The Fred's Head blog contains tips, techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or visually impaired people. Fred's Head is offered by the American Printing House for the Blind. It was voted best blindness-related blog three years in a row by BlindBargains.com.
Fictionarium.com was created to link authors, not alphabetically, but by likeness. If you enjoyed one author, you can just click their genre and find a new author with similar qualities! You can also add new authors to help others find new books. Check out the "featured author" for something different!
This site allows people to find something new to read, while basically guaranteeing a book you'll like. From the creators:
"This is how we think the site should work:
Step 1Check out a Genre you like.
Step 2 Add what you know.
Step 3 Find a new author for yourself (we hope!)
Step 4 Check back from time to time. Add more and see what other have added!
Step 5 Repeat!
Please also know that Fictionarium isn't an extension of some large company, we are just a couple of people trying to help all of us find the authors we want to read, so be patient with us as we are working as hard as we can to make this as useful and readable as we can."
For instructors or students, visually impaired or sighted, looking for material on many aspects of psychology, the AllPsych Online site may prove to be helpful.
The site was started in 1999, and it contains eight primary sections which cover everything from classic psychology studies to an extensive reference area. First-time visitors may wish to start by looking through the "Reference" area, which features an expanded timeline of psychology through the ages, a dictionary, and biographies of prominent persons in the field. People interested in entering the field of psychology will want to click on over to the "Careers and Education in Psychology" section for the materials on various academic programs in clinical, counseling, and school psychology.
For a bit of a diversion, the site also has a "Fun and Games" area where low vision and sighted visitors can take a look at some optical illusions and crossword puzzles.
The introduction to this site remarks, "If you need help in college algebra, you have come to the right place." Their statement is accurate, as the staff members at the West Texas A&M University's Virtual Math Lab have done a fine job creating an accessible series of online algebra tutorials for students and anyone else who might be returning to the world of algebra. First-time visitors should look at their online guide to the tutorials to learn how things are organized. After that, they should feel free to browse through any of the fifty-nine tutorials offered. Each tutorial contains information about learning objectives, full explanations, and numerous examples of how to correctly solve problems.
This website scours the internet for sales on brands you love and sends an email digest of the latest deals. When you sign up, you tell the site exactly what to watch for. You can watch for specifically men's or women's clothing, favorite brands, and even the types of clothing you want to monitor (shoes, swimwear, etc.) in your sizes. Once you sign up, you tell Shop It To Me how often you want the email digest of sales, give it your email address and zip code (so it can watch for local sales), and you're done. The site's biggest drawback is that it's all email-based, so you can't check up on your sale watches with RSS or whenever you want, but it still looks like a service that may be able to save you some cash as you start to fill out your seasonal wardrobe.
When parents learn their child has a visual impairment, it can be overwhelming. Parents wonder, "Will my child fall behind at school?" or "Will my child make friends?" or "Will my child have a successful career" With only 93,600 visually impaired school-aged children in the U.S., over half of whom haveadditional disabilities, it's easy for families facing vision loss to feelalone.
To help these families connect with each other and give busy parents,grandparents and other caretakers a place to find comprehensive resources and support 24 hours a day, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments(NAPVI) has launched FamilyConnect, an online, multimedia community for parents and guardians of children with visual impairments.
FamilyConnect gives parents access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, compelling videos featuring real-life families, parenting articles, a mom-authored blog, a glossary of more than 30 eye conditions, and links to local resources. The site also features sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology,education, and every age group from infants to teens.
A recent NAPVI/AFB survey of parents of children with visual impairments showed that parents/guardians turn most commonly to physicians(82%), educators (76%), and websites (65%) for information and support regarding their children's vision.
I turn on the TV every morning when I am getting ready for work. Usually I watch the Weather Channel (lame, I know) to see what to wear for the day, but recently I've been watching the Today show on NBC. Most of their spots, I have to admit are targeted toward money or relationship issues, but periodically they have some really cool interviews.
Yesterday, they featured a blind gentleman who defended himself against an intruder using wrestling moves he had learned nearly 30 years before. It made me really think "what do you do when you can't see your attacker coming." I've taken a self-defense course and they often cover how to handle attacks from the rear, so you're good there. But what about when the attacker comes from the front? What if you are blind or visually impaired and weren't ever a championship wrestler?
