Letter Case Mania in MS-Word

Ever find that you're constantly trying to change the capitalization of words or sentences? What do you do?

Maybe you highlight the word or phrase and retype it.

Maybe you're the type who only replaces the individual letters that need to be changed. What a headache!

Are you the person who found the Change Case feature on the Format menu? You know, where you get the choices of sentence case, all lowercase letters, all uppercase letters, all title case letters or to toggle all letters between upper and lowercase. There's a faster way than this.

Let's start with the most versatile choice.

Once you highlight the text to change, use Shift + F3. You'll scroll between sentence case letters, all lowercase letters and all uppercase letters.

But what if you're tired of rotating through the choices and just want to jump straight to UPPERCASE?

You could use the Format menu, Change Case choice, but there's a faster way, Control+Shift+A.

• To change a single word, simply put the cursor on the word and hit Control+Shift+A.
  
• Changing multiple words can be done by highlighting them before you use Control+Shift+A.

In either case, to toggle the text back to its original form, use Control+Shift+A again.

Accessible City Information

This site is really neat. Not only can you find out information about the city you live in, but if you are moving, you can check out your new hometown too!

There are a couple of ways to navigate. You can check out the links: Top 100 Lists where you can find lists of the top 100 cities and pertinent information like the highest income, the least crime, the newest houses, the most females, the shortest commute, the best educated residents, etc. You can also use the search engine to look up your current city.

So, go ahead and check out your city or your future city, for that matter by clicking this link: http://www.city-data.com.

A Different Word in Word

Have you ever listened to a document and found a word that just doesn't seem to fit what you're trying to say? You listen to it over and over again, trying to come up with a replacement word but nothing comes to you.

It's at this moment that you need Word's thesaurus. The only question now is: where is it?

If you're inclined to use menus, you'll find it buried in the Tools menu, Language submenu.

If you're more in tune with keyboard shortcuts, you simply need to remember Shift + F7.

Highlight the word you need to replace (if you don't highlight it, Word will automatically select the word to the left of the cursor) and hit Shift + F7.

On the left, the selected word is listed along with meanings. On the right, there are suggested synonyms. (Antonyms may also be listed and will be noted as such). Screen reader users will find a list of available words and can tab through the various options.

Find a word that suits your needs, select it and click Replace. Screen reader users will arrow through the list of words and press enter or tab to the replace button and press enter.

Poof! A different word and MS-Word did all the work!

Nickelodeon Dora Talking iCrayons

Talking crayons have been developed to help toddlers learn colours and how to spell. They talk through a battery-operated plastic base in which they are inserted. The base reads the colour of the crayon and relates the information to the child. Blind and visually impaired children have found another use for the talking crayons.

They're called Dora i-crayons (i' for interactive, which is becoming a norm with many of today's children's toys and learning methods). They give blind or visually impaired children the ability to colour without having to ask anyone for help.

Product Features

• Dora introduces kids to colors and beginning spelling
  
• Includes 6 custom crayons, 1 electronic crayon topper and 6 pages to color
  
• Set speaks in both English and Spanish
  
• Drawing has never been so divertido!
  
• For ages 3 years and up

Click this link to purchase the Nickelodeon Dora Talking I-Crayons from Amazon.com.

Snapalarm Smoke Detector

While the Snapalarm doesn't improve on the functionality of smoke detectors, it does improve on the form. Normally to install a smoke detector, you need to first drill a hole into the wall or ceiling and then attach the unit with a couple of screws. As a result most people only have a single smoke detector installed in their home which can be dangerous depending on how big your place is and where the device is installed.

The Snapalarm is designed to be easier to install than a standard smoke detector. The device opens like a clamshell allowing it to be fastened to the cord or chain of a hanging pendant lamp which is ideal given the proximity of these lights to the ceiling. And as an added safety feature the halves of the alarm can't be closed if a working battery has not been installed.

Click this link to learn more about the Snapalarm from their website: http://www.snapalarm.com.

Search the Zoo

We're not talking about a trip to your local zoo, but a great search engine for the net called zoo.com. This is a kid-friendly search engine that should be bookmarked in every parent/school's Web browser. It's custom made just for kids. When you use Zoo.com, it brings you search results from different search engines like Yahoo!, Google, Wikipedia, etc. The good thing is that it censors the search results before they are displayed on your computer screen, which stops the chances of anything unsuitable being presented. There is also a News tab, which brings all the latest news from ABC, FOX and Yahoo! Although you can customize any of the individual search engines to censor the content and the links in search results, one big advantage with Zoo.com is that it brings you the collective results from most of the more prominent search engines.

I tested the site by searching for different terms and found that when Zoo.com encounters something that might be offensive, it simply displays a warning telling you that it cannot display the search results related to that particular search. It really worked well and it's great with screen readers and screen magnification programs.

Click this link to search the net with zoo.com.

Fiber Optic Flashlight Adapter

This flexible fiber optic wand provides pinpoint illumination when used with an AA-sized mini-flashlight (like the Mini Maglite). Bend and direct the light of your flashlight simply by flexing the non-conductive fiber optic tube. Requires AA-sized mini flashlight, not included.

This tool is nothing more than a short fiber optic wire attached to a rubber hood, which goes on the end of a Maglite or equivalent. It completely gets rid of the problem of aiming a flashlight beam into a small hole. Just insert the end of the adapter and voila, the inside is lit up and you don't have to contend with all the glare from the light hitting the edges of the hole. Comes in 7" and 20" versions.

Click this link to purchase the Fiber Optic Adapter from X-Treme Geek.com.

Fortune Cookies in Braille

I don't know what it is about me and those little cookies. I'm afraid to have someone read one to me. "Beware of buses", or "Don't cross any busy streets" seem to come up for me all the time! Maybe I should start calling them unfortunate cookies.

Maybe its the person doing the reading that's the problem? I don't know. It doesn't matter because you'll never find fortune cookies in braille right? Never say never my friends.

The Lucky Touch Fortune Cookie Company, a student-operated business at the California School for the Blind specializes in braille and large print fortune cookies. The company offers customized fortunes to fit all types of events, including birthdays, weddings, or conventions. There are even chocolate-dipped fortune cookies for the chocolate lovers among us!

The cookies range from $1.00 for three small Braille cookies to $13.00 for one giant, customized, chocolate-dipped fortune cookie. You can place your order by emailing Lucky Touch Advisor Judith Lesner at jlesner@csb-cde.ca.gov or by phone at 510-794-3800 ext. 300. Test your luck and order some braille fortune cookies today!

American Science & Surplus

This website is a tinkerer's delight. One legendary source of cheap parts, weird stuff, cheap knockoffs, and plain junk is American Science & Surplus. They sell "closeouts, inventory overruns, mis-manufactures, and items whose time has not come. When a surplus item is gone, it is gone." It's the ultimate hacker's mail-order junk store.

They don't take themselves too seriously, either, often belittling the scrap they are selling. The items are illustrated with crude sketches on yellow newsprint paper in their crowded 95-page paper catalog. It's a cornucopia of irresistible bargains. Science fair motors! Chemistry kits! Craft tools. I dare you to open it without finding something you have to have. In addition to the doodles, you can click to see a photo of an item as well.) While funny, their descriptions are always honest, and the stuff delivered will be entirely useable. More so than most catalogs, the bulk of the items listed are inspirational: " Oh, I could do that!" Prices are, as they say, incredible.

Click this link to visit American Science & Surplus: http://www.sciplus.com.

How to Make a Root Beer Float

Nothing feels more refreshing, than a tall glass of ice cold root beer, topped with a large scoop of ice cream sitting atop the glass, and served with a straw and spoon. It is delicious, nutritious (OK, maybe not nutritious) and is known as a Root beer Float! Follow these steps and you'll have a great treat for any occasion.

1. Fill each glass 3/4 full with root beer. Set the glass on small plates so you can catch the overflow from the fizz.
   
2. Slowly add one scoop of vanilla ice cream into each glass. Add a little more root beer on top of the ice cream. This will turn to foam.
   
3. The glass will begin to overflow as the ice cream begins to float. Keep the foam to a minimum by pouring the root beer first, stirring and waiting for the bubbles to subside before adding the ice cream.
   
4. Eat slowly, starting with the cold frozen foam on top, scooping ice cream and root beer together with your spoon.
   
5. Use the straw to sip the remainder of creamy carmel colored root beer left in the glass.

You can use cola or cream soda instead of root beer. This is called a Coke float or a black cow. Try using Orange, Grape, or Strawberry soda for a different twist on the float.

Don't put the ice cream in the glass first and pour the carbonated root beer on top of it. This will give you all foam and no root beer.

My Grocery Deals

mygrocerydeals.com is a free service that allows consumers to go online, do their grocery pre shopping based on advertised grocery flyer specials, look at nutritional information, create their shopping list and then head out to their selected store(s) with list in hand.

The site allows members to search through local grocery weekly ads to find deals and sales. Then you can customize your very own price optimized shopping list. It is really pretty handy as it shows the original price, with what the sale price is, and is very easy when working with coupons to see what you have and what you will save. It does the work for you. After you've made your shopping list, which can be categorized by store, etc. you can save your list and print it or send it via email, which is another really handy feature.

Another feature I found quite interesting and probably quite handy for some, is that there is an allergy alert system. If someone you shop for in your household has a food allergy of some type, it can be entered in your profile and if anything you have checked to purchase contains that item, it will be flagged.

