[NFB-Talk] Come Join Us!

[Steve Cook]

Happy May!!!!

Please share with everyone! 

We have some exciting events for everyone to join the NFB of SC this month! If you enjoy audio described movies, trivia, technology presentations, getting fit or just talking about technology! Well, the NFB of SC is here for you!!!!!! Be sure and read all the way to the bottom of this message to read about the new Viewers Choice movie selections for June! 

The below listed events take place on the NFB of SC Zoom platform and all times are eastern. 

Friday, May 5, 2023 at 8:00 PM Seabiscuit(Audio Described movie)
Friday, May 12, 2023 at 8:00 PM Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Audio Described movie)
Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 11:00 AM BlindSquare Tech Presentation 
Friday, May 19, 2023 at 8:00 PM  Trivia Night (Email David Bundy at bundy at pobox.com to registre) 
SC Tech Talk: takes place every Saturday at 3:00 PM Eastern

NFB of SC Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8032543777?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09

Meeting ID: 803 254 3777
Passcode: 124578
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,8032543777# US (New York)
+13017158592,,8032543777# US (Germantown)

Dial by your location
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Seabiscuit

In the early 20th century, as America enters the automobile age, Charles S. Howard opens a bicycle shop in San Francisco. He is soon selling automobiles, becoming the largest car dealer in California and one of the Bay Area's richest men. In the wake of the Great Depression, Canadian John "Red" Pollard's family is financially ruined, and he is sent to live with a horse trainer. Years pass and Pollard becomes a jockey, but amateur boxing leaves him blind in one eye.

After their young son is killed in an automobile accident, Howard's wife leaves him. He obtains a divorce in Mexico, where Pollard is struggling to make his mark as a jockey. Howard meets and marries Marcela Zabala. When he acquires a stable of racehorses, he hires itinerant horseman Tom Smith as his trainer. Smith convinces him to buy a colt called Seabiscuit. Though a grandson of the great Man o' War and trained by the renowned James E. Fitzsimmons, Seabiscuit is viewed as small, lazy, and unmanageable. Smith witnesses Pollard's similarly temperamental spirit, and hires him as Seabiscuit's jockey.

Under Smith's innovative training, Seabiscuit becomes the most successful racehorse on the West Coast and an underdog hero to the public. Howard issues a challenge to Samuel D. Riddle, owner of the East Coast champion and Triple Crown-winning racehorse War Admiral, but Riddle dismisses California racing as inferior. In the prestigious Santa Anita Handicap, Seabiscuit takes the lead, but Pollard's impaired vision prevents him from noticing another horse surging up on the outside. Losing by a nose, Pollard admits his partial blindness to Smith.

Howard declares that Pollard will remain Seabiscuit's jockey, and rallies public support for a match race with War Admiral. Riddle agrees, on the condition that they race with a rope and bell instead of a starting gate. With Seabiscuit at a disadvantage, Smith trains the horse to break fast at the sound of the bell. As the race approaches, Pollard severely fractures his leg in a riding accident. Informed he may never walk again, let alone ride, he recommends that his friend and skilled jockey George Woolf ride Seabiscuit, advising him on the horse's handling and behavior from his hospital bed.

The highly anticipated "race of the century" draws a sellout crowd, with 40 million more people listening on the radio. Seabiscuit takes an early lead until the far turn; following Pollard's advice, Woolf lets Seabiscuit look War Admiral in the eye before surging ahead, and Seabiscuit wins by four lengths, delighting the nation. A few months later, Seabiscuit injures his leg. Pollard, still recovering from his own injured leg, tends to the horse as they both heal. When Seabiscuit is fit enough to race again, Howard brings him back to the Santa Anita Handicap, but is reluctant to allow Pollard to ride and risk crippling himself for life. At the urging of Woolf and Marcela, Howard relents.

Pollard, using a self-made leg brace, finds himself and Seabiscuit facing Woolf in the race. Seabiscuit drops far behind the field until Woolf pulls his horse alongside Pollard, allowing Seabiscuit a good look at his mount. With Woolf's encouragement, Seabiscuit surges ahead and passes the others. Heading for the finish line several lengths ahead, Pollard explains that the story of Seabiscuit is not merely of three men who fixed a broken-down horse, but that Seabiscuit fixed them and, in a way, they fixed one another.

Cast
Tobey Maguire as John "Red" Pollard
Michael Angarano as Young John "Red" Pollard
Jeff Bridges as Charles S. Howard
Chris Cooper as Tom Smith
Elizabeth Banks as Marcela Zabala-Howard
Gary Stevens as George Woolf
William H. Macy as "Tick Tock" McLaughlin
Eddie Jones as Samuel Riddle
Michael O'Neill as Mr. Pollard
David McCullough as The Narrator

Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)

In 1983, 19-year-old Whitney Houston is being coached by her mother Cissy while leading a church choir in New Jersey. A professional singer herself, Cissy pushes her daughter to be better, though being hard on her at times. Whitney finds solace in a friendship with Robyn Crawford, which turns romantic, and they later move into their own apartment, much to the chagrin of Cissy. One night, Cissy and Whitney are set to perform at the Sweetwaters nightclub. After spotting producer Clive Davis in the audience, Cissy feigns sickness and encourages Whitney to open the show. Whitney performs "The Greatest Love of All", which impresses Davis, who immediately signs Whitney to Arista Records.

He books her for her first major live performance on The Merv Griffin Show, where she gives a performance of "Home". Soon afterwards, Whitney releases a highly successful debut album, and sets up her production company, Nippy Inc., run by her overbearing father and self-appointed manager, John. When Whitney wants to hire Crawford as a personal assistant, John refuses due to their personal relationship and tells the pair to date men, to Robyn's dismay.

