[Nfb-krafters-korner] {Spam?} Fw: notes for Monday's chat on soap making

[Nella Foster]

Here is the information we discussed in last night's chat.  Sorry for the length; I can send as an attachment if that would be easier.  If you have any questions or need clarification just let me know.

Soap is a combination of water, lye and animal fats or vegetable oils.  It is a chemical process called saponification.  Lye is also known as caustic soda or sodium hydroxide.  Once the mixture goes through saponification the lye is no longer active and will not harm the skin.  You must have these 3          ingredients to make a true soap.  Cleansers that do not contain these 3 ingredients are called detergents.  Most “soaps” that you purchase are technically detergents.

Historically homemade soaps were often harsh and could irritate or had a drying effect on the skin.  This happened for a variety of reasons.  Many people were making their own lye from ash and it was unstable.  Animal fats were most often used and they don’t have a lot of moisturizing properties.  Also people weren’t using exact measurements and their soap mixtures were unable to reach saponification.

The 3 methods for making soap are melt and pour, cold process and hot process.  I’m going to focus on hot process since that is the method I have the most experience with.  I also believe you are most likely to get a good quality bar of soap with this method.

  Melt and pour is the easiest; you just melt a block of soap and add color, fragrance and pour into a mold.  The supplies for this project can be purchased at most craft stores.  Melt and pour is fun and a safe project to do with children.

  The cold process can be more difficult.  All ingredients are mixed, heated and then poured into molds.  The mixture is heated just long enough for all ingredients to thoroughly combine, about 10 to 15 minutes.  All fragrances and coloring would be added at this time.  Larger amounts of fragrances need to be used to get good results.  This mixture contains active lye, so caution is required when pouring into the molds.  Saponification happens while the soap is in the molds.  It is hard to know if the soap has fully saponified when using the cold process.  It can take several weeks to a few months before the process is completed.   

The hot process method uses a low heat source to cook the soap mixture until it has completely reached saponification.  This usually takes about an hour.  Fragrances, flowers, oatmeal and such can be stirred in at this point.  The mixture is then poured into molds to harden.  It should be left in the molds for a few hours before removing.  The soap can be used the same day it is made.  However, I like to let the bars dry for a few days.  They seem to get a little harder and last longer. 
Making soap does require several supplies and there is some risk because both active lye and hot oils are handled.  Using the appropriate equipment and safety precautions is a must.  Research, read and thoroughly understand the process before making your first batch of soap.  I love the end product; since making my own I no longer buy soap.  My skin feels healthier and cleaner.  Homemade soap also makes great gifts.

Here are some supplies and suggestions to use to stay safe.  Wear medical gloves, they are light weight and you can easily feel through them.  Wear safety glasses; you do not want to splash lye or hot oil in your eyes.  Wear long sleeves; you do not want splashing on your arms.  Wearing long pants and comfortable shoes is also a good idea.

During the soap making process you should always have a soapy water and vinegar solution on hand.  Vinegar neutralizes the lye, so it will not burn.  I wash all utensils that touch the lye in it and used it once when a drop of lye got on my hand.  It really works.  I keep one side of the sink just for this solution.  When measuring the lye I do it over the other side of the sink.  If I spill any it will be in the sink.  I rinse the sink out with the vinegar solution, just to be safe.  When mixing lye and water always, always pour lye into the water.  If you pour water into the lye you will get a volcano!

Use larger measuring cups, pans and bowls than required.  This will help prevent splashing and spills.  Keep your work space clean and organized; I take everything off the counters that isn’t required in my soap recipe.  Remember that oils heat up faster than water, so be careful with them.  Pour away from you and lift the lid away from you so not to get burned by steam.  Soap making is basically cooking, so apply the same safety precautions and blindness skills.

Here is a list of the basic supplies you will need to get started.
Measuring cups and spoons
Bowls of different sizes
Large plastic spoon
Sturdy metal spoon for getting solid oils out of container
Kettle for melting solid oils (I do this in the crock pot)  
Digital scale
Stick blender
Slow cooker or double boiler
Soap molds (molds can be as easy as a shallow box lined with a trash bag)

If you decide to make soap, start with a simple recipe that doesn’t require lots of ingredients.  You will need fats, water and lye.  The fats can be animal or vegetable depending on the recipes; these can be purchased at your grocery store.  Always use distilled water, tap water may contain minerals that will react with the lye.  Sometimes lye can be difficult to find.  I get it at hardware stores.  Remember lye is also called caustic soda or sodium hydroxide.

Here are a few things that I’ve learned from experience.  Using a crock pot is better than a double boiler because it is easier to regulate the heat.  I put the pot on high for 15 to 20 minutes then turn down to medium.  If the soap mixture gets to hot it will boil over and it is no fun to clean up.  .  Most recipes will tell you not to open the pot very often because it allows heat to escape.  Since I can’t see through the lid to tell which stage my soap is at I open the lid and stir every 10 to 15 minutes.  This does slow down my cooking time; it takes me about 10 to 15 minutes longer than the recipes say.  I would rather take the extra time than clean up a mess.

  It was helpful to make the soap with a sighted friend the first few times.  She was able to tell me what the mixture looked like in the pot and I was able to feel the consistency with the spoon.  Now by stirring and taking note of the consistency I have a good idea of where we are in the saponification process.   
  
I cannot recommend the following book enough.  I think of it as my soap bible.  The author does a great job explaining the process and has many very good recipes.  She also discusses using coloring and fragrances.  There are many good articles and recipes on line as well.  There are several videos on You Tube, but some of them are hard to follow.
  
Handcrafted			 soap DB56092
Boone, Delores. Reading time: 5 hours, 8 minutes. 
Read by Patricia McDermott. 

Hobbies and Crafts

Describes the hot-process method of using an indirect heat source such as a slow cooker, an oven, or a double boiler to make luxurious soap at home. Includes instructions for twenty-eight recipes that can be personalized by adding oils, fragrances, and colors. 2002.

Here are some websites that I frequently purchase supplies from.  Some of them have articles and recipes as well.  You will have many of the supplies in your kitchen already.  Supplies can also be purchased at grocery, drug, Health food and hardware stores.
  
www.brambleberry.com      

www.caprinesupply.com

www.hoeggerfarmyard.com

www.bulkapothecary.com

www.mountainroseherbs.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Nfb-krafters-korner [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Annely Rose via Nfb-krafters-korner
Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2016 12:16 AM
To: nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org
Cc: Annely Rose
Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] {Spam?} Fw: OT-[theblindperspective] June 2016 Newsletter

Hi Everyone,

I am forwarding this to you all because Lindy has a great article in it.  The newsletter is in an attachment as well as in the body of the email.  I don't know if the attachment will forward, but that's okay.  Enjoy!