In addition to offering the sales ad browsing feature, the shopping list creator, the allergy flagger and several other options, mygrocerydeals.com also has a coupon printer. The software download is spam free, downloads quickly and there are literally tons of coupons to choose from. Check mark what you want, and print them out. Seems easy enough!

Click this link to visit http://www.MyGroceryDeals.com.

NOTE: Sections of this site may not be compatible with screen reading programs like JAWS for Windows and Window Eyes.

Ten Tips for Family and Friends of People with Vision Loss

Guest Blogger, Priscilla Rogers, Ph.D. posted the following tips on the American Foundation for the Blind's Blog.

Here are ten tips for family and friends of people with vision loss. Please share others that come to mind:

1. Learn all you can about your relative's vision loss; different types of eye conditions affect vision in varying ways. For example, some people can see to get around but not see people's faces. Others lose their side vision but have some central vision.
   
   
2. Learn about resources, techniques and products that can help your relative continue to carry out everyday tasks and enjoyable activities independently.
   
   
3. Talk directly to the person with vision loss instead of "around" him or her.
   
   
4. Don't walk away without telling the person you are leaving.
   
   
5. Communicate verbally instead of through gestures that cannot be seen.
   
   
6. Don't move things around in the persons' home without asking.
   
   
7. Give clear and specific directions. Remember the person may not be able to see where you are pointing.
   
   
8. Identify yourself to the person. He or she may not be able to see your face and may not recognize your voice. Don't embarrass your family member of friend by making him guess who you are.
   
   
9. Ask first before helping. Expect that your relative will want to do as much as he or she can do independently.
   
   
10. Ask your relative to continue to help you as he or she always has-with babysitting, pet sitting, taxes, or a good listening ear. We all like to feel needed and having vision problems does not make a person any less capable of providing help and support.

Decorate Your Walls with Braille

I've seen some cool ways to promote the use of braille. There are candy bars with braille, T-shirts, bracelets, necklaces and now wall tyles.

Inhabit's Embossed Wall Flats are designed to expand in any direction. With peel-and-stick adhesive tabs and an automatic pattern repeat these wall tiles are simple, modern, versatile and goof-proof. You can cover a existing wall, help disguise a not-so-smooth wall or add a modern pattern to any room setting.

Customize them by rotating every other tile or row, mix-and-match patterns or paint them to coordinate with your decor. The rule is there are no rules and the important thing is to have fun with it. It¹s low stress, low commitment and a big payoff in the way these tiles will impact a space.

Only for use indoors. Sorry but they are made of paper. Wall Flats can be used to do an entire room, one wall or to create free-standing-art pieces. Dimensions: 18"x18" panels Content: 10 panels per box Coverage: 22.5 square feet Color: Off-white paintable surface Material: Molded Bamboo Paper Pulp with Peel-&-Stick adhesive tabs.

Click this link to purchase the BRA-Braille wall tyles from Inhabit.

The Wrapmaster

Do you use a lot of aluminum foil or plastic wrap in your kitchen? Do you have a hard time cutting off the right amount for the task at hand? If so, it's time for you to be come a Wrapmaster!

The WrapMaster is an aluminum foil and plastic wrap dispenser. You load the foil or wrap, pull out the desired amount, and press down on the lid. The lid has blades that are specially designed to cut either foil or plastic wrap. It holds rolls up to 200 sq. ft.

I liked the idea of this contraption because my aluminum foil and plastic wrap boxes are always getting mangled in my drawer and I have difficulty cutting off pieces of plastic wrap without getting it tangled up. The foil and wrap is relatively easy to load--although it is a three step process, which could be a problem if you are lazy (like me). Once loaded, it's easy to pull out the desired amount of foil and wrap, and the blade will cut very clean and neat. It'll be much easier than taking foil or wrap from the box. My only complaint is that the WrapMasters are a little big. They are 3.75" wide x 3.5" high x 14.5" long, which is too big to fit in most drawers. You may have to do some rearranging in order to use them.

Click this link to visit the WrapMaster USA website.

How to Save a Wet Cell Phone

Ever dropped your cell phone in the sink, or even worse, the toilet? Did you ever leave it in your pocket and run it through the washer? It usually means you have to replace your phone, but sometimes if you're fast, you can save the phone.

1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone over time, 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly!
   
   
2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Don't take time to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.
   
   
3. Remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. don't heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network. Note that many phones by specific providers, such as Verizon, do not use SIM cards.
   
   
4. Dry your phone. Obviously you need to remove the water as soon as possible. Use a towel or paper towel to remove as much of the water as possible.
   
   
5. Allow the phone to dry. Since you do not want to ruin your phone or lose all of the numbers in your phone book, you need to let the phone dry. Ringtones and graphics stay with the phone, not the SIM card. Don't try putting the battery back on to see if it works as this would risk damaging the phone with a short circuit. Leaving your phone in a bowl of dry rice will help to expedite moisture evaporation.
   
   
6. Heat your phone. One of the best things you can do to save a cell phone is to set it on the back of your computer monitor or TV screen, over the heat vents. This is usually the perfect amount of heat to fix your phone. The convection action of the heat vents will help carry away the moisture in your phone. Leave the phone on the heat for at least 2-3 days.
   
   
7. Test your phone. After you have waited 3 days, make sure everything is clean and dry and re-attach the battery to the phone and see if it works. If your phone does not work repeat step 4. If it still won't work, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it.

If this method doesn't work, try the Alcohol Method below.

1. Soak in Alcohol. Alcohol is hydrophilic (attracts water), and it will dissolve all the water in the phone, which will pour out of the phone with the alcohol. Any remaining alcohol will evaporate. Alcohol will not harm your phone but may mess up glue (from stickers and the like). Use 95% alcohol, not the regular 70% rubbing type. Do it outside! Be sure to remove your battery first. When done, leave your phone outside for a day or two to dry.
   
   
2. You can use denatured alcohol, which you can buy at any hardware store. This alcohol can be used on electronics and it evaporates quickly. This is commonly used to clean remote controlled cars that have electronic components, but get dirty frequently. Spray it on or rinse and let it evaporate. If you can open the phone, even better.

Another way to dry out your phone is to place it in front of an air conditioner or air conditioning vent. Cold air won't damage your phone (hot air can warp or, in extreme cases, even melt plastic), and air from an air conditioner is dry, and will evaporate water faster than you might think. This is why a car air conditioner will defog the windshield so effectively. Warm air from a reverse-cycle air conditioner works even better, of course. If you dry your phone in this way overnight, it should be fine by the morning.

An alternate drying technique is to seal the phone (battery, SIM card, SD card all removed) in a plastic bag with a few of the silica packs that come packed with shoes, coats, electronics. Leave the phone in the bag for a day or 2, and the silica packs will absorb the moisture.

One other way to assist in the drying process is to put your cell phone in a disposable baby diaper. Works for babies and can work for the cell phone as well.

Don't heat the battery or it could leak acid. If you use an oven or hair dryer, make sure to remove the battery first.

If you use alcohol make sure to do so outside, and do not apply heat in any form, not even the gentle heat of a monitor. Do not hook up the battery till the alcohol smell dissipates.

Even if all these steps are followed, minerals dissolved in the water can precipitate on solder and component pins, causing corrosion or shorting. Component pins are packed so closely together in a modern cell phone that even a small encrustation can create a short, rendering the phone inoperable.

Do not put the phone (or any electronic or metal-containing object) into the microwave. You will destroy electronic components and potentially the microwave.

Tips for the Dip

Good manners are not something we are born with: they evolve with our social and cultural growth and help us emerge as thoughtful, caring humans.

Dipping habits are important because they can be very annoying and unconsciously reflect one's true lack of manners. In an old but tried and true study conducted by Land O' Lakes, guests were asked what they hated most about other people's dipping habits. The survey revealed the following in order of annoyance:

1. Double dipping: This involves scooping from the community bowl, taking a bit and then re-dipping.
   
2. Tasting the dip with a finger: Self-explanatory and gross!
   
3. Digging a submerged chip out of the bowl by hand: This is a party not a hunt for buried treasure!
   
4. Eating straight out of the communal dip bowl: Why not just lick up all the dip when everyone is looking? You will turn everyone off instantly!
   
5. Sticking foods into someone else's dip: Who invited this person anyway?

Picking Apples without Sight

By Bill Tipton

Hello all,

Has anyone picked and eaten apples freshly picked from the branches of trees in an orchard before?

I am very happy to say I had the opportunity to pick apples recently in a family run farm in the country. I had not had the opportunity to pick apples in many years. I had not been able to go since I went completely blind instantly due to a very critical illness. Most apple orchards are in the country. Being completely blind and living in a residential area of a city I cannot get to the country too easily not being able to drive myself anymore since going blind. Public transit agencies are not available in non-developed areas where I live, so this method of getting to the orchards was out.

Anticipation; I Get to Go!

I was very much looking forward to visiting Gizdich Ranch again. My wife and I had been to this ranch many times in the past when I could drive. This was one of our favorite weekend getaways. My wife does not drive longer distances, so now that I cannot drive these getaways are not possible as often without some special planning.

Just because I can no longer see anything and need to walk with two canes to get around safely, I was not going to let this challenge stop me from this experience. I was determined to experience the pleasure of picking apples with family members in the country in the warm sun with the fresh air blowing.

