Blind Paladin's Pulpit

Ice Danger

2011-12-19T22:26:00.001-07:00

Another excellent e mail from my friend with the wit.

I did not know this...

When you drink vodka over ice, it can give you kidney failure.
When you drink rum over ice, it can give you liver failure.

When you drink whiskey over ice, it can give you heart problems.
When you drink gin over ice, it can give you brain problems.

Apparently, ice is really bad for you.
Warn all your friends.

Prayer Requests From VOM

2011-12-17T11:24:00.002-07:00

"Prayer is the pulse of life; by it the doctor can tell what is the condition of the heart. The sin of prayerlessness is a proof for the ordinary Christian or minister that the life of God in the soul is in deadly sickness and weakness." - Andrew Murray

"praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" - Ephesians 6:18

VOM-USA Prayer Update for December 16, 2011
On Wed. Dec 14 2011 at 02:12 PM Moderator wrote:
Syria--Regime Change Bad News for Christians
Sources: Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin, VOM Contacts

Romans 9:7-9

A regime change in Syria would almost certainly have negative effects on Christians, according to observers of the country's political situation. The Syrian uprising is "not about 'democracy' as the West knows it," wrote Elisabeth Kendal in the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin. "It is about restoring [Sunni Muslim domination], Arab hegemony and the Islamic order to Syria." During the uprising, Syrian Christians have been forced from their homes and Christian businesses burned. Protestors at one event reportedly chanted, "The Alawites to the grave and the Christians to Beirut." While VOM-supported evangelists have long faced harassment and other difficulties while sharing the gospel, many fear that a change in Syria's leadership could raise anti-Christian persecution to levels seen in Iran. Please pray for the protection and perseverance of God's children in Syria.

Uzbekistan--Christians Warned to Stop Evangelism
Source: Forum 18 News

Exodus 18:7-9

Authorities in Angren, Uzbekistan, warned local churches in November to cease proselytism and missionary activities and to stop allowing children to participate in worship meetings. The deputy head of the administration delivered the warning to representatives of the Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventist and Baptist churches on Nov. 2. In addition to being warned about evangelistic work, the church representatives were asked for lists of their churches' members. Area Christians said they will continue to teach their children about their faith. Pray for Christians in Uzbekistan, who face intense pressure from the government.

Burma (Myanmar)--More Violence Against Christian Minority
Sources: Compass Direct News, Kachin News Group

Psalm 149:6-9

Burmese government troops killed civilians, burned houses and arrested a Christian couple in the Christian-majority Kachin state recently. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, one woman was killed and six other villagers injured as soldiers fired four rounds of mortar shells toward civilians in the Tarlawgyi area. Government troops also burned down 10 homes in Nam Wai village and five more in neighboring Hpa Ke village. The attacks followed two explosions that occurred the previous night in the state's capital, Myitkyina, in which one student died and another was injured. Local residents suspect that government agents planted the bombs. Two weeks earlier, on Nov. 13, a powerful explosion killed seven children and three displaced people and injured 16 other children at an orphanage in Myitkyina. Police arrested the Christian couple who run the orphanage in connection with the bombing, even though two of their sons and a grandson were among those killed. The attacks have left civilians in Kachin terrified. An estimated 90 percent of Kachin citizens are Christian. Pray that the government will respond to the needs of Christians in Burma.

2011-12-16T23:01:00.001-07:00

Just had to share this from a friend. Go Broncos.
This just in from Broncoland:

Tom Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. "This house is yours for eternity Tom, said God. "This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here." Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house.

On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the ...corner. It was a huge 3-story mansion with Orange and Blue sidewalks and drive ways, a 50 foot tall flagpole with an enormous Broncos logo flag waving, a swimming pool in shape of a horse, a Broncos logo in every window, and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door.

Tom looked at God and said "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I won 3 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame."

God said "So what's your point Tom?"

"Well, why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?"

God chuckled, and said "Tom, that's not Tim's house, it's mine."

2011-12-03T12:02:00.001-07:00

A friend forwarded this to me and I found it amusing and apt. Too large for a FaceBook post, so I thought it would go well here.

Wal-Mart vs. The Morons

1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart Every hour of every day.

2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.

8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.

11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.

You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.

This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To all 535 voting members of the Legislature,

It is now official that the majority of you are corrupt morons:

a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more.

e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.

g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars. Folks, keep this circulating. It is very well stated. Maybe it will end up in the e-mails of some of our "duly elected' (they never read anything) and their staff will clue them in on how Americans feel.

AND

I know what's wrong. We have lost our minds to "Political Correctness" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMERICA: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed hungry, elderly going without 'needed' meds, and mentally ill without treatment -etc,etc.

Imagine if the *GOVERNMENT* gave 'US' the same support they give to other countries. Sad isn't it?

"If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." ~ Benjamin Franklin

2011-10-06T19:50:00.002-06:00

The below is a post I did to the brushfire list.

Greetings list,

Wanted to see if anyone out there in brushfire land had any strong opinions on the Hermanater. I have been positively impressed by the interviews I've heard and by the Fox News/Google debate performance. Although I think it unlikely he will win, I am buying his book and making a small donation to his site. Is this vain foolishness on my part? Would you donate to a candidate at this early stage in either time or money?

Although I think Cain looks excellent I just don't think he'll get the nod. Unfortunate. At least there's StarBucks.

2011-10-02T17:29:00.002-06:00

Found some interesting articles I thought I would share here. First is this which speaks of the killing of terrorists. The point is made that although the recent string of slayings by the U.S. is helpful in battling terrorism there is still a long way to go.

This one talks about the President calling America soft and offering to whip the country into shape. Apart from my dislike of the President's economic policies I am troubled by his request to sacrifice without having a solid goal in mind. Sacrificing to lose ten pounds, or save two hundred dollars a month, or pay off a particular loan makes sense because you have a measurable goal to check your progress against. Sacrificing to rid the world of hunger or help out those less fortunate then yourself as the government defines them is another matter. While one might be willing to do the former, how would we determine the progress? With the latter there is the additional question of why I should be made to be charitable to others. I have just seen to many living off the dole, and the disensentives for people to get back to work once on said dole.

Finally there is this little gem on the problem of evil. Most interesting.

The End of the Am Ex Death March

2011-09-25T16:19:00.003-06:00

For the last several weeks I have been working overtime in order to start getting a handle on my debt. Yesterday I succeeded in finishing my alotted overtime, bringing an end to what I have called the Am Ex death march. The work seemed overwhelming at times, but in the end I think doing it was a good choice. Working the OT allowed me to become more comfortable with my job in general, and the extra funds will help in chipping away at the debt snowball.

In regards to the snowball I am making progress. I have lowered my spending by eatting at home more and out less, and have turned a deaf ear to Amazon ads. I havealso started saving on a monthly basis, which I hope will encourage me as I see the funds rise over time.

Apart from work life goes well enough. I have spent this weekend reconnecting with friends, and today has been spent in regrouping for the week ahead. I am thinking about attending church again, but will probably not be able to start until next weekend or the follwoing. Starting to go again will be helpful I think.

The King of the Lanes... Or Not

2011-08-21T19:10:00.002-06:00

While bowling makes for a good hangover cure I suspect my plan to ditch the IRS and become a professional bowler might be a bit premature. Considering I haven't been bowling for nine years my scores of 55, 28, and 49 are okay. I had agreed to be in a league, but believe that bowling for me is like the bouncing castles were as a kid- good about once a year, but more then that can be a bit old.

Nevertheless it was a great time. The folks to our left were a riot, and our group made for good company. Hope got two strikes, considering it was her first time bowling ever I thought that was fairly decent. Chris and Christine had an enjoyable time it seemed. All in all fun times.

Bowling and the Rockies

2011-08-21T14:11:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the Rockies vs. the Dodgers. The game was excellent, although finding one's way about the stadium can be an adventure all on its own. Left at the end of the 9th inning with the game tied as it was insanely hot. Headed over to Chili's with the group and had great food and company.

Going bowling today to recover from yesterday evening. Should be theropudic. Will write later how it goes.

Thoughts From Work and the Week

2011-07-30T15:31:00.002-06:00

In an attempt to follow up on the reserection of my social life I have decided to start blogging more often. This past week has gone well. Wednesday night I had a fantastic dinner with Hope and Joe of twice baked potatoes, steak in wine and mushroom sauce, and chicken wrapped in bacon with wine. An excellent way to celebrate the survival of the middle of the week. Hung out with friends at Chili's last night, and having a relaxing weekend before heading back into the fray.

Work is going well, and I am glad at this point I withdrew my letter of resignation. Think things will work out well.

On a side note I had an excellent experience with Chase. Not only is there web site one of the most blind friendly I've seen, but their ATMs are also wonderfully easy to use. Props to them for making their bank so blind friendly.

Finally the below is from work. Enjoy

John Wooden, one of the greatest and wisest college basketball coaches of all time, once said, “Promise yourself to make all your friends know there is something in them that is special and that you value.” It is so easy for us to go through our day-to-day lives without telling those who are closest to us – our colleagues, friends and family – how much we appreciate them.

Generally, appreciation means some blend of thankfulness, admiration, approval or gratitude. It does not take much to show appreciation – perhaps a smile or a simple thank you. Those two small words can mean so much, yet when is the last time you heard them or used them?

I know we have special events and holidays to show those in our lives we care about them. But don’t wait. Take the time to show and tell your family, friends and co-workers that you value them. Like coach Wooden, I won’t miss this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work in making SB/SE successful.

The chance to show appreciation can pass quickly, in the blink of an eye; it is up to us to not miss the opportunity to make someone feel valued and appreciated.

Faris
SB/SE Commissioner Faris Fink

Thoughts From Work

2011-07-10T19:30:00.000-06:00

Got the below at work, and thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy it.

Studies show that a dose of fun in the workplace improves communication and creates energy; employees who enjoy their jobs are more enthusiastic and engaged.
At a recent town hall meeting in Iowa, I talked about having fun at work. I reminded the attendees that the ability to have fun starts with each of us
as individuals. Laughing a little each day not only gives us a relief from some of the daily pressures but can easily be shared with those around us.

Colin Powell once said: "Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it: Spend time with your families.
Corollary: surround yourself with people who take their work seriously, but not themselves, those who work hard and play hard."

Like the retired general, I've discovered that people who make time for fun and approach other priorities with the same passion as their work are often
the most effective individuals.

So, let’s follow the general’s “orders” and not just work hard, but take the time to laugh a little every day. Let’s strive to achieve balance in our lives
and have some fun doing it.

The Doctor, Saltgrass, and Life

2011-05-14T19:44:00.002-06:00

I am pleased to note that my doctor's appointment today went as well as could be expected. A cleaning of my prosthetic was all that was needed, and I was able to bump out the replacement until 11-21. All in all a good result.

I then ate an excellent meal at the Saltgrass Steak House- an outstanding rib eye steak with blue cheese butter and fries with ranch. A glass of wine to top it off combined with a bowl of great potato soup made it a meal to remember. Also our waiter Chris was a god among men, and was witty and sly. Ellis (he of great wit) and I were able to have excellent one liners with him.

As for life I am well enough. Trying to make work more enjoyable. Finally dropped out of the Union. Feel it promotes sub optimal performance and disagree with it philosophically.

Looking for a new apartment to live in, but everything I'm finding is above my price range. Not sure how long the IRS gig will last, but when/if it ends I would like to stay in Denver. Not sure exactly what to do, as I need to come to a conclusion within the next week or so.

Finally bought a Mac Mini. Like it well enough, but it doubled my credit card bill (curses) so am thinking I will return it until I can have a bit more solid of a financial footing under me.

Ruling the world, and looking good doing it!

Computer

2011-02-25T21:40:00.002-07:00

A friend shared this and I just had to follow in his footsteps.

SPANISH...

unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa..'

'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two groups, male and female,

and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun.

Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.


The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ('la computadora'), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)


The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2 They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won!

The Purple Bunny

2011-02-23T22:49:00.002-07:00

For those of you unaware I have a great affection for the Vorpal Bunny of Monty Python fame. Imagine my dismay when I found myself being Sir Bores in the battle. *sigh* At least victory will in the end be mine when I use the Holy Hand Grenade.

Music, TIPS, and Unions

2011-02-20T17:29:00.003-07:00

After surviving another week in the trenches I have enjoyed a relaxing weekend- yesterday was spent on the couch and baking and today I went to a friend's recital. The latter went extremely well, and I got to interact with some friends. All in all a great way to prep for the week.

I also had an amusing experience the other week. I had gotten home and consumed a bit much of the fermented juniper berry. Now some would have gone on Apple's web site and bought a new computer. I on the other hand go to the Treasury's web site and buy government debt. *sigh*

Finally I am following with interest the happenings in Wisconcen. I find the Union's demands completely unreasonable- gasp you mean we have to start *paying* for our retirement?! How unfair! How mean!

Obviously they have never heard of interest rates or debt either. I do wish the economic illiterate and those with a victimhood entitlement mentality would whine and bitch less and do more. You can read an article with such whining here.

Thoughts from work, the weekend, and a valid point

2011-02-13T14:27:00.002-07:00

The weekend for me started off with a bang, as I ate an excellent meal on Friday night with a colleague at Wyncoops- a delightful spread of buffalo meatloaf and calamari. I subsequently worked overtime, which was quite relaxing, considering we were working cases as opposed to dealing with the non taxpayers we normally deal with.

I am spending an enjoyable Sunday relaxing and recharging the batteries for tomorrow, and enjoying a drop or two of gin in the process.

I must insert an excellent article which speaks about the need to be a soldier, as opposed to an entertainer, for the Gospel. I hope you will find it edifying.

Finally there is an article from work, which I wished to share. Enjoy.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. – Jimmy Johnson, two-time Super Bowl-winning coach

This year’s Super Bowl is no ordinary contest. The game pits two of the most storied NFL franchises: the legendary Green Bay Packers, winners of the first
two Super Bowls, and the Pittsburgh Steelers, going for their seventh title.