Annely
--- On Tue, 5/31/16, Blind Perspective <theblindperspective at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Blind Perspective <theblindperspective at gmail.com>
> Subject: [theblindperspective] June 2016 Newsletter
> To: theblindperspective at groups.io
> Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2016, 6:27 PM
> 
> 
>  
>  
> 
> Welcome to The Blind Perspective
> Newsletter 
> 
> June 2016
> Volume 2 Issue 6
> 
> Table of ContentsGreetings from the Editor
> Movers & 
> Shakers
> International Perspective
> Healthy Living
> Have I Got A Story For 
> You
> The Braille Highway
> Kaleidoscope of Krafts
> Spencer’s 
> Spotlight
> Computer Tech 101
> The Rotating Trio; The WindBag
> Cooking 
> Concoctions
> Riddle
> Brain Buster
> 
> Navigation
> The Blind Perspective Newsletter has been produced in
> such a manner that 
> makes it easier to stroll through the articles. If you are
> using JAWS, System 
> Access, NVDA, or Window Eyes, press the letter H to move
> through the headings. 
> If you are wanting to skip back simply press the shift key +
> the letter H. For 
> MAC users, press Control Option Command plus the letter H
> and to go backwards 
> through the articles press Control Option Command shift plus
> the letter H.
> If you have any trouble reading this copy you can go to
> Click
> Here it will take 
> You to the read the current newsletter
> Greetings from the EditorBy Karen Santiago
> Hello readers, and 
> welcome to our June edition of The Blind Perspective. We are
> just at the 
> midpoint of 2016. Where has the time gone! I hope the first
> half of the year has 
> been filled with good health, happiness, and laughter. May
> the second half of 
> 2016 continue in this fashion.
> Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, vader, 
> Baba, Pai, papa, otac, banketi, abba, apa, athair, babbo,
> pater, tata, patri, 
> papá, and pappa.
> Here are a few quotes I thought to share with you about 
> dads:
> “Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good
> you shaved 
> today, you have to do it again tomorrow.” Reed Markham
> “His heritage to his 
> children wasn't words or possessions, but an unspoken
> treasure, the treasure of 
> his example as a man and a father.” Will Rogers Jr.
> “It is a wise father that 
> knows his own child.” William Shakespeare
> Again, wishing all the dads a very 
> Happy Father’s Day! 
> At a Glance:
> Bookshare, Hungary, Trust, Books, Embossers, Smelly Socks 
> & Frames, Sonar, Passwords, Chess, and the Cooking,
> Riddle, and Brain 
> Teaser! 
> 
> Movers & ShakersBookshare
> by Karen Santiago
> karen at theblindperspective
> 
> I had the pleasure of recently interviewing Allison
> Hilliker who works 
> for Benetech, which is located in Palo Alto, California. She
> works remotely as a 
> customer support contractor for Bookshare, a division of
> Benetech. Her job is to 
> handle the tech support for Bookshare. Some of her
> responsibilities include 
> answering the phone, replying to emails, writing help
> articles for the website, 
> and performing accessibility tests. A major part of her job
> is helping and 
> teaching people how to use the website. She will assist
> members in searching, 
> downloading, and reading books. In addition, Allison will
> inform members about 
> which devices work with Bookshare, and help members get the
> books in the format 
> they want.
> Jim Fruchterman, a former rocket scientist, founded
> Benetech, a 
> non profit technology company. Its mission is to create
> innovative and effective 
> technology applications for unmet social needs. Benetech’s
> four major areas of 
> focus are Human Rights, Global Literacy, Environment, and
> Benetech 
> Labs.
> Within the area of Global Literacy there are four main
> programs; 
> Bookshare, The Diagram Center (helping to come up with
> standards of technology 
> to make different graphics more accessible, Route 66
> Literacy (a web based 
> program designed to teach struggling readers), and Born
> Accessible (resources 
> for publishers to make their content accessible from the
> ground 
> up).
> Bookshare was launched in 2002, and is the world’s largest
> online 
> library of accessible books. Bookshare is legally able to
> make accessible 
> digital books for any person with a qualifying disability,
> due to an exception 
> in copyright law (the chafee Amendment). One of the
> following disabilities need 
> to be verified in order to become a member of Bookshare;
> print disability 
> (blindness or low vision), learning disability that affects
> reading (dyslexia), 
> or physical impairment that prevents one from holding books
> and/or turning 
> pages.
> In 2007 Benetech received an award from the US Department of
> Education 
> Office of Special Education Programs. This funding was to
> expand Bookshare and 
> to provide the service free of charge for US students.
> Because, and since 
> receiving this governmental funding membership has grown
> exponentially. In 
> addition, their book collection has significantly expanded
> as 
> well.
> Bookshare’s major source of funding is from the Department
> of 
> Education. Other funding sources include donations, other
> grants/awards, and 
> membership fees. Benetech recently receive money from
> google.org to make more 
> books available internationally.
> Bookshare has developed partnerships with 
> publishers. This means that many publishers now provide
> electronic versions of 
> their books. Which in turn, enables Bookshare to make them
> readily available on 
> their site. This certainly cuts down the time to scan and
> proofread books. 
> However, Bookshare still accepts volunteer scans, as well as
> some in house 
> scans. Bookshare will take books that are scanned by
> volunteers as long as they 
> meet the quality guidelines, which are found on their
> website. They feel that if 
> someone took the time to scan a book, and the quality is
> good then there would 
> probably be others interested in reading it.
> If you are interested in 
> volunteering for Bookshare whether you like to scan books or
> proofread, check 
> out the volunteer link on their website. If you do not
> qualify for free 
> membership, you can earn credit toward your subscription by 
> volunteering.
> Bookshare has over 403,000 books in their library, and
> it’s 
> constantly growing. Their collection of books include just
> about everything; 
> picture books, early readers, romance, hobbies, New York
> Times best sellers, 
> biographies, mysteries, newspapers, periodicals, and many
> many more. They also 
> have a wide variety of text books in many subjects and for
> various grades, 
> including some at the college level. Students may request a
> textbook. Bookshare 
> will then try to get the book from the publisher if
> possible. If not, they will 
> purchase, scan, proofread, and make it available on the
> site. Although most of 
> their books are in English, they do have many books in other
> languages such as; 
> French, Spanish, and Arabic, just to name a few.
> Books are made available 
> through an exception to US copyright laws. This means that
> different books will 
> be available depending on the country you live in. So once
> you enter in your 
> location, the site in turns filters out things that are not
> available in your 
> region. Again, this is because the copyright exception only
> applies to those 
> living in the United States. However, if a publisher gives
> Bookshare permission 
> to provide their book internationally, then they will do
> that. Allison stated 
> that not all, but most publishers do give Bookshare
> worldwide access to their 
> books.
> As stated above, Bookshare is free to US students with a
> qualifying 
> disability. The definition of a student is very broad. It
> does not mean just 
> students attending school from kindergarten through twelfth
> grade. Those 
> attending college, grad school, disability training
> programs, guide dog schools, 
> the Hadley school, and adult continuing education programs
> may also be 
> considered as a student.
> For people who do not qualify as a US student or who 
> live outside of the United States membership is still
> available. The yearly 
> membership fee is $50.00. There is a onetime set up fee of
> $25.00, to help 
> process proof of disability paperwork. Bookshare accepts
> credit card payments, 
> either online or via phone.
> Signing up is quite easy on their very accessible 
> website. Just go to the site (address at the end of this
> article), and click 
> onto the sign uplink. Then choose individual membership
> type, and complete the 
> online form. Then your next step is to provide proof of your
> disability. 
> Information about this, and all aspects of the application
> are explained on the 
> site. Completing this application process should take just
> about five minutes. 
> Once Bookshare receives your proof of disability form, it
> usually takes about a 
> week to complete your membership.
> Once you become a member you are allowed 
> 100 downloads per month. However, if you need to download
> more you can email a 
> request to Bookshare. There are several different ways to
> read the books. Since 
> the books are electronic, there are both book text and audio
> options for all 
> books. You can listen to the books or read them in print