Below is a list of tips from various sources as well as from some of what my father taught me about Ninjitsu many years ago. These tips are useful for anyone, regardless of whether or not you are visually impaired.
12 Tips for Self-Defense
Stay alert.
Do not assume that because you are using a cane or guide dog that you are safe. Some criminals target individuals with disabilities because they perceive them as easy targets.
Consider carrying a personal alarm.
Personal alarms make loud noises that draw attention to situations. They are often used by joggers.
Inform someone about where you are going and when you are expected to return.
That way, someone can notify the police if you do not arrive at your destination and they can tell the police exactly where you were supposed to be.
If you are leaving somewhere after dark, consider asking a security person for an escort.
Make sure that you know the security person or that you locate them at a security desk.
Avoid short cuts through less traveled areas.
There is always more safety in numbers than alone on a street.
Try to identify the age, gender, number and location of the people around you.
This will minimize the surprise if someone chooses to attack you.
Carry a cellphone with emergency 911.
Even if you can't afford a cellphone, all phones are required to be able to dial 911, so get one!
Get comfortable using the objects around you as weapons.
A cane can be a useful weapon in a fight although different techniques are used for solid canes and collapsible canes. This is where learning a martial art like Ninjitsu comes into play. My father trained under Bud Malstrom at the Atlanta Bujinkan Dojo.
If someone grabs you by the wrist, break their grip by pulling away toward the thumb.
The thumb is the weakest part of the hand and therefore the easiest part of the grip to break. The same can be done if they grab both hands.
If you are grabbed from behind and your hands are pinned, use your heel to attack their knees and feet.
The knee is a very unstable joint and the bones in the feet are very vulnerable to breaking so these are good locations to attack. Make sure that you strike as hard as you can with the heel of your foot and not the ball or instep. Note: The groin is also a good location to strike on a man, although, obviously, not as effective for women.
Enroll in a specialized self-defense course
I hesitate to give too many more self-defense techniques because its always best to learn from a qualified instructor who can show you how to perform the techniques correctly.
The National Senior Citizens Law Center advocates nationwide to promote The independence and well-being of low-income elderly individuals and persons with disabilities. NSCLC provides technical assistance and training to attorneys and other advocates and is active in litigation and policy advocacy with a strong focus on income security and health care.
"We work for an America in which elderly people and people with disabilities can live in dignity and safety, free of the worries and pain of poverty, able
to afford health care to the end of their days, and able to contribute to their families and societies to the best of their abilities."
"We believe that government is the right agency to provide the safety net for elderly people and people with disabilities. We believe that all of society benefits from a strong safety net. Spending taxpayer dollars on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid is one of the fundamental reasons for taxing people in the first place. We believe that people lose hope and the social fabric frays if society is indifferent to the inevitability of aging and loss of capacity. Remaining independent as long as possible while supported by quality health care is what everyone wants for themselves, their parents and their children. We believe that government support for the elderly and disabled acknowledges that no one is an island; that chance makes each of us vulnerable to disabilities and that none of us will avoid death. We needed one another's help to start in life, and we will need one another's help when we are old or badly hurt."
For more information, contact:
National Senior Citizens Law Center
1444 Eye St., NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-289-6976
Fax: 202-289-7224 fax
Web: http://www.nsclc.org
Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is a national law and policy center dedicated to protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities through legislation, litigation, advocacy, technical assistance, and education and training of attorneys, advocates, persons with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities.
The vision of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund is a just world where all people, with and without disabilities, live full and independent
lives free of discrimination.
For more information, contact:
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
2212 Sixth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
Toll Free: 800-348-4232
Phone: 510-644-2555
Fax: 510-841-8645
Email: info@dredf.org
Web: http://www.dredf.org
The Disability Information and Insight blog has a wonderful post on how to talk about someone who has a disability. How do you stay "politically correct" when talking about someone? Here's a summery of the article.
"People with disabilities are, first and foremost, people. People with individual abilities, interests and needs. Preferred terminology was developed by the disability community. People First Language is an objective way of acknowledging, communicating and reporting on disabilities. It eliminates generalizations, assumptions and stereotypes by focusing on the person rather than the disability. The concept is clear. You refer to the person first and the disability second."
"Another source says, ^D<"Just as a person may be short or tall, or have dark or light skin, a disability is just one part of what makes up an individual.