So how did they do it? How have these two teams consistently risen above the rest – in short, what makes them extraordinary? I believe it’s the little things
– whether it’s extra time in the weight room, the additional hour spent studying game film, or working out longer on the practice field that turned these
teams into winners.

In our workplace, the little extras make a difference, too. Did you go the extra yard by thoroughly answering your customer’s questions with a smile or
by spending a few extra minutes to find the best way to solve your customer’s problem? Maybe you made a special effort to thank and recognize someone that
helped you.

While we most likely will never play in the Super Bowl, we do have our own tradition of excellence here in SB/SE. Faris and I believe that’s due to your
commitment to go above and beyond what it takes to achieve our business goals. You take ordinary efforts and make them extraordinary.

So, what little extra did you do today?

Word Play

2011-01-30T14:56:00.002-07:00

I received the below from a friend and found it so amusing I simply had to share it here. Enjoy.

Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary,alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter,
and supply a new definition.

Here are the winners:

1.Cashtration(n.): The act of buying a house,which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2.Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

3.Intaxicaton: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

4.Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5.Bozone( n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of
breaking down in the near future.

6Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid..

7.Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high

8.Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9.Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10.Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

11.Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious
bummer.

12.Decafalon(n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

13.Glibido: All talk and no action.

14.Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15.Arachnoleptic Fit(n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spiderweb.

16.Beelzebug(n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

17.Caterpallor( n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

-------------------------------------------------
The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common
words.

And the winners are:

1.Coffee, n. The person upon whom one coughs.

2.Flabbergasted, adj. Appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3.Abdicate, v. To give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4.Esplanade, v. To attempt an explanation while drunk.

5.Willy-nilly, adj. Impotent.

6.Negligent, adj. Absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7.Lymph, v. To walk with a lisp.

8.Gargoyle, n. Olive-flavored mouthwash.

9.Flatulence, n. Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10.Balderdash, n. A rapidly receding hairline.

11.Testicle, n. A humorous question on an exam.

12.Rectitude, n. The formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13.Pokemon, n. A Rastafarian proctologist.

14.Oyster, n. A person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15.Frisbeetarianism, n. The belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16.Circumvent, n. An opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

Chris Rock on Love

2011-01-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

This is so true and so entertaining I just had to share it here.

Another Day Another Opportunity

2011-01-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

The below is from work, and again has a valid point for broader life. Enjoy.

Don't spend your precious time asking, “Why isn't the world a better place?” It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is, “How can I make it better?”
To that there is an answer. – Leo F. Buscaglia

Leo Buscaglia, a teacher and motivational speaker, was perhaps best known as a “cheerleader for life” because of his positive attitude and appreciation
for all the good life has to offer. He encouraged people to not just point out the problems we face in today’s society, but to look for a way to help;
to not just accept things the way they are, but be part of the solution.

Here in SB/SE we face challenges and problems everyday. And we are fortunate to have employees who think creatively – who work hard to come up with new
ways to address our ever-changing issues. Working together we figure out answers, or as Buscaglia put it, we develop ways to make it better.

But we all can do more. Don’t miss each day’s opportunity to make your corner of the world a better place. Take the time to make a positive difference in
this sometimes negative world. As Buscaglia wrote, “It is not enough to have lived. We should determine to live for something.”

Officially Too Much of a Good Thing

2011-01-27T21:12:00.003-07:00

So I have been jesting with friends that since moving to Englewood I have bought enough alcohol from the local store to allow the hard working Ethiopian who owned said store to buy a yacht and take a cruise. Little did I realize that such jests come back to bite us in the most sensitive places in the most unpleasant ways.

I had a small hint that my brave Ethiopian might be taking his time on enjoying those crystal beaches and their delightful amenities when he disappeared shortly after Christmas. I was further confronted with cold hard reality when three weeks later I stopped by after work (thank you Mr. and Mrs. non Taxpayer) for some gin (that nectar of the gods) and lo the door was shut.

Not one to take reality sitting down I ventured forth again the day after my birthday, and finally reality began to slowly sink in when the Bald God and I found the door closed at 4:30pm on a Tuesday.

One would think at this point I would have given up, but I am a faithful soul (or driven, take your pick), so tonight I stride over after work, and finding the door closed again I go in to the next store over. The individuals telling me that my Ethiopian had indeed departed for the crystal sands, never to return, finally has driven the point home.

So what do I do? Ordered from the Liquor Barn.

Victory is always mine.

2011-01-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

The below article is from work, and I find the point a valid one- hence my sharing it here. Enjoy.

If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. – Colin Powell

I saw an interesting news item the other day. The World Association of Chefs recently named Mark Morgan as one of the three best pastry chefs in the world.

Why am I bringing up pastry chefs? Not because of a sweet tooth. It’s because pastry chef wasn’t the occupation listed for Morgan – or should I say “Master
Sgt. Morgan.” The culinary expert is an Army ranger who has completed six tours of duty – two in Iraq and four in Afghanistan – and a recipient of the
Bronze Star.

I believe the sergeant chef would agree there is no single path to excellence. By taking advantage of the many opportunities afforded us, we can increase
our chances for success. Don’t put off reaching your goals until “after the holidays” or the ever-popular “after retirement.” Take that first step today
to reach tomorrow’s dreams.

We all have talents outside of our job description that can expand our horizons in and outside the workplace. Morgan is a decorated soldier who makes world-class
pastries by mixing perseverance and pride in his work. It’s a winning recipe we all can follow.

Exciting calls, a long weekend, and spam

2011-01-16T20:42:00.002-07:00

The more time I spend at my job the more convinced I am that most people in this great country of our are absolute nutbars. I begin to think a book of humor on some of the calls I have received after working for seven months for my current employer would be a good money making venture.

A freind sent me the below, which I simply have to share.

For all of you out there who've had to deal with an irate customer, this one is for you. It's a classic! In tribute to those 'special' customers we all
love!

An award should go to the United Airlines gate agent in Denver for being smart and funny, and making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably
deserved to fly as cargo.

A crowded United flight was canceled. A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way
to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, "I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be FIRST CLASS." The agent replied, "I'm sorry
sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but I've got to help these folks first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." The passenger was unimpressed.
He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, "Do you have any idea who I am?"

Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone. "May I have your attention please?" she began, her voice bellowing
throughout the terminal. "We have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the
gate."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and swore, F*** you!"

Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to stand in line for that, too."

As for life things go fairly well. Trying to maintain a good social life and not let work consume my soul. Recently bought Slice by Five for Fighting from www.amazon.com. This is an excellent album and I would recommemd it to everyone. Apart from that planning on a few weeks of celebrating my birth- first here in Denver on the 22nd, and then the first weekend next month in Colorado Springs, and perhaps the weekend of President's Day as well. You know when it's my birth we're celebrating it's bound to be a party and a good one. :)

Dragon Warrior

2011-01-14T00:25:00.003-07:00

Tonight while trying to relax from an attack of real world dragons I came across this series of tunes from the old NES Dragon Warrior game. For those of you who did not know me when I was 9 I took great and extreme enjoyment from this game. I swear it was the best $35 my parents ever spent, when taken into account how many hours I spent playing that game. When I played it I was the strong warrior carrying off the princess and slaying the dragons, a role I still enjoy playing to this day.

I like to think that such (at this point) such simple tunes can still inspire the Dragon Warrior inside me.

I share it with you as an insight into my inner being.

Anniversaries, Braille, and the Holidays

2011-01-05T17:41:00.003-07:00

Today would have marked the fourth anniversary of Sueanne and my being wed. Unfortunately due to choices last year this is not the case today, but I am filled with sorrow at what was lost, particularly as I listen to this. I keep thinking things will get better, and they gradually are, but there is still a long way to go. I ended up taking a personal day at work, as when I got up I gathered quickly that I was in no state to deal with tax payers, whether on the phone or otherwise, so thought it best to have a down day. This has proven to be a good choice, as I have used the time to heal up a bit and recharge the batteries.

Yesterday was Louis Braille's birthday. He would have been 202. I cannot express what a difference Braille has made in my life, from labeling items around the house, to using it at work and at play, Braille has enriched my life as a blind person. I have to thank the NFB in general and the CCB and Tom Anderson in particular for giving me the drive to complete the learning that was done in high school with Sara Henry. The Warden got me started and the CCB completed a skill set I use every day to my benefit and enjoyment. Celebrating Braille's birthday in this context makes alot of sense, and I hope you will join me in doing so, if belatedly. :)

Finally a quick update. During the holidays I went to Colorado Springs and saw tons of family- reconnecting with my step brother Tim and his delightful soon-to-be wife and song was a particular highlight. I trust now that he and his family are back in Colorado we might see a bit more of each other. Overall Christmas was most enjoyable, and I survived the subsequent week at work with little dmage.

New Year's Eve was enjoyable, thought less so. My local supplier of adult beverages apparently took the week off, so I was left with a bottle of cherry wine to entertain my guests. Then the gods of weather diecded that making Denver into a frozen wasteland the day of New Year's Eve was a good choice. So a party that was supposed to be anywhere from 5-15 people was reduced to myself and the Bald God. Fortunately we had a good time of it, and I am eagerly looking forward to my upcoming birthday party.

Wishing all a happy new year.

On My first stripper and Robbing the Old Lady

2010-12-14T22:32:00.003-07:00

For those who think my work is dull I offer the above catchy headline.

I receive a call today from a customer who tells me that she works in the entertainment business and gets paid only in cash, which is part of why she didn't file taxes... Well yes, I would imagine that line of work doesn't exactly come with a W2 and a health plan. Needless to say it was an educational experience to say the least.

The second part of the story is less amusing but still interesting. A 79 year old lady called me and I spent over thirty minutes trying to convence her that if she would simply pay the user fee to get into a monthly payment plan that she could send us $25 per month as opposed to the $157 she was sending in via her SS check. When we finally succeeded in bridging the communication gap she was practically turning cartwheels for joy. Nice to know it's the lady as a gender I struggle to communicate clearly with. :)

Wearing a Cloak of Water

2010-12-11T20:09:00.002-07:00

So today I had lunch with my mother, Tom Ellis (the King of the Shigga Dig), and Rick- a.k.a. the Bald God. After this delightful meal (good food and company make for good times after all) Rick and I went to a spa to try a sensory dep tank. I found the experience truly unique, like sky diving in os far as you can't really say what it's like unless the other person's experienced the same thing. The feeling was something like wearing a cloak of water, as the water around my head felt like a cowl, and I could feel the water along my back and legs.

Overall a most interesting experience. Don't think it will replace the steak and stress relief program I currently have running, but I am very glad to have had the experience.

On Sleep, Saturday, and Eyore

2010-12-11T12:47:00.003-07:00

I had the delight of waking up this morning at 11am, and was struck by the thought that this time would in the days of my youth, have been far too late for the truly important part of Saturday- i.e. cartoons. I am amused by the fact that when I was younger I would happily wake up at 7 or 8am to watch favorites, and when I was a bit older WWE, where as now I long for nothing more then a few extra hours worshiping Somnus.

I was also amused to be called Eeyoreish by a friend this week. Although I think of myself as being more Tiggerish, or perhaps Owlish, I fear that now and again Eeyore does indeed describe me well. (On a side note I have been having heated arguments with family and friends for the last few years about Eyore's coloring. Imagine my delight when I found the wiki linked above proving that victory is mine. Glooting? Me?)

Work continues a pace. Making it through in a fairly good way, and starting to get a handle on the job. Looking at hosting a New Year's Eve party at my place and of course prepping for the annual holiday known as the date of my birth. :)

On Sick Leave

2010-12-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

As I contemplate sick leave the below poem came to mind, for some strange reason. I recommend it to all, young and young at heart.

Sick - Shel Silverstein

Sick

'I cannot go to school today, '
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
'I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more-that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut-my eyes are blue-
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke-
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is-what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is...Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play! '

On Sudo Justice

2010-11-18T22:08:00.003-07:00

I found the murdering scum being hit on only one count out of hundreds yesterday as a example of sudo justice, and shows (if such is needed) why it is so important to treat terrorists like the enemy combatants they are, rather then sudo American citizens. From the article linked in the title...

"If this insane policy of appeasing terrorists and granting them American constitutional rights to be tried as quasi American citizens continues, the cost
of this failure will pale in comparison to the cost of the failure that will undoubtedly yet occur as a result of this ruling," he said in a written statement.
"Terrorists now have incontrovertible evidence that they can exploit the American justice system and they will use this knowledge to train new terrorist
recruits and manipulate their cases if and when they are caught."

A History Lesson

2010-11-16T21:49:00.002-07:00

My friend and colleague Jonathan posted the below on his Facebook page, and as it contains great truth I thought I would post it here as well.

Alas I appear to have some liberal tendencies- i.e. sushi and imported beer, but am comforted by the red meat.

Hope you find this as entertaining as I did.

For those that don't know about history ... Here is a condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deerin the mountainsduring the summer and would go to the
coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beerand the invention of the wheel.The
wheel was invented to get man to the beer.These were the foundations of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity
into two distinct subgroups:1. Liberals 2. Conservatives.Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture.Neither
the glass bottlenor aluminum canwere invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close
to their brewery.That's how villages were formed.Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking beer. This
was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement...Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives
by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement. Some of these liberal
men eventually evolved into women. They became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention
of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democraticvoting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided. Over the years
conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass for obvious
reasons.Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef
well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone
levels than their men.Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented
the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Budor Miller. They eat red meat
and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big game hunters,rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police
officers,engineers, corporate executives, athletes,members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives
who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide
what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when
conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.Here ends today's
lesson in world history!

It should be noted that a Liberal may have a momentary urge to angrily respond to the above before forwarding it.

A Conservative will simply laugh and be so convinced of the absolute truth of this history that it will be forwarded immediately to other true believers
and to more liberals just to piss them off.And there you have it. Let your next action reveal your true self..... I'm going to have another beer.