After recording a love song with Jermaine Jackson, the two start a sexual relationship, which angers Robyn. After a fight, Robyn breaks down and Whitney ends their romantic relationship, but remain close friends. In 1987, Whitney releases her sophomore album and its leading single, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", which makes her a crossover success. However, she is accused by a radio show interviewer of selling out and not sounding "black enough", to which Whitney angrily defends herself.

Attending the Soul Train Music Awards in 1988, Whitney is met with protesters at the red carpet and her name is booed after singer Anita Baker announces her as one of the nominees for Best Music Video. Whitney meets singer Bobby Brown and the two start to date; eventually, Bobby proposes to her in their limousine, and she accepts. Shortly afterward, Bobby informs her that he impregnated his ex-girlfriend, leading an enraged Whitney to storm out of the limousine, but they quickly reconcile.

In the early 1990s Whitney is at her peak, performing the "Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV and acting in the film The Bodyguard, and going on tour, performing "I Will Always Love You" at a stadium in South Africa for newly inaugurated president Nelson Mandela. Following a miscarriage, she later marries Bobby and has a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. One night, Whitney returns home to find Bobby gone and her credit card missing. When he returns the following morning, the two argue, resulting in her throwing him out of the house and using drugs to cope.

In 1998, Clive meets with Whitney to discuss her not releasing a new studio album in over eight years, despite releasing seven major singles and starring in three films. Inspired by her tumultuous relationship with Brown, Whitney records the ballad "Why Does It Hurt So Bad", despite rejecting it several times before. Later, she confronts her father about spending too much of her money on expensive gifts, leaving her near broke, and then discovers that he has been negotiating a new $100 million contract with Arista behind her back.

Later, dealing with insomnia, Whitney goes to Clive's hotel room and asks him to show her potential songs. Upon finding one she likes, a new studio album is released. She also informs Clive that she is going on tour (to stable her finances), and Clive warns her about burning out. She dismisses his worries. The following tour is exhausting, and leads to Houston having a mental and physical decline in which she descends to drug addiction, damaging her voice and reputation. Davis urges her to enter rehab, but she refuses.

Near the tour's end, Robyn and Bobby argue, after the former attempts to get Whitney to return home and end the tour. In the end, she chooses to continue the tour, leading to Robyn leaving Whitney's life. Before leaving, she later tells her that her father is dying in a hospital. There, Whitney is confronted with a $100 million lawsuit from John's company. She cuts ties with her father, even refusing to attend his funeral. Cissy finds her daughter in a drug-induced haze and orders her to rehab by a police order. Eventually, Whitney sobers up, reconnects with daughter Krissy, and divorces Brown.

In 2009, Houston attempts a comeback with a new album and performs one of its tracks on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Following the performance, Clive visits Whitney and she tells him that she is interested in going back on tour, but Clive advises her to rest. But she goes on with the tour, which proves disastrous and prompts walkouts due to her performance. In February 2012, Houston arrives at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles to perform "Home" at a pre-Grammy party. Her bassist Rickey advises her to call it off and rest, but she refuses. At the hotel's bar, she and the bartender reminisce.

In her hotel room, a tearful Whitney begins running bath water and sings "Home" to herself while reminiscing about her life and career before dying suddenly. In a flashback, Houston sings a medley of "I Loves You, Porgy", "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", and "I Have Nothing", which is met with a standing ovation.

Cast
Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston
Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis, Whitney's record producer and supportive friend
Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown, Whitney's husband
Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston, Whitney's mother
Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford, Whitney's best friend and assistant. Williams also previously played another character in a 2015 television film about Whitney Houston.[4]
Clarke Peters as John Houston, Whitney's strict father
Dave Heard as Rickey Minor, Whitney's musical director
Bria Danielle Singleton as Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney and Bobby's teenage daughter
Bailee Lopes as young Bobbi Kristina Brown
Kris Sidberry as Patricia "Pat" Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law

Palmetto Zoom Event

Be sure to join our Sports and Rec Division for “Get Fit Sessions” every Tuesdays at 5:30 PM and Saturdays at 9:00 AM on the below Palmetto Zoom platform!

The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina Sports and Recreation Division is a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that keeps us from achieving our health, wellness, and athletic goals. The Sports and Recreation Division serves as a community around sports, recreation, health, and wellness.
Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are two of the biggest health concerns across the United States. Both are more prevalent among blind individuals. The Sports and Recreation Division works diligently to raise awareness of health concerns related to exercise, nutrition, and wellness. We serve as a network of experts to help blind people break down barriers to full participation in sports, recreation, and exercise. We are also a great source of support for gyms, community recreation programs, and others in the health and wellness arena who want to make their services more accessible to the blind.
>From the seasoned blind sports and recreation participant to the blind person who is considering beginning an exercise, sports, or wellness regiment this is the community for you!
Palmetto Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8648789090?pwd=QTVQd2RzN3l6QnNmZ0FmSnp6NG8vQT09

Meeting ID: 864 878 9090
Passcode: 124578
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,8648789090# US (New York)
+13017158592,,8648789090# US (Germantown)

Viewers Choice

The viewers will choose our 2nd movie for the month of June. Below is a list of movies to choose from. I ask that you send your vote to cookcafe at sc.rr.com or text me at 803 260 1292. The movie with the most votes will be shown in June! All votes must be in by the end of May. 

Purple Rain
Manchester By The Sea
Mask

Steve Cook
Krispy Kreme
Friends of SC Association of Guide Dog Users, you're invited to take part in the most delicious fundraiser of the year. By ordering a dozen (or two) original glazed doughnuts, 50% of the order will be donated back to SC Association of Guide Dog Users! You can get your dozens using our fundraising sales page below. 
https://www.groupraise.com/offer-campaigns/10563-sc-association-of-guide-dog-users-krispy-kreme-digital-dozens