From dandrews at visi.com Thu Oct 23 23:53:28 2008 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:53:28 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Server Report Message-ID: Dear NFBNET.ORG users: I am pleased to be able to tell you that we have successfully gotten the new nfbnet.org server to work and switched services over to it. There are still a few things to clean up, but most things are as they were previously, or as you would expect them to be with the new software. We still need to process the message archives to adjust some links, which have changed. Otherwise our mailing lists should function as they did before. This processing may not take place until early next week, but otherwise the lists should function normally. For you web masters, the sites are up and running. We are going to try and sync content once more tonight, to capture the changes that some of you made last weekend or earlier this week. That should happen this evening, hopefully. I will write web masters separately with new instructions. If you have any problems, or find something that doesn't work, please contact me at dandrews at visi.com Once again I thank everybody for your patience. Because of the complexity, the process was somewhat messier then we would have liked. It turns out that there was a bug in the software that IBM uses to control the RAID array for our disk drives. They characterized it as a "code issue," but it was a bug if you ask me. Once we got the firmware updated things happened as expected. Happy computing! David Andrews, SysOp and List Owner From dandrews at visi.com Sun Oct 26 19:12:24 2008 From: dandrews at visi.com (David Andrews) Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:12:24 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Register Now for the Motor City March! Message-ID: From: Kristi Bowman [ mailto:kbowman at nfb.org] Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 2:37 PM Subject: Register Now for the Motor City March! National Federation of the Blind logo Graphic Photo boy with cane on the beach March for Independence logo Greetings, Summer has faded and Autumn is upon us. It's time to reengage for this year's March for Independence - A Walk for Opportunity walk-a-thon event in Detroit, this July. Once again, our goal this year is to raise at least one million dollars. This will take our collective energy, action, and imagination. I encourage all of you that have yet to register for this year's event to do so now. Whether you are a returning participant or you are signing up for the first time, you will find instructions on how to register at the end of this e-mail. We will be announcing an assortment of bonuses for those of you who are registered, raising money, and making your goals early, so sign up now and start raising your funds. Once you are registered for this year's Motor City March you can begin personalizing your Web page and sending out e-mails to your contacts, colleagues, family, and friends. This year there are some changes and additions to everyone's personal page. First of all, everyone will get a template page when they register. Pages will not carry over from last year. If you need your text from last year, or your pictures, please call. We will retrieve the information and forward it to you. Additionally, there is an option to blog on your Web page! This is not just a good marketing tool, it is also a great way to keep your network updated on your progress. We are also finalizing efforts to add widgets to social networking sites like Facebook. Stay tuned! Please pass this message and the registration instructions far and wide. We would like to see one thousand registered and raising by December 31, 2008. Together, we can do this! If you have any questions please contact Kristi Bowman at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2406 or via e-mail at < mailto:kbowman at nfb.org > kbowman at nfb.org. Thank you, Thank you...I look forward to working with each and every one of you and serving our organization for what will prove to be another exciting year. At your service, Kevan Worley Imagination Fund Chairman Register now for the Motor City march! New Participants 1. Go to MarchForIndependence.org. 2. Click the Participate, Create a Team, or Join a Team link in the left hand navigation panel to begin your registration. 3. When the screen refreshes you will be able to choose whether you will be a marcher or a virtual marcher by selecting the radio button associated with your choice. a) For "Participate" (to register as an individual marcher), when the screen refreshes click, or hit enter on, the link that says "Register to March." b) For "Create a Team," when the screen refreshes enter your new team's name and provide the team's goal amount. c) For "Join a Team," when the screen refreshes enter the name of the team you'd like to join and click, or hit enter on, Search for a Team. When you see the name of the team displayed, select the link for "Join." 4. If you would like to make an additional gift during your registration, place that amount in the edit box following Additional Gift. Here you will also have an option of making this gift anonymously or for public view. 5. The next edit box is for your goal amount, enter your fundraising goal here. Please remember that each walker needs to raise at least $250 to participate in the March for Independence- A Walk for Opportunity. Your goal needs to be at least $250. 6. Click the Next Step link at the bottom left of the page. 7. Enter your contact information as requested in the on screen form directly into the edit boxes on your screen. 