A Thought on American Literature

2010-11-15T21:26:00.003-07:00

I have recently finished The Coming of Conan, a collection of Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard. I began the series with the desire to kill a few hours, but was quickly drawn in to the overarching story and well written characters and plot points. Having been addicted through this initial reading I was struck that in the realm of literature that which I love, H.P. Lovecraft, Stephen King, and Tom Clancy are all distinctly American. When I hear rantings about how American literature has provided nothing to culture, and how we are decaying as a culture, I simply look at the immense contributions provided by those mentioned above, combined with Ayn Rand and the classic American authors to believe that we as a people have and are increasing and deepening culture from a literary viewpoint.

Lunch and other random things

2010-11-12T20:46:00.003-07:00

I had the opportunity to enjoy lunch with some colleagues at Slebies today, and it was a treat to say the least. A *fantastic* sandwich (the Denver Zoo) and better company made for a most outstanding experience. I feel better about my job as I look at my colleagues and the possibilities for the future. Although I feel as if I know little about my job (which has been increased by the recent changes in the IRM) I believe these may be overcome. I certainly hope so, as I am coming to enjoy my work more and more. If nothing else it provides me with an endless source of humor as I listen to customers rant about the unfairness of the IRS, while not paying their taxes.

Victory will be mine, but I question if it will be so for the country as I interact daily with people who don't want to pay their taxes. We will see I suppose. In the meantime there is Gin, iced coffee, and beautiful women to fill the void.

Saint Matthew

2010-11-11T21:00:00.003-07:00

Considering my profession I think I will make Saint Matthew my patron saint.

Although some days in the service I feel like I am beaten up and drained of all life I am glad to be working, and am happy to have the opportunity to work. I trust that with time I will get better at my job of tax collector, and pray that in the end it might glorify Christ.

We will see how it all goes, but it is nice to at least have the chance to work.

THoughts on my employer

2010-11-11T18:09:00.001-07:00

Had a colleague send me the below, and I thought I'd share.
A little boy wanted $100.00 very badly and prayed for weeks, but nothing happened. Then, he decided to write God a letter requesting the $100.00. When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA," they decided to send it to the President. The President was so amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5.00 bill. The President thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.

The little boy was delighted with the $5.00 bill and sat down to write a thank you note to God, which read:

Dear God,

Thank you very much for sending the money. However, I noticed that
for some reason you sent it through Washington DC...And those jerks took $95.00 in taxes.

The Irresponsible in Action

2010-11-07T11:25:00.002-07:00

I just read the linked article and find it extremely unfortunate that some are attempting to defend the irresponsible behavior of former home owners. The concept that because these people bought more home then they could afford subsequently puts them on the same level as the person on the street is simply absurd. This family thought they could afford the home they got a loan on. They were wrong. As opposed to accepting their error and trying to get on with their life they try and ruin it for a family who has been wiser with their finances.

The fact that this behavior is defended at all disgusts me. Let the irresponsible rant and moan all they like about mean things like the interest rate and requirements to follow through on their commitments, but they should have enough respect for others, and more importantly for themselves, to not try and destroy what they cannot have.

This shows, if indeed more proof is needed, of the need for the thought of Ayn Rand in modern America.

The Joy and the Pain

2010-11-03T00:19:00.002-06:00

So I am disappointed by the Colorado governors race, but have hope for the US Senate race. Victory will be ours!

Overall, I think the national mood is for fiscal sense, and I look forward to that being put forth in future laws.

The Rush

2010-11-01T23:43:00.002-06:00

Very much looking forward to what the election holds tomorrow. Hoping for alot of new bosses after tomorrow. If you haven't considered it before, please consider getting out to vote tomorrow.

I will be posting updates on Twitter, Facebook, and here throughout election day. Please consider voting Republican as I view the GOP as the best hope for fiscal sanity.

Looking forward to what the polls yield. Here's to the constitution and core American values.

The IRS Isn't Scary

2010-10-31T22:35:00.001-06:00

Got this at work and had to share. Amusing while still being true.

Do you remember trick-or-treating on Halloween when you were 5 years old and some high school kids jumped out in scary costumes? No doubt you screamed,
sent your candy flying and ran home.

Taxpayers sometimes experience similar feelings when they’re notified the IRS is auditing their taxes. Truth is, we don’t wear scary masks; we don’t jump
out and say, “Boo!” In fact, we’re doing our very best to make the audit process (and customer service in general) professional and not frightening.

In a new series of educational videos, “
Your Guide to an IRS Audit
,” a string of vignettes explains the examination process. The videos walk taxpayers through a typical audit from start to finish. They can see firsthand
the experience is very straightforward. SB/SE is at work creating a similar series to explain the collection process.

But we can’t rely on videos alone. We are each accountable to our own customers. We must explain the actions we are taking and ensure our customers are
treated with respect and understanding.

If you know someone who has been contacted by the IRS for an audit, send them the video links on IRS.gov. While they still may consider an audit unsettling
– maybe a little scary, even – they’ll find out who we really are: skilled, dedicated employees who take pride in delivering the best customer service
we can.

Chris

SB/SE Commissioner

My Thanks to the Dems

2010-10-31T12:45:00.002-06:00

I have to offer thanks to the Dems as I was thinking about skipping voting on Tuesday. As I was listening to the Broncos game however I heard one of the most snarky illogical political ads I've ever heard- sponsored by the Dems. This ad reminded me of my duty, not only to vote, but also to attempt to improve our culture, in so far as I can do so. With this in mind I plan to start donating on a monthly basis to the Heritage Foundation, as I view Heritage as one of the groups that is working towards improving and maintaining our culture.

So I thank the Dems for giving me, not only a reason to vote on Tuesday and not be lazy, but a reason to be engaged in the improvement of our culture.

Looking forward to Tuesday. Plan to have a couple of beers and some pizza as I listen to the results on the Hughniverse. Should be interesting.

Braille Readers Are Leaders

2010-10-26T21:36:00.002-06:00

The time for the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest is quickly approaching, and once again I will be involved. The adult contest is a really cool fature that I am glad they are continuing this year. Anyone interested in joining me for a team should e-mail me.

Work continues a pace. On my new schedule, which is okay time wise, but is kicking me from here to next week with the actual being on the floor part. Thank God for the holy brew and gin in the evening. I trust this will get better, and in the meantime I have this ginormous Braille display to use while at work. Got a flu shot today, so am hoping it might leave me with a little more sick leave then otherwise. Here's hoping.

Trying to learn all the ins and outs of my Alva BC640 before the start of the contest, as I'd like to use it. Really a great display, but I very much look forward to the day when electronic Braille is more affordable. Hoping the Braille Wizard by NBP will be a solid step towards affordable electronic Braille, just like the Perkins Braille displays have been.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

White Cane Safety Day Proclamation

2010-10-23T18:20:00.002-06:00

As those who speak with me for more then two minutes about politics knows I have huge disagreements with Obama about everything from economics to civil rights matters. Having said this I have always been most impressed by his White Cane Day proclamations, and felt it important to reprint it here.

The focus on the white cane as a symbol of freedom and independence, as well as the mention of the importance of Braille as literacy, are major points and should not be overlooked. Regardless of whether a given day is a travel easy day or one where I am veering all over the place, the fact that I can navigate independently is so important, and can be overlooked when not compared with the fairly recent past.

Additionally, the ability to read is extremely important. Although I don't read as quickly as I would like, the ability to use Braille, no matter how slowly, is a blessing. I know of those who can make it with just sound, but I question if their life is really enhanced by this lack.

October 15, 2010
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION

The white cane, in addition to being a practical mobility tool, serves as a symbol of dignity, freedom, and independence for individuals who are blind or
visually impaired. On White Cane Safety Day, our Nation celebrates the immeasurable contributions the Americans who use canes have made as valued members
of our diverse country. We also examine our progress and recommit to full integration, equality, education, and opportunity for Americans with visual impairments.

Today, students with disabilities are reaching achievements considered unattainable just a few decades ago. Many gains have been realized throughout our
educational system, but we must accomplish more so that America's technological advances and assistive tools are available for the benefit of all students.
My Administration is committed to ensuring that electronic readers and other electronic equipment used by schools, including postsecondary institutions,
are accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. We are also providing guidance and technical assistance to help colleges and universities
fully comply with the legal requirements to use emerging technology that is accessible to all students in the classroom. Blindness and visual impairments
are not impediments to obtaining knowledge, and we must highlight the availability of existing tools to facilitate communication and work to improve access
to them. Additionally, the Braille code opens doors of literacy and learning to countless individuals with visual impairments across our country and around
the world, and we must work with advocates and leaders throughout our society to promote and improve Braille literacy among our students.

Americans with disabilities are Americans first and foremost, entitled to both full participation in our society and full opportunity in our economy. My
Administration is working to increase information access so Americans who are blind or visually impaired can fully participate in our increasingly interconnected
world. To expand career options for people with disabilities in the Federal Government, I signed an Executive Order directing executive departments and
agencies to design strategies to increase recruitment and hiring of these valued public servants. I was also pleased to sign the Twenty-First Century Communications
and Video Accessibility Act into law earlier this month to ensure that the jobs of the future are accessible to all. This legislation will make it easier
for people who are deaf, blind, or live with a visual impairment to use the technology our 21st-century economy depends on, from navigating digital menus
on a television to sending emails on a smart phone.

As we observe the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act this year, my Administration reaffirms our national commitment to creating access
to employment, education, and social, political, and economic opportunities for Americans with disabilities. Together with individuals who are blind or
visually impaired, service providers, educators, and employers, we will uphold our country as an inclusive, welcoming place for blind or visually impaired
people to work, learn, play, and live.

By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628, as amended), the Congress designated October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day
to recognize the contributions of Americans who are blind or have low vision.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2010, as White Cane Safety Day. I call upon all
public officials, business and community leaders, educators, librarians, and Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and
programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of October, in the year of our two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Dracula and work

2010-10-21T16:15:00.003-06:00

Yesterday evening I went to see Dracula at the theater, and it was amazing. The acting was excellent (particularly that of the Count and Van Helsing) and the stage effects were well done. The adaptation of the book was almost word for word, and it blended humor and seriousness in such a way as I haven't seen on the stage in a long time.

My only regret is that they cut out the character of Quincy, the brash American from Texas. I have always loved Quincy's character, as it symbolizes for me the American character and the impact it had on the world, even at that time.

Nevertheless, the play was a once in a lifetime experience I will never forget. I strongly suggest seeing it if you have the time and are near to Denver.

After the play Soren, Lora, and I went to a new bar for me, Fresh Craft. The food was excellent (almost as good as the company), and the beer was better. The service was friendly and prompt. I plan to go back as soon as possible, as it looks like an excellent place to huddle oneself in for a few hours. The music was good but not too loud, which is so unique in downtown IMO.

On other fronts the job is rather shaky. Unfortunately, the work I am doing is just not inspiring (unlike the work I did for the CCB, but I don't feel I can afford to resign before next June. Every morning getting out of bed is a struggle, and every night I go to sleep tired and emotionally drained. Perhaps I shall resign anyway, but we will see. I have a new schedule and new manager come Monday, so I am waiting to see how that turns out before making a final call.

Regardless of what happens I intend to stay in Denver. Even with $35 a month for RTD passage the freedom granted by being able to move about the city is wonderful. Colorado Springs, while a beautiful city, simply can't offer the same freedom of movement. THis freedom helps me understand why sighted people love their cars so. Truly the ability to move where ever one wishes is a blessing and freedom I think is taken for granted too often.

I follow with the iced coffee...

The Hare Awakens

2010-10-11T17:57:00.002-06:00

Alas as with the tortoise and the hare this hare took a week long nap in the matter of reading the Bible. I have awakened, however, and am now on day 19. I hope to catch up to where I need to be via double readings over the course of the week. I find reading the Bible in the morning tends to help me through the rest of the day. Certainly between it and my coffee I am vaguely awake by the time I hit my desk at 8am.

The rest of life goes fairly well. Still trying to maintain my social life, and still getting a handle on the job. The latter at least seems to be getting easier somewhat, and I am very much looking forward to getting out on the floor on 10-25.

I have been listening to this over the past week and thought I'd share it.

I follow with the iced coffee...

Humor at work and Shopping at the Temple

2010-10-05T17:50:00.002-06:00

Work today was quite the roller coaster- I began the day getting an earful for joking with the customer about the quality of my equipment. I felt this was a simple statement of fact, and the appreciation of the humorous element of this fact would be fine to share with the customer (as that is part of the reason said customer is stuck for such a long period on the phone). Alas this is *not* the case. Considering my employer I wasn't expecting to have customers falling on the floor in laughter, but I found the talking to nonetheless unfortunate. Better to know now, then to have "issues" in the future I suppose.

Calls went fairly well today. My superior was pleased with them. The last one unfortunately involved a grumpy individual who sucked the life out of me over the phone, and then hung up before I could even assist him. *sigh*

So I did what any respectable individual would do- I went to the Temple of Capitalism and bought some Red Bull and chewy chocolate chip cookies. The latter I heated up in the microwave, and the former I made into a Jagerbomb. I also broke down and bought Wal-Mart's version of icyhot, in hopes it will help with the neck. We'll see how it goes.

Looking forward to a quiet evening consisting of books, a hot tub, and watching my favorite actress.

Fall and the Gauntlet

2010-10-02T14:46:00.002-06:00

I am very pleased the the weather has finally started to cool, and I can start to believe that I live in a city and not an oven. The smell of smoke in the air, the cool breeze, and the excellent weather always fill me with a sense of expectancy. Never sure what I expect exactly, but every fall it is there.

Social life goes well. Went to Rock Bottom with my dear friend Deanna and her boyfriend Andrew yesterday evening. Great time, between the company and the food.

Started properly on the phones at work yesterday. All in all a pretty good start; although I had forgotten some things since it's been a couple of weeks since I've been on the phones. If yesterday was any indication the days should be tiring but fly by.

