks that are written, etc. You don't need an assistant all of
the time though, and can do most promotion on your own. So some people
may perhaps find a friend who will assist from time to time, or hire
someone.
I am in this business in the hopes that eventually it will net me a
fair amount each month. But, I'm also in it because I really love the
products and can therefore enthusiastically endorse them, and because
the company has true integrity. Please check out my web site and read
my story. If you like fragrances, you will be in seventh heaven.
www.SafeCandlesKY.com
I am Linda Stewart. I have four people as downline, two who live here
in Lexington, Kentucky, and one who lives in Idaho and one in
California. We can keep in touch very easily over the phone and all
help each other.
Linda Stewart
www.SafeCandlesKY.com
##
In response to Op Ed with Bob Branco - Is it Work From Home or a Scam?
Marie wrote:
As for those work-at-home schemes: My first sighted husband got me
mixed up in some of those crappy scams. They are nothing more than
scams; don't get involved in them; you are throwing away the very
little money you have on envelopes and stamps and all that. They don't
materialize into work of any kind. Avoid chain letters; Other scams
include those companies that advises people not to pay their mortgages
and claim to reduce your debts into lower payments. I have heard so
many of those commercials on Sirius XM. I don't even understand why
that service has to broadcast these commercials. That is another thing
I would never, ever do. Avoid email spam that also advertise this.
Filter them so you don't even get them anywhere near your Inbox on
your Internet provider's server; you don't need to clog your Inbox
with that junk. They make no money for anyone.
##
In response to Feature Writer Steven Famiglietti - JAWS 13 New
Features: Part Two, Bill wrote:
I want to comment on the article about jaws and how expensive the
upgrades are. It is a sad thing that we have to pay so much for
something which is vital to us to do work on the computer. The
manufacturers should be ashamed of themselves charging so much money.
They sure have a monopoly.
##
In response to Feature Writer Steven Famiglietti - JAWS 13 New
Features: Part Two, Pam wrote:
I agree the cost of upgrades is prohibitive and can't help but resent
the constant need to upgrade, especially when many reported problems
simply aren't fixed. I'd be interested to know how many readers
experience silences when using Jaws 12. These silences are brief but
infuriating and I have to say I never experienced these prior to
recently upgrading from a very old version of Jaws.
Regards,
Pam MacNeill
###
Recipe of the Week - Sweet & Tangy Garlic Chicken Recipes
Serves: 6
This chicken would be great served over a bed of white rice with
steamed vegetables.
Ingredients:
6 4-oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons scallions (chopped)
1 tablespoon honey
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan.
2. Add chicken; brown on all sides (approx 10 minutes).
3. Remove from pan, drain off excess fat.
4. Add remaining ingredients to pan and bring to a boil.
5. Return chicken to the pan and reduce heat.
6. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.
###
END OF NEW MAGAZINE CONTENT
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