Whenever possible, avoid labeling a person with a disability, and instead simply use the person^D>'s name. This way, you acknowledge that they are, indeed, people first."
Examples of People First Language:
person who has, instead of afflicted or suffers from
person with, instead of victim or stricken
disability, instead of disabled or handicapped
cerebral palsy, instead of palsied, C.P., or spastic
retardation, instead of retarded
seizure disorder, instead of epileptic
without speech or nonverbal, instead of mute or dumb
developmental delay, instead of slow
learning disability, instead of learning disabled
non-disabled, instead of normal or healthy
congential disability, instead of birth defect
paralyzed, instead of invalid or paralytic
has paraplegia (lower body paralysis), instead of paraplegic
Kathie Snow has written on a variety of disability issues, including some well done material on People First Language. She points out that people with disabilities are our largest minority group (one in five Americans). There is a one page chart that lists what to say "Instead of". This chart and her article are also available in Spanish. She also developed a document Same and Different: Respect for All to educate children about People First Language and disability issues with supplementary info for parents and teachers.
Disability-Related Phrases to Learn Before You go Abroad
Would you know how to ask about accessibility, explain that something is damaged on a wheelchair, or request a sign language interpreter in another language? Many people with disabilities going abroad to study, intern, work, volunteer and teach find themselves unable to communicate the most basic needs related to their disability due to a lack of vocabulary. The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) created Disability-Related
Phrases and Vocabulary to Learn Before You Go Abroad to help people with disabilities when they travel.
While many are aware that public schools provide services and programs for students with disabilities, many are not and are not aware of how to access these services or get the most from them. Even more people are unaware that states provide services to children at birth.
When Congress passed the first law requiring schools to provide services to children with disabilities, they also provided funding for each state to have at least one Parent Information and Training Center, PTI. The centers provide training, referral, information, resources, consultation and emotional support for parents and young adults. The centers are also responsible
for providing this help for individuals with disabilities from birth to age twenty-six.
The centers are to coordinate with the state agencies that work with these age groups, they do not receive any financial support from these agencies. The state agencies are to help make citizens aware of the centers, but some states do a better job than others. Some states also work closer with the centers than others. While the centers are only one source of information about services and regulations, they are an important source.
There are differences in the resources each center has and their activities. Parents can look at other center websites to obtain information that can help them. Centers have limited ability/staff to attend IEP meetings. However, a number of Centers have programs to train parents about IEP meetings and then pay them to attend meetings with other parents.
This page from the DisabilityInfo.gov website includes articles, checklists, a glossary, and links to useful disability resources to help human resource (HR) professionals better understand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), job accommodations and the employment process as it relates to people with disabilities.
Need help finding an accessible vacation destination? 101 Accessible Vacations: Vacation Ideas for Wheelers and Slow Walkers by Candy Harrington, is a guidebook dedicated exclusively to wheelchair-accessible destinations including national parks, tourist attractions, lodging and recreational activities around the world. It is organized so readers can search for a holiday based on their specific interests or travel styles. It includes sections ranging from "Road Trips" and "The Great Outdoors" to "Historic Haunts" and "Cruisin'". Additionally, the "Active Holidays" section includes choices for people who like specific recreational activities such as skiing, sailing or scuba diving. The author goes into detail and describes the level of access of all attractions, lodging options and tourist sites, versus simply stating that something is or is not accessible.
This book is a follow-up to Harrington's other accessible travel titles including Barrier-Free Travel; A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers and There is Room at the Inn: Inns and B&Bs for Wheelers and Slow Walkers.
These are some of the most commonly heard terms in the blind community. But what exactly do they mean? What's it all about?
"Orientation and Mobility" refers to sets of skills learned by blind people. Specifically, orientation is establishing one's position relative to important objects in one's environment. Mobility is the ability to navigate efficiently from one's current position in the environment to one's desired position. A simple definition is: orientation is knowing where you are--and mobility is the ability to get where you want to go. These skills, O&M, are the most important things for a blind person to master if they want to become independent and self-sufficient.