Time to Prepare for Fun

We had eleven family members ages 11 to 89 going on our apple picking adventure. We all met at one location not far from where I live. We had lunch and loaded up three vehicles with all of our gear we might need for our days journey. We brought boxes and canvas bags to carry our natures treasures back home. On our way everyone's spirits were high. You could feel the enjoyment in the air. My great niece delighted us in the vehicle I was riding in with her delightful singing as we drove over the hills to get to our destination.

Arrival at Our Destination

As soon as we drove into the area where the apple trees seemed to sprawl in all directions we found a convenient place to park. We found a perfect location in a dirt turn out next to an orchard easily accessible to all. We all piled out of the vehicles with anticipation. I instantly felt the warm sun hit my face and I smiled widely. I thought what perfect weather we were blessed with for our trip. The orchards were close to the ocean and the breeze kept the temperature down to keep us all comfortable throughout most of our day. The air smelled so fresh with slight fragrances of trees, wildflowers and other pleasant smells of nature.

I could not see a thing as I stood there taking in my new environment in the country. I imagined all the trees surrounding me sprawling into the distance as far as I could see. I also imagined seeing the rolling hills beyond the apple orchards with country farm houses spotting the hillsides. I also wished I lived-in one of the peaceful looking houses I could see in my minds eye.

Ready to Pick Apples

I thought it would be hard to find the apples on the trees when contemplating how I would pick apples without sight prior to the trip. I found out quickly it is much more difficult to find the actual apple trees than an apple on the tree. Luckily there was lots of trees inn this orchard. The trees were in rows separated by a larger distance. In the rows the trees were evenly spaced with branches sprawling out almost touching the tree next to it. This made it very easy to check the branches and go from tree to tree down the row you were in without sight. I did not even need my long canes, since I had contact with the trees at all times as I moved from branch to branch and tree to tree within the row I was in. Once I found a tree in one of these rows; with help from my wife; I would then start exploring the branches for the delicious juicy fruit I so much desired. I made sure I had my sunglasses on for sure protecting my eyes from the branches that would gently poke me from time to time. I would feel up and down the branches until I found an apple. Usually I would find a whole group of apples. Most of the apples were low enough you could reach from ground level without needing to climb up on anything. After finding the apple I would check to see if the apple was big enough to my liking. I would feel around the apple looking for holes or imperfections which might mean the apple was bad. I learned that the pippins were more rounded and had very smooth skinned. The pippins also seemed to have a firmer touch to them. The red delicious were the standard apple shape, slightly narrower at the bottom and as you worked your way up the apple it would get wider towards the top. The golden delicious were the standard apple shape, but the skin texture was slightly ruff in places compared to the red delicious. To tell if the apple might be ripe I would lightly pull down on the apple giving it a slight twist. If it would release into my hand freely it would verify that I had selected a ripe apple. When I picked my first apple I could not wait to taste it. I wiped off the apple and bit into it. The apple snapped loudly and the juices seemed to blast from it. The apple was extremely fresh, crispy and juicy as I chewed it. I think I was smiling the entire time I was eating the apple it tasted so good, fresh and juicy. Before I realized it I had eaten the entire apple and found another ripe apple using the same technique I had taught myself when exploring the first apple tree. After picking my next sun ripen treat from the tree I gently placed it into my canvas bag and started the process of searching for my next treasure. Each time I would move to another type of apple I had to eat one to taste the difference from the last variety. By the time I had finished picking apples for the day I had sampled all three varieties. All were very, very good.

All Done Picking; But Not With the Fun

Soon we all had our bags full and apple picking time was over. With all the excitement and fun it is easy to pick more apples than you planned on. Now that we were done with apple picking we needed a rest from hiking up and down the hills in the orchard. We thought a refreshing piece of fresh pie and apple juice slush would be nice. We all went to a barn on the property where they served pies, drinks and other delights. I had a slice of oallieberry pie that was extremely delicious. It was a hot day and walking through the soft soil up and down the hills made all of us very thirsty and our treats were a great satisfaction. AT this orchard they also grow strawberries, oallieberries, raspberries as well as the apples we picked. You might think this was the end of the fun? Not yet. We purchased a couple of pies to go and went out to dinner and celebrated my wife's parent's 64th wedding anniversary. MY wife's parents had a very good day on their anniversary; as well as all of us; including me for sure!

I was able to accomplish another first as a blind person; picking apples without sight. Very fun for sure. I would highly recommend picking and eating fresh apples if you can.

Wheel chair users who are confined to their chairs at all times might have a hard time picking apples because of the loose soil getting to the trees. In the place we visited you could purchase the fruit already picked if you cannot pick it yourself: so I would not let access issues to the apple orchards stop you. I think wheel chair users who are confined to their chairs might be able to pick oallieberries and raspberries in season, these hang much lower and are planted in much more condensed soil on the paths between the plants in the orchard. For strawberries, you need to be on your hands and knees in order to pick. I hope you can give picking fresh fruit on a family run ranch a try. .

Some tips to make your apple picking trip easier

• Wear sturdy and comfortable walking shoes. You might be walking on uneven surfaces in loose soil.
  
• If you are blind or visually impaired wear sunglasses for protection from the branches and sun. You don't want any branches to poke you in the eye.
  
• Bring a large canvas bag with handles to put apples in when picking. Canvas bags are sturdy and will not break and are easy to carry.
  
• Bring any medications, snacks and water you might need.

Click this link to read about my last trip with other traveling suggestions at a blog post I did recently called Vacationing with a Disability.

Article Source:
http://globaldialoguecenter.blogs.com/disabilities/2006/11/picking_apples_.html

The Blind Geek Zone

Welcome to Rick Harmon's Blind Geek Zone

The zone contains lots of tech goodies for all you blind geeks out there. There are audio podcasts to show you how to use many popular programs with JAWS as well as audio demonstrations of tech gadgets of all kinds. There are links to mailing lists and websites to places of interest to blind geeks everywhere. Even if you're not a geek come on in and have a look. I'm sure you'll find something of interest.

Click this link to visit http://www.blind-geek-zone.net.

Grant for Disabled farmers

AgrAbility Unlimited, a joint program of U of I Extension and Easter Seals offers Assistive Technology, the equipment that might be additional handholds and steps to access the cab of a tractor or combine, or a specialized utility vehicle for someone with limited mobility or helping make the farm office easier to access and use.

To qualify for assistance, applicants must be in production agriculture, have a significant disability that limits farming activities, be able to contribute financially to the purchase of the items needed, and have a no-cost on-site assessment done by AgrAbility staff. The dollar amount available will vary on a case-by-case basis. Larger amounts may be available if the circumstances warrant the additional dollars.

These dollars are very limited.

Awards will be on a cost sharing basis and available to those who do not qualify for full assistance from Division of Rehab Services.

For more information about AgrAbility Unlimited, or to schedule an assessment, call Mike Brokaw, AgrAbility Unlimited Program Manager, at 800 -500-7325 ext. 126 or by email at fbfm_brokawm@extension.uiuc.edu.

Finding Stuff with Nemo

Travel with ease! The pocket-sized Nemo is lightweight and affordable. Look-up phone numbers in seconds and perform simple household tasks with ease. Incorporating a 4" viewing screen with digital magnification - this ultra portable device can go anywhere.

Key features:

• 4" Viewing Screen
  
• Anti-Glare LCD Screen
  
• Lightweight & Compact
  
• 4.5 to 9x Magnification
  
• Brightest Image in its class
  
• Three step digital magnification
  
• 6 viewing modes (including 2 color select)
  
• Freeze Frame control takes a temporary picture
  
• Tactile Controls allow for ease of use
  
• Three hour battery life
  
• Two year warranty
  
• 30-day money back guarantee

For more information,or to schedule a free product demonstration please contact:

Enhanced Vision Headquarters
5882 Machine Drive
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Toll Free: (888)811-3161
Phone: 714-374-1829
Fax: 714-374-1821888-811-3161, or fax at 1-714-374-1821, or
Email: evinfo@enhancedvision.com
Web: http://enhancedvision.com

Healthy Fridge

One of the big health concerns facing people right now is heart disease. This site is devoted to providing heart healthy tips for you and your family. Navigation is pretty simple here. There are buttons near the top of the page that break the site down into four sections. Under those, there are two more links: What's New and Search.

The Healthy Fridge: Here you will find 10 tips to a heart healthy refrigerator, the FAQs, Meet the Doctor and "Open the Door to a Healthy Heart." The tips have great suggestions for organizing your fridge so you eat better and the FAQs have some great answers to our burning questions.

Good Nutrition: Here you have a quiz that tests your knowledge of Saturated Fat, you can find Heart Healthy recipes for both kids and adults, you can even figure out what you should eat, check out the section on women's eating habits and so much more. This section is all about good nutrition and how you can get to where you do have good nutrition, if you don't already.

Heart of the Matter: This is where you can learn all you need to know about heart disease. This section talks about cholesterol and how to count it. It also has a calculator for your risk of heart disease. You need to know your Total cholesterol, HDL Cholesterol and Systolic Blood Pressure to use it. Don't you deserve to know the facts about heart disease?

Just for Kids: Recent studies show that heart disease can be traced back to childhood, so it's important to make sure your kids learn to eat heart smart. Here they can check out recipes, take a quiz, play with a word search and learn the facts about children and heart disease.

This is a great site for the whole family. It teaches us all about heart disease and healthy eating. It even has great tips on how to better shop for, plan for and make heart healthy meals.

Click this link to visit http://www.healthyfridge.org.