The gauntlet also goes well. Although this hare is tempted to take a nap now and again I have thus far been able to maintain my lead (I am as of this writing on day sixteen of the reading plan). The regular reading is helpful for me, as it makes for a good way to wake up in the morning and sustain me during breaks etc. at work.

Life and the Gauntlet

2010-09-23T22:47:00.003-06:00

I just attended Tap Dogs this evening with a group from Pathways Church. Good times- the food beforehand was excellent (a mojito, wine, trout, and outstanding coffee and dessert), as was the show itself. Didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did, considering it was tap dancing; however, the energy displayed was most entertaining.

Apart from the great evening this evening I have had some great times in Denver both within and without the salt mines. I have attended a couple of Rockies games with excellent company, and the experience was always most enjoyable. Looking to hit up one more game to celebrate a friend's birthday next Tuesday- should be a blast.

The Gauntlet also goes well. Have stayed on target thus far this week, and am actually mildly ahead of my friend. Alas this will be more a matter of the tortoise winning in the end, rather then the hare. Nevertheless, it is good to be reading the good book again- makes for good reading on the train in the morning.

Also looking forward to the elections in November. I was thrilled when I found out that I could still register to vote with my address change. If you haven't registered to vote yet you can do so here. I encourage you to vote, and to vote for those who believe in fiscal responsibility. I'd kind of like the dollar to be worth more then Monopoly money ten years down the road. Of course a gold standard would help in that regard, but I shall refrain from getting on that soap box.

Still enjoying my iced coffee, and rather enjoying cold mint tea as well. Hoping to have a large glass of it in celebration in November.

Let the Gauntlet Begin...

2010-09-19T18:56:00.003-06:00

So today began my Bible reading contest with my friend. Began by reading Gen. 1, Josh 1, Psalms 1, Prov. 1, Is. 1, Matt 1, Rom 1, Acts 1, Job 1, and 1 Thes 1. Obviously a interesting reading schedule, but the goal is to get through the Bible within 269 days. Looking forward to seeing how it goes.

As for the rest of life things go well. Still hammering away at the job, attempting to maintain a social life, and ensure I don't burn down my apartment. Looking to start back at church now that I'm settled up here, though not sure where exactly to land on that front. Must be orthodox for sure.

Still enjoying the iced coffee...

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

2010-08-25T20:59:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine recently wrote to me that she is attempting to read through the Bible in 249 days. As it has been some time since I read the Bible, and having a sense of competition, my friend and I now have a wager over who will stick with it longest, and who will finish off the good book first.

We are using a system which looks ambitious but doable. If anyone wishes to join us please e mail me.

I shall note my progress here in order to hopefully keep me on track. I have armmed myself with my Stream and a couple of iPhone apps to aid me in my battle. As ever victory shall be mine! :)

The Coffee Drinker's Prayer

2010-08-12T06:54:00.000-06:00

Caffeine is my shepherd; I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal™:
For thou art with me; thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of The Starbucks:
Thou anointest my day with pep; my mug runneth over.
Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Mochas forever.
~Author Unknown

Surviving the Week and Dancing Through Life

2010-08-07T16:53:00.002-06:00

To ctach everyone up who might come across this blog I have recently over the course of the past month been hooked on Red Bull, Fan Fiction, and Jager Mister. I am very pleased to note that I made it through a long week. Training goes well at work and I will yet call down fire and lightning from the sky on the customer; nevertheless, still working on getting a handle on things.

Life overall goes well. This week I was hooked on fan fiction, particularly that of Harry Potter as provided by the Lady of Darkness. I was also joined by her for coffee at Mile High, which was a highlight of the week. My Bald God stopped by as well, and he and I had the most amusing conversation I have ever had with him. Unfortunately the details of said conversation are sealed in the confessional, but it along with Ms. Todd helped me through a rough week.

Looking forward to the rest of the month. In addition to keeping the social life alive a good friend is returning from her travels (yay), and another is leaving for home (:(). My loyalty to the iPhone continues, but I think it will be awhile until I acquire a Mac- particularly as long as Serotek continues to be the dynamic company it has been up to this point. I am also taking up writing- just a bit here and there, but I hope it will improve my overall skill and perhaps provide some entertainment (at my expense or otherwise) to those with whom i share it.

Finally I find it interesting how my life has willingly been given to Google. I use gmail, Google Voice, and even this blog is written on a Google platform. Now if only their phones would involve built in accessibility Apple might have a run for its money.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

Thoughts from the Tech God on Humanware and the Alva BC640

2010-07-03T10:16:00.002-06:00

During the last few weeks of getting settled in Denver, getting a handle on my new job, and attempting to start up/maintain a social life here I have not had lots of time or energy to write on this blog.

However, with the announcement by Humanware about their most recent product the VoiceNote Apex and the interesting announcements I believe will no doubt be coming forth this week at National Convention, I simply had to add in my two cents.

I believe the product by Humanware is a step backward from the strides they have been making towards transforming themselves from an outdated company producing overpriced products to a modern one providing goods that the blind population can afford without a personal loan and their first born being sacrificed. Why do we need another notetaker when a netbook/laptop and a Braille display would work just as well? Why spend time, energy, and resources developing yet another blind ghetto product and then tease us about it? I find it rather like a date who teases you all night and then chops off your personals. Great surprise.

As I gaze about the AT landscape the only bright and shining star I see is Serotek. Freedom Scientific did a good thing by knocking down the price of it's Focus 40 Blue, but they did a far worse thing by locking down their drivers. I appreciate Freedom's seeming support for Braille in its products, but question how supportive they can really be when they force Braille display manufacturers to annually pay to play in their sand box.

A bright note for me personally is the obtaining of the Alva BC640. This will allow me portable Braille access through System Access which will be wonderful.

Can't wait to get to Nationals next year in Florida. Wishing all my friends at Nationals a very good time. Have one for me.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail clips

2010-04-25T23:37:00.002-06:00

My favorite comedy movie of all time is Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail, so I was thrilled when I found some of my favorite clips from it on You Tube. I have posted some of them below for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! :)

Celebrating Earth Day

2010-04-22T15:46:00.002-06:00

Over the last several months I have attempted to lead a greener lifestyle (I particularly like the ideas of the bright green movement), noting the usefulness of conserving resources, and have done so with some success. Baby steps seems to be the name of the game for me; an CFL here, a way of saving water there, etc.

As Earth Day is today I ahve celebrated by Planting a Tree with Dell, ordered The Year of the Flood from Audible, and signed up with the declaration of energy independence. All in all not to bad. Looking forward to next year and seeing where I stand. I hope you too are leading a greener lifestyle.

Are We the Same Because We're Blind?

2010-04-20T15:59:00.002-06:00

A good article from Fred's Head which asks the question of the title. The points made are valid ones IMO, particularly the point about how the public in general views us. As a blind person you are likely to be the only blind person John Q Public ever meets. This is why being polite (no matter how vexing the person) is so important. This is not always a success- there have been many times where I have simply not been in an educator mode and ripped someone's head off. I always regret this, as I know my behavior directly reflects on my blind brothers and sisters. Diplomacy has become easier for me since being involved with the NFB, but there is always room to learn.

On a side note Through Our Eyes is an outstanding podcast on blindness. During their next show (4-21 8pm EST) they will be discussing the International Braille and Technology Center (IBTC) the place I would live if only they would let me set up a cot. If you don't know about the IBTC, or simply wish to hear the discussion I suggest tuning in.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

Some Thoughts on Low Vision Aids

2010-04-19T16:59:00.003-06:00

I am scheduled to begin training students during the summer program at the Colorado Center for the Blind in a month and a half. From previous experience I always find at least two or three (if not more) students who absolutely insist on not useing their sleep shades. I even recall one student indignantly insisting to me that he was not blind. When I asked him exactly what he was doing at a blind summer camp he had no rejoinder.

This attitude reflecting the hierarchy of sight (the idea that a blind person's success and happiness are directly related to how much or little vision they have) seems to me to be most unfortunate as it poorly serves those who proclaim it. I myself used to do so, and I recall nothing but worry that I might loss what "blessed sight" I had left. This made, in my opinion, what was already a stressful and unpleasant situation into a emotionally damaging one. I can see the use of remaining vision, but only after one has come to accept emotionally and mentally the concept of blindness and the fact that it is respectable to be blind. (For excellent reading on this front I recommend Freedom for the Blind by James Omvig.)

I subsequently came across an article on what a low vision person could do in order to ensure his safety. I thought to myself that one could do this or one could simply be cautious and recognize that their vision is going, and act accordingly.

The more I see individuals going to amazing lengths to avoid the dreaded "b word" and having it applied to them, the more I am convinced that a defined positive philosophy on blindness is needed in every school, organization, and service provider who claims to serve the blind. As I visit my old high school as a part of the alum group the philosophy put forward by the school is obvious, and it is neither defined or positive. I hope to have some impact on that.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

On Colorado's Internet Tax

2010-04-03T13:44:00.002-06:00

I found Colorado's recent adoption of the "Amazon Tax" to be both foolish and bad for business. I just found the below from the Colorado Business Magazine. The report is before the tax was passed. I hope that with the next round of elections here in the state we can get some leaders who don't wish to tax us to death.

Full Page Display in Wired

2010-04-01T06:49:00.003-06:00

For those of you who share my longing for a full page refreshable Braille display the day may indeed soon be near, as sited in this Wired magazine article.

The work referenced is one of the projects of the Center for Braille Innovation, which I contribute to on a monthly basis. I believe the advent of affordable electronic Braille for the common blind person will be revolutionary when it comes to real literacy. I wish the researchers of this project great and swift success.

A Full Page Braille Display?

2010-03-29T18:53:00.001-06:00

I found this article extremely exciting and thought I'd share. Hope you enjoy. For more information please go here.

Imagine if your computer only allowed you to see one line at a time, no matter what you were doing—reading e-mail, looking at a Web site, doing research. That's the challenge facing blind computer users today. But new research from North Carolina State University is moving us closer to the development of a display system that would allow the blind to take full advantage of the Web and other computer applications.

"Right now, electronic Braille displays typically only show one line of text at a time. And they're very expensive," says Dr. Neil Di Spigna, a research assistant professor at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. In order to develop a more functional, and affordable, tool that would allow the blind to interface with their computers, Di Spigna and his colleagues are working to develop a full-page, refreshable Braille display. Braille uses a series of raised dots to represent letters and numbers, allowing blind people to read.

Such a display would also translate images into tactile displays, effectively mapping pixels in an image and allowing the full-page Braille display to represent the images as raised dots.

The researchers have developed a concept called a "hydraulic and latching mechanism," which would allow the development of such a display system. The mechanism would be made of an electroactive polymer that is very resilient and inexpensive, when compared to current Braille display technologies. "This material will allow us to raise dots to the correct height, so they can be read," says Dr. Peichun Yang, a postdoctoral research associate at NC State and co-author of the paper. "Once the dots are raised, a latching mechanism would support the weight being applied by a person's fingers as the dots are read. The material also responds quickly, allowing a reader to scroll through a document or Web site quickly."

Earlier this month, the researchers presented their findings on the hydraulic component of the mechanism, showing that it is a viable technology. The next step is to demonstrate a proof-of-concept model of the latching mechanism. "We hope to have a fully functioning prototype of the mechanism within a year," Di Spigna says, "and that could serve as the functional building block of a full-screen refreshable display."

"Reading Braille is essential to allowing blind people to find employment," says Yang, who is blind. "We're optimistic that this technology will give the blind additional opportunities in this area."

"The last 20 years of computer technology have been relatively inaccessible—and today's common mobile computing devices, from smart-phones to digital navigators and iPads, have been completely nonexistent—to blind people, because the display technology for the blind has not kept pace," says David Winick, a researcher at NC State and co-author of the paper. "We hope to enable the development of applications that will give the blind more complete access to the internet and other computer resources, such as e-books."

The research, "The integration of novel EAP-based Braille cells for use in a refreshable tactile display," was presented March 8 at the 12th International Conference on Electroactive Polymer Actuators And Devices in San Diego. The work was funded by the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education. The work was co-authored by Di Spigna, Yang, Winick, Parthasarathi Chakraborti, an NC State graduate student, Dr. Tushar Ghosh, a professor of textile engineering chemistry and science, and Dr. Paul Franzon, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

Enslaved to Google

2010-03-26T09:03:00.002-06:00

I just made an interesting and rather disturbing discovery. I use a *TON* of Google's products. Now when I write that perhaps you're thinking my e mail and blog, and you would be right, but then there's all the additional apps. The calendar, docs (if I figure out how they work), Google Voice, Wave, and all the rest. Perhaps it's something they put in their programming- an addictive substance?

Regardless I am quite hooked, and I must admit that Google's recent stance in China only helps matters. Now if they could only get their phone to be useful in business... The National Federation of the Blind

Braille For Everyone

A moment on the soap box

2010-03-23T19:56:00.005-06:00

Although I find politics castly interesting and enjoy a good debate I have tried to keep my political views confined to posting articles on Twitter. I figure those who wish a greater idea of where I'm coming from on a given issue can easily read the articles I post. Those who disagree can obviously skip them, but regardless despite frequent tweets on the topic of politics I think they are not overwhelming (would my followers please correct this impression if it is mistaken?)

With the passage of health care however I feel I need to make two points. The first is that I believe it will result in economic disaster (see Cafe Hayek for good thoughts on this) and that it will not provide greater health care to Americans but rather increase prices. Additionally, the idea that the government can tell us to buy a private product of any type is unconstitutional. If they can tell us buy health insurance they can tell us to buy spinach, or computers, or government bonds- regardless of whether we want them or not. A dangerous road IMO.