> from your computer or 
> tablet screen. In addition, you can read them in braille by
> embossing them or 
> reading from a refreshable braille display. Recently
> launched was the UEB 
> (Unified English Braille) option for their BRF braille
> books.
> There are 
> several different file formats available other than the BRF
> braille ready 
> format. There is Daisy text only, Daisy with images, or
> Daisy audio. MP3 format 
> is also available, and can be played on any MP3 device, such
> as the digital 
> player from NLs.
> There are several ways to read the books. FS Reader and Web 
> Reader (able to open through your web browser), are two
> options. Allison says 
> that one of the most popular ways to read their books is on
> iDevices using 
> various apps. Voice dream reader (paid), Spotlight Text
> (paid), and Capti (free) 
> are other options to read books. For android users there is
> a version of Voice 
> Dream Reader and a free app available for you; Go Read.
> Bookshare has their own 
> app; Read2Go. You can search for books, download them, and
> read them all from 
> within this app. Bookshare books also work with some
> assistive technology 
> devices such as Victor Reader Stream, Book Sense, and
> Braille Note Takers. 
> Depending on which reading tool you use, it will determine
> the synthetic voice 
> that reads the book.
> Bookshare currently has over 400,000 members. So check 
> out the website and become Bookshare’s newest member at bookshare.org 
> 
> International PerspectiveBy Karen Santiago as told
> by Zoltan; from 
> Hungary
> karen at theblindperspective
> 
> I had the pleasure of interviewing Zoltan, a
> university student from the 
> country of Hungary. This is a relatively small country with
> the size of 93,000 
> square kilometers (35,907 square miles). It is located in
> East-Central Europe, 
> and is bordered by the following countries: Austria,
> Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, 
> Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. It has a population of 10
> million people. 
> However, the population is decreasing due to people
> immigrating 
> abroad.
> Zoltan was born in Budapest, and currently lives in the
> outskirts of 
> the city with his parents. He was born three months
> premature and was blind at 
> birth due to retinopathy of prematurity. 
> School:
> Zoltan attended the only state school for the blind which is
> 
> located in Budapest. This residential school started
> operating in 1826. It 
> provides services to 250 blind students from the ages of 3 -
> 22.
> The school 
> for the blind consists of; Kindergarten, Primary School, a
> rehabilitation 
> center, and a vocational training program. When Zoltan
> started at the age of 6 
> he attended what was known as preschool. Now a days grade
> one is considered 
> kindergarten. Young children are in a smaller building which
> gives them a better 
> sense of safety and security. Then the students move on to
> grade 2 and enter 
> into the primary school building. Zoltan did not reside at
> the school. Instead 
> he took public transportation for 45 minutes to and from
> school each day. He was 
> taught braille as soon as he started school. He knew how to
> read and write the 
> braille alphabet by the time he completed preschool. He then
> went on to the 
> primary school. He started to learn orientation and mobility
> skills in grade 5. 
> He learned cane skills, and routes only limited to within
> the school 
> grounds.
> Students are provided opportunities to play a musical
> instrument and 
> or sing in the choir. Sport activities that are provided
> include; goal ball, 
> swimming, judo, tandem bike riding, and canoeing. Zoltan
> learned judo and how to 
> play the piano.
> Mainstream students receive assistance from traveling 
> teachers from the school for the blind. They teach everyday
> skills, and help 
> them. However, the teachers are not properly trained to
> assist students with 
> disabilities. They are not aware of all the needs of a blind
> student. 
> Furthermore, the mainstream schools are usually not equipped
> properly or 
> supported financially. Integration & inclusion exists in
> Hungary however 
> there is much room and need for improvement.
> Unfortunately, there is no 
> secondary school for the blind in Hungary. However, after
> completion of grade 8, 
> students may choose to continue on to a public high school
> or to a special 
> vocational training program. Here, students can learn such
> skills as pottery, 
> weaving, and computers. 
> Zoltan decided to attend his local neighborhood high
> school. He was the 
> only blind student, and the first one the school has ever
> had. His mom, who is 
> very supportive, persuaded Zoltan’s mobility teacher to
> teach him the way to his 
> new school early. Therefore, Zoltan was able to navigate
> himself to his 
> school.
> Zoltan explained that since he was the first, and only blind
> student 
> the school ever had, it was a very difficult time for him.
> Most of the teachers 
> did not know how to deal, handle, and assist him. There were
> some teachers who 
> tried to accommodate him, yet there were others that would
> hand him printed test 
> and tell him to complete it. He did have a traveling
> assistant teacher, however, 
> she only visited the school once a week.
> Zoltan was taught keyboard skills 
> from grade 5 on at the school for the blind. He requested
> and was granted money 
> from the government in order to purchase a laptop. Due to
> the high cost of 
> screen readers, Zoltan was unable to receive any monetary
> support for that. He 
> did state that most blind people, if not all find
> alternative ways of obtaining 
> screen readers. He added that many people are very thankful
> for NVDA (NonVisual 
> Desktop Access), since it is a free screen reader.
> University:
> Zoltan 
> attends the Eötvös Lorànd University located in Budapest.
> He completed his 
> Bachelors degree in English. This programs usually takes 3
> years, however, 
> students with disabilities are given more time. It took
> Zoltan 4 years to 
> complete. He is currently in his second year of obtaining
> his Master’s degree. 
> He will complete his courses sometime next year, and plans
> to be an English 
> teacher.
> Part of obtaining a degree to become an English teacher is
> passing a 
> written and oral proficiency exam. When Zoltan first took
> the written exam it 
> was not blind friendly, and he unfortunately did not pass.
> On his second try, 
> the examiner decided to read the questions to him. This time
> Zoltan passed both 
> his written and oral exams. The next part to complete is
> teaching practices. 
> Zoltan recently completed his English teaching practice, and
> said that it was 
> very positive. His mentor was very understanding,
> accommodating, supportive, and 
> empathetic, which made for a wonderful experience. Come
> September, Zoltan will 
> be doing his next teaching practice at the Hungarian Chinese
> Bilingual School. 
> After that he will need to complete his long teaching
> practice in both English 
> and Hungarian. Finally, he will need to complete his
> teaching portfolio, and 
> write his thesis. Zoltan has a very positive attitude, and
> is optimistic in one 
> day finding employment as an English teacher. 
> Braille:
> *Braille is not seen very much in the public in Hungary. 
> There is braille on some doors and in some elevators of
> public 
> building.
> *There are no braille menus available from restaurants.
> *Zoltan 
> is unaware of any companies that provide their documents in
> a braille 
> format.
> *Zoltan just recently visited the National Parliament
> located within 
> the city. On the outside of the building is a tactile map
> with braille labeling. 
> Although this discovery pleased Zoltan he was quite
> disappointed. For he 
> explained that there were several spelling mistakes made in
> the braille 
> translation. 
> Transportation:
> *There is no separate transportation system for people 
> with disabilities. However, is you have your disability card
> issued by the 
> government, then you can ride the buses and trams for free.
> *Riding the train 
> within Budapest is free for blind individuals and their
> personal care assistant. 
> If traveling outside of Budapest, you can purchase tickets
> at a significantly 
> reduced rate.
> *There are very few tactile strips at street corners. In 
> addition, there are very few audio pedestrian signals at
> crosswalks.
> *At most 
> major bus stops there are display panels which tell you what
> bus is coming, and 
> when. Zoltan also has this separate remote device that can
> give him the same 
> information. 
> Guide Dog Schools:
> *Zoltan said that there are at least two guide dog 
> schools in Hungary. There is no cost to the blind individual
> for the dog. There 
> is no allowance or other financial aid given to guide dog
> users for such things 
> as food and veterinary expenses. The waiting list for these
> guide schools are 
> very long.
> *Guide dogs are able to access all public buildings and
> public 
> modes of transportation. 
> Reading Services:
> *free access to braille and audible books if you are 
> a member of the Association for the Disabled.
> *Hungarian Electronic Library: 
> not specifically for the blind, has thousands of full-text