Pointer Control from the Keyboard

What would you do if your mouse happens to stop working for a day or two, you would have a really tough time trying to get your work done on your computer wouldn't you? You would have to spend most of your time working with your keyboard, trying to remember all the shortcut keys and the combination keys to use and all of this would have to be done from your memory. How about something a bit better?

Windows has a facility where you can use a keyboard to control the mouse pointer in the absence of a mouse. Note that this trick will not work if a screen reader or screen magnification program is running because these programs remap the keyboard.

1. Open the Control Panel.
   
2. Select the Accessibility option.
   
3. From the dialogue box, click on the Mouse tab.
   
4. Tick the checkbox of Use Mouse Key.
   
5. Click OK to close the Accessibility Options window.

Note: You can also press Left Alt key + Left Shift Key + Num Lock together to open the MouseKeys dialogue box. Then press Enter to turn MouseKeys ON. Press Cancel to turn MouseKeys OFF.

You can use the numeric pad (the number pad on the right hand side of your keyboard) as MouseKeys, but only if the Num Lock is ON.

On the numeric keypad, use the following keys to control the mouse pointer:

• 2, 4, 6 and 8 to move the cursor on the screen toward Down, Left, Right and Up.
  
• To perform a left single click, press 5.
  
• To perform a right single click, press ^DDS (minus).
  
• To perform a left double click, press + (plus).
  

To increase the speed of the pointer movement, double click the mouse icon on the taskbar and select the Settings button from the dialogue box. Now you can increase the speed of the pointer by selecting the Pointer Speed option.

Place a check in the box that says, "Hold down Ctrl to speed up and Shift to slow down." Now, if you press the Ctrl key while holding the arrow key, the pointer speed will increase and if you hold the Shift key while holding the arrow key, the pointer speed will decrease.

Note: If you want to use the numbers from the numeric keypad while using the MouseKeys, select the OFF radio button from Use MouseKeys when Num Lock is the option. If you select ON again, the numeric keypad will be used as MouseKeys.

So, from now on, even if your mouse goes bad, you still have options to move the cursor!

The Orchestra: a User's Manual

The Philharmonia orchestra offers this introduction to the orchestra, orchestration, composition, and instruments, using text, quicktime videos of Philharmonia musicians, audio clips, and "illustrative musical examples." Composition students will find this especially valuable.

Click this link to begin your exploration of an orchestra.

Printing Folders in Windows

I had written a post on this before and found it to be too unreliable to leave in the database. I found two programs that do the same thing and are much simpler to install.

When you browse a folder in windows explorer, you sometimes would like to print the content of that folder. Unfortunately there is no option to print the content of a folder from Windows Explorer.

You can add your own print folder (or list the folder content to a text file) by using the following programs.

• Dirlist adds an option to your send to menu that will create a file of the directory listing of all the file names in that folder. Simply right-click any folder you wish to save/print.
  
  Click this link to download DirList.
  
  
• Run print folder from your programs menu or choose print folder from the context menu of a folder to create a file of the directory listing.
  
  Click this link to download Print Folder.

Notepad: The Accessible Way to Organize

Do you use Notepad? Do you like to make

lists for the things you need to get done throughout the day? Then this is the tip for you!

Did you know that you can use the Notepad application from Windows to write down any information you need to remember on a day to day basis? You know, you can use it to record any appointments you have or you can even use it to make an accessible grocery list. The options are endless. Here's how it's done:

1. Open Notepad by clicking Start, All Programs, Accessories, Notepad.
   
2. Type .LOG (in all caps) as the first line of the file, followed by a carriage return (Enter). Then save this file and close it. (You could save it as example.txt, for instance).
   
3. Navigate to where you saved the file and double click it. You may notice that Notepad appends the current date and time (the system date and time) to the end of the file and places the cursor on the line after it. With the date and time in place, you will never forget to do something on a certain day. How's that for a reminder?!
   
4. Go ahead and type your notes. When you're finished, save the file again and close it.

Each time you open the file, Notepad will repeat the process. So, each time, the new date and time will show up at the end of the file and it will place the cursor below it. You can then just type what you need to and save it all over again. It's a great way to have an accessible reminder right on your desktop!

Some readers have emailed me saying that this tip doesn't work. Please note that in step 2, you must have a period before the word log to insert the date and time.

Enjoy Radio Again with InstantFM

InstantFM Music plugs into your computer's USB Port, enabling you to tune to your favourite FM or Web Radio station and record the station's entire playlist, at the same time as identifying the individual tracks for easy playback. So you'll never have to listen to the radio and wonder what the name/artist of a track might be, or where you might get it. A complete USB hardware/software solution, the device finds and records the user's favorite songs, podcasts and sporting events automatically, separates, identifies and labels the songs using a combination of Snaptune One and the company's own analog-to-digital audio converter and Radio Data Reception System (RDS) capture technology. This technology combines with the software's other tools to enable consumers to easily tune across the entire FM band, record live broadcasts and view displays of RDS/RBDS data such as station call letters, radio text and more on their PC monitor.

Snaptune One provides users with a detailed list of all the programs it was asked to record and, after a short 'learning period', it also highlights the individual songs that were played during those programs. With the software's Tivo-like capabilities, users can pause or rewind live radio, go back an entire week or longer to listen to any song again, learn more about it, or go online to purchase a download or CD containing the song. The software also features unique indexing technology that enables users to view a playlist with individual songs, interviews, live sessions, news stories or talk segments. A complete hardware/software solution, the USB 2.0 audio capture solution is compatible with Windows XP and is Windows Vista-ready Equipped with a retractable FM antenna, the external device comes with a USB extension cable, a CD containing Snaptune One and Instant Radio software as well as carrying pouch. May not be compatible with all screen readers.

Click this link to purchase InstantFM.

Turn Off Website Animation

I think we've all run into this at one time or another. You go to one of your favorite websites and each time you get more and more frustrated with the animation it has on the pages. Sometimes it's something scrolling across your screen and other times, it might be a flashing image. Whatever it is, it can cause lots of problems for your screen reader or screen magnification program. Would you like to turn those annoying animations off? Here's how using Internet Explorer.

1. Open Internet Explorer and click on Tools, Internet Options. Use the keyboard command Alt+T and arrow down to Internet Options if using a screen reader.
   
   
2. Click on the Advanced tab. If using a screen reader, use Control+Tab to navigate through the tabs until you get to Advanced.
   
   
3. Scroll or tab down until you see the Multimedia section. Disable the option that says "Play animations in Web pages" by unchecking the box.
   
   
4. Click OK when you're done.

From now on, you will see the images from the animations, but they will be still. They won't move around any longer. No more distraction here!

Recipe Spin

Here we are with another great recipe site. With over 7,000 recipes, you're sure to find something at Recipe Spin. The site is very easy to use. You can search by name, author or country of origin with the search engine near the top of the page. You can even use the Advanced Search Engine to receive even more options.

You can browse the featured recipes under the Popular Recipes heading right in the center of the page. Or scroll even further down the page and browse by type of food. (For example, Appetizers, Drinks, Cakes, Pies and more). You can even search by Ethnicity and Regional Cuisine.

Have a recipe you'd like to submit? Just go to the Submit Your Recipe link near the food categories on the bottom portion of the page. Then choose the category your recipe fits into and fill in the form with the recipe information. It couldn't be easier!

With so many great recipes, you'll be able to garner tons of ideas for those holiday gatherings and wow all of your friends and family members. Give it a try today!

Click this link to visit http://www.recipespin.com.

Shop for Assistive Technology Online with MSN

Empower Technologies has created an Assistive Technologies (AT) comparison shopping experience via a number of Microsoft Web sites, including MSN Shopping and Windows Live Shopping.

The arrival of this new shopping service coincides with a growing audience for Assistive Technology products, such as those who have physical or cognitive difficulties, disabilities, and the rapidly growing baby-boomer population who may need AT products as they grow older and live longer.

The AT product catalogs can be accessed directly through the following links:

MSN Shopping: shopping.msn.com/results/shp/?bCatId=4524

Windows Live Shopping: http://shopping.live.com/#m=results&query=%3FbCatId%3D4524&reloadRef=true

Napkin Folding 101

Wouldn't it be cool if tonight, you could surprise your dinner partner by making fancy folded napkins? I found a site that will tell you exactly how to make all kinds of designs. I didn't know you could fold napkins in so many different ways. Check out this list:

• bird
  
• goblet
  
• cardinal
  
• arum
  
• clown
  
• fan
  
• rose
  
• crown
  
• pyramid
  
• rosebud
  
• bishop

Click this link to learn how to fold these styles, and more by visiting the Napkin Folding 101 website: http://www.customlinenservice.com/napkins.htm.

Click this link for another site with PDF instructions on folding napkins and towels.

Mildew in Your Towels? What About Stinky Dishcloths?

Towels and other linens can be a haven for bacteria and mildew, even when fresh from the washing machine. The following tips will help you to prevent unwanted spores in your laundry.

1. Remove towels and other linens from the washing machine as soon as possible. Allowing laundry to sit for even short periods of time in warm or humid conditions can quickly lead to mildew. While you might not see or even smell it, mildew spores can grow rapidly.
   
   
2. If it has been several hours since the washer stopped, re-wash the load. Even if it doesn't have a noticeable odor, mildew could be lurking. At the very least, run the rinse cycle again.
   
   
3. When drying towels, use the highest setting on your dryer and make sure to dry towels thoroughly. Some people take them out when they are still a little damp, in order to conserve energy. If you do this, towels should be hung until completely dry, so moisture isn't trapped where it can lead to mildew and other bacteria growth. Folding towels while even a little damp, will keep in moisture.
   