Second I am extremely vexed with my progressive friends ravidly praising this and claiming that those who disagree are idiots or less charitable terms. The debate is over and all that needs to be said has been said (so says George R.R. Martin). I believe however that the debate has just begun, and to claim that those who are argueing for alternitives are simply cruel, greedy, and/or idiotic simply shows the weakness of the promoters of health care. If health care is so great why then all the parlamentary mumbo jumbo? If this was so greatly supported by millions of Americans then why it is only supported by 30% is the polls? Why should we take on blind faith that we will like the bill once we see what it contains?

George R.R. Martin is a great author- I am looking forward to his next Song of Ice and Fire novel, and he has a right to his opinion. I am however dismayed at his taking up the cry of no more debate and basically calling those who watch Fox News brain washed. The fact he mentioned ABC and CNN as unslanted sources was quite amusing. I wish my progressive friends would also drop a bit of their hubrous and agree that good patriotic Americans can disagree with them. Then again considering the illogical nature of most hard core progressives I have met I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that ad hominim attacks instead of logic is the name of the game. One cannot create facts, so it amazes me that many progressives actually believe that Congress, which has never done so in the past, would actually follow through on the cuts it preposes in this bill. Similarly the facts that individuals would be mandated to buy a product from the government doesn't seem to bother them. Must be nice to be able to spend other people's money with such ease. Just because one is willing to pay more for something doesn't mean he should force his neighbor to do so. I like recycling and renewable energy, and am happy to pay a bit more to use these services- but I believe it immoral to force everyone to do so, just because I think it worthwhile. I grow tired of my progressive friends and their arrogance, but when the facts of health care roll in I suppose we will be able to fix matters- hopefully

I am now stepping down from my soap box, and hope that great news in the areas of adaptive technology and life will outweigh the need for another post like this.

My visit to the Apple store- A slice of Paradise

2010-03-14T11:13:00.006-06:00

Last night as we were waiting for what would turn out to be an excellent meal at Red Lobster (I got the Lobster Lover's Feast), I had the chance to pop into an Apple store. The overall experience was something I will not soon forget. The customer service was fantastic, and the 25 minutes I spent useing VoiceOver were both edifying and enjoyable. A slice of paradise seems indeed the best way to describe the feeling I had knowing that I could walk up to any computer in that store and use it without loading anything or paying an additional charge in order to make it accessible. I used an iMac, and the incorperation of the monitor into the tower simply reiterated to me the innovation that is standard for Apple products. Leaving the store without a Mac was quite difficult (the fact the store was closing combined with my wife's strong no were helpful however) and I left without one. When it comes time to updrade however I think a Mac has a better then 75% chance of becoming my primary computer. The iPhone is a great gateway drug in this regard, and I think Apple must put some addictive drug on all its products. *smile*

In regards to this discussion I found this video most interesting. On all Apple products the label indicates that although the product was assembled in China it was made in the US. This is an important point, as what really matters with most products is not where they are put together but where the idea and means of putting them together comes from.

I follow with the iced coffee...

Reading Material

2010-03-07T22:17:00.003-07:00

I just realized that I have read some excellent fantasy novels of late, and have made no comment on them (my Amazon.com reading list on Linked In being a pain to update). I would be remiss if I didn't note these gems which have enriched my reading life.

Terry Goodkind did an absolutely spectacular job with his book the Law of Nines. I must admit that I had tought something else might be in the works for this novel, but it was very good and most riviting.

Terry Brooks' Shanara series has entertained me for years, but I have also enjoyed his Landover series. I am now reading A Princess of Landover and am enjoying it immensely.

Piers Anthony's Xanth series is as humorous and entertaining as ever, now reading Air Apparent.

George R.R. Martin has had his hooks in me since I first cracked the cover of A Game of Thrones, and this continues as I delve into his short stories and collected fiction. I longingly await A Dance With Dragons to come out, but in the interum I am enjoying Dream Songs Vol. 1 and 2, as well as Legends 2.

Although my loudest praise will always be reserved for J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and George R.R. Martin, these authors above come in as close contenders.

The Serotek Ultimatum

2010-03-05T07:58:00.002-07:00

For those unaware this post from the Serotek Blog is really fantastic, calling on all blind people to throw off the AT chains of the blind ghetto. Can't wait until Braille for Everyone comes to pass. The comments afterward are also workth reading IMO.

Cockatrice sends KFC, Subway, Driftwood Inc, and the nation into a Panic

2010-02-20T11:51:00.003-07:00

Once again the wit and culture of the folks on the Entombed Google Group comes forth. Had to post with and share the laughter.

Cockatrice sends KFC, Subway, Driftwood Inc, and the nation into a Panic

This is late breaking news from the green onion. America's leading news source.
3 weeks ago, a man named Allan Thompson walked into his local KFC and
demanded a 12 peace cockatrice meal. KFC, in a desperate attempt to
get ahead in the fast food competition of today, decided without
asking any questions to start making what they claimed to be
cockatrice. However, an employee from subway purchased a Pease of
cockatrice and had it examined and subway was able to confirm their
suspicion that What KFC was serving did not even contain 1 bit of
cockatrice! "I thought it tasted just like chicken," said a man in
KFC while licking his fingers. "we've been suspecting that KFC isn't
even serving real chicken for years," Said a subway representative.
"its too bad we haven't been able to prove that yet, but when they
tried to claim they were serving cockatrice, we wanted to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand!"
Subway also announced that customers who are disappointed that they
had fake cockatrice do not have to worry, because they can now visit
Subway for a 100% healthy all natural cockatrice sandwich. "Remember
the commercial with the man who walked to Subway every day and lost weight?"
asked the same Subway representative. "Well, with our all new
freshly made cockatrice club with the works, you will lose even more
weight since you'll want to run to Subway to get it!"
Unfortunately, not only that people didn't lose weight, but they
gained more weight than they imagined, because within seconds of
eating these new cockatrice clubs, all who dare try it were
petrified! To make things worse, Subway tried to cover things up and
as a result the news wasn't out fast enough. Therefore, many still
bought and ate the cockatrice club and they were also petrified.
In the attempt to fix this stone cold problem, Jason Allen, President
of Driftwood Inc. started to manufacture cure petrification potions.
However, the average price was 300 and not 300 dollars, pounds, or
any such currency. For some strange reason Allen insisted that all
must pay in gold coins. In a desperation attempt to raise the money
to get the gold coins, family members of the victims threatened to
sue Subway for false advertisement. "Subway said that the new
cockatrice club would help people lose weight, but my husband who was
already putting a dent in our couch is now heavy enough to crush the
couch!" said an angry wife of one of the victims. "I don't know
about you, but that sounds like false advertising to me." Subway
promised to buy the petrification potions if all charges would be dropped.
Unfortunately, before any deals were made, some who had the means to
purchase the potions on their own found out that when they poured the
content down their beloved one's throats, it did not work at all.
Jason Allen had to then apologize and explained that the potions seem
to only work if it was taken between the time the sandwiches were
eaten and before petrification took place. "If my little princess
knew that she would be petrified if she ate this cockatrice club, why would she even eat it in the first place?" asked
a wealthy father of a victim. "since its a matter of seconds between
eating them and being petrified, how in the hell is anyone supposed
to get a potion in time?" Allen apologized and promised to work on a
solution as soon as possible. He also encouraged people to try his
reincarnation drafts, but those who tried it said it didn't work.
Allen then realized that the problem is the draft only worked with dead bodies and not stone.
As soon as we get more news on this situation, we will update you
with the latest development on this story. Meanwhile, KFC Is
reselling their fake
cockatrice meals. "This is exactly why we didn't use real
cockatrice in the first place," said a KFC representative. "You
should really give our imitation
cockatrice a try." "even if you don't think its finger licking good,
at least you will still be able to lick your fingers."

You Might be an Entombed Addict If...

2010-02-19T19:24:00.002-07:00

For those of you unaware Entombed is a wonderful blind friendly version of hack developed by Jason Alan. The development period is soon to end, but if you wish you can purchase an early order through the link above. At $40 it's a steal.

On the Entombed Goodle Group the below, which I found most amusing, was posted and I wished to repost it here. Regarding number six- I will never think of or eat at a KFC, Chick-fli-a, or have chicken nuggets without grinning broadly.

You know you are an entombed addict when...

1. You shatter all the mirrors in your house...just in case

2. You list all your possessions as crude, poor, dubious, decent, good, great and legendary.

3. You made the mistake of labelling your spouse, "Dubious" outloud.

4. While waiting at the doctors office, you decide to check the "battle time line" in the clipboard sitting on the secretary's desk

5. You send a letter of correction to National Geographic telling them that the ambusher snake is actually the most poisonous.

6. At Kentucky fried chicken, you insist on getting the 12 piece "cockatrice" meal.

7. You just leave garbage laying around the house because you are sure the scavengers will pick it up after you leave.

8. You have a heated argument with your spouse about whether their mother is a hobgoblin or a bugbear.

9. You have trouble cutting up your steak with a knife and fork because your "dual wield" ability isn't high enough.

10. You end everything you say with the dramatic speaking of the word "...entombed"

Thoughts on the Green Movement verses Conservationism

2010-02-16T14:11:00.003-07:00

As I have attempted to live a bit of a greener lifestyle I have been dismayed at the incessant leak of politics into the attempt to be a conservationist. My friends on the right think I am going left wing nutbar on them, and those I talk to in the green movement seem to think I believe global warming is both a scientific fact and man made.

I find it unfortunate that if we are dealing with scientific fact there needs to be such partisanship surronding matters, but I do not think we are when it comes to global warming. Do greens really think conservatives and businesses are so "greedy" that they would ignore such a problem if the science behind it were truly confirmed? Well perhaps they do, but I don't believe so. Additionally, I am always put on guard when disagreement is met with ad honomin attacks and appeals to authority. We are after all discussing facts about our environment and the Earth, not some religious belief. If the facts are as strong as the global warming disciples believe then why is there such appeal to emotionalism, degrading of their opponents, and appeal to half baked or disputed science?

I am happy to call myself a conservationist. Saving energy and materials, and developing technologies to provide for more less expensive energy in the future makes sense to me. Screaming about the sky falling and the world needing to don a green hair shirt in the name of green holiness does not. Particularly troubling is the lack of belief that even if such is needed the choice should be a colentary one. If I wish to donate to A Real Tree, or recycle, or use CFLs then I may pay the extra and do so. Forcing me, or anyone, to do so, and on half baked scientific fact at that, is dictatorial and irrational.

I hope as I strive to conserve what I enjoy from Mother Nature that I can find fellow workers who are more interested in helping out the environment, rather then blindly following the latest green fad or trying to convert me to the way of the green hair shirt.

Colorado Springs Chapter hosts Transit Meeting

2010-02-03T14:28:00.001-07:00

Independent Travel and Transit in Colorado Springs

When: Tuesday February 23rd, 2010 6-7:30pm
Where Penrose Library Adult Meeting Room
Why: To discuss the current state of the transit system in Colorado Springs, determine how the blind and sighted can advocate for a better system, and discuss means of maintaining independent travel as blind individuals

Although hosted by the Colorado Springs Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind this is a non partisan event and multiple viewpoints are welcome. The chapter will be providing pizza and soft drinks to attendees. If transportation assistance is needed please contact either Kevan Worley (719-527-0488) or George McDermith (719-358-7487 nfbsprings@gmail.com).

On Wind Power, the Green Movement, and the NFB Springs Chapter

2010-01-29T08:16:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I agreed to purchase wind power through CSU when/if they are able to get a wind farm going locally. This is a small volentary way for me to help out with promoting renewable energy, and if you are interested in seeing renewables continue to grow please consider joining me in agreeing to this program. You don't have to supplament all your electricity, and agreeing to 100mws will only add $2-4 to your monthly bill. Thank you for your consideration.

Additionally I have been doing some reading in the green movement. Some of the things I have found are helpful- writings on nature's beauty, how to practically live a greener lifestyle without wearing a green hair shirt, and how to invest in green companies. Basically spokespeople who don't want to go back to the dark ages before the idustrial revolution or who think profits are evil. The second type, and far more the prodominant type, consist of these latter individuals. People who think that the earth is on par with human life, who think profits and capitalism are evil, and who wish to make a totalitarian society where far from being volentary people are forced to be green for their and the planet's own "good". Needless to say I find these thoughts most disturbing and illogical. They seem to miss the point that volentary partisipation is far more effective, as is capitalism for protecting the environment. Communism was absolutely horrible for the environment because people had no buy in to their economy or their environment. Additionally the industrial revolution has brought millions and millions of people out of poverty. To simply throw all that away seems unreasonable to me without strong and solidly proven facts. Also having a discussion on the matter of climate change and having ad hononim attacks flung about instead of a reasonable discussion puts me on edge as to the reality and reasonableness of the climate change position. Even granted the issue it is not at all clear to me that involving the government to fix the problem is the best way- they do such a great job with everything else.

Alas these ideas seem to go over most greens' heads. Hopefully a colentary capitalistic method of being more green will continue to develop. I look at companies like Whole Foods, Starbucks," Apple, and Coca-cola and am given hope.

Finally our local chapter of the NFB here in the Springs continues to grow. We recently joined the Green Cities Coalition in order to have a greater involvement in the community and have a positive impact on the local environment. Our coffee fundraiser program has started up again, and this time we are selling fair trade coffee from Pike's Perk. In addition to these steps I am looking at ways we can purchase renewable energy to cover our meetings and other activities so we can be as green a group as possible.

Along with this our work continues. We are developing a web site for our chapter, involving our members in the work of the NFB, and we are hosting a transit meeting at the Penrose library in downtown Colorado Springs on Tuesday 2-23 from 6-7:30pm. The meeting will focus on where the transit system in Colorado Springs currently stands, how we as blind people can be activly involved in advocating for a better system, and how we can best independently travel with the system as is. Please feel free to join us at this meeting, or any of our monthly chapter meetings.