> works in the 
> humanities and social sciences. 
> Benefits:
> Disability Pension; once a doctor has “proven” that you
> have 
> a disability then you are eligible to receive a monthly
> check from the 
> government. Zoltan said that the monetary support is
> minimal, and not enough to 
> live on alone. 
> Organization:
> Association for the disabled; The Hungarian Federation 
> of the Blind and Partly Sighted
> *Audio library
> *store with assistive 
> devices
> *may subsidize cost of equipment
> *I T assistance
> The 
> Association has other sub organizations that teach mobility
> and braille to 
> adults 
> Final Thoughts:
> *Zoltan believes that generally blind people are 
> underestimated in Hungary.
> *He said that things have come a long way, but 
> there is still much more need for improvements. Such things
> that he would like 
> to see improve are; more braille in the public, tactile
> strips at street 
> corners, and more support from the government.
> *He feels strongly about the 
> need to educate and train the teachers about working,
> supporting, and 
> understanding students with disabilities. In addition, he
> feels that children 
> should be taught at a young age about different disabilities
> and what they could 
> do to assist those with a disability.
> *Zoltan feels that as a blind person, 
> you need to be confident in yourself, polite, communicative,
> and willing to ask 
> for help when needed, but without being demanding. If you
> are able to do these 
> things, then people will be more likely to engage in
> conversation and assist 
> you. 
> Part Two:
> I also had the pleasure of conducting a short interview with
> 
> Ildi, a friend and fellow University student of Zoltan. She
> too, lives in 
> Budapest and her blindness was caused by too much oxygen
> given at birth.
> Ildi 
> attended the same school for the blind through grade eight.
> Her mom had called 
> several local high schools and many said that they could not
> accommodate a blind 
> student. However, she did attend a Catholic high school. She
> and another blind 
> boy attended this school at the same time, and were the
> first blind students. 
> Ildi had a very positive experience during her high school
> years, and excelled 
> as the top student throughout her four years there.
> She continued on to a 
> local college where she received her Bachelors degree in
> English Studies. Ildy 
> stated the Association for the disabled; The Hungarian
> Federation of the Blind 
> and Partly Sighted does offer to its members, monetary
> support for learning 
> devices. She now attends the same University as Zoltan and
> is working toward her 
> Master’s degrees in English and Adult Education.
> Ildi treats blindness not as 
> an illness, but as an acceptable fact. She notices that
> there are many people 
> who feel sorry for her, and other who just do not know how
> to treat a blind 
> person. She, like Zoltan believes that educating people both
> young and old about 
> accepting and assisting people with all types of
> disabilities needs to happen. 
> 
> Healthy LivingBy Lawrence MacLellan
> lawrence at theblindperspective
> 
> Hello everybody. This month I would like to chat
> about trust, as in 
> having faith in others and especially in yourself. Being
> able to go places, 
> participating in local events and feeling safe enough to go
> for a walk is very 
> important for overall good health.
> Let me tell you about a friend that really 
> did trust in humanity and I guess if there was a Guinness
> Book record for trust 
> , then I think that he would win.
> Here in the province of Saskatchewan we 
> host one of the largest outdoor country music concerts in
> the world and it is 
> called “ Craven Country Jamboree” which brings in the
> top names in country 
> music. This concert is held outside, attracting thousands of
> people from all 
> over North America and the music continues for 3 or 4 days.
> My friend books 
> his holidays so he can attend. Well here’s where the story
> gets interesting. He 
> starts out by catching a bus in the city that takes him out
> into the country 
> where the concert is held. This he does by himself and the
> only company he has 
> is his white cane. When he arrives he gets off the bus and
> starts heading to the 
> sound of the music. There isn’t anybody there that is
> going to meet him and he 
> gets the last bus back each night only to return the next
> day to enjoy the best 
> in country music.
> At this point you may be thinking, what about if he needs 
> to go to the bathroom or would like something to eat. How
> about tripping over 
> people, bumping into someone who may have had too much to
> drink? There could be 
> hundreds of problems that could show up for my friend but it
> doesn’t stop 
> him.
> I did ask him how do you do it and his answer was that he
> trusted in 
> people. He said that people take care of him, they usually
> ask him if he needs 
> any help and he ends up spending time with real good people
> and makes a few 
> friends along the way.
> He said that when you trust in people things turn out 
> good and when you don’t trust in people then the wrong
> kinds of people show up 
> in your life. I certainly subscribe to his theory. The news
> is full of terrible 
> things and it can be very easy to not trust but by doing so,
> are we attracting 
> the wrong people in our lives?
> I am not suggesting that you find the most 
> dangerous part of the city and walk the streets at 4 in the
> morning. What I am 
> saying is that if you are afraid to go to the local store in
> the middle of the 
> afternoon or to simply go for a walk in your neighbourhood
> then I think there’s 
> a problem.
> Ask yourself, am I afraid? What am I afraid of? What’s
> going to 
> happen if I go outside? There are lots of blind people that
> have no problems 
> participating in their community and I would say “ keep up
> the good work” 
> because you are showing the rest of the world that blind
> people can live a good 
> and healthy life and your community will admire you for
> that.
> For those that 
> are having a little trouble, I would challenge you to start
> slowly trusting in 
> people. Start with baby steps. Be careful and be smart about
> it. It could be as 
> simple as going for a walk around the block. You could call
> a friend and have 
> them meet you at a coffee shop or even pick a certain corner
> to meet and you 
> know if you don’t show up they will come find you. Carry
> your phone with you and 
> if you have G P S then that should help you to feel a little
> safer.
> With all 
> my articles I suggest that you start out slow and keep
> adding to it. You never 
> know, if you like country music then some day you may end up
> at Craven’s country 
> jamboree.
> Trust in the first step you take. 
> 
> Have I Got A Story For YouBy Carla Jo Bratton
> carlajo at theblindperspective
> 
> Hello again fellow book lovers,
> This month I have three very different 
> books for your consideration. A high octane thriller, a
> First in a series 
> glimpse at the past and a short hilarious beach or backyard
> giggle book. So, on 
> into summer, lemonade and great books! 
> Pretty Girls
> Written by Karin Slaughter
> DB 82937
> Reading time: 13 
> hours and 52 minutes
> Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.
> More than twenty years 
> ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished
> without a trace. The two 
> women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not
> be more different. 
> Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta
> millionaire. Lydia, a single 
> mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But
> neither has 
> recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared
> loss—a devastating 
> wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband
> is killed.
> The 
> disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a
> middle-aged man, almost a 
> quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a
> wary truce, the 
> surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth,
> unearthing the secrets 
> that destroyed their family all those years ago and
> uncovering the possibility 
> of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.
> My comments;
> I 
> have read every single book, short story or random article
> written by Karin 
> Slaughter. I love her stuff. Be warned: Her books are not
> for the faint of 
> heart. She gets gritty, dirty, bloody and she will keep you
> hanging until the 
> last twist of the knife.The Swans of Fifth Avenue
> Written by Melanie 
> Benjamin
> DB 02787
> Reading time: 10 hours and 22 minutes
> The New York 
> Times best-selling author of The Aviator's Wife returns
> with a triumphant new 
> novel about New York's "Swans" of the 1950s -
> and the scandalous, 
> headline-making, and enthralling friendship between literary
> legend Truman 
> Capote and peerless socialite Babe Paley.
> Of all the glamorous stars of New 
> York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley. Her
> flawless face 
> regularly graces the pages of Vogue, and she is celebrated
> and adored for her 
> ineffable style and exquisite taste, especially among her
> friends - the alluring 
> socialite Swans Slim Keith, C. Z. Guest, Gloria Guinness,
> and Pamela Churchill. 