   
4. Bath towels, dishtowels, washcloths, and dishcloths, harbor lots of germs. Wash them in hot water at least occasionally or if they are heavily soiled. Add bleach where possible. If you have colored towels and can't use bleach, add a bit of fabric safe disinfectant to each load.
   
   
5. You may not think of your washer as "dirty" since water and detergent are cycling through it. However, most laundry detergents are not antibacterial and water temperatures don't tend to be high enough to kill all contaminations. Wash a load using disinfectant or bleach after a few loads to keep your washing machine sanitary.

Keeping your dishcloth clean, fresh and sanitized makes your whole kitchen smell a lot nicer. (Isn't the smell of a musty dishcloth just AWFUL?) Here are two of my favorite ways to keep the dishcloths clean:

• Just clean the dishcloth in the dishwasher! All I do is leverage a bowl or cup against the dishcloth on the top shelf of the dishwasher and let it run as usual. Because the dishwasher gets so incredibly hot, it will completely clean and sanitize your kitchen cloth.
  
• A few people have told me to try cleaning the dishcloth in the microwave. Apparently you can put a thoroughly moistened dishcloth right into the microwave and heat on high for about 30 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn yourself when you take the dish cloth out again! How about killing two cleaning chores with one stone? Try popping the above mentioned dishcloth in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, and then just let it sit in there for about ten minutes. Your dishcloth will get cleaned AND all of the accumulated steam inside the microwave will make it easy to clean, just wipe that dishcloth around the interior of the microwave and you've got a gorgeous, lovely, clean microwave.

Retrieve Lost Data with Copy Cat

Remember when we used to save our documents to 3.5 floppy disks? It wasn't that long ago! I found one of my old floppy disks the other day and wanted to copy the files from it. It was very annoying to discover that the disk was damaged and Windows couldn't copy some of the files. I used Copy Cat to copy the disk and was able to retrieve the data perfectly.

Copy Cat will not only copy the bytes of a disk that can be read, it will also attempt to read the bytes that have been damaged or that are not normally picked up through the standard Windows copy operation.

Copy Cat is great for copying a CD or DVD that has been scratched,when you want to copy data from an area of a hard drive that is partially damaged or when you want to copy data from a floppy that is currently not being copied correctly by windows.

Click this link to download Copy Cat from http://www.vcsoftwares.com/cc.html.

Mp3 Knife

Have you ever wanted to save a portion of a podcast? Maybe they talked about a great new website that you wanted to check out and you wanted to save that information for later?

Mp3 Knife is a simple tool for extracting mp3 clips from large Mp3s. The extracted clips will be stored in mp3 format. This is the simplest and fastest tool in its category which has the ability to extract long mp3 clips in seconds. Its so simple, only three steps to get the clips: select start, select end and save.

Click this link to download MP3 Knife: http://www.vcsoftwares.com/mk.html.

National Center for Blind Youth in Science Web Portal

The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute is pleased to announce the launch of its National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) Web Portal (www.blindscience.org), a clearinghouse of information and resources related to blind youth and their participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The NCBYS Web Portal, funded under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), provides easy, centralized access for teachers, students, parents, and others to gain the knowledge necessary to make STEM fields accessible to blind youth. Users can not only find high tech solutions but also low tech, simple tools and strategies to teach and learn STEM subjects.

This portal also provides users with a career section where they can read biographies and hear interviews of blind scientists and engineers, including Abraham Nemeth, developer of the Nemeth Code. Users can also explore career opportunities and science programs available to blind students, such as the EXcellence through Challenging Exploration and Leadership internship program and the NFB Youth Slam.

Click this link to visit the National Center for Blind Youth in Science Web Portal at http://www.blindscience.org.

Mirel's Daughter: Braille Novel Released First

For the first time in history (as far as APH can determine), the braille version of a novel was released prior to the premiere of the print version to the general public.

The braille edition of Mirel's Daughter, written by Louisvillian Kay Gill, was presented to her husband, APH Board of Trustee member George Gill at APH on January 23, 2006. The print version of the novel was not launched by the author until February 15 at Spalding University in Louisville.

Mirel's Daughter tells the story of a ten-year-old girl's remarkable survival of the pogrom massacres in Ukrainian Russia at the end of World War I, and her escape to America. A haunting novel that illustrates the destructive power of war on one family and one child, Mirel's Daughter is written about the author's mother, and ultimately about the triumphant power of love.

Highly praised in book reviews for its poignant account of a young girl's journey from terror to freedom, Mirel's Daughter is an unforgettable tribute to the human spirit that has been compared to the Diary of Anne Frank.

To order a braille version of Mirel's Daughter, call APH Customer Relations at 1-800-223-1839 and order catalog # A-B0489-00.

Click here to purchase these books through our Quick Order Entry page: http://shop.aph.org/quickentry.asp

If you need assistance, click this link to read the Fred's Head Companion post "Purchasing Products From The APH Website Is Easy".

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc.
1839 Frankfort Avenue
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6085
Louisville, Kentucky 40206-0085
Toll Free: 800-223-1839
Phone: 502-895-2405
Fax: 502-899-2274
E-mail: info@aph.org
Web site: http://www.aph.org

African Americans in World War I

More than 200,000 black soldiers served during the Great War (mainly as support troops) alongside French soldiers fighting against German armies. By October 1917 over 600 black servicemen were commissioned as captains, first lieutenants, and second lieutenants.

To many African Americans, enlisting to fight in the Great War offered a chance to show their patriotism that could hopefully improve their opportunities and treatment at home. Yet racism was as endemic in the armed forces as it was in the rest of America at the time.

To learn more about the contributions of African Americans in World War I, simply click this link to visit the Oxford AASC website.

APH News: November 2006

APH News

Your monthly link to the latest information on the products, services, and training opportunities of the American Printing House for the Blind.

November 2006

Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Read on to learn about these new products - now available!

• SLK Power Switches Now Available Separately
• Spanish Guidebook for Tactile Connections
• Need Last-Minute Gifts? Think APH!
• APH Braille Book Corner

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APH's 138th Annual Meeting Deemed "One of the Best" by Attendees!

The 138th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests took place October 12 - 14, at the Downtown Marriott Hotel in Louisville. From the opening session, keynoted by Michael Hingson, to the Hall of Fame Inductions of Dr. Arnall Patz and Annie Sullivan, to the powerful presentation of Tom Sullivan, to the sails adjusting dinner/dance cruise on the Spirit of Jefferson, Annual Meeting seemed enthusiastically received.

Hingson and Sullivan each reflected this year's theme, "Adjusting the Sails" in their very personal presentations. General sessions highlighted President Tuck Tinsley's state of the company address, updates from the field, the research department, exciting new projects from APH, and the progress of the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC). Concurrent sessions introduced exciting new products.

In addition to our artists, our award winners, and a Hall of Fame inductee, special guests included four APH Scholars, who were first time attendees selected from and by APH Ex Officio Trustees.

You won't want to miss the 139th Annual Meeting, October 11 -13, 2007, so start making plans now to attend!

The December Issue of the APH News will offer links to photos, videos, and podcasts of the Annual Meeting.

Photos: Tom Sullivan standing in front of a piano; Michael Hingson and Dr Arnall Patz

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Class of 2006 Installed in the Hall of Fame

The bas relief plaques of Dr. Arnall Patz and Anne Sullivan Macy, who were beautifully inducted by Mary Nelle McLennan and Rick Welsh on Friday evening of Annual Meeting, now greet you as you enter the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field.

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Engraved Stones Placed on Wall of Tribute

Eight engraved stones were added to the Wall of Tribute, in the Hall of Fame, on October 12.

The recently placed stones include:

• Seeing Eye
• Wilmer Eye Institute / Honoring Dr. Arnall Patz
• Oak Hill / Honoring Josephine Pace
• Blind Babies Foundation / Honoring Nancy Akeson
• Texas AER
• APH / Honoring Mary Nall
• APH / Honoring Marilyn Cheatham
• San Diego Center for the Blind / Honoring Becky Gough

Would you like to honor a mentor, family member, or organization? It's easy, for details visit the Hall of Fame's Wall of Tribute page

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Record Year for Introduction of New APH Products

As you have probably noticed from your newsletters, 2006 has been a record year for new product development. In fiscal year 2006 there were 78 new products developed and brought to market. This amazing amount of work was only possible due to the combined efforts of many groups. The field furnished ideas and valuable feedback by submitting ideas for products and by participating in field test studies of products. APH employees in the research, production support, and production areas all collaborated to develop the products and do all of the "behind the scenes" work that enables a product to move from a concept to a concrete product for use in the field. Each and every aspect of a product has to be documented so it can be purchased, organized in inventory, planned in production, fabricated and assembled on the production floor, assessed for costs and pricing, and finally shipped out to the customer. Even the "simplest" of products take a great deal of effort from many individuals to travel through the complete development cycle. Congratulations and thanks to everyone for all of their hard work.

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NIMAC Manager Named

Nicole (Nikki) Gaines has been selected as the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) Manager. Nicole has many years of experience in librarianship, including cataloging, working with Dublin Core metadata, and electronic book file repository management. Nicole also brings valuable skills and experience gained as an educator, trainer, and in her two years as the APH Systems Librarian. Nicole holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky, in addition to course work at University of Valladolid in Spain.