Schools for the blind and rehabilitation centers all have O&M specialists on staff. These are people who are specially trained to teach blind people how to know where they are and how to get to where they want to go. This is more complicated than it sounds, because each blind individual has his or her own individual abilities, needs, and desires. A simple example: some people choose to use the white cane, which requires that a person learn certain techniques; other people decide to go with a guide dog-- a totally different set of techniques. Another variable is the types of environments the person is going to be navigating through. Getting around downtown New York City is very different from getting around Uncle Bernie's farm in Iowa. Actually, any major city is going to have its own unique environment, and Uncle Bernie's farm is not necessarily going to be the same as his neighbor's. The point is: the set of skills needed to safely get from place to place is very complex, and a specialist is needed to teach these skills.
It seems like every time we turn around there's a new curb ramp with all kinds of yellow, red or white bumps on them. Do they do something? Is this part of that chirping noise we hear at intersections? They weren't there yesterday, now they're everywhere. what ARE they?
A frequently asked question among the general public, and one that provides ample room for any number of responses. No, they're not part of the chirping crosswalks, they're called detectable warnings and are literally Braille for your feet, for blind and visually impaired people. It seems that the ADA back some years ago, through various studies and acceptance of some results from other countries having some success with myriad edge protection from hazardous vehicular ways found that among all known surface textures detectable underfoot, detectable warnings (truncated domes), about as wide as a quarter and twice as tall, spaced in accord with new federal guidelines, gave blind and visually impaired persons a detectable surface that was distinctly unique from all other textures, giving them the same confidence in maneuvering around in the public areas such as sidewalks and crossing areas, as STOP signs and red lights do for people with sight.
For several years the federal government did an excellent job debating the correct size, shape and texture of these warnings, and by 2001 everyone had come to a consensus on the what, where and how issue. Because of this, prior to 2001, blind people didn't have a STOP sign like sighted people do and by virtue they weren't privy to the same protection mechanisms that others take for granted every day. That meant many didn't feel safe, or even mildly comfortable going for a leisurely walk even in their own neighborhood, buying an ice cream cone, going to the park to hear others laughing, or just walking around in a thunderstorm to feel something as simple as the pelt of raindrops on their face. Sighted people take all these things for granted.
What about the cost? This is just another expense that we all have to bear isn't it? Everyone has the right to safely cross streets and to be safe when waiting on a street corner. Think of a mentally challenged child who will never be able to anticipate every possible outcome of the simplest decision to cross a street safely because it would just overwhelm them, yet now we can tell this same person 'when you come to an intersection, look for the colored ramp. that's a safe area to wait for cars to pass by'. For those people it's a bargain, and it's now a federal mandate.
Naturally the argument runs into the obvious; why do blind people need a bright yellow ramp? At first glance it does seem odd, but keep in mind that these laws were designed to provide protection for blind and visually impaired, those with limited sight as well as no sight at all. Consider that the bulk of accidents between pedestrians and drivers aren't because the pedestrian made a judgment error either in timing or in fact, but rather, because the driver was on their phone, thinking of a meeting this morning, picking up the kids, or any number of things that we all go through every day and just plain didn't see the pedestrian. That's when trouble starts. Anything we can do to make these pedestrian areas and by virtue the pedestrians, blind or otherwise, more visible to everyone, help to make the world a safer place.
Sidewalk Accessibility Videos
A series of videos by the Access Board on sidewalk accessibility, previously available on DVD, can now be viewed through the Board's website. Accessible Sidewalks is a four-part video developed by the Board to illustrate issues and considerations in the design of sidewalks. The series covers access for pedestrians
with mobility impairments, including those who use wheelchairs, and pedestrians who are blind or have low vision. The videos are open captioned and incorporate
running descriptive audio.
Do you have a room in your house that always seems dark? Do you have trouble adjusting to inside lighting after being outside? Are you totally blind and forget to turn the lights on or off when you enter or exit a room? Would you like a device to control the lights for you?Maybe automatically turn on a fan when you sit down at the computer desk?
SensorPlug is like having an extra pair of hands when you need them! The SensorPlug Motion-Sensing Outlet is a passive infrared motion sensor that's triggered when you walk past, instantly turning on a light or even an appliance, such as a fan or a radio. Since the SensorPlug inserts right into a wall outlet, you don't need to wire it in! It provides Safety, Security and Convenience at an affordable price. SensorPlug comes complete with a spare fuse and screw
for securing to the wall plate, if desired.