> By all appearances, Babe has it all: money, beauty, glamour,
> jewels, influential 
> friends, a prestigious husband, and gorgeous homes. But
> beneath this elegantly 
> composed exterior dwells a passionate woman - a woman
> desperately longing for 
> true love and connection.
> Enter Truman Capote. This diminutive, golden-haired 
> genius with a larger-than-life personality explodes onto the
> scene, setting Babe 
> and her circle of Swans aflutter. Through Babe, Truman gains
> an unlikely entrée 
> into the enviable lives of Manhattan's elite along with
> unparalleled access to 
> the scandal and gossip of Babe's powerful circle. Sure
> of the loyalty of the man 
> she calls "True Heart", Babe never imagines the
> destruction Truman will leave in 
> his wake. But once a storyteller, always a storyteller -
> even when the stories 
> aren't his to tell.
> Truman's fame is at its peak when such notable 
> celebrities as Frank and Mia Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, and
> Rose Kennedy converge 
> on his glittering Black and White Ball. But all too soon,
> he'll ignite a 
> literary scandal whose repercussions echo through the years.
> The Swans of Fifth 
> Avenue will seduce and startle listeners as it opens the
> door onto one of 
> America's most sumptuous eras.
> My comments;
> This is a girl book. I am 
> fascinated by this time period in New York and all of these
> characters. I 
> thoroughly enjoyed this first in a series and can’t wait
> for book two! 
> I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
> Written by Amy 
> Sedaris
> DB 65319
> Reading time; 3 hours and 42 minutes
> Are you lacking 
> direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for lumberjacks?
> A dinner party for 
> white-collar workers? A festive gathering for the grieving?
> Don't despair. Take 
> a cue from entertaining expert Amy Sedaris and host an
> unforgettable fete that 
> will have your guests raving.
> No matter the style or size of the gathering, 
> from the straightforward to the bizarre, I Like You provides
> jackpot recipes and 
> solid advice laced with Amy's blisteringly funny take on
> entertaining and 
> everything it takes to pull off a party with extraordinary
> flair.
> You don't 
> even need to be a host or hostess to benefit; Amy offers
> tips for guests, too! 
> Readers will discover unique dishes to serve alcoholics
> (Broiled Frozen Chicken 
> Wings with Applesauce), the secret to a successful
> children's party (a half-hour 
> time limit, games included), and much, much more!
> My comments;
> Male, 
> female, no matter what! This book is funny! Just hard down
> roll on the floor 
> laughing! A great group listen too.
> Until sunny July, Happy reading! 
> 
> The Braille HighwayBy Nat Armeni
> nat at theblindperspective
> 
> Hello and happy June (the midway point of 2016) to
> you! I have a 
> homebased braille production company. With this in mind, I
> am going to write 
> about some of the braille embossers I use.
> As always, I am going to place 
> excerpts of 2 emails I have received and feel worthy of
> sharing with you. The 
> first email had no name associated with it so I will refer
> to this one as 
> mystery person:
> “I think you should concentrate on more positive things.
> You 
> should be thankful that there are companies willing to sell
> specialized items 
> for the blind.”
> Well mystery writer, I am thankful but I also think such 
> companies should have the end user in mind and make some
> appropriate 
> accommodations. 
> The second email I am sharing is from Gail in
> Florida:
> “I totally 
> agree with your last article. And even for things that
> aren’t bought from a 
> blindness product organization should have a text (braille
> would be nice but 
> there’s that perfect world wish again) downloadable
> manual. Here’s my latest 
> gripe. Blindness products are so outrageously expensive.
> Even those of us who 
> are working can’t afford this stuff. I realize it’s the
> supply and demand thing. 
> But, for example, if we could purchase a braille note taker
> for the same price 
> as a sighted person could get a lap top, wouldn’t the
> vendors sell more of 
> them?”
> Gail, that would be wonderful but as you alluded to good old
> supply 
> and demand just would not make it financially doable. As the
> Movers and Shakers 
> article mentioned in the May issue, if Braigo makes braille
> embossers become a 
> reality we can buy one for $500.00. Would that be great, or
> what?
> A reminder 
> that if you want to share your opinion on something you have
> read in this 
> article or have something constructive to say you can email
> me at the address 
> mentioned above. Hey you never know you just may read part
> of your email in the 
> Braille Highway. 
> I have used for both private, and commercial use 3
> different embossers. 
> An embosser is a braille printer for lack of a better
> description. I have used, 
> and am still using the following make: VersaPoint, ET, and
> the Express 100. I 
> have to say that all 3 embossers are work horses. They are
> all noisy, dust 
> making, braille producing machines.
> I started with my VersaPoint in the 90s 
> for notes and personal documents. In the early part of 2000
> I bought my ET for 
> my adventure into my homebased braille production business.
> The Express 100 came 
> as the need arose. 
> The VersaPoint is a single sided embosser which is
> pretty slow. It 
> produces braille at approximately 25 characters per second.
> The maximum 
> characters per line is 40 with 25 lines per page. This unit
> uses tractor feed 
> braille paper. It has a braille intensity nob with 5
> settings. So one can adjust 
> at what pressure the machine’s strikes the paper. If it is
> light weight paper I 
> would use the lightest setting and as the paper’s
> thickness increased I would 
> turn the knob to accommodate that. The VersaPoint has met my
> needs and is still 
> a grate stand by embossing unit.
> The ET is an interpoint embosser. What 
> interpoint means is that it can produce braille on both
> sides of the page. My ET 
> has the single page feed feature, as well as tractor feed
> paper. If a customer 
> wants a couple of lines of brailled texts on an already
> printed sheet I would be 
> able to make them happy with the single sheet feature that I
> had added on to my 
> unit when I purchased it. The ET can braille up to a maximum
> of 40 characters 
> per line and 26 lines per standard braille paper. It can
> produce braille at 60 
> characters per second on both sides.
> The major production embosser I have and 
> use for big quick jobs is my Express 100. It is an
> interpoint unit. It has and 
> braille impact intensity nob as well as it comes with a
> clear speech letting me 
> know for a multi copy run at what copy number it is
> embossing, among many other 
> settings and features. The express produces Brailled at 100
> characters per 
> second on both sides. Since it is running so fast it has 2
> sets of tractor feeds 
> one on both end of the embossing head to keep the paper
> straight. With the 2 
> sets of tractor feeds you lose one page per production run.
> This would be the 
> page on the end side of the embossing headthat would be left
> blank. With the 
> Express 100 it can emboss a maximum of 44 characters per
> line and 26 lines per 
> standard braille page. 
> Keep in mind that there are many types of embossers
> offering different 
> features and at differing price ranges. I am fortunate to
> have a local company 
> that can fix and maintain my 3 units rather than having to
> transport them which 
> would increase my costs.
> If you are in the market to buy a braille embosser 
> there are many resources on the internet to review and
> compare. Make use of your 
> favorite web browser and have fun researching and talk to
> people who already own 
> or use an embosser. Finding out their likes and dislikes can
> assist you in your 
> decision making.
> Have an awesome rest of the month of June and remember to 
> stay on the dotted line of life! 
> 
> Kaleidoscope of KraftsBy Lindy van der Merwe
> lindy at theblindperspective
> 
> `` Father's Day is celebrated around the world
> during the month of June. 
> With this in mind, I went searching for easy projects for
> this month's article. 
> Below is a craft I found at Free Kids Crafts which I could
> not resist sharing, 
> and another one that is part of my origami collection. 
> Smelly Socks Potpourri:
> Potpourri is a mixture of dried petals and 
> spices that can be put in a sack and placed in a drawer or
> closet to make 
> everything smell good. You can make your own by mixing dried
> flowers and spices 
> and even a few drops of essential oils, or you can buy
> ready-made 
> potpourri.
> For this easy craft, you will need the following:
> Socks - 
> Printed or decorative socks will look great, or you might
> decide to recycle a 
> sock or two that has lost its mate
> Potpourri
> Spoon
> Rubber 
> band
> Matching ribbon or cord 
> Instructions:
> 1. Use the spoon to fill your sock with the 
> potpourri.
> 2. Work the potpourri down into the toe area of the sock.
> 3. 
> Keep spooning in the potpourri until the sock is tightly
> filled.
> 4. Using the 
> rubber band, close the sock tightly at the top.
> 5. Cover the rubber band with 