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Adaptive Rock Wall Climbing and Sports Camp Listings

Two good reasons to visit the APH Physical Education Site: www.aph.org/pe/index.html

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APH Participates in 2006 DEC Conference

The Statehouse Convention Center at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock, AR was the setting for CEC's Division of Early Childhood, Oct 19 - 22. APHers Sandi Baker, Janie Blome, and Burt Boyer attended the conference and demonstrated APH products in the exhibit hall at this nationwide annual conference. The new Swirly Mats and other Light Box materials, along with the On the Way to Literacy Books, drew the attention of the conference attendees. Many teachers of children with various other disabilities commented how these materials would benefit children they serve.

How many APHers does it take to watch a light bulb being changed?

Esteemed APHers Burt Boyer, Janie Blome, and Sandi Baker observe workers changing light bulbs in the 35-foot high ceiling of the Peabody Hotel lobby, as part of their research on "How to change a light bulb in a 35-foot high ceiling without breaking the bulb, and, without dropping the bulb on your head".

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Babies Count - A Pioneering Project

During his visit to APH to receive the Wings of Freedom Award and be inducted into the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field, Dr. Arnall Patz endorsed the Babies Count Project with great enthusiasm. He referred to the project as a "pioneering project" and indicated that we have a chance to make a real difference. He again stated that the data being collected on ROP through the Babies Count Project is the best that has been collected in the last two decades. What an advocate and promoter for this project!

THANKS to those agencies who are participating in the project--you are making a difference. Your efforts are appreciated, and you are setting an excellent example for others. Some agencies have been trained, but are not yet participating. It is time to get on the "pioneering wagon" and make a difference. Several states indicated during the annual meeting they will go back home and become a participant---GREAT NEWS!

Recently the major researcher on Optic Nerve Hypoplasia, Dr. Mark Borchert of Children's Hospital in Los Angeles, expressed an interest in working with agencies to encourage families of children with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia to participate in the Babies Count project. Wouldn't it be a real "difference maker" to provide data leading to the discovery of the causes of Optic Nerve Hypoplasia?

More information will be added to the web site on the Babies Count Project. If you have ideas as to what should be included, please contact Burt Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader: Phone - 502-899-2264; email bboyer@aph.org

The "pioneering wagon" is headed your way!

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Braille Version of Novel Released Prior to Print Version

For the first time in history (as far as APH can determine), the braille version of a novel was released prior to the premiere of the print version to the general public.

The braille edition of Mirel's Daughter, written by Louisvillian Kay Gill, was presented to her husband, APH Board of Trustee member George Gill at APH on January 23, 2006. The print version of the novel was not launched by the author until February 15 at Spalding University in Louisville.

Mirel's Daughter tells the story of a ten-year-old girl's remarkable survival of the pogrom massacres in Ukrainian Russia at the end of World War I, and her escape to America. A haunting novel that illustrates the destructive power of war on one family and one child, Mirel's Daughter is written about the author's mother, and ultimately about the triumphant power of love.

Highly praised in book reviews for its poignant account of a young girl's journey from terror to freedom, Mirel's Daughter is an unforgettable tribute to the human spirit that has been compared to the Diary of Anne Frank.

To order a braille version of Mirel's Daughter, call APH Customer Relations at 1-800-223-1839 and order catalog # A-B0489-00.

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APH Executive in Residence Making a Difference

Dr. Cay Holbrook is having an interesting sabbatical and APH is the beneficiary!

Cay is serving as APH's first Executive in Residence and, in that role is providing support and counsel for our research department and assisting with major policy issues. Cay, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in Visual Impairment at the University of British Columbia, joined us in September and will be with us through November. Her duties include assisting us in developing procedures to find our next Executive in Residence. Watch our web site and the APH News for information on future opportunities.

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The National Library Service Turns 75

To commemorate the birthday of the National Library Service--actually the passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act that formed it--the APH Callahan Museum is planning a marathon recording session on Saturday, November 18th. We'll be recording a commemorative version of Gulliver Travels. The estimate from our studio chief is that it will take about 13-14 hours.

A battalion of professional, volunteer, and community readers will gather in the company's original recording studio to create a vocal quilt of the voices that folks use every day to gather the information they need.

Engineers working for the American Foundation for the Blind perfected the first long-playing record in 1933. APH began experimenting with recording books for the blind in 1936, and and had a working studio and record pressing operation in place by 1937. In 2005, APH produced more than 3.3 million cassettes of recorded material including popular fiction, magazines, non-fiction, textbooks, and technical manuals.

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the congressional act that created the N.L.S., the Callahan Museum is taking APH back to its roots, back to our first recording, narrated by Hugh Sutton. Today, some readers are professional actors and broadcasters, familiar voices from the theatre, radio, and television. Others are teachers or volunteers who read textbooks or other materials for students. Some are neighbors who read a printed letter, or explain an application form. For more information, contact Mike Hudson in the Callahan Museum at (502)899-2365.

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Callahan Museum Tactile Mask-Making Workshop

The Callahan Museum taught over forty children and adults to use tactile materials to put together a Halloween mask at a special workshop in October. The workshop examined world traditions of mask making, from carved wooden masks in Africa to papier-mâché masks put together for the European stage. Participants explored both naturally tactile materials, such as feathers and beads, and tactile materials made especially for education, such as Draftsman drawing film, recycled braille paper, and Quick-Draw Paper. Using a pre-formed and pre-painted plastic false face mask, children added a variety of materials to create a tactile princess, devil, and other highly imaginative characters. If you are interested in trying something similar in your own area, contact the Callahan Museum at 502-899-2365 for details about sources for materials. Be warned, this was a highly addictive activity! Most of our parents soon found themselves arm deep in straw, glue, and felt, discovering their own inner child!

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APH Wants Your Input
Assessment Needs Survey 2007: New Directions

The purpose of this short survey (only six questions!) is to learn which diagnostic and psychological tests are being used with students who have visual impairments, and to determine which materials are currently most needed in accessible formats.

Who should respond to the survey? We hope that general education teachers, teachers of the visually impaired, school administrators, testing coordinators, state assessment and accountability staff, school psychologists, and instructional materials resource center staff will respond.

You may submit the survey online or print a copy to mail back to us by going to www.aph.org and clicking on the Accessible Tests Department, or go directly to www.aph.org/tests/new_directions.html

Submission deadline is December 1, 2006.

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APH Welcomes New Ex Officio Trustees

Greg Schmieg, Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, replacing David E. Parmer.

Harold W. Williams, Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education - Wood, replacing Sue Stealey.

Lisa Wright, Maryland State Department of Education, replacing Robb Farrell.

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APH Travel Calendar

November

November 2-4, 2006
National Braille Association;
Charlotte, NC

November 3-4, 2006
Utah AER Conference 2006;
UT

November 5-7, 2006
NYS AER;
Albany, NY

November 8-11, 2006
TASH 2006;
Baltimore, MD

November 9-11, 2006
MACRT-ASERT Professional Development Conference 2006;
Atlanta, GA

November 10-12, 2006
KCB;
Louisville, KY

November 12-14, 2006
American Psychological Association: Task Force Meeting;
Washington, DC

November 13-14, 2006
IDEAS 508 2006 Conference;
Washington, DC

November 13-17, 2006
Legislative Visits on Capitol Hill;
Washington, DC

November 16, 2006
Virginia 2006 Workshop on Blindness and Visual Impairment;
Hampton, VA

November 17-18, 2006
Nevada State Early Intervention State Wide Workshop;
Las Vegas, NV

December

December 10-12, 2006
Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Conference;
Lansdowne, VA

January

January 23-28, 2007
ATIA;
Orlando, FL

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NFB Announcements

Web Portal

The National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute is pleased to announce the launch of its National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) Web Portal (www.blindscience.org), a clearinghouse of information and resources related to blind youth and their participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The NCBYS Web Portal, funded under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), provides easy, centralized access for teachers, students, parents, and others to gain the knowledge necessary to make STEM fields accessible to blind youth. Users can not only find high tech solutions but also low tech, simple tools and strategies to teach and learn STEM subjects.

This portal also provides users with a career section where they can read biographies and hear interviews of blind scientists and engineers, including Abraham Nemeth, developer of the Nemeth Code. Users can also explore career opportunities and science programs available to blind students, such as the EXcellence through Challenging Exploration and Leadership internship program and the NFB Youth Slam.

Please give us your feedback! Visit www.blindscience.org and complete a survey by November 30, 2006, and you will be entered into a drawing to win a $35 gift certificate from the NFB's Independence Market!

Youth Slam 2007

Two hundred blind and low vision high school students from all around the United States will attend a four-day academy designed to engage and inspire the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for the blind.

From July 30-August 4, 2007 students will stay at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, to be mentored by blind role models during fun and challenging activities meant to build confidence and increase science literacy. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend various social events as well as workshops on topics such as leadership, career preparation, and blindness. The NFB Youth Slam will culminate in an inspiring rally at Baltimore's Inner Harbor and a celebration at the center of innovation in the field of blindness-the NFB Jernigan Institute. With support from partners such as the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and others, the NFB Youth Slam will be a memorable experience for all involved!