I have a dream

2010-01-18T09:59:00.002-07:00

In honor of the day I listened to the I have a dream speech, and found it as moving as when I first heard it. I am amazed at how outstanding speeches can still move one. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

My New Year Resolutions

2010-01-01T22:42:00.002-07:00

Although I don't normally do new year resolutions it might come as a surprise that I am starting down that path. The basic idea is to resolve to do things that will make a difference, but not be so amazingly difficult that there is no way I will actually accomplish them (e.g. lose 30% of my body fat by March, donate $5,000 to the National Federation of the Blind, or plant a forest in my backyard). I believe the following to be both practical and hopefully helpful for myself and those around me.

*- I will have $5,000 in savings by the end of next year.

This is obvious considering my past posts on finances- this safety net will be most helpful and should be a good foundation for additional growth. This does not include investments in I Bonds or Munies btw, just solid cash to call upon if needed.

*- I will continue to grow the Colorado Springs Chapter of the NFB.

Again an obvious one, yet one that can be overlooked. Although Sueanne and I put in time here I believe there is more room to grow, much more, and I am eager to see 2010 be the year the chapter gets its feet back under it properly. If you are itnerested we can be found on Facebook, just search for us.

*- Green my lifestyle by planting a tree, conserving energy wherever possible, and by drinking shade grown or fair trade coffee.

Although no green nut (I am a solid global warming sceptic and think State of Fear describes well the nuttiness in the green movement) I do believe conserving energy and taking care of the environment are worthy goals. Saving energy is good for the pocketbook and preserving what we have allows us to enjoy it later. I have already started on this goal to a certain extent with the coffee and the energy. More left to do however.

*- I will update this blog at least twice a month.

As many know my blog is my primary way of letting friends know what's happening with me when I am going insane- busy or otherwise. Thus I will update this twice a month to let folks know I ma still alive and with it. As you may of noticed I have taken to posting interesting articles and random thoughts to my Twitter account so if you find my articles interesting you may wish to follow me there.

I hope this new year is prosperous for you and yours.

Blind Core goes to Turkey

2009-12-30T15:35:00.002-07:00

I wish to bring this effort to your attention and request you consider making a donation to their work. As a person who loves to travel I always marvel at how interesting other countries are- yet at the end of every trip I say there is no better place in the world to be a blind person then North America.

Dear Friend,
It’s winter! You just can’t get around, at least if you’re anywhere like Omaha, Nebraska. We have had 2 blizzards in the last 3 weeks. Transportation, at times has been nearly impossible, schools and businesses have been closed. This has been some of the foulest weather in this region for years, with freezing rain, wind, ice, snow, and no sign of this pattern letting up. With the low temps and piles and piles of snow everywhere, most of us are being very selective in where we choose when traveling away from our homes. Yet people have the choice. Imagine if you had no such choice. Or what if your choices were just as limited, round the clock, day long, week in and out, month after month, life-long? What would that be like?
It would be like the lives of blind people in developing nations, with no hope of receiving the basic training they need to live full independent lives. But this kind of training is available in the U. S. A. every single day. Now, the veteran rehabilitation professionals of non-profit Blind Corps provide this kind of U. S.-developed training to blind people and their teachers where it has never been provided before.
You can help to thaw the ice and make it possible for blind persons of developing nations, struggling to be free and equal, to achieve their dreams of independence. For the cost of a $10 Braille slate, a $25 white cane, a $50 Braille watch, or the donation of used but serviceable equipment or technology you can make a difference.
On May 25, 2010 our team of eight, including myself, will be leaving for Istanbul for our third Blind Corps mission. We’ll be providing training to teachers from the 16 schools for the blind scattered across Turkey, as well as direct contact with individual blind persons. If you’d like to join us, as well as the Turkish Ministry of Education, the City of Istanbul, and Bey Az Ay, the leading non-profit organization of the blind in Turkey in supporting this project, please contact me directly or donate securely online with the Paypal link below.
All of us of the Blind Corps team appreciate your consideration and generosity.

Yours respectfully,
Robert Leslie Newman, Board Member, Blind Corps

(To use Paypal, please click or paste):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=10485686

BLIND CORPS, since November 2005, an IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt Corporation

Robert Leslie Newman
Email- newmanrl@cox.net
THOUGHT PROVOKER Website-
Http://www.thoughtprovoker.info

Government Motors and Tarp

2009-11-15T22:51:00.002-07:00

The article above speaks about GM paying back its loans to the government way before it needs to- and yet, the objective observers say it seems insanely obtimistic to believe that the tax payers will get properly paid back. This just goes to show you that although government has its perks, when it tries to be a business it totally fails. Do we really want the people who can't manage to handle a simple bankruptcy to run everyone's health care?

The Laviathan grows- here's voting for more sushi!

Braille Readers Are Leaders

2009-10-07T09:45:00.000-06:00

I have joined the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest and will begin my reading today. I hope to have read at least 150 pages by the end of the contest. If you are interested in forming a team with me please E mail me.

Who Says American Frugality is Dead?

2009-09-19T23:35:00.002-06:00

As I study more about personal finance I am constantly looking for additional means to improve my financial fitness. I have found that throughout a good chunck of American history our forefathers (and mothers) were extremely frugal people. Little or no debt, personal responsability, and SAVE! I had thought that with the 70s this great American trate had died, but this puts that thought to rest.

Back to the GOP

2009-09-19T02:07:00.003-06:00

For those unaware last November with my extreme vexation with then President Bush chucking his free market principles under the bus and the GOP in general becoming standard want-to-be Dems I decided to join the Libertarian Party.

As of yesterday I have rejoined the GOP, though as a Libertarian Republican. If you click on the link and look at the philosophers who have inspired Libertarian Republicans you will be reading the list of those authors who have a profound impact on my political thinking of late. I particularly recommend Hayek, Rand, and Mill.

I have also been posting political articles of interest via Twitter. If I find anything interesting I tend to tweet it, though since this blog and my Twitter feed are linked to my Facebook page I tend to like to keep my traffic to a fairly small volume. I hope you will find them interesting, and if this is nothing more then my personal echo chamber I will have an excellent archive of political articles I have enjoyed.

Financial Armor and the Battle Plan

2009-09-12T10:52:00.002-06:00

I recently read this post providing a public method of keeping oneself on task with one's finances. I began to do this last month, and wish to continue. Since the finances have cleared up a bit I figure why not continue?

The discription in Ephesians 6:10-18 is one of my favorites in the entire Bible. This post subsequently had a great impact on me; thus, the title of my public records- the battle plan.

Debt:

The ever present foe. *Much* work has been done on this front this past month or so.

Car loan: $0.00- Blown out of the sky- and there was much rejoicing.

Credit Cards: $0.00- Paid off and plan to keep it that way.

Primary mortgage on Colorado: $137,600 (5.1% variable capped at 5.9%).

Chipping away at this beast. Thinking about re-fiing, but not sure the 5.9% cap can be beat in today's climate. The fixed nature of the following loan would be helpful, but not sure it's worth it particularly if I sell in the next two or three years. Regardless knocking this one out of the park is solidly on the to-do list.

Second on Colorado: $28,900 (6.5% fixed)

Lumping this baby with el grande would be useful but again not sure the costs of closing the deal and probable subsequent intrest rise would be worth it. Top priority if re-fi doesn't happen for long term debt elimination.

Student Loans: $30,000- Since Sueanne is probably going to teach she will have to opportunity to have these paid off. If not they will become #1 target on the debt elimination list.

Goals:

*- Have $12,500 in the bank as an emergancy fund.

So everyone knows an emergancy fund means no touchy unless there is a missing limb or blood. The latest Braille display, offering from Apple, or the "need" for a meal out does not count as a reason to use this fund. We basically have this fund and totally leave it alone. If we do use it we then funnel funds right back into it to raise it to the proper level.

Statis: Long way to go on this one. Only $1,600 in the bank as of now, but will work on it.

*- $5,000 in I Bonds.

Although the rate on I Bonds isn't great at this point I am extremely concerned about inflation in the long term. Plus every dollar in an I Bond isn't one I can easily get to. Thus it serves a duel purpose of protecting the funds from inflation and myself.

Statis: Long way on this as well. Currently only $200, but $50 is added every month and I am working on saving up additional funds to shovel into I Bonds in December.

*- $5,000 in Savings Bonds

A little less save then the I Bonds but still a great way of keeping my money from myself. Plus if these ever go bad I shall have far more to worry about then the loss of a few thousand dollars.

Statis: $100 as of now. Once I get the funds squirled away in I Bonds Savings Bonds are next on the list.

*- $10,000 in Municiple Bonds

Tax free (at least on the Federal level) and unable to be touched without great trouble. Seems like a winner to me.

Statis: $1,600 thus far. Adding $100 per month.

Well that's the start of the battle plan. Any thoughts are appreciated.

I follow with the iced coffee...

9-11

2009-09-10T23:05:00.002-06:00

My comemoration of that day. Let us never forget that liberty comes with a high price.

Tough Money Love

2009-09-01T09:46:00.002-06:00

Great thoughts here on loaning money to family members and here on lending to friends-- i.e. don't. Both of these posts come from Tough Money Love an excellent blog. While reading it I have been reminded of books I have enjoyed in the past on this topic including The Richest Man in Babylon, as well as new ones like The Total Money Makeover.

Economic Quote of the Week

2009-08-31T22:56:00.001-06:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
244: From Jevons, Money and the Mechanism of Exchange, Chapter 2:

It is impossible, indeed, to decide exactly how much bread, or beef, or tea, or how many coats and hats a person needs. There is no precise limit to our desires, and we can only say, that as we have a larger supply of a substance, the urgency of our need for more is in some proportion weakened. A cup of water in the desert, or upon the field of battle, may save life, and become infinitely useful. Two or three pints per day for each person are needful for drinking and cooking purposes. A gallon or two per day are highly requisite for cleanliness; but we soon reach a point at which further supplies of water are of very minor importance. A modern town population is found to be satisfied with about twenty-five gallons per head per day for all purposes, and a further supply would possess little utility. Water, indeed, may be the reverse of useful, as in the case of a flood, or a damp house, or a wet mine.

Defence of Usury

2009-08-27T15:50:00.001-06:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
239: From Bentham: Defence of Usury, Letters I-V:

Supposing any body, for the sake of extraordinary gain, to be willing to run the risk of supplying him, although they did not look upon his personal security to be equal to that of another man, and for the sake of the extraordinary profit to run the extraordinary risk; in the trader, in short in every sort of trader whom he was accustomed to deal with in his solvent days, he sees a person who may accept of any rate of profit, without the smallest danger from any laws that are, or can be made against usury. How idle, then, to think of stopping a man from making six, or seven, or eight per cent. interest, when, if he chuses to run a risk proportionable, he may in this way make thirty or forty per cent. or any rate you please. And as to the prodigal, if he cannot get what he wants upon these terms, what chance is there of his getting it upon any terms, supposing the laws against usury to be away? This then is another way, in which, instead of serving, it injures him, by narrowing his option, and driving him from a market which might have proved less disadvantageous, to a more disadvantageous one.

III.12 (paragraph number)

Outstanding point!

Some Thoughts From Dave Barry

2009-08-23T13:47:00.002-06:00

Just reading through some Dave Barry and had to share:

The Mother of All Parties

The perils of pinatas

2009-08-17T14:40:00.001-06:00

Having a very relaxed day today and thought I'd share the following.

I follow with the iced coffee...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
229: From Newcomb: The ABC of Finance, Lessons I-VIII:

We frequently hear of the oppression of labor by capital, and of antagonism between these two agencies. In order to judge how much foundation there is for this notion, let us inquire what capital really is. It seems as if a large portion of the labor party look upon it as some kind of instrumentality wielded by the rich for the purpose of injuring or oppressing the poor. Really, however, capital consists simply of the accumulated wealth of the past—houses, machinery, railroads, engines, mills, and everything which in any way produces the things that we want. It is one of the most important parts of the social machine described in my last lesson. I might say, indeed, that it is the whole material part of that machine. The ships which bring flannel shirts across the ocean for you to wear in winter; the factories in which those shirts were made; the railways which transport them to your city; the warehouses in which they are stored until you are ready to buy them; the roof which covers your head, and all the machinery designed for the transportation and preservation of the food you eat, are capital. To complain of these when one is suffering for the comforts of life is as if a naked and hungry man should complain that food and clothing were his enemies. Diminish or injure this capital, and the power of everybody, the laborer included, to get clothes to wear, food to eat, and shelter from the weather, will be diminished.

Slates, Macs, and the end of Blind Boot Camp

2009-08-04T15:21:00.002-06:00

I find it interesting that a slating bug seems to always inhabit the CCB causing all who come in contact with it to slate as much as possible. If this is not treated with moderate slating, the victim will eventually slate his fingers off in a single event of non stop slating. Regardless I am happy to have been biten, and only hope it will continue with me when I get home. I trust it will, and with my slating pals it should be easy enough.

I have also had the chance to play with a Mac and found it fairly enjoyable. I would not yet use VoiceOver as my primary screen reader, but am pleased with how it is coming along.

Blind Boot Camp ends soon. We send the troops packing on 8-8 (a day I am eagerly awaiting as I am *tired*), and we should be totally done by 8-13. Getting back to real life should be good. I am eager to find a job and start earning a real living. As I read the news and listen to the victim minded among us I feel more and more that the the Sword of Truth, Atlas Shrugged, The Road to Serfdom, and the Cato Institute should be read and viewed more regularly.

I follow with the iced coffee...

2009-07-30T08:08:00.003-06:00

One only, catholic and apostolic church
In one sense the church is not divided and cannot be. Even
our outward divisions do not tear it asunder, since the one
Spirit indwells it. Piers in a harbour may divide it into
sections, so that boats are cut off from each other, but
the same sea flows and swells underneath. Our man-made
denominations also separate us outwardly and visibly, but
inwardly and invisibly the tide of the Spirit unites us.
The Nicene Creed characterizes the church as 'one, holy,
catholic and apostolic', which are the four classical
'marks' or 'notes' of the church. And they are true. The
church is both one and holy because the Holy Spirit has
united and sanctified it, setting it apart to belong to
God, even though in practice it is often disunited and
unholy. The church is also catholic (embracing all
believers and all truth) and apostolic (affirming the
teaching of the apostles and engaging in mission), even
though in practice it often denies the faith it should
profess and the mission it should pursue.