8. Click the Next Step button at the bottom left of the page. 9. This screen contains the waiver to participate in the walk. If you agree to the waiver, check the I agree box and then click the Next Screen button. 10. The next screen will summarize your registration. If you need to make any changes, simply click the Edit link to re-open your registration form, otherwise, click the Complete Registration button in the bottom, right corner and the next screen confirms your registration and provides a link to your participant center. 11. Your can now begin personalizing your March For Independence - A Walk for Opportunity Web page. 12. Follow the online instructions to personalize your page. Some people find the online training in MP3 format helpful, the link for online training is in the left hand navigation bar. 13. Be creative! Remember our goal is to educate, raise awareness, and to raise at least one million dollars this year. Keep this in mind as you create your page. 14. If you have any questions or problems call (410) 659-9314, ext. 2406 for assistance. We will be happy to help get anyone registered and help build a dynamic page. 15. Spread the word, help get everyone registered. If you feel really good about managing the registration process, help train and step others through the process. 16. Have fun raising money and know that you are sharing in the NFB dream! Returning Participants 1. Go to http://www.marchforindependence.org/ . 2. Log in using your user name and password.* 3. Once you are logged on, the screen will refresh, welcoming you to the Website. 4. Click the Participate, Create a Team, or Join a Team link in the left hand navigation panel to begin your registration. a) For "Participate" (to register as an individual marcher), when the screen refreshes click, or hit enter on, the link that says "Register to March." b) For "Create a Team," when the screen refreshes enter your new team's name and provide the team's goal amount. c) For "Join a Team," when the screen refreshes enter the name of the team you'd like to join and click, or hit enter on, Search for a Team. When you see the name of the team displayed, select the link for "Join." 5. When the screen refreshes you will be able to choose whether you will be a marcher or a virtual marcher by selecting the radio button associated with your choice. 6. If you would like to make an additional gift during your registration, place that amount in the edit box following Additional Gift. Here you will also have an option of making this gift anonymously or for public view. 7. The next edit box is for your goal amount, enter your fundraising goal here. Please remember that each walker needs to raise at least $250 to participate in the March for Independence - A Walk for Opportunity. Your goal needs to be at least $250. 8. Click the Next Step link at the bottom left of the page. 9. The next screen will display the contact information that you registered with LAST YEAR. Incorrect information, changed e-mail addresses, or phone numbers can be corrected by directly editing the fields on the form. After you are sure all of the information is correct, click the Next Step button at the bottom left of the page. 10. This screen contains the waiver to participate in the walk. If you agree to the waiver, check the I agree box and then click the Next Screen button. 11. The next screen will summarize your registration. If you need to make any changes, simply click the Edit link to re-open your registration form, otherwise, click the Complete Registration button in the bottom, right corner and the next screen confirms your registration and provides a link to your participant center. 12. If you personalized your Web page last year, you will not have the same changes. This year everyone will start with the same template page. Your thermometer graphic will be reset to zero, your goal may be different than last year (if you increased it this year), and the scrolling honor roll of donor names will be empty unless you have already received gifts, in which case you will also be registered. 13. You should personalize your page with your NFB story. Education, awareness are our first priority. People will donate to YOU because of your STORY. Add your story, download pictures, show everyone how the NFB has changed what it means to be blind for you and your family. 14. If you have any questions or problems call (410) 659-9314, ext. 2406, for assistance. We will be happy to register you and help you build a dynamic page. 15. Spread the word, help get everyone registered. If you feel really good about managing the registration process, help train and step others through the process. 15. Now the fun begins.. * Click here to have your login information sent to you via e-mail. Unsubscribe | Update Preferences | Visit Our Web Site | Tell-A-Friend 1800 Johnson Street Baltimore, MD 21230 410-659-9314 From JFreeh at nfb.org Tue Oct 28 21:18:07 2008 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:18:07 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O: the Oprah Magazine Message-ID: Dear Fellow Federationists: It has come to the attention of the Public Relations office at the National Federation of the Blind?partly through e-mails from some of these lists?that a positive review of the movie Blindness appears in the October issue of O: the Oprah Magazine. The text of the review is pasted below for your convenience. Several of you have already written to the magazine to express your condemnation of its coverage of this outrageous and offensive film. If you have not already done so, please consider submitting a comment on the magazine?s feedback form to explain why this film is detrimental to blind people. This link: http://www.oprah.com/contactus will take you to the contact page, and from there you will find a link to a comment form for the magazine. The National Federation of the Blind has submitted a comment and it is also pasted below as a sample, but please feel free to use your own words and your own personal experiences to illustrate why this movie is inaccurate in the degrading way in which it portrays blindness and blind people. If you have any trouble using the feedback form on the Oprah Web site, please let us know by contacting Anne Taylor, Director of Access Technology, at ataylor at nfb.org. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely: Chris Danielsen Review O, the Oprah Magazine October 2008 Live Your Best Life (LYBL) section Page 68 Housewife Saves the World! At last, a movie that portrays women?s work as a heroic calling It is a truth universally acknowledged that good actresses in Hollywood are in want of good parts, and even the juicy roles are too often defined by the character?s connection to a man. She?s the wife, the secretary, the mistress. She?s strictly support staff. So it is with Blindness, adapted from Jos? Saramago?s novel about a mysterious illness that makes a nation go blind. The female characters are ID?d as if they were possessions: the Doctor?s Wife, the First Blind Man?s Wife, etc. (There?s also the Woman with Dark Glasses, but that?s a euphemism?she?s actually the Woman Who Sleeps with Men for Money.) What?s startling about Blindness is that for once, the housewife gets to be the visionary. Literally: The Doctor?s Wife (Julianne Moore) is the only one who?s immune to the blinding virus, though she loyally follows her husband (Mark Ruffalo) into the quarantine wards, which soon descend into squalor and madness. The Wife starts out as a tippling, flute-voiced homemaker; as the situation worsens, her pitch drops, her jaw sets, and a gunmetal gleam of resolution lights up those functioning eyes as she labors doggedly to keep herself and her insta-family of fellow detainees from plunging into utter depravity. Blindness conjures a world where an ordinary gal has a uniquely menial kind of greatness thrust upon her, where the drudgery of mopping and laundering is a noble calling and procuring groceries is a do-or-die blood sport?a test of leadership, in fact. Who would have thought it: women?s work as the stuff of movie heroism. ?J.W. Sample Comment The National Federation of the Blind is shocked and amazed to read the positive review of the film Blindness in the pages of your October issue. This film is not about a heroic woman who saves the world; rather, it is about blindness and the myth that being sighted is inherently superior to being blind. The character played by Julianne Moore is only superior to the other characters in the story because she can see and they cannot. This formulation is offensive to the nation?s blind and furthers misconceptions and stereotypes that the general public holds about blindness and blind people. The blind people in the film are helpless, incompetent, and morally degenerate; Moore?s character is portrayed as physically, spiritually, and morally superior to them because she can see. In the world imagined by this film, the blind can only be ?saved? through the assistance of the sighted. This kind of thinking contributes to an unemployment rate of over 70 percent among working-age blind adults. For this magazine to endorse the world view of this film is to amplify and affirm the film?s offensive, demeaning, and harmful portrayal of blind people. From Funpro at carolina.rr.com Wed Oct 29 14:59:31 2008 From: Funpro at carolina.rr.com (LJH) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:59:31 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O: theOprah Magazine References: Message-ID: Although many of us are unable to watch movies until they come out in dvd, i still have no desire to watch this movie. While there may be individuals who are offended by this movie, like many movies or tv shiws, the overall theme just doesn't appeal to me. As i uunderstnad it the thrust of this mfilem is based upon the following: An epidemic causes many people to become blind, resulting in the collapse of society. Subsequently, this appears to be one movie that is about the breakdown of society, which is caused by an unusual epidemic. While i don't know how others might react, i do know that if the vast majority of people around me went blind, then i would be in for some really rough times. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews )" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:18 PM Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O: theOprah Magazine Dear Fellow Federationists: It has come to the attention of the Public Relations office at the National Federation of the Blind-partly through e-mails from some of these lists-that a positive review of the movie Blindness appears in the October issue of O: the Oprah Magazine. The text of the review is pasted below for your convenience. Several of you have already written to the magazine to express your condemnation of its coverage of this outrageous and offensive film. If you have not already done so, please consider submitting a comment on the magazine's feedback form to explain why this film is detrimental to blind people. This link: http://www.oprah.com/contactus will take you to the contact page, and from there you will find a link to a comment form for the magazine. The National Federation of the Blind has submitted a comment and it is also pasted below as a sample, but please feel free to use your own words and your own personal experiences to illustrate why this movie is inaccurate in the degrading way in which it portrays blindness and blind people. If you have any trouble using the feedback form on the Oprah Web site, please let us know by contacting Anne Taylor, Director of Access Technology, at ataylor at nfb.org. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely: Chris Danielsen Review O, the Oprah Magazine October 2008 Live Your Best Life (LYBL) section Page 68 Housewife Saves the World! At last, a movie that portrays women's work as a heroic calling It is a truth universally acknowledged that good actresses in Hollywood are in want of good parts, and even the juicy roles are too often defined by the character's connection to a man. She's the wife, the secretary, the mistress. She's strictly support staff. So it is with Blindness, adapted from Jos? Saramago's novel about a mysterious illness that makes a nation go blind. The female characters are ID'd as if they were possessions: the Doctor's Wife, the First Blind Man's Wife, etc. (There's also the Woman with Dark Glasses, but that's a euphemism-she's actually the Woman Who Sleeps with Men for Money.) What's startling about Blindness is that for once, the housewife gets to be the visionary. Literally: The Doctor's Wife (Julianne Moore) is the only one who's immune to the blinding virus, though she loyally follows her husband (Mark Ruffalo) into the quarantine wards, which soon descend into squalor and madness. The Wife starts out as a tippling, flute-voiced homemaker; as the situation worsens, her pitch drops, her jaw sets, and a gunmetal gleam of resolution lights up those functioning eyes as she labors doggedly to keep herself and her insta-family of fellow detainees from plunging into utter depravity. Blindness conjures a world where an ordinary gal has a uniquely menial kind of greatness thrust upon her, where the drudgery of mopping and laundering is a noble calling and procuring groceries is a do-or-die blood sport-a test of leadership, in fact. Who would have thought it: women's work as the stuff of movie heroism. -J.W. Sample Comment The National Federation of the Blind is shocked and amazed to read the positive review of the film Blindness in the pages of your October issue. This film is not about a heroic woman who saves the world; rather, it is about blindness and the myth that being sighted is inherently superior to being blind. The character played by Julianne Moore is only superior to the other characters in the story because she can see and they cannot. This formulation is offensive to the nation's blind and furthers misconceptions and stereotypes that the general public holds about blindness and blind people. The blind people in the film are helpless, incompetent, and morally degenerate; Moore's character is portrayed as physically, spiritually, and morally superior to them because she can see. In the world imagined by this film, the blind can only be "saved" through the assistance of the sighted. This kind of thinking contributes to an unemployment rate of over 70 percent among working-age blind adults. For this magazine to endorse the world view of this film is to amplify and affirm the film's offensive, demeaning, and harmful portrayal of blind people. _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org From bvmontw at cox.net Wed Oct 29 16:21:35 2008 From: bvmontw at cox.net (Bill Montgomery) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 09:21:35 -0700 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magazine References: Message-ID: <98181CBD0C1043A3BF73702D9ED3FB6D@bill61703b37b2> All organizations that deal with the issue of blindness should request time on her show,such as NFB, BVA, and VA; as well as access. or listing on her donate to causes website.Bill Montgomery ----- Original Message ----- From: "LJH" To: "Info and discussion list for blind veterans." Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 7:59 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magazine Although many of us are unable to watch movies until they come out in dvd, i still have no desire to watch this movie. While there may be individuals who are offended by this movie, like many movies or tv shiws, the overall theme just doesn't appeal to me. As i uunderstnad it the thrust of this mfilem is based upon the following: An epidemic causes many people to become blind, resulting in the collapse of society. Subsequently, this appears to be one movie that is about the breakdown of society, which is caused by an unusual epidemic. While i don't know how others might react, i do know that if the vast majority of people around me went blind, then i would be in for some really rough times. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Freeh,Jessica (by way of David Andrews )" To: Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 5:18 PM Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O: theOprah Magazine Dear Fellow Federationists: It has come to the attention of the Public Relations office at the National Federation of the Blind-partly through e-mails from some of these lists-that a positive review of the movie Blindness appears in the October issue of O: the Oprah Magazine. The text of the review is pasted below for your convenience. Several of you have already written to the magazine to express your condemnation of its coverage of this outrageous and offensive film. If you have not already done so, please consider submitting a comment on the magazine's feedback form to explain why this film is detrimental to blind people. This link: http://www.oprah.com/contactus will take you to the contact page, and from there you will find a link to a comment form for the magazine. The National Federation of the Blind has submitted a comment and it is also pasted below as a sample, but please feel free to use your own words and your own personal experiences to illustrate why this movie is inaccurate in the degrading way in which it portrays blindness and blind people. If you have any trouble using the feedback form on the Oprah Web site, please let us know by contacting Anne Taylor, Director of Access Technology, at ataylor at nfb.org. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely: Chris Danielsen Review O, the Oprah Magazine October 2008 Live Your Best Life (LYBL) section Page 68 Housewife Saves the World! At last, a movie that portrays women's work as a heroic calling It is a truth universally acknowledged that good actresses in Hollywood are in want of good parts, and even the juicy roles are too often defined by the character's connection to a man. She's the wife, the secretary, the mistress. She's strictly support staff. So it is with Blindness, adapted from Jos? Saramago's novel about a mysterious illness that makes a nation go blind. The female characters are ID'd as if they were possessions: the Doctor's Wife, the First Blind Man's Wife, etc. (There's also the Woman with Dark Glasses, but that's a euphemism-she's actually the Woman Who Sleeps with Men for Money.) What's startling about Blindness is that for once, the housewife gets to be the visionary. Literally: The Doctor's Wife (Julianne Moore) is the only one who's immune to the blinding virus, though she loyally follows her husband (Mark Ruffalo) into the quarantine wards, which soon descend into squalor and madness. The Wife starts out as a tippling, flute-voiced homemaker; as the situation worsens, her pitch drops, her jaw sets, and a gunmetal gleam of resolution lights up those functioning eyes as she labors doggedly to keep herself and her insta-family of fellow detainees from plunging into utter depravity. Blindness conjures a world where an ordinary gal has a uniquely menial kind of greatness thrust upon her, where the drudgery of mopping and laundering is a noble calling and procuring groceries is a do-or-die blood sport-a test of leadership, in fact. Who would have thought it: women's work as the stuff of movie heroism. -J.W. Sample Comment The National Federation of the Blind is shocked and amazed to read the positive review of the film Blindness in the pages of your October issue. This film is not about a heroic woman who saves the world; rather, it is about blindness and the myth that being sighted is inherently superior to being blind. The character played by Julianne Moore is only superior to the other characters in the story because she can see and they cannot. This formulation is offensive to the nation's blind and furthers misconceptions and stereotypes that the general public holds about blindness and blind people. The blind people in the film are helpless, incompetent, and morally degenerate; Moore's character is portrayed as physically, spiritually, and morally superior to them because she can see. In the world imagined by this film, the blind can only be "saved" through the assistance of the sighted. This kind of thinking contributes to an unemployment rate of over 70 percent among working-age blind adults. For this magazine to endorse the world view of this film is to amplify and affirm the film's offensive, demeaning, and harmful portrayal of blind people. _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (6.0.0.386) Database version: 5.11010 http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ E-mail message checked by Spyware Doctor (6.0.0.386) Database version: 5.11010 http://www.pctools.com/en/spyware-doctor-antivirus/ From Inthecar2 at aol.com Wed Oct 29 16:24:53 2008 From: Inthecar2 at aol.com (Inthecar2 at aol.com) Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:24:53 EDT Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O: theOprah Magaz... Message-ID: >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" addresses a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals. Anything 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' relatively decent people into raving maniacs. For instance, if 90% of a town's people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness". While I am not all too certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local Sacramento theater addressing the positive contributions that blind and vision-impaired people do make to our society. I am not so 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and its members, then I will support that position. Lonnie DeWitt **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out Today's Hot 5 Travel Deals! (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) From Funpro at carolina.rr.com Thu Oct 30 14:23:16 2008 From: Funpro at carolina.rr.com (LJH) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:23:16 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... References: Message-ID: Very well said! ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... > >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" > >addresses > a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals. Anything > 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' > relatively > decent people into raving maniacs. For instance, if 90% of a town's > people lost > an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized reaction as depicted > in > the movie "Blindness". While I am not all too certain that this movie > belittles or castes a negative impact on blind people in general, I did > hand-out > educational flyers at a local Sacramento theater addressing the positive > contributions that blind and vision-impaired people do make to our > society. I am > not so 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; > after > all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! > However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that this > movie > has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and its members, then > I > will support that position. > Lonnie DeWitt > **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out Today's > Hot > 5 Travel Deals! > (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From dswinson at conwaycorp.net Thu Oct 30 14:31:59 2008 From: dswinson at conwaycorp.net (Daryl Swinson) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:31:59 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... In-Reply-To: Message-ID: What you have to do is this: Ask yourself if the disease changed white people into black people, and they were treated the same way as in the movie, would Oprah have been so hot to promote it? I think not. You can insert any other demographic into the above conditional statement. Heck, you could even leave it as the Blind, but make all the actors black and I guarantee you that Oprah would have been condemning the movie as portraying black society in a negative light! I'm not making this a "race issue", just using this as the hot button that Oprah would most likely respond to. Like I said, for anyone, you just have to find the right demographic label to put on the button. It's the flip side of the same coin. Everything is cool when the coin lands so one is the winner. But when the flip side comes up and you turn into the loser...well...it's an entirely different situation! -----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of LJH Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:23 AM To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... Very well said! ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... > >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" > >addresses > a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals. Anything > 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' > relatively > decent people into raving maniacs. For instance, if 90% of a town's > people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized > reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness". While I am not all too > certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind > people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local > Sacramento theater addressing the positive contributions that blind > and vision-impaired people do make to our society. I am not so > 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after > all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! > However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that > this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and > its members, then I will support that position. > Lonnie DeWitt > **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out > Today's Hot > 5 Travel Deals! > (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org From donaldgrier at yahoo.com Thu Oct 30 15:05:26 2008 From: donaldgrier at yahoo.com (Donald Grier) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:05:26 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... Message-ID: <476557.96863.qm@web38805.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Did you say you are not turninng this into a race issue? ?Donald Grier donaldgrier at yahoo.com ________________________________ From: Daryl Swinson To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:31:59 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... What you have to do is this:? Ask yourself if the disease changed white people into black people, and they were treated the same way as in the movie, would Oprah have been so hot to promote it?? I think not. You can insert any other demographic into the above conditional statement. Heck, you could even leave it as the Blind, but make all the actors black and I guarantee you that Oprah would have been condemning the movie as portraying black society in a negative light! I'm not making this a "race issue", just using this as the hot button that Oprah would most likely respond to.? Like I said, for anyone, you just have to find the right demographic label to put on the button. It's the flip side of the same coin.? Everything is cool when the coin lands so one is the winner.? But when the flip side comes up and you turn into the loser...well...it's an entirely different situation! -----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of LJH Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:23 AM To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... Very well said! ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... > >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" > >addresses > a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals.? Anything > 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' > relatively > decent people into raving maniacs.? For instance, if 90% of? a town's > people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized? > reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness".? While I am not all too? > certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind? > people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local > Sacramento? theater addressing the positive contributions that blind? > and vision-impaired? people do make to our society.? I am not so > 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after > all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! > However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that > this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and > its members, then I will support that position. > Lonnie DeWitt > **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel.? Check out > Today's Hot > 5 Travel Deals! > (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org From dswinson at conwaycorp.net Thu Oct 30 16:43:55 2008 From: dswinson at conwaycorp.net (Daryl Swinson) Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:43:55 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... In-Reply-To: <476557.96863.qm@web38805.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Correct. It was only an example of an egregiously disadvantaged demographic that will often draw a sympathetic reaction from most people. If you see it otherwise, perhaps you are projecting something into my words that is, frankly, not there. But, given the racial overtones of the presidential race, and all the other slurs cast back and forth, people may already be primed to misinterpret what I said. I'd only like to be given the benefit of the doubt, as has been extended to the makers of the movie, and so many others. -----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Donald Grier Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:05 AM To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... Did you say you are not turninng this into a race issue? ?Donald Grier donaldgrier at yahoo.com ________________________________ From: Daryl Swinson To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:31:59 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... What you have to do is this:? Ask yourself if the disease changed white people into black people, and they were treated the same way as in the movie, would Oprah have been so hot to promote it?? I think not. You can insert any other demographic into the above conditional statement. Heck, you could even leave it as the Blind, but make all the actors black and I guarantee you that Oprah would have been condemning the movie as portraying black society in a negative light! I'm not making this a "race issue", just using this as the hot button that Oprah would most likely respond to.? Like I said, for anyone, you just have to find the right demographic label to put on the button. It's the flip side of the same coin.? Everything is cool when the coin lands so one is the winner.? But when the flip side comes up and you turn into the loser...well...it's an entirely different situation! -----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of LJH Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:23 AM To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... Very well said! ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... > >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" > >addresses > a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals.? > Anything 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' > relatively > decent people into raving maniacs.? For instance, if 90% of? a town's > people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized > reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness".? While I am not all too > certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind > people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local > Sacramento? theater addressing the positive contributions that blind > and vision-impaired? people do make to our society.? I am not so > 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after > all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! > However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that > this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and > its members, then I will support that position. > Lonnie DeWitt > **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel.? Check out > Today's Hot > 5 Travel Deals! > (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org From Funpro at carolina.rr.com Fri Oct 31 04:26:28 2008 From: Funpro at carolina.rr.com (LJH) Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:26:28 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... References: Message-ID: <6961A2B06836454EBB2279A5E632DAD2@USER1> very well said ----- Original Message ----- From: "Daryl Swinson" To: "'Info and discussion list for blind veterans.'" Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:31 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... > What you have to do is this: Ask yourself if the disease changed white > people into black people, and they were treated the same way as in the > movie, would Oprah have been so hot to promote it? I think not. > You can insert any other demographic into the above conditional statement. > Heck, you could even leave it as the Blind, but make all the actors black > and I guarantee you that Oprah would have been condemning the movie as > portraying black society in a negative light! > I'm not making this a "race issue", just using this as the hot button that > Oprah would most likely respond to. Like I said, for anyone, you just > have > to find the right demographic label to put on the button. > > It's the flip side of the same coin. Everything is cool when the coin > lands > so one is the winner. But when the flip side comes up and you turn into > the > loser...well...it's an entirely different situation! > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org > [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of LJH > Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:23 AM > To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. > Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review > inO:theOprah Magaz... > > Very well said! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: > To: > Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM > Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in > O:theOprah Magaz... > > >> >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" >> >addresses >> a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals. Anything >> 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' >> relatively >> decent people into raving maniacs. For instance, if 90% of a town's >> people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized >> reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness". While I am not all too >> certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind >> people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local >> Sacramento theater addressing the positive contributions that blind >> and vision-impaired people do make to our society. I am not so >> 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after >> all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! >> However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that >> this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and >> its members, then I will support that position. >> Lonnie DeWitt >> **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out >> Today's Hot >> 5 Travel Deals! >> (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) >> _______________________________________________ >> Blindvet-talk mailing list >> Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From Funpro at carolina.rr.com Fri Oct 31 04:30:30 2008 From: Funpro at carolina.rr.com (LJH) Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:30:30 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... References: <476557.96863.qm@web38805.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Sometimes resoned idscourse is a foreign nothe to some individuals, simply because it interferes with their preconcieved notions of howthey view the world at large ----- Original Message ----- From: "Donald Grier" To: "Info and discussion list for blind veterans." Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 11:05 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness ReviewinO:theOprah Magaz... Did you say you are not turninng this into a race issue? Donald Grier donaldgrier at yahoo.com ________________________________ From: Daryl Swinson To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 10:31:59 AM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... What you have to do is this: Ask yourself if the disease changed white people into black people, and they were treated the same way as in the movie, would Oprah have been so hot to promote it? I think not. You can insert any other demographic into the above conditional statement. Heck, you could even leave it as the Blind, but make all the actors black and I guarantee you that Oprah would have been condemning the movie as portraying black society in a negative light! I'm not making this a "race issue", just using this as the hot button that Oprah would most likely respond to. Like I said, for anyone, you just have to find the right demographic label to put on the button. It's the flip side of the same coin. Everything is cool when the coin lands so one is the winner. But when the flip side comes up and you turn into the loser...well...it's an entirely different situation! -----Original Message----- From: blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindvet-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of LJH Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2008 9:23 AM To: Info and discussion list for blind veterans. Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review inO:theOprah Magaz... Very well said! ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [Blindvet-talk] Comments Needed for Blindness Review in O:theOprah Magaz... > >From what I've read and heard, it seems that the movie "Blindness" > >addresses > a human nature issue rather than demeaning blind individuals. Anything > 'catastrophic' that occurs (large scale) will undoubtedly 'turn' > relatively > decent people into raving maniacs. For instance, if 90% of a town's > people lost an arm or a leg, we would 'see' the same uncivilized > reaction as depicted in the movie "Blindness". While I am not all too > certain that this movie belittles or castes a negative impact on blind > people in general, I did hand-out educational flyers at a local > Sacramento theater addressing the positive contributions that blind > and vision-impaired people do make to our society. I am not so > 'thin-skinned' that I cannot accept some ridicule or criticism; after > all, as a Black American, I have lived with this for the past 62 years! > However, having said that, if the 'powers-to-be' truly believe that > this movie has the potential to be devastating to the goals NFB and > its members, then I will support that position. > Lonnie DeWitt > **************Plan your next getaway with AOL Travel. Check out > Today's Hot > 5 Travel Deals! > (http://travel.aol.com/discount-travel?ncid=emlcntustrav00000001) > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org