> the ribbon or cord and tie it in a pretty bow.
> 6. Place in a drawer or let 
> dad hang his sweet smelling sock in a cupboard.
> Alternatively, make a pair of 
> socks to slip into shoes to freshen them up. 
> Our second craft for this month is a folded picture
> frame. Photos taken 
> in both landscape and portrait orientation can be mounted
> within this 
> frame.
> A 4 x 6 photo should fit into this frame without it having
> to be cut, 
> thus making it possible for a blind or visually impaired
> person to fold and 
> mount the model independently.
> It is a quick and easy project that could 
> provide the opportunity for sharing good times and creating
> good memories on 
> father's day or for passing time on a rainy afternoon.
> Using origami or other 
> colored paper will form an attractive pattern, making this
> photo frame even more 
> eye-catching.
> To practice, use a4, legal copy or printer paper, or you
> could 
> even recycle magazine pages. 
> Instructions:
> Step 1; Place a rectangular piece of paper down on a 
> hard, flat surface, with the short edges at the left and
> right and the long 
> edges facing top and bottom.
> Step 2; Fold the left edge over to meet the 
> right edge. Crease and unfold.
> Step 3; Fold both the left and right edges in 
> to meet at the vertical crease line you have just folded.
> Crease well and 
> unfold.
> Step 4; Fold the two top corners downwards toward the
> center, 
> aligning the edges with the first vertical crease line you
> come to. Crease well 
> and leave folded.
> Step 5; Fold the two bottom corners upwards toward the 
> center, aligning the edges with the first vertical crease
> line you come to. 
> Crease well and leave folded.
> *At this stage you will still have a flat piece 
> of paper with 4 corners folded in. Your model will have two
> long edges top and 
> bottom, two short edges left and right and the 4 diagonal
> sides where the 
> corners have been folded in.
> Step 6; Fold the left edge toward the middle, 
> stopping about a half inch from the center vertical crease
> line.
> *Even though 
> you will not be placing your paper directly on the vertical
> center fold, you can 
> still use this line as a guide to help you fold in the sides
> of your paper as 
> straight as possible. Crease well and leave folded.
> Repeat with the right 
> edge. Crease well and leave folded.
> Step 7; Turn your model over, like 
> turning the page of a book. You will now have a rectangle
> with a smooth surface 
> again. It should be positioned with the short sides at the
> top and 
> bottom.
> Fold the top edge down to meet the bottom edge to form a
> horizontal 
> center crease line. Crease and unfold.
> Step 8; Lastly, fold the top edge 
> down, stopping about a half inch from the center horizontal
> crease line. Crease 
> well and leave folded.
> Repeat with the bottom edge, folding it up and also 
> stopping about a half inch from the horizontal center crease
> line. Crease well 
> and leave folded.
> You will end up with a rectangular photo frame with 4 
> corners. Tuck the 4 corners of your photo under the 4 flaps
> and display your 
> photo in your new origami photo frame. 
> For those who might not know, I became interested in
> origami aka paper 
> folding around seven years ago. As I started to learn more
> about the craft, I 
> decided to compile some text-only instructions for folding
> various 
> objects.
> So far, two documents are available for download free of
> charge. If 
> you like the picture frame I have shared above, you are more
> than welcome to 
> download Accessible Origami - Volumes 1 and 2 by visiting bizviznet.com.net/
> 
> 
> 
> Spencer's SpotlightBy Cheryl Spencer
> cheryl at theblindperspective
> 
> Have you ever felt like a pin ball in your own house,
> hitting one wall, 
> and bouncing off another wall? Oh boy, there are walls in my
> house that I swear 
> move just so I will run smack into them. A few months ago I
> heard of a really 
> neat gadget, it is Sonor Glasses by G-Technology Group.
> You know me by now 
> and after hearing the pod cast on the Blindabilities app (a
> little plug for my 
> friend, Pete Lane,) I got right on the phone and ordered a
> pair.
> There are 
> several choices, since I have zero light perception, I
> ordered the darth Vader 
> version, my words not theirs. For those who have some
> vision, there are lightly 
> tinted, or even clear options available. You can even get
> prescription lens. 
> Depending on the lens you choose, prices will vary.
> My friend told me they 
> are very futuristic looking. Jordy, move over!
> Below is some information I 
> got from their web site:
> * Recommended use: this device is not intended to 
> replace the white cane but to be used in combination with
> the cane or guide 
> dog
> *Intended for: head and chest protection from overhanging
> obstacles such 
> as tree branches and low ceilings
> *Detection range: adjustable
> *User 
> feedback: subtle vibration near the right temple
> *Lenses: available in clear, 
> dark tint, photosensitive, and prescription
> *Battery: one rechargeable 
> lithium-ion
> *Battery life per charge: 7-9 hours
> *Accessories: rechargeable 
> battery, battery charger, ear locks, head strap
> *The glasses are made in the 
> USA and are backed with an unconditional 1 year warranty and
> satisfaction 
> guarantee 
> SONAR GLASSES, by G-Technology Group, are designed to
> increase mobility 
> independence for the blind and visually impaired. They
> complement the white cane 
> and guide dog by detecting obstacles above waist level (such
> as tree limbs, 
> signs, walls, people, low ceilings, etc.).
> SONAR GLASSES technology is based 
> on echolocation, similar to the way bats navigate in the
> dark. The lasses emit 
> sound waves and measure the time to receive sound reflected
> by nearby 
> objects.
> These glasses were designed for the blind in mind. When
> Arman 
> Ghodousi observed a blind man walking down the street and
> the cane was not able 
> to alert him to a low hanging branch, he started to wonder.
> Ghodousi was working 
> for a private company using sonor technology to see through
> walls and he thought 
> this technology would be a great way of alerting blind
> people to obstacles not 
> detected by the cane and or dog guide.
> Kudos to this group of individuals for 
> creating something to help make our lives a little less
> stressful, bumpy, and 
> bruisey; you know what I mean. 
> Below is the contact information:
> For more information, or to place an 
> order, please contact: Maggie McBride at 1-703-224-89851-703-224-8985
> mailto:mmcbride at g-technologygroup.com
> Their 
> web address is www.g-disabilityproducts.com
> 
> 
> Computer Tech 101By Jim Morgan
> jim at theblindperspective
> 
> As the 1984 hit by Rockwell and Michael Jackson says,
> “I always feel like 
> somebody’s watching me and I have no privacy.” In this
> day and age, passwords 
> are absolutely essential to keep people out of places they
> have absolutely no 
> business being in. Based on a suggestion by one of those
> dictators we call 
> editors, I thought we’d talk about passwords.
> The number one thing to 
> remember about passwords is, as you might expect,
> REMEMBERING them. According to 
> some statistics I’ve seen, the “administration” of
> forgotten passwords takes up 
> approximately 56% of all Tech Support tickets. In fact,
> quite a few web sites 
> have a specific link to click on if someone has forgotten
> their password. With 
> that in mind, let me give a couple of facts about passwords
> as well as the 
> “current” rule of thumb for creating them. When it comes
> to passwords, there are 
> some that we use over and over again. Psychologists state
> that the average 
> person has around 5 passwords that they use regularly. The
> passwords themselves 
> may, and do in a lot of cases, change over the years, but
> the number is 
> relatively static. The way I heard it; 5 is about the
> maximum that a person 
> actively stores in their conscious memory although the
> subconscious is capable 
> of quite a few more. As a general rule, you want to stay
> away from all numbers 
> and actual words. I know that Personal Identification
> Numbers (PIN’s) are all 
> numbers, but that’s a different thing. The reason for
> staying away from the 
> above is that there are programs out there that try every
> combination of numbers 
> and the contents of the current Webster’s New Collegiate
> Dictionary to sniff out 
> passwords at VERY high speed.
> To put it another way, a 4 digit PIN has only 
> 10,000 possible combinations and the dictionary will fit on
> the smallest of 
> flash drives. However, a 6 – 8 character password, which
> is the most common 
> length these days, is a minimum of 139,314,069,504, or 72 to
> the 6th power, 
> possible combinations; see the difficulty there? In case
> you’re wondering where 
> the 72 comes from, it is the 26 character alphabet times 2
> (capitals and 
> lowercase since a lot of passwords are Case Sensitive),
> numbers 0 – 9, and the 
> 10 special characters. That’s why a lot of sites nowadays
> have you enter 
> combinations of letters and numbers and, even, a special
> character, like the %, 
> as well as having at least one of the letters be
> capitalized. This defeats 
> those, for want of a better term, “sniffers” since they