I think this is a great device to have in any home, even more so if you're living alone. After all, walking into a room with your hands full of groceries isn't exactly the greatest way to make an entrance as you'll have to fumble your way through to the kitchen counter.
I use the example of the TV remote because that's one of the more frequent items to disappear around my house. Actually, this device could help you find any small object that tends to get misplaced.
Simply attach these tiny 2-way wireless devices to keys, purses, wallets, family cell phones, TV remotes or anything you need to keep track of. With the push of a button, you can find the mislaid item and restore family harmony. The Find One Find All system comes in two formats, a key fob about the size of a small car remote, and a flat credit card size wallet version. Unlike other key finder systems, no clumsy base transmitter is
required.
Grocery Guide collects the grocery sales from around the country. Those sales are processed to add ratings, recipes, charts, nutritional information, tracking, sale price alerts, coupon notifications, and more. Simply put, if you buy groceries, this site can save you a lot of money. Kiss those long trips up and down the isles goodbye.
Believe it or not, a sale does not mean savings. Either write down the prices for each product for the next nineteen years (yep this site uses that much history) or look at the star ratings next to the sale price. The choice is your's.
So what if Chicken is on sale if you don't know what to do with it. This site helps by showing you recipes for many of the sale items. It makes meal planning and shopping easy. Find a recipe that you like? Be sure to create a sales alert so the site can notify you when the main ingredients go on sale.
Prices are always adjusting based on supply and demand. Using the site's vast archive of sale prices dating back 19 years, you can see relevant price points to help you know whether prices might be going up or down.
Fly the price-friendly skies! This site compares the costs of the same flight on different airlines and predicts if those prices are
likely to rise or fall.
Farecast.com is the smart travel search site that helps you buy with confidence. Launched in 2006, Farecast.com empowers you to Know When to Buy with airfare predictions and Know Where to Stay with the hotel Rate Key. Their airfare prediction shows if fares are rising or dropping. Based on the prediction, they provide a recommendation to buy now or buy later. Their Rate Key indicates whether or not today's rate for a specific hotel is a deal. It compares an individual hotel's current rate found to its observed historical rates. RSS feeds are available to help consumers keep track of specific fares.
Slash your prescription costs! Register at http://www.drx.com, it only takes seconds and the site will use your zip code to pinpoint the stores in your neighborhood with the lowest price for your prescription drugs. The site also tells you if there's a less-expensive generic option! From the website:
"Managing prescriptions for you and your family should be easy and cost-efficient. So we provide simple, useful advice and information to save you time and
money - and give you peace of mind about your prescriptions. When you create an online medicine cabinet, you can organize your prescription information, learn about drug interactions, find generic alternatives and save money on prescriptions. It's easy - and free."
You already love the one-stop convenience of shopping online at Amazon.com, but chances are you're not getting everything you can out of this feature-packed
shopping engine. Several advanced Amazon features and third party apps and add-ons can help you get the best deals and the stuff you want delivered to your door. Now, here's an Amazon power-shopper tool to add to your cart.
Sick of running out to buy diapers, shampoo, laundry detergent or toilet paper? Grocery shopping is an unavoidable commitment of modern life, but Amazon's Subscribe & Save program can shorten your list and lighten the load of your grocery bags. Get paper towels, dry food goods, baby needs, or a healthy selection of other items delivered on a recurring schedule, at a discount, with free shipping, and, most importantly, without having to worry or think about it.
This service from Amazon called Subscribe & Save ships regular deliveries of discounted household items on a schedule you determine. "Subscribe" to, say, your favorite brand of paper towels and set Amazon to ship you a few packages every one, two, three, or six months. Amazon waives the shipping fee, gives you 15% off their regular price for the towels, emails you before each shipment goes out (with an option to cancel), and charges you only when they ship. Offer only applies to household items, not books, CDs or DVDs), but it sure looks like a handy way to automate your shopping and save cash, time and travel on bus or paratransit.
You already love the one-stop convenience of shopping online at Amazon.com, but chances are you're not getting everything you can out of this feature-packed
shopping engine. Several advanced Amazon features and third party apps and add-ons can help you get the best deals and the stuff you want delivered to your door. Now, here's an Amazon power-shopper tool to add to your cart.