--From "Your Confirmation" (rev. edn. London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1991), p. 83.

A Good Thought

2009-06-06T11:02:00.000-06:00

157: From Wicksteed, The Common Sense of Political Economy, Book I, Chapter 3:

In the first place we must know what we want, and must distinguish the presence of things themselves from a mere assurance or conventional indication that they are there. There are people who seem hardly to reckon with any direct perceptions or experiences of their own at all. They regulate their lives, and apparently even their feelings, by symbols and indices rather than facts. They are like the Professor who compared his map with the contour of the coast-line, and then declared himself satisfied as to the "perfect correctness"—of the coast-line. They cannot tell you whether they are feeling well, or whether they are in good spirits, unless they know whether the house in which the question is asked is built on clay or gravel, and how many feet it is above the level of the sea. They do not even eat what they like or what suits them, but things that have become to them symbols of festivity, languor, or of vigour, as the case may be. The extreme and all-embracing power of this disease specially besets men who pique themselves on their practical views of life, their robust common sense, and their preference for solid facts above mere phantoms. For money, as we shall see,*14 can never be more than the means (though it may be the necessary means) to happiness, and the man who habitually thinks of things under their pecuniary aspects becomes the slave to a symbol and will often sacrifice the thing symbolised to it.

Couch Sefing, the Netbook, and SA To Go

2009-05-05T21:36:00.002-06:00

Well here I am at day 5 since the move (amazing that we left Greeley almost a week ago), and survival goes very well. I should not like to couch serf regularly, but it should work well enough for a month. Keeping a lid on food costs has been a little tough, particularly with SA finishing off her work at university. We will however be doing our utmost to keep a handle on costs. I am very proud of the progress we have made on conforming our finances to God's way, and am eager to see that progress continue. I am sure that with God's help it will go well.

As for living out of my netbook I must admit things have gone surprisingly well. I still long for a desktop, but that is only when the longing for Twilight Heroes. As I mentioned before System Access is outstanding for absolutely everything except for games like Twilight Heroes. I have however used it for everything, and I do mean everything, else. Banking, shopping, visiting all manner of web sites- SA did it all extremely well. This makes living out of my netbook fairly easy (with an external hard drive and a couple of flash disks) very easy.

Furthermore I cannot stop saying how much I love SA To Go. I am currently on my wife's laptop (who would take it very amiss if I were to instal a full time screen reader on her machine) and when I am done I simply close the internet and that's it. As I continue on my couch serfing quest I believe I will find even more use for SA To Go as I beg and borrow computers when my netbook isn't available.

Currently enjoying iced sweet tea with friends and looking forward to a great day tomorrow.

In two separate paragraphs of the Acts Luke tells us that
the early Christians in Jerusalem sold many of their
possessions, held the rest in common, and distributed goods
and money 'as any had need' (2:44, 45; 4:32-37). Are we to
deduce from this that they set a pattern which all
Christians are meant to copy, and that private property is
forbidden to Christians? Some groups have thought so.
Certainly the generosity and mutual care of those early
Christians are to be followed, for the New Testament
commands us many times to love and serve one another, and
to be generous (even sacrificial) in our giving. But to
argue from the practice of the early Jerusalem church that
all private ownership is abolished among Christians not
only cannot be maintained from Scripture but is plainly
contradicted by the apostle Peter in the same context (Acts
5:4) and by the apostle Paul elsewhere (e.g. 1 Tim. 6:17).
This example should put us on alert. We must derive our
standards of belief and behaviour from the teaching of the
New Testament, wherever it is given, rather than from the practices and experiences which it portrays. --John Stott

Blogging My Debt

2009-04-28T14:57:00.002-06:00

For those who don't know me very well I have an abiding interest in money, wealth, and how one can be a good steward of the resources one receives. Part of being a good steward is becoming debt free. IMO there are two kinds of debt, good debt (debt for something that will bring in more money such as rental property) and bad debt (consumer debt- credit cards, car loans, etc.).

I believe that by keeping a log of my progress of becoming debt free and building up a reserve I will be more inclined to do what I say here. For starters I currently have a debt of $1,100 to pay off. I wish to build a reserve consisting of $12,000 in the bank and $5,000 in I Bonds. I will continue to log my monthly progress (or set backs) here. Any words of encouragement or advice are greatly appreciated.

The Coffee Cantata

2009-04-20T10:24:00.002-06:00

JS Bach's
Coffee Cantata
Libretto by
Christian Friedrich Henrici
Cantata BMV211
wav:229Kb

Composed for perfomance by Bach's Collegium at Zimmerman's Coffee House,
Leipzip, between 1732 & 1734

Recitative Narrator
Be quiet, stop chattering,
and pay attention to what's taking place:
here comes Herr Schlendrian
with his daughter Lieschen;
he's growling like a honey bear.
Hear for yourselves, what she has done to him!

Aria Schlendrian
Don't one's children cause one
endless trials & tribulations!
What I say each day
to my daughter Lieschen
falls on stony ground.

Recitative
Schlendrian You wicked child, you disobedient girl,
oh! when will I get my way;
give up coffee!
Lieschen Father, don't be so severe!
If I can't drink
my bowl of coffee three times daily,
then in my torment I will shrivel up
like a piece of roast goat.

Aria Lieschen
Mm! how sweet the coffee tastes,
more delicious than a thousand kisses,
mellower than muscatel wine.
Coffee, coffee I must have,
and if someone wishes to give me a treat,
ah, then pour me out some coffee!

Recitative
Schlendrian If you don't give up drinking coffee
then you shan't go to any wedding feast,
nor go out walking.
oh! when will I get my way;
give up coffee!
Lieschen Oh well!
Just leave me my coffee!
Schlendrian Now I've got the little minx!
I won't get you a whalebone skirt
in the latest fashion.
Lieschen I can easily live with that.
Schlendrian You're not to stand at the window
and watch people pass by!
Lieschen That as well, only I beg of you,
leave me my coffee!
Schlendrian Furthermore, you shan't be getting
any silver or gold ribbon
for your bonnet from me!
Lieschen Yes, yes! only leave me to my pleasure!
Schlendrian You disobedient Lieschen you,
so you go along with it all!

Aria Schlendrian
Hard-hearted girls
are not so easily won over.
Yet if one finds their weak spot,
ah! then one comes away successful.

Recitative
Schlendrian Now take heed what your father says!
Lieschen In everything but the coffee.
Schlendrian Well then, you'll have to resign yourself
to never taking a husband.
Lieschen Oh yes! Father, a husband!
Schlendrian I swear it won't happen.
Lieschen Until I can forgo coffee?
From now on, coffee, remain forever untouched!
Father, listen, I won't drink any
Schlendrian Then you shall have a husband at last!

Aria Lieschen
Today even
dear father, see to it!
Oh, a husband!
Really, that suits me splendidly!
If it could only happen soon
that at last, before I go to bed,
instead of coffee
I were to get a proper lover!

Recitative Narrator
Old Schlendrian goes off
to see if he can find a husband forthwith
for his daughter Lieschen;
but Leischen secretly lets it be known:
no suitor is to come to my house
unless he promises me,
and it is also written into the marriage contract,
that I will be permitted
to make myself coffee whenever I want.

Trio
A cat won't stop from catching mice,
and maidens remain faithful to their coffee.
The mother holds her coffee dear,
the grandmother drank it also,
who can thus rebuke the daughters!

This outstanding cantata is one of Bach's best (and I say that not simply because coffee is my addiction of choice). One doesn't think of classical music leaving one rolling in the aisles, but I would submit that Mozart, Bach, and Hyden all had quite entertaining works.

Homeless, or living out of my netbook

2009-04-19T12:48:00.003-06:00

So I found out today that we will be let out of our lease early- like on 5-1 early. Good news- we will save a *TON* of money as our unit comes free on 7-1 and the cost of storage, a P.O. Box, and some financial gratitude for those we stay with in the itnerum will not equal our rent. The bad news- we are running like MAD to get everything ready to go. For myself this mostly means getting everything I need off of this machine to go onto my netbook. At this point I am giving harty thanks to God for buying that external harddrive last summer, it will prove an absolute Godsend this summer.

Additionally in the time between 5-1 and 7-1 we are homeless. As of 6-1 I will be at the summer program at the CCB, so I am set. Sueanne will be staying with family and Jenn, so she is set. It's the whole May thing that kind of has us concerned. We are contacting family and friends to get crash space on a weekly basis, in hopes that we will be able to cover ourselves in the meantime.

All in all a very exciting time. Getting out of our lease early overall is a blessing, and one I am grateful for. I will log how electronic life is on a netbook and external harddrive. I've been saying for months that a netbook could easily replace most people's desktops and notetakers, now I get to put my money where my mouth is. Will let you know how it goes.

Running around like mad but still having time for the iced coffee...

On the tea party and blindness

2009-04-15T11:02:00.003-06:00

I found this post from Serotek to be most interesting. On the one hand it suggests correctly that one of the primary issues is government spending going into outdated technologies, while suggesting on the other hand that government spending isn't wasteful and that we as blind people would be worse off without it. On the former point we are in complete agreement, but on the latter point I must disagree. Would the market truly bare the current prices for adaptive technology? Is there such amazing innovation in the AT field that we need really worry about RND being discontinued? What RND exactly? As a company that supports affordibility in its products I would think Serotek would be above all others eager to see the government slops that keep adaptive technology prices above market go away. I hope their business model succeeds, because Freedom Scientific's model looks forward to the increased government spending for the blind we supposedly are in such need of. Give me reasonable prices I have a hope of paying, not endentured servitude to the government so I can have accessibility.

Cheap Shots and Government Wellfare

2009-04-13T17:30:00.003-06:00

I recently found this post from Cafe Hayek on snarky cheap shots- a post that I found personally touching as it excoriates those who delight in ad honimem attacks rather then addressing their points in an arguement. I have had several of these, as I currently receive social security payments due to my blindness, while strongly argueing for limited government and free markets. I have stated before and will state again that I find it extremely unfortunate that the means I currently find of living are from the government; however, I would present that if they were to go away tonight I would not starve- nor would my wife. We would no doubt have some hard choices to make, but we would survive- as would all those who are on social security. Reliance on the government from a personal viewpoint has given me nothing but a sense of worthlessness and being a drain on society. I find happiness and worth when I have had employment and been able to make my own way in life. I look forward to the day when I am able to disconnect this IV of government and walk forward in freedom. This disconnection may be awhile in coming, but I work to make it happen- and as is mentioned in the post above of my personal state doesn't impact the validity of my arguements for the free market and limited government.

The only reason why we find it so necessary currently is because we have been trained to do so. People survived perfectly fine before the 1930s, and I have no doubt would do so if SS were to depart directly.

One arguement as a disabled person I have heard from other disabled individuals is that the cost of adaptive equipment would bankrupt us if we didn't have government support- and if we are talking about today's prices for adaptive equipment I would quite agree. If one looks however at the real worth of these products one would find if the companies didn't have the government doling out the money they would be forced either to drop prices in order to stay in business or go out of business. Shocking notion in today's economy of bail outs, but such things can be a good thing. I do not believe that subsequent development of adaptive technology would end, and I suggest that those who believe so have no concept of what market economics is. My primary example is Serotek. This company has lowered the bar drasticly on prices, particularly for screen reading technology. Granted it may not have all the bells and wistles one might like (though it has a surprisingly large number considering the difference in price) but it works. With the new atom edition of System Access one can have a completely accessible computer via a netbook for $500. Now I am not made of money, but even I would find such a deal within my means, especially if such an avenue were my only method of gaining access to the internet and on line commerse.

Additionally there is the example of Apple's VoiceOver software. Less useful then System Access it still provides access to e mail, the internet, word processing, etc. useing the Apple OS platform. How much for this access one might ask? It is free.

With all this in mind I find it extremely unfortunate that some view government slops as the only means of obtaining independence. I find it absolutely criminal that companies charge $800-$1000 for blind individuals to access the internet. This reliance on government makes us throw our freedom to choose into the hand of the local VR councilor and limits our choices about where we live, what we do, and how we access life to them. I prefer freedom, and thus will I continue to support Serotek and all companies that support freedom for markets and individuals.

P.S. Found this on resenting the rich very valid. from Cato

10% Read Braille

2009-04-07T15:31:00.001-06:00

Although I find the stat itself troubling (if not surprising) I like the positive points put forward about Braille. In particular the focus on the fact that literacy for the blind can only be found in Braille.

I am applying for grants to obtain an Alva BC640 to aid in my own quest for greater Braille literacy. Hopefully it will go well.

Fewer Than 10 Percent Of Blind Americans Read Braille

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, March 26, 2009

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jordan Gilmer has a degenerative condition that
eventually
will leave him completely blind. But as a child, his teachers did not
emphasize Braille, the system of reading in which a series of raised dots
signify letters of the alphabet.

Instead, they insisted he use what little vision he had to read print. By
the third grade, he was falling behind in his schoolwork.

''They gave him Braille instruction, but they didn't tell us how to get
Braille books, and they didn't want him using it during the day,'' said
Jordan's mother, Carrie Gilmer of Minneapolis. Teachers said Braille would
be ''a thing he uses way off in the far distant future, and don't worry
about it.''

That experience is common: Fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million
legally
blind people in the United States read Braille, and just 10 percent of
blind
children are learning it, according to a report to be released Thursday
by
the National Federation of the Blind.

By comparison, at the height of its use in the 1950s, more than half the
nation's blind children were learning Braille. Today Braille is considered
by many to be too difficult, too outdated, a last resort.