> can’t lock on a match 
> with any efficiency or speed. In addition, some sites will
> only give you a small 
> number of tries before locking you out until you get the
> site’s help to unlock 
> it.
> Of course, the next big questions are when do I use a
> password and how do 
> I keep track of them. As far as the when is concerned, most
> of the time, you’ll 
> want to insert one but not necessarily every time. The
> question to ask yourself 
> is if there is something here, be it the computer, a file, a
> backup disk, a 
> flash drive, etc., that has something that only you should
> be able to get to. 
> For example, anything that has your Social Security Number
> or bank account 
> information is generally something to keep secured. However,
> if it’s not 
> necessary, don’t put it in since it’s just one more
> thing to keep track of. I’ve 
> have a couple of friends who, on more than one occasion,
> were locked out of 
> their computer because they couldn’t remember the Windows
> password and they were 
> the ONLY one who used said computer. Conversely, I have an
> acquaintance that has 
> a laptop she takes all over and it has some sensitive
> documents that she gets to 
> from the desktop. So, in that instance, a password is
> somewhat necessary. I will 
> say that I have passwords on my Access databases that have
> any sensitive 
> information, such as the banking information I mentioned
> earlier or any contact 
> information for friends and family, but none on others, such
> as my Audio/Video 
> Collection and Music databases. The bottom line is that,
> like a LOT of things, 
> it’s up to you. Just remember one important fact; if you
> set up a password on 
> your computer and you “lose” it, it can be VERY
> difficult to get back in.
> I 
> have a database that I did years ago while at The Metris
> Corporation to track 
> employee attrition. I’d kept the database even though the
> information tables 
> were inaccessible because it had some other parts, such as
> Visual Basic code, 
> that I wanted to keep and have as models for other
> databases. The database had a 
> password on it while I was working on it and, for some
> reason, never got removed 
> when I brought it home. Anyway, I wanted to get into it for
> something and 
> couldn’t remember the !@#$% password. I went through the
> standard ones I might 
> have used with no success nor was I able to ferret out the
> password looking at 
> the actual file code. Fortunately, I got lucky and used
> variations on a logical 
> password and happened to get it right. Needless to say, I
> removed said password 
> ASAP so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it again.
> That’s the danger with 
> passwords, unless you have a place to keep them.
> This brings me to the point 
> of how to keep track of passwords. There are numerous ways
> including writing 
> them down, keeping a file on the computer and, if you want
> to get real fancy, 
> have a database or something like it. The one thing you
> SHOULDN’T do is trust 
> your memory; especially if it’s an important password. I
> wouldn’t write them 
> down and then just leave that lying around either. The whole
> point of a password 
> is security. One method that is reasonably safe is writing
> the password in 
> Braille. Let’s face it, not many people like us read and
> write in Braille; to 
> say nothing of the sighted public. Still, you want to put
> such a list in a safe 
> place so that you’ll know where it is and can get to it if
> you need it.
> I 
> guess, in the end, when it comes to passwords, it all
> depends on you and your 
> particular needs and personality. I have a database that I
> secured with a 
> password that I use a LOT and it has all my needed secure
> information, including 
> passwords and banking information, so that I can get to them
> quickly whenever 
> they’re needed. More often than not, the one time you
> really need a password and 
> can’t remember it, you need it somewhat quickly. But,
> whatever way you wish to 
> do it, please be careful to not make it too obvious and
> NEVER use your banking 
> PIN on the computer as a password since, if it ever gets
> cracked, you could be 
> in a world of hurt. Anyway, that’s my “sermon” for
> this time; Happy Computing! 
> 
> The Rotating Trio: The WindBagBy BlowhHard
> blowhard at theblindperspective
> Chess 
> Opponents That Almost Never Quit 
> My last article gave the rules of chess in a very
> basic way, along with 
> how and where you can get started. Let’s continue from
> there.
> Let’s say that 
> you have at least begun working on the first correspondence
> course from Hadley. 
> You’re getting an idea of how the game is played, but
> you’ve got a slight 
> problem. You don’t know anyone who plays the game, or if
> you do, they aren’t 
> available for a game when you are.
> There are ways around this. Some require 
> modification, while others do not. Consider computer chess.
> Now, don’t jump to 
> any conclusions, because it does not mean that you will
> never win a game. The 
> chess computer programs or apps for iDevices can be set at
> different levels of 
> skill to suit your needs, ranging from an extreme novice to
> a Grandmaster. And 
> they can be operated by blind people if you get the right
> program, app, or 
> both.
> My advice is to use a separate chess set, making the moves
> as you play. 
> This is so that you can examine the situation without having
> to go over the 
> board square by square using speech output from your chess
> opponent. So, if you 
> move a pawn to E4, move it on your board, then enter it into
> the computer. If 
> the computer announces that it is moving a pawn to E5, make
> that move on your 
> board. Then figure out your next move and make it on your
> board, then enter it 
> into the computer and wait for the response and execute it
> on your board, and so 
> on.
> Let’s look at a couple of apps for iDevices first. Look
> for them in the 
> app store. I won’t mention their cost, because it changes
> from time to time, but 
> both of these are low cost, and well worth the money. First,
> let’s see what they 
> have in common.
> Both are Voice-Over friendly. Both will announce the 
> computer’s move. With both apps, you can choose to play
> White or Black. With 
> either app, you can choose to play using a chess clock or
> not. This adds a whole 
> new dimension to the game of chess. Both will offer tons of
> replay value because 
> of the fact that no two games of chess are alike. Both play
> good chess. Moves 
> are executed in the same way. You can move a finger around
> the board and when 
> you touch a square, it will tell you what, if anything is on
> that square. It 
> might say “E2, White pawn”. Anyway, you locate the piece
> you want to move and 
> double tap on it. Now, find the square you want to move it
> to, and double tap on 
> it. The app will announce its response. You can have both
> apps make the next 
> move for either side. In essence, you can begin a game and
> tell the app to make 
> the next move, and the next, and the next, until the game
> ends. You can watch 
> the app play against itself. You can learn strategy this
> way. And, while I 
> consider it cheating, you can have the app make the next
> move if you are stuck. 
> Actually, this is also a good learning tool, because the way
> to get out of 
> situations might not be obvious until you have the app
> actually work itself out 
> of that situation. In a way, you are using the app to
> develop your skills by 
> having it show you good logical chess play.
> Now for the differences between 
> them.
> 1. Shredder Chess. Of the two that I will cover, this is my
> favorite 
> because of some of the unique features. The skill range is
> much wider than the 
> other app. With Shredder Chess, you can play against an
> opponent with a skill 
> level of 850 ELO rating, which is a very new beginner of the
> game. Although the 
> app always plays legal moves, it is very easily beaten by
> the majority of 
> players at this level. At the other end of the scale, it has
> an ELO rating of 
> 2,600. It will beat all but maybe the top 1 percent of the
> world’s players. This 
> is Grandmaster level chess! Now, one very nice feature of
> this app is the 
> ability to adjust its playing strength to yours. Let’s say
> that you set it at 
> the lowest skill level, and you win. It will give you more
> of a challenge in the 
> next game. It will do this until you lose. If you lose, it
> won’t play as well in 
> the next game. Not only that, but it will keep a record of
> how you are doing. It 
> will give you a suggested ELO rating so that if you’re
> talking about chess with 
> friends, you can tell them that your approximate rating is
> 1,100. (Mine is 
> currently 1,350, but I haven’t played in a while, so it
> might decrease after my 
> next game due to rustiness.) You can also try to solve chess
> puzzles. The pieces 
> are set up as if a game is in progress. Find the best move
> for whichever side is 
> to move next. The app comes with 1,000 of these chess
> puzzles. You can have the 
> app rate you based on how quickly you can figure these out,
> but I find that this 
> is not doable using Voice-Over, because your time runs out
> while exploring the 
> setup. Keep in mind that this app is actually for sighted