Amazon's policy is to pay you if an item you buy drops in price within 30 days of purchase, but only if you're eagle-eyed enough to catch it. RefundPlease has a simple form to enter an item number, purchase date, and your email into, and it notifies you if that item takes a dip within that month's time. Easier money is hard to come by and you can't beat the accessibility.
Now that you know your item has dropped in price, you need to visit Amazon's Return & Refunds Contact Form. You should see a contact form where you can now request your refund.
Change the Subject dropdown to "Refund Inquiry" and look to see if that order is one of the ones listed, check the boxes if they are. If they aren't, you'll have to paste in that order number in the "Other" box.
Amazon has really streamlined this process, I believe all you have to do now in comments is write that the price of your item has dropped within the last thirty days and that you'd like a refund. The presence of the dropdown box probably means you can select multiple orders and just write a generic comment and it should get taken care of. In the past, I specifically called out item names, old and new prices.
Where this becomes beautiful, and I hope they haven't changed, is when coupons are taken into account. If let's say you purchase two Le Creuset pots that were $125 as a Buy Both and Save deal. Technically each pot costs a certain price if they were purchased individually (say, each are $99.99 which is not uncommon). You purchase them for a combined special price of $125, apply a $25 Kitchen and Houseware's coupon, and have three hundred pounds of pot (ha, that sounds funny) shipped to you for $100 even. Now you find out each of the pots have dropped in price to $79.99, simply request a refund and it will
be granted, without any consideration to the Buy Both and Save Deal or the coupon!
You can request refunds on something repeatedly as long as it keeps dropping in price, and no price drop amount is too small when all it takes is an email. A mere fifty cents warrants an email to Amazon don't you think?
Shopping Notes
What? You don't shop at Amazon? Well, that's all right because you can use Shopping Notes.
Shopping notes will instantly alert you via email if a price drops on a certain product. Just enter the URL for the item you want to watch, provide an email to receive price alerts. and you're good to go!
You already love the one-stop convenience of shopping online at Amazon.com, but chances are you're not getting everything you can out of this feature-packed
shopping engine. Several advanced Amazon features and third party apps and add-ons can help you get the best deals and the stuff you want delivered to your door. Now, here's an Amazon power-shopper tool to add to your cart.
JungleCrazy is a website that shows only items at Amazon that are at least 70 percent discounted (from original retail price), making it a great place to browse (and search) if you
just know you can get a certain item cheaper than you're finding it. The site's RSS feed dishes up the popular hits, so you can quickly scan to see if
that 2 GB USB thumb drive can be had for a lot less.
If JungleCrazy shows you Amazon's deep discount bin, DealLocker's "Secret Amazon Discounts" page re-arranges the whole store for you by discount amounts, rather than coupon/sale deals. Enter the amounts you'd like to see an item dropped from its original price, use keywords or categories, and you're sent to an Amazon results page that can be further refined. Great for competitively-priced items like electronics and clothing.
Have you ever received an error message when trying to open a Microsoft Word document? Was it an important file for work or school? Whatever the case may
be, it is very frustrating to not be able to open a file for no reason. However, this post will show you how to repair such files for FREE!
Repair MyWord is a free program that will recover corrupt Microsoft Word files. It will recover Microsoft Word 6.0, Word 95, 97, 2000, XP, and 2003 files. Repair MyWord
is a small executable file that requires no installation, which makes it a great utility to keep on a flash drive. Repair MyWord is available for nearly all versions of Windows. It has also been tested in Linux using Wine.
Once you have downloaded the software, open Repair MyWord by clicking on the downloaded file. Again, this requires no installation.
At this point you are ready to begin repairing your corrupted file. Click "Repair/Open" and select the file you wish to repair. It appears to only allow
you to open .doc files even though it shows all files in the directories.
Once you have opened the file you wish to repair, it should appear in the blank part of the window. You will not be able to edit the file's contents at this point. However, to repair it click "Save". This will save the file as rich-text format (.rtf).
I have tested Repair MyWord on several .doc files (Word 6.0, Word 95, Word 97, 2000, XP, and 2003) and it has repaired them without fail. However, you should
know that the way it repairs your file is by saving it as rich-text format. Therefore, formatting of any kind will be erased. This means any graphics,
tables, numbering/bullets and text formatting will be lost during the "repair." Basically you are left with a plain text version of your document. I know
this stinks especially if you have a file with lots of tables, but at least the file is recovered and you don't have to completely recreate it.