Instead, teachers ask students to rely on audio texts, voice-recognition
software or other technology. And teachers who know Braille often must
shuttle between schools, resulting in haphazard instruction, the report
says.

''You can find good teachers of the blind in America, but you can't find
good programs,'' said Marc Maurer, the group's president. ''There is not a
commitment to this population that is at all significant almost
anywhere.''

Using technology as a substitute for Braille leaves blind people
illiterate,
the federation said, citing studies that show blind people who know
Braille
are more likely to earn advanced degrees, find good jobs and live
independently.

''It's really sad that so many kids are being shortchanged,'' said Debby
Brackett of Stuart, Fla., who pressured schools to provide capable Braille
teachers for her 12-year-old daughter, Winona.

One study found that 44 percent of participants who grew up reading
Braille
were unemployed, compared with 77 percent for those who relied on print.
Overall, blind adults face 70 percent unemployment.

The federation's report pulled together existing research on Braille
literacy, and its authors acknowledge that not enough research has been
done. The 10 percent figure comes from federal statistics gathered by the
American Printing House for the Blind, a company that develops products
for
the visually impaired.

The federation also did some original research, including a survey of 500
people that found the ability to read Braille correlated with higher
levels
of education, a higher likelihood of employment and higher income.

The report coincides with the 200th birthday of Louis Braille, the
Frenchman
who invented the Braille code as a teenager. Resistance to his system was
immediate; at one point, the director of Braille's school burned the books
he and his classmates had transcribed. The school did not want its blind
students becoming too independent; it made money by selling crafts they
produced.

The system caught on, but began declining in the 1960s along with the
widespread integration of blind children into public schools. It has
continued with the advent of technology that some believe makes Braille
obsolete.

''Back in about 1970 or so, I was heading to college, and somebody said
to
me, 'Now that you've got the tape recorder, everything will be all right.
In
the early 1980s, somebody else said, 'Now that you've got a talking
computer, everything will be all right,''' said Marc Maurer, president of
the federation.

''They were both wrong. And the current technology isn't going to make
everything all right unless I know how to put my hands on a page that has
words on it and read them.''

Audio books are no substitute, said Carlton Walker, an attorney and the
mother of a legally blind girl from McConnellsburg, Pa. Walker once met a
blind teenager who had only listened to audio books; the teen was shocked
to
discover that ''Once upon a time'' was four separate words.

Walker also had to lobby teachers to provide Braille for her 8-year-old
daughter, Anna, instead of just large-print books.

''At 3 years old, Anna could compete with very large letters. When you
get
older, you can't compete,'' Walker said. She once asked a teacher,
'''What
are you going to do when she's reading Dickens?' She said, 'Well, we'll
just
go to audio then.'

''If that were good enough for everybody, why do we spend millions of
dollars teaching people to read?''

Gilmer, now an 18-year-old aspiring lawyer, worked on his Braille in a
summer program when he was in middle school and can now read 125 words a
minute, up from his previously rate, an excruciatingly slow 20 words a
minute.

''Just try it,'' Carrie Gilmer said. ''Go get a paragraph, get a
stopwatch
and try to read 20 words a minute. Try and read that slow and see how
frustrating it is.''

Fluent Braille readers can read 200 words a minute or more, the
federation
says.

Carrie Gilmer is president of a parents' group within the federation for
the
blind. She believes poor or haphazard instruction is largely responsible
for
the decline in Braille literacy, but she says sometimes teachers push
Braille only to meet resistance from parents.

''They're afraid of their child looking blind, not fitting in,'' Gilmer
said.

The report outlines ambitious goals for reversing the trend, including
lobbying all 50 states to require teachers of blind children to be
certified
in Braille instruction by 2015. But its immediate goal is to simply make
people aware that there's no substitute for Braille. It's not just a tool
to
help people function -- it can bring joy, Maurer said.

''The concept of reading Braille for fun is a thing that lots of people
don't know,'' Maurer said. ''And yet I do this every day. I love the
beautiful, orderly lines of words that convey a different idea that can
stimulate me or make me excited or sad. ... This is what we're trying to
convey.''

Colorado Joint Braille Resolution

2009-04-02T10:56:00.003-06:00

Below is the joint resolution passed by the Colorado House and Senate on March 26th recognizing Louis Braille in general and the Braille coin in particular. Great stuff. I listened to the readings and adoption via streaming, and it was most moving.

First Regular Session
Sixty-seventh General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO

REVISED SJR09-031
LLS NO. R09-0962.01 Joel Moore

SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Shaffer B.,

HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Rice,

Senate Committees House Committees

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 09-031
CONCERNING THE CONTINUING IMPORTANCE OF BRAILLE LITERACY
IN THE LIVES OF BLIND CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN COLORADO AND
ACROSS THE NATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH,
RECOGNIZING ”NATIONAL BRAILLE READERS ARE LEADERS DAY”.

WHEREAS, Since its invention by Louis Braille, the reading and
writing code for the blind that bears his name has become the accepted
method of reading and writing for the blind the world over; and

WHEREAS, Braille is used to represent not only the alphabets of
most written languages but also mathematical and scientific notation and
the reproduction of musical scores; and

WHEREAS, Braille provides people who are blind with the power
of knowledge, expanding their opportunities and equipping them with the
tools to be productive and imaginative contributors to society; and

WHEREAS, Contrary to popular belief, Braille is not difficult to
learn, nor is reading Braille slower than reading print; and

WHEREAS, While technology has improved the lives of blind
people by facilitating quick access to information, no technology can
replace Braille literacy since literacy is the ability to read and write and
to do both interactively; and

WHEREAS, Despite Braille’s efficiency, versatility, and universal
acceptance by the blind, the rate of Braille literacy in the United States
has declined to the point where only 10 percent of blind children are
learning to read and write Braille; and
WHEREAS, Just as a literacy rate of 10 percent among this
nation’s sighted children would be rightly viewed as a crisis and as cause
for national outrage, the decline in Braille literacy is a crisis, and swift
action must be taken to reverse this dangerous trend; and

WHEREAS, Braille literacy is the key to independence,
productivity, and success for blind people, as evidenced by the fact that,
while 70 percent of the blind are unemployed, 85 percent of those who
are employed use Braille; and

WHEREAS, The United States Congress officially recognized the
importance of Braille by passing the Louis Braille Bicentennial--Braille
Literacy Commemorative Coin Act, authorizing the striking of a United
States silver dollar in commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary
of the birth of Louis Braille; and

WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind, the nation’s
oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading advocate
for Braille literacy, has launched a national ”Braille Readers are Leaders”
campaign to promote awareness of the importance of Braille and the
magnitude of the Braille literacy crisis and to increase the availability of
competent Braille instruction and of Braille reading materials in this
country, with funding for said campaign to come from a portion of the
proceeds of the sale of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar; and

WHEREAS, The National Federation of the Blind has today
released a comprehensive report, ”The Braille Literacy Crisis in
America--Facing the Truth, Reversing the Trend, Empowering the Blind”,
and the United States Mint has this day released the Louis Braille
Bicentennial Silver Dollar for purchase by the general public; now,
therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly
of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

(1) That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, do
hereby proclaim March 26, 2009, as National Braille Readers are Leaders
Day, to celebrate the hope, opportunity, and power that literacy in Braille
provides to the blind and to our nation; and

(2) That we call upon all public officials, educators, and citizens

-2- 031

throughout Colorado and this nation to recognize the importance of Braille in the lives of blind people and to assist the National Federation of the Blind in its efforts to increase instruction in and use of Braille in Colorado and across the United States.

Be ItFurther Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.; the members of the Colorado Congressional delegation; and Scott C. LaBarre, President, National Federation of the Blind of Colorado.

-3- 031

Acquiring a new Braille display

2009-04-01T13:43:00.003-06:00

Yes indeed as everyone knows I have been drooling over an Alva BC640 and today I determined to acquire one. Of course this entailed a loan with my soul as calateral, but what's eternal life compaired to a new shiney Braille display? I looked at and went, well only $5,500- how can I ever pass *that deal* up?

For those of you having a bad day today is April 1st.

Book Club

2009-03-30T11:35:00.002-06:00

For those interested I am partisapating in a book club hosted by the great folks at econ talk.

Also I had to post this on Hubris.

Ayn Rand

2009-03-30T06:13:00.000-06:00

Really enjoyed a couple of articles- What Capitalists Need to Know

Extremely timely and important call to join the battle to defend capitalism.

Is Rand Relvelent a question I respond to with a loud YES! Although I disagree strongly with her views on religion I think her commentary on big government and capitalism is superb.

Vampires and Libertarians

2009-03-29T12:26:00.002-06:00

The vampire is my favorite type of monster, which is why I found this review of the Twilight series extremely interesting and valid. The revising of historical works to suit our sex crazed culture is unfortunate in the extreme. Part of my love for Stoker's Dracula is the very fact that the monster is the monster, not some misunderstood outsider with an axe to grind. The whole point of tale and story in my mind is to put forward some truth while entertaining. Stoker does this excellently, as does the Sword of Truth series- particularly because such stories recognize absolute truth and good and evil. I think Liberals hate the concept of true evil existing in the world, and believe that if only we all communicated clearly the world would be perfect. They seemingly cannot grasp that the message they might hear when all the barriers to communication have been removed and everyone knows where everyone else stands is, "Death to America!"

I am also extremely please to read this on the increasing popularity of Ayn Rand and the possible merger of Libertarians and conservatives. As I look at the insanity of the Dems "dig ourselves out of this economic hole" philosophy I genuinely believe that a solid fiscally free market stance is needed, and all its defenders and champions need to be joint together in the battle. Lassez-Faire!

Braille Coin

2009-03-25T14:42:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow the long awaited Louis Braille Coin goes on sale. Planning to buy two or three myself, as it combines two of my favorite things- coins and Braille.

Below is a press release from the NFBCO on the event tomorrow. I am saddened I will not be able to make the festivities, but trust they will be superb anyway.

National Federation of the Blind of Colorado Celebrates
Release of Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar

Denver, Colorado (March 25, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Colorado will On March 26 celebrate the release of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar. This historic commemorative coin, the first-ever U.S. coin to contain tactile, readable Braille, will be launched at a special ceremony at the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind, in Baltimore, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT on March 26, 2009.

In Denver, Colorado and under the leadership of Majority Leader, Senator Brendon Shaffer and Representative Joe Rice, the Colorado General Assembly will honor the launch by adopting a Joint Resolution highlighting the release of the coin and emphasizing the Braille literacy program partially funded by the sale of this commemorative coin.

Immediately preceding the assembly's passing of the resolution, the NFB of Colorado will hold a press event at 08:30 am in the Press Room; (room 326 on the third floor in the southwest corner of the Capitol). State Senator Brandon Shaffer and other dignitaries will be in attendance.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "If the blind can read, the blind can achieve. The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar celebrates the man who gave literacy to the blind and is a unique and beautiful keepsake, but it is also a coin with a mission: to make sure that every blind child and every adult losing vision in our nation has the opportunity to learn Braille. "

Scott LaBarre, president of the Federation's Colorado affiliate said "I am a totally blind attorney operating my own successful law practice. I would not be able to do so without being extremely literate. Braille is fundamental to my level of literacy, without which I

could not practice law. The Louis Braille Coin and its attendant literacy program will bring success and freedom to the generations of tomorrow. We know that the working

age blind face an unemployment rate exceeding seventy percent, yet a substantial majority of the blind who are employed are Braille readers. We salute Senator Shaffer and Representative Rice for demonstrating the leadership to call attention to this literacy crisis and for supporting the program to start fixing the problem."

Senator Shaffer said, "It's unfortunate that we are so quick to forget the invaluable contributions that the sight impaired have made to our society. Helen Keller, Stevie Wonder, Galileo Galilee, Kirby Puckett, Claude Monet, and David Paterson are just a few individuals that have and continue to contribute. Braille is an accessible, efficient mechanism for learning and there is no reason why only 10 percent of blind children are learning it. The sight impaired deserve the same opportunities as all individuals and Colorado is ready to provide that for them."

Regarding the resolution, Representative Rice said, "Literacy is considered by our society to be a fundamental civil right in America today. I applaud the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado as it works through its Braille Readers are Leaders Campaign to provide the right of literacy through Braille to all of America's blind children and adults."

Sales of the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, which was authorized by a law passed by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2006, will support the NFB's "Braille Readers are Leaders" campaign. The campaign is a national initiative created to double the number of blind children learning Braille by 2015.

The National Federation of the Blind is asking the American public, through purchasing this stunning silver dollar, to join its campaign to bring literacy, education, opportunity, and success to the blind of America. The Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar goes on sale to the general public at noon on March 26. Those interested in ordering a coin should visit www.usmint.gov or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). For more information about the National Federation of the Blind and the Braille Readers are Leaders campaign, visit www.braille.org.

###

A quote for the next four years

2009-03-20T12:53:00.001-06:00

Bastiat: Selected Essays, Chapter 5, The State:

Oh, pardon me, sublime writers, whom nothing stops, not even contradictions. I am wrong, no doubt, and I retract my error with all my heart. I demand nothing better, you may be sure, than that you should really have discovered outside of us a benevolent and inexhaustible being, calling itself the state, which has bread for all mouths, work for all hands, capital for all enterprises, credit for all projects, ointment for all wounds, balm for all suffering, advice for all perplexities, solutions for all problems, truths for all minds, distractions for all varieties of boredom, milk for children and wine for old age, which provides for all our needs, foresees all our desires, satisfies all our curiosity, corrects all our errors, amends all our faults, and exempts us all henceforth from the need for foresight, prudence, judgment, sagacity, experience, order, economy, temperance, and industry.

Can we say the federal government these days? Yes, yes we can.

Enjoying the iced coffee...

You're Pitiful

2009-03-17T11:04:00.001-06:00

I happen to be a fan of Weird Al and loved his You're Pitiful song. It's now downloadable for free at the link above.