For more information about the NFB Youth Slam including information for potential students and mentors, please visit www.blindscience.org/ncbys/Youth_Slam.asp, or email questions to youthslam@nfb.org

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NEW! SLK Power Switches Now Available Separately

SLK Power Select Switch: 1-08612-00 -- $175.00
SLK Scallop Switch: 1-08613-00 -- $32.00
SLK Adaptable Tactile Switch: 1-08614-00 -- $27.00
SLK Adaptable Stick Switch: 1-08615-00 -- $50.00

The Sensory Learning Kit is an extensive set of sensory items and written materials that help the most significantly challenged learners increase their alertness, curiosity and specific skill development. Tools in this kit may be used to help create daily schedules, lesson plans, and alternative assessments for play or functional routines.

The switches make it easier for learners to operate battery-powered toys and AC-powered devices; these come in three styles:

• Adaptable Stick Switch -- thin yellow switch on turquoise base is high-contrast and easy to manipulate. Attach items to increase visual interest.
• Adaptable Tactile Switch - comes with two attachable smooth plates for adding textures to increase interest
• Scallop Switch -- larger target area allows success as it responds to child's touch
• Power Select -- This power control unit allows learners to operate AC=powered items using any of the three switches.

Also Available:
Sensory Learning Kit, complete: 1-08611-00 -- $499.00
SLK Guidebook/Routines Book Set, Print: 7-08611-00 -- $81.00

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NOW AVAILABLE!
Spanish Guidebook for Tactile Connections

An augmentative communication system for learners who are nonverbal and who have multiple disabilities.

Spanish Guidebook (Large Print/CD): 7-08837-SP -- $37.00

Also Available:
Complete Kit: 1-08837-00 -- $ 115.00
Guidebook (Large Print/CD): 7-08837-00 -- $ 37.00
Optional Braille Guidebook only: 5-08837-00 -- $ 24.00

Additional Items Available Separately:
Accessories with Caulk: 1-08837-01 -- $ 30.00

Tactile Connections: Symbols for Communication encourages the creation of a tactile card system that is individualized for use by visually impaired and blind learners who may have additional disabilities and/or lack a formal means of communication or literacy. Tactile symbols are graphic forms of communication, created when part of an object is mounted on a hand-sized card representing core vocabulary categories (e.g. people, places, actions, objects, etc.). This kit provides some of the essential components that assist in a system's construction and application.

WARNING: Kit contains Small Parts. Not intended for children ages 5 and under without adult supervision.

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Need Last-Minute Gifts? Think APH!

APH has many items that would be perfect for holiday gift-giving (or put these on your own wish list!)

Children's Books

• Dear Santa, Please Come to the 19th Floor (9-15015-00 -- $10.00) print/braille full-color hardcover. No Quota.
• Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (9-15008-00 -- $10.00) print/braille full-color hardcover. No Quota.
• Lots of Dots: Learning My ABC's (1-10000-00 -- $24.00) raised-line coloring book
• SQUID Tactile Activities Magazine (Issue 1: 1-08862-01 -- $45.00, Issue 2: 1-08862-02 -- $45.00) fun activities in a variety of tactile methods

Videos

• Teen Scene: Portraits of Success (VHS: 1-30011-00 -- $25.00, 1-30011-DVD -- $25.00) four teenagers talk about successful living with low vision
• Denver the Guide Dog (VHS: 1-30010-00 -- $15.00)

Daily Living Products

• Talking Watch (Stretch band: 1-03976-00 -- $19.95, Leather: 1-03977-00 -- $19.95). No Quota.
• Wireless Personal Pager (1-03975-00 -- $32.00) send signal to the portable receiver up to 100 feet away. No Quota.
• Colorino (English: 1-03955-00 -- $195.00 , Spanish: 1-03955-SP ) small hand-held talking unit that detects more than 100 nuances of color. No Quota.
• "Kelvin" Talking Thermostat (1-03973-00 -- $129.95) change temperature "hands-free" after programming. No Quota.
• Talking Calculator (1-03971-00 -- $17.95). No Quota.

Recreational Items

• Rib-It-Balls (14": 1-07513-00 -- $23.00, 18": 1-07514-00 -- $39.00, 30": 1-07515-00 -- $68.00)
• Mini Rib-It-Ball (1-07512-00 -- $14.00) No Quota.
• Quick Pick Games (Counting, Math, and Braille Contractions) -- self-correcting flashcards

Computer games designed especially for low vision players

• Armadillo Army™ (D-03400-00 -- $49.00) navigate successive mazes while avoiding the armadillos
• Termite Torpedo™ (D-03470-00 -- $39.00) rid Woodville of the invading termites by clearing all 12 playing fields
• Talking Word Puzzles™ (D-03440-00 -- $49.00) solve and create your own crossword puzzles
• Toodle Tiles™ (D-00300-00 -- $49.00) matching game based on Mahjong

Electronics

• Handi-Cassette II Stereo Tape Recorder/Player (1-07085-00 -- $185.00) portable unit for listening to Talking Books or commercial cassettes as well as recording tapes
• Book Port™ (1-07440-00 -- $395.00) portable book-reading device for downloading and reading electronic text files (including audible.com) or digital recorded books (including DAISY Digital Talking books). Plays MP3 files in stereo.

Software

• Book Wizard Reader™ (D-03531-00 -- $49.00, D-03531-ED -- $39.00) PC Software for reading electronic text files including digital recorded books
• Money Talks™ (D-03560-00 -- $49.00, D-03560-ED -- $39.00) Accessible bank account management software package.
• Verbal View Series ($50.00 per tutorial) tutorials that emphasize keyboard commands and descriptions of graphic components. Available for Windows XP, Word, and the internet.

Clothing

• APH T-Shirts ($10.00) No Quota.
• APH Sweat Shirts ($15.00) No Quota.

Holiday Cards

• May Your Light Shine (W-HDCD-AA -- $7.00) message: "May your light shine." No Quota.
• Sunset on a Ski Slope (W-HDCD-AB -- $7.00) message: "May the joy of your holidays be Evergreen." No Quota.
• Winter Solace (W-HDCD-AD -- $10.00) message: "Wishing you a beautiful holiday season." No Quota.
• Snow Walker (1-05201-99 -- $10.00) message: "Happy holidays." No Quota.

For complete descriptions or more suggestions, watch for the new Bookstore/Gift Catalog, coming soon, or look on our website www.aph.org/products

To order any of these gifts, call toll-free 1-800-223-1839, Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Eastern time.

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APH Braille Book Corner

APH is now offering a number of new recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow approximately 8 weeks for delivery.

Runaway: Stories
by Alice Munro: T-N1577-10 -- $77.00
Eight short stories about women of all ages and circumstances. (Adult -- Fiction)

Charming Grace
by Deborah Smith: T-N1575-00 -- $89.00
Superstar comes to a small town to film a movie about a local hero killed in the line of duty, only to be thwarted by the agent's widow. Explicit descriptions of sex. (Adult -- Fiction) The King and I: Uncensored Tale of Luciano Pavarotti's Rise to Fame by his Manager, Friend, and Sometime Adversary
by Herbert Breslin and Anne Midgette: T-N1575-10 -- $76.00
Luciano Pavarotti's manager/publicist candidly recounts his thirty-six year relationship with the opera singer. (Adult -- Non-Fiction)

Indigo's Star
by Hilary McKay: T-N1573-70 -- $43.00
After a long illness, twelve-year-old Indigo returns to school filled with dread but finds the courage to stick up for the boy who has replaced him as the target of school bullies. (*AR #81579, RL 4.9, Points: 7.0)

*Accelerated Reader number, reading level, and point value. For more information on the Accelerated Reader program, see the January APH News or www.renlearn.com/ar/

APH News Credits

President:
Dr. Tuck Tinsley
ttinsley@aph.org

Designer:
Malcolm Turner, APH Web Site Coordinator
webmaster@aph.org

Thanks to the following APH staff:

• Cindy Amback, Support Specialist, Field Services
• Sandi Baker, Field Services Representative
• Scott Blome, Director, Communications
• Burt Boyer, Early Childhood Project Leader, Research
• Brian Dougherty, Graphic Designer, Communications
• Frank Hayden, Manager, Technical Research
• Barbara Henderson, Project Leader, Accessible Tests
• Micheal Hudson, Director, Callahan Museum
• Nancy Lacewell, Director, Government Relations
• Julia Myers, Director, Resource Services
• Becki Moody, Support Specialist, Communications
• Artina Paris-Jones, Assistant, Field Services
• Tristan Pierce, Multiple Disabilities Project Leader, Research

Editor:
Bob Brasher, Vice President, Advisory Services and Research
bbrasher@aph.org

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For additional recent APH News, click the following:
October Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2006adv10.html
September Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2006adv09.html
August Issue - www.aph.org/advisory/2006adv08.html

Archive of all previous issues - www.aph.org/advisory/advarch.html

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Please share this web link or any items that appear in this publication with anyone who might benefit.

Thank you.

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1. Create an email to aphinfo-request@iglou.com
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4. Send it.

Organizing Books by Color

Organizing books in a personal library can be a challenge, especially if you are visually impaired. Finding a science fiction book by removing each book to read the larger print on the cover is not practical. Design Observer recently blogged about a slightly unconventional way of Organizing Our Books by Color instead of by author, title, or subject. According to the article, arranging books by color is not only "cool to look at", but some even argue that it helps "discover new and unexpected relationships between books" - suggesting that certain color books are associated with certain subjects or moods.

I can see this working organizationally for a visually impaired person's small library, because for books we are very familiar with, we often recognize them by the color of the cover. Sorting your books by color gives you a reference point for where to look on the shelf.

Food Safety Tips

There are three Main Rules for Food Safety:

• Keep everything clean in the kitchen.
  