TIP: If you open multiple documents at once it will automatically save them in a batch. This keeps you from having to open the documents and save them one at a time.
A little planning can go a long way in keeping your garden from being destroyed by your dog guide and keeping him safe while you're enjoying the garden.
First of all, take a look at your guide's habits. If there is a special place your dog always sits, leave that spot alone for him to enjoy. Simple plans like raised beds with clearly marked paths help keep dogs out
of your tender plants. Leave an empty space if your dog is a digger, and teach him to dig there by burying bones or small toys in that area for him to
find. Rough mulch or rocks should keep your dog away from certain areas. Remember plants that grow up arbors keep plants out of harms way. Leave space between your fence and your plants to give your dog space to run.
Don't use chemicals that are harmful to pets. According to the Environmental Protection Agency only 5 to 10 percent of pests you find in your garden
are pests. Soap suds will wash most of them away. If you have a chemical free yard you will have, insects, frogs, birds that are consumers of insect pests.
The credit reporting industry has developed a system that will help consumers eliminate annoying and wasteful credit offers that fill up their mailboxes.
Credit offers make up a significant portion of everyday "junk mail." They may include everything from pre-approved credit cards and home equity loans, to second mortgages, and a variety of insurance coverages of every size and form.
If you have a good credit history because you pay your bills on time, your name and address have already been sold and distributed by numerous "consumer reporting agencies." Commonly known as "credit bureaus," these businesses compile credit information about you and then sell the information to employers, insurers, and other businesses, and, yes, credit card companies. Your efforts to manage your money and credit responsibly made you the prime target of every financial institution and business that issues credit cards and other credit services. But help has arrived.
It is easier than ever for consumers to minimize and even eliminate unwanted credit offers received in the mail.
Now you can make a phone call to a number established by the credit reporting industry. This number is:
1-888-5-OPT-OUT or
1-888-567-8688
When you call this number, you may request to have your name and address removed from national credit bureau lists that are sold to the credit industry. The three national credit reporting agencies-- Experian (formerly TRW), Trans Union, and Equifax-- will remove your name for a two-year period from any list provided to others relating to any potential consumer credit transaction that you did not initiate. You will have to provide some personal information and follow the directions you receive from a prerecorded message. If you follow these directions, your name should be removed from these lists within five business days.
You may also have your name permanently removed by requesting that the credit bureau send to you an "election form." This form, when filled out and returned by you, will remove your name and address from credit bureau mailing lists until you notify them that you want to be placed on these lists again."
The Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service lets you opt out of receiving direct mail marketing from many national companies for five years. When you register with this service, your name will be put on a "delete" file and made available to direct-mail marketers. However, your registration will not stop mailings from organizations that are not registered with the DMA's Mail Preference Service. To register with DMA, send your letter to:
Direct Marketing Association
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512
A non-profit called 41pounds.org will for $41.00 (for five years) help to eliminate junk mail by directly contacting those direct mail companies that send you all that junk that you can't read anyway. In case you're wondering why the name isn't 41dollars, it's because you are sent approximately 41 pounds of junk mail each year. Here are some frightening stats from their website:
"To produce and process 4 million tons of junk mail a year, 100 million trees are destroyed, 28 billion gallons of water is wasted, and energy equivalent
to 2.8 million cars is spent, which produces greenhouse gases and more global warming. In addition, $320 million of local taxes are spent to dispose of
junk mail each year."
WebAnywhere is a free, web-based screen reader being developed at the University of Washington and due to be available in May, 2008. From the website:
"WebAnywhere is a web-based screen reader. It requires no special software to be installed on the client machine and, therefore, enables blind people to
access the web from any computer they happen to have access to that has a sound card. No $1000 software program required!" This work is being supported by a National Science Foundation Grant (IIS-0415273) Click this link to download a full-screen video of the WebAnywhere screen reader in action.
When you pop a CD, DVD or flash drive into your PC, odds are Windows brings up the AutoPlay menu asking if you'd like to burn a disc, watch a movie, or perform some other action. Depending on your selections in the past, Windows may just automatically launch a program. What if it wants to launch a program that you've since uninstalled?
CleanHandler is a utility that helps you remove or fix entries from the AutoPlay menu