> people. You can have 
> the app not rate you during puzzle solving, though, so you
> can still have a lot 
> of fun figuring them out. About the only two things that you
> cannot do with this 
> app is to set up a game in progress and continue from that
> point. You also 
> cannot use this app to play against other people over the
> Internet using a chess 
> server.
> 2. Chess-Wise Pro. This app is very similar to Shredder
> Chess, 
> although it does not play as well. It is no slouch by any
> means though! It has 
> three skill levels. The lowest level is one that might take
> a while to beat. 
> Medium is quite a bit more difficult, and the top level will
> probably beat most 
> people. The cost is lower, but it has fewer features,
> although some are unique, 
> and Shredder Chess does not have them. You can play against
> other people over 
> the Internet using FICS, which is an acronym for “free
> internet chess server”. 
> The app is the “go between” during the game. When you
> enter your move, their app 
> announces it and vice versa. Also, you can set up a game in
> progress and 
> continue from that point.
> Chess for the personal computer.
> There are 
> several, and good ones can be found at: www.shredderchess.com
> and you 
> already know what those will be. (grin)
> Spoonbill Games offers a free chess 
> program, and you should be able to find it using Google.
> There is nothing, 
> though, like just sitting at what looks like a regular chess
> board and playing a 
> game against someone.
> The third option that we have is basically a chess set 
> that has electronics built into it. Some of them are a
> pegboard type set, just 
> like what you got from Hadley when you started learning.
> When making your move, 
> you press down on the piece, take it out of the hole and
> move it to the desired 
> square and press down there. Then, the machine will either
> beep or speak the 
> response verbally. If it is a machine that has no speech
> output, when buying, 
> see if you can actually use it for a couple of minutes, or
> ask someone that 
> knows about the machine. It should give a different beep
> pattern if the square 
> you are pressing on is the correct one or not. This will be
> how you determine 
> the machine’s move.
> I have a chess computer that works a bit differently. 
> There is a magnetic switch under each square. There is a
> strong magnet embedded 
> in the bottom of each piece. When a square is occupied, the
> switch is raised. 
> When you pick a piece up off the board, that switch is
> lowered. The machine 
> knows that you are moving that piece. Place the piece on the
> square you are 
> moving it to, and that switch is raised, so the machine
> knows where you moved it 
> to. It will beep when it moves. You pick up one of its
> pieces and get either a 
> single or double beep. The double beep is an error tone, so
> you know that it did 
> not move that piece, so put it back where it was. Lift and
> replace pieces until 
> you get a single beep. At the beginning of a game, you know
> that either a Knight 
> or a pawn was moved. A pawn could be moved either one or two
> spaces. Listen for 
> the beeps as you play.
> Some of these computerized chess sets have pressure 
> sensitive surfaces. Pressing on the squares activates them.
> Because you cannot 
> see the squares with your fingers, here’s a way that you
> can modify these sets. 
> If you don’t feel comfortable doing this yourself, you can
> have someone else do 
> it.
> Let’s say that the board is 8 inches square. Each square
> measures one 
> inch square. Buy a roll of strip magnet at Wal-Mart or any
> hobby and crafts 
> store. This is the material that refrigerator magnets are
> made of. There is an 
> adhesive backing. Use a Braille ruler for all measuring
> during this modification 
> process. Cut the magnet into squares just under one inch in
> size, width and 
> height. On the chessboard, there will be light emitting
> diodes either along the 
> bottom row and left column, or there will be an LED in each
> corner of each 
> square. Remove the paper from the back of each magnet square
> and press it onto 
> the center of each of the 64 squares of the chessboard. This
> will leave a slight 
> gap between the magnets so that you can distinguish them. If
> you want raised and 
> lowered squares for easier identification, you can place a
> second square of 
> magnet onto the black squares to make them higher. Now, cut
> another piece of 
> strip magnet to cover the bottom of each of the 32 chess
> pieces. The pieces will 
> now stick, magnetically, to the squares on the board, so you
> can examine the 
> board position without fear of knocking the pieces off. All
> you have to do now 
> is to mark the Black pieces for identification. That can be
> done by wrapping a 
> twist tie around the neck of each Black piece. Set the men
> on their squares, and 
> you’re ready to play.
> I hope this article has given you at least one more way 
> of improving your chess skills, and now you can play
> anytime, anywhere.
> Oh, 
> one more thing before I go; remember the title of the
> article saying that they 
> “never quit”? Be sure to keep your batteries charged.
> Some chess computers do 
> run on batteries that can go dead, although a good one will
> last for many many 
> games. I have one that will run for a year or more before
> the batteries have to 
> be replaced. And, if you know anything about an iDevice, you
> know what they do 
> to a battery, so keep them charged.
> With that, I say, thanks for reading, and 
> have fun!! 
> 
> Cooking ConcoctionsBy Maxine
> maxine at theblindperspective
> 
> The weather is warming up in some areas, and
> beginning to cool off in 
> others. But whatever your climate is, here is a tasty and
> healthy grilling 
> recipe. And, if it is too cold where you live, I have added
> the microwave 
> directions just for you! 
> Barbecued Turkey Burgers 
> Ingredients:
> 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
> 1 egg yolk
> 3/4 teaspoon 
> salt
> 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
> 1 garlic clove, minced
> 1/3 cup finely 
> chopped onion
> 1 tablespoon soy sauce
> 3 tablespoons cold water
> Pineapple 
> slices, optional
> Tomato slices
> Bell pepper rings
> Any roll or bun to 
> your liking, such as Kaiser or Sesame Rolls 
> Grill Preparation:
> Charcoal grill; the coals should have an even layer 
> of gray ashes 
> Directions:
> In a bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg yolk, salt, 
> pepper, cloves and chopped onion.
> Add soy sauce and water. Stir to combine 
> well.
> Shape mixture into 4 even patties.
> Grill patties over prepared coals 
> 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked to your liking.
> If you are using 
> pineapple slices, put them on the grill at the same time,
> turning them over 
> after 2 minutes.
> Place burgers on preheated buns.
> Dress It Up:
> Place a 
> tomato slice, a pepper ring and/or a pineapple slice on each
> burger.
> Serve 
> immediately 
> Tips:
> Ground turkey is now available in most supermarkets. Choose
> the 
> turkey that is not that finely ground, that gives you a
> juicier burger.
> You 
> may grill the burgers with a slice of Cheddar or Mozzarella
> cheese, if desired. 
> Microwave Directions:
> Ingredients:
> 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
> 1 
> egg yolk
> 3/4 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
> 1 garlic clove, 
> minced
> 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
> 3 tablespoons cold water
> 1 
> tablespoon soy sauce
> Pineapple slices, optional
> Tomato slices
> Bell 
> pepper rings
> Kaiser or Sesame rolls, or Hamburger buns 
> Directions:
> If you have a browning dish, preheat it in the microwave 
> oven.
> In a bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg yolk, salt, pepper
> and 
> cloves. Add the onion and water.
> Combine well and form four patties.
> Brush 
> the burgers with soy sauce on 1 side.
> Place burgers on micro-safe rack or 
> preheated browning dish.
> Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
> Let rest for 1 
> minute.
> Turn burgers over. Brush with remaining soy sauce.
> Microwave again 
> on high for 1 to 2 minutes until cooked to your liking.
> Microwave the 
> pineapple slices, if using, at the same time.
> Place burgers on preheated 
> buns.
> Garnish with tomato and/or tomato slices and a pepper ring.
> Serve 
> immediately with chips and carrot sticks, if desired.
> Makes 4 servings. 
> 
> RiddleBy Alex Smart
> alex at theblindperspective
> 
> The more you take, them more you leave behind.
> What is it? 
> Answer to May’s riddle:
> What is put on a table, cut, but never eaten? 
> A deck of cards 
> 
> Brain BusterBy Alex Smart
> alex at theblindperspective
> 
> In A Jam:
> The three letter word jam means both preserve and 
> predicament. Think of a six letter word that means the same
> thing. What is the 
> word? 
> Answer to May’s brain buster
> Think of a word that contains the 
> consecutive letters, p e n, in order. Change them to I n k,
> also in order, to 
> get a different word. Neither word has anything to do with
> pen or ink. What are 
> the two words? 
> Open & Oink 
> 
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> THE END
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