• Keep cold foods cold.
  
• Keep hot foods hot.

Beware of hidden dangers

^DBL Spoiled Food and Food Poisoning

Spoiled food is easy to spot since it usually looks and smells bad, but food poisoning is another story. Food poisoning is a bacteria that cannot be tasted, seen, or smelled. The following points will help keep a person safe:

• Always use paper towels when working with, or cleaning up after raw meat and even vegetables. Vegetables maybe shipped from other countries and some of their safety standards are not as strict as the United States.
  
  
• Keep pets out of the kitchen while cooking, especially if they are generally outdoor animals.
  
  
• Keep kitchen linen's washed regularly since bacteria tends to hang out in sponges, towels and cloths that are used over and over. Throw out dirty or mildewed dish sponges or clean them in the dishwasher.
  
  
• Clean and wash hands with soap, that says "antibacterial".
  
  
• Always wash hands, utensils or anything that raw meat or vegetables were around.
  
  
• Cover any skin cut or opening with bandage or gloves or protective plastic of some kind.
  
  
• Any cutting boards other than wood are the safest for cutting raw foods on because they are less porous than wooden boards.
  
  
• Do not mix raw meat with cooked meat because this could transfer bacteria. For example, do not take raw hamburger out to the grill to cook and put cooked ones back on the same plate.

Hot Foods

Bacteria will thrive at room temperature or in lukewarm food, so do not allow hot foods to be at room temperature for more than two hours; to keep hot foods hot that means keep it above 140° or higher.

Never partially cook or heat perishable foods because during cooking, the food may not reach a temperature high enough to destroy bacteria.

It is necessary to roast meat or poultry at 325° or above.

When reheating leftovers; stir often until steaming hot at 165°. If there are, any doubts about leftover foods throw it away because it is not worth getting sick over. "When in doubt, throw it out!"

Cold Foods

Since bacteria can thrive at room temperature, it can grow in foods that are suppose to be cold as well, so the same rule applies don't leave out for more than 2 hours at a time.

Always take perishable food home and refrigerate immediately.

Foods chill faster when space is allowed between them when stocking refrigerator and freezer. In addition, divide into smaller amounts in shallow containers helps to chill faster.

It's a good idea to buy a refrigerator thermometer to make sure your refrigerator is cooling at 35° to 40°. In addition, use a freezer thermometer to check that your freezer is staying at 0° or colder. If the power goes out do not open the doors. Food will be good for up to four hours and maybe a little longer depending on the circumstances.

You should not thaw foods at room temperature, but if you do, cook immediately at the correct temperature. The same thing applies if you thaw foods in the microwave.

Keep it clean and have a great time in the kitchen!

True or False in Braille

Message: I'm looking for a braille math indicator for "is the equation true or false" In print the indicator is a question mark over an equal sign. Is there a braille symbol for this math expression? Thank you.
Location: CT

Dear Carol,

You will find the sign you are looking for on page 136 of the print edition of the Nemeth Braille Code for Mathematics and Scientific Notation. It is under comparrison signs. The entire sign is this:

dot 5, dots 4-6, 1-3, 1-2-6, 4-5-6, 2-3-6, 1-2-4-5-6.

I hope this helps.

Fred Gissoni

Quit drinking my drink

As a parent, I know the aggrivation of the kids getting out cup after cup, not keeping up with it, and before too long, you have no idea which cup belongs to which child. This is especially annoying when you are a blind parent and can not rely on colors to differenciate the cups.

Here's a product that can help with this and a host of other labeling issues in the kitchen.

Bumpy Name labels are elastic rubber "orbit" labels that come in sizes to fit a variety of containers.

They're dishwasher-safe and can be made in print or Braille, and you can order custom labels with a second line of information, such as "No Dairy," or the child's phone number. They are available at http://www.bumpyname.com in either a package of three stock names or a package of four custom labels. Get a bunch of these and just go crazy labeling stuff!

Candle Creation At Home

When I first lost my vision, my wife introduced me to the world of candles. I was amazed at the various smells and emotions that can be braught from simply lighting a candle in the home.

We associate so many things with smell. I love the smell of pumpkin candles in the fall. Apple spice or cinimon is great for the winter and any fruit or floral candle is great in the summer.

Wouldn't it be great to create your own candles? Maybe even start your own home business? Reina Brown has written an E-book from the perspective of a professional blind candle maker to show others that the art of candle making can be mastered in one day by using simple techniques and things from around the house.

Reina is blind and has been for most of her life. Finding successful employment has been tough: so, in order to make ends meet, she has had to make her own way.

After losing her job on October 28, 2005 due to the local office folding, a job that took six months for her to find, she had to revisit a childhood dream of wanting to be a candle maker.

Out of necessity, Reina had to master this skill of professional candle making quite quickly. Though she did this as a hobby in her childhood, making candles with a professional touch that would appeal to the public was far different. Spending an entire night and day without sleep on the Internet, she set out on her new money making adventure. On October 31, the very next day after surfing the net and taking it all in, she bought supplies and tested all she learned. She was able to produce simple candles: however, the process was long and time consuming. Within time though, she devised new and simpler methods to achieve her tasks.

So, to save many others time and money, Reina is eager to get this guide into the hands of as many people as possible to show them that they can develop the skill for candle making without spending unnecessary time in classes or spending excessive amounts of money on how to guides and equipment while using trial and error.

Whether you are learning to make candles because it is a hobby you want to pursue, or whether you want to make a business out of it, Making Candles the Easy Way, Keeping It Simple? is a great book for you. This book will educate you on the following:

1. Introduction This part of the book is an overview of what to expect, and how candle making is made simple.
   
2. What People Will Say This section clarifies the myths of candle making. It also explains easy ways you can achieve the goals to making nice candles.
   
3. Using Ordinary Things and Determining Their Value This segment of the book talks about how ordinary things around the house can be used to make professional looking candles. Also, for those who want to start a business, there are helpful tips on pricing your finished products.
   
4. How To Make a Simple Candle This is where you will learn how to make a simple candle using the things at home. It is perfect for the beginner due to the fact that this is a simplified method.
   
5. How to make a Taper Candle This is a quick and simple recipe for making taper candles. Just use some things around the house, and you will have a wonderfully made finished product.
   
6. Making Small Candles Step By Step Using Paper Cups and Cartons Do you have any drink cups or cartons? Don't throw them away. Use them to make small votives.
   
7. Make Candles to Shun Bugs Here in this section are step by step ways that a bug repelling candle can be made. Shun those bugs and enjoy the night life.
   
8. Making Torches. These are wonderful also. They are appealing to the eyes, and are nice for shunning bugs as well. Here, you will find a very easy-to-understand recipe on how to create an awesome torch.
   
9. Using Oils for Scent In this section, you will learn how to use oils to scent your candles and how to measure them. Knowing the measurements is crucial to making a good candle. Improper use of oil will have a bearing on the candle's outcome.
   
10. Making Candles for People with Allergies This section discusses how more natural candles can be made for people who have zero tolerance to perfumes. purer methods will be discussed.
    
11. How to Handle Soy Wax For those who are favorable to soy products, this section is for you. Here, you will learn how soy wax is handled.
    
12. What Dyes Work with What Waxes Some dyes work better than others. In this part of the book, you will learn dying techniques that will simplify your candle making experience.
    
13. What Wicks Work with What Candles Certain wicks will not work with certain candles. Reading this portion of the book will explain this in more detail.
    
14. Marketing the Business This portion of the book talks about ways a candle business can be marketed. This is for those who are seriously thinking about starting a candle business or selling your crafts at a show.
    
15. Appendix This is where you can find the greatest deals on supplies. This section has a list of candle factories where supplies can be purchased at reasonable prices.

Click here to purchase the e-book from http://www.makingcandlessimple.com.

Reina Brown
Phone: 301-535-3733
Email: thechandlershop@aol.com

Now that you have the know how, you may want something to help you create the candles. You can experience the fun and creativity of candle making, without a messy hassle! Simply put wax or candle stubs into the hopper of this device, heat until wax is liquid, then pull the lever to release the wax into the mold. No chance of spills or burns. You can make professional-looking candles for gifts or decorations for your home. Comes with 1 lb. of wax (makes 1-6 candles, depending on the size), mold, wicks, sealer, wick holder and easy instructions. Plugs into standard outlet; UL approved. Ages 13 and up.

Click this link to purchase the Candle Creations Candle Maker from Spilsbury.com.

American Folklore

Hey there folks! Welcome to American Folklore. This folklore site contains retellings of American folktales, Native American myths and legends, tall tales, weather folklore and ghost stories from each and every one of the 50 United States. You can read about all sorts of famous characters like Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, Daniel Boone, and many more. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a comfy chair, and stay awhile.

There are also lesson plans, and a "countdown to Halloween."

Click this link to visit the American Folklore website: http://www.americanfolklore.net.

The Most Popular Myths in Science from Live Science

This page offers the facts behind common theories like how long it takes to digest gum, whether chicken soup cures the common cold, and cats' ability to always land on their feet. Don't forget to click on the Live Science home page for articles, headlines, and blogs about the sciences.

Click this link to learn The Most Popular Myths in Science.

Nursery Rhymes lyrics, origins and history

Learn all about the British history - the Bubonic Plague, the Peasant's Revolt, the Wars of the Roses, etc. - that is hidden inside the nursery rhymes many of us grew up with.

Click this link to learn the history behind Nursery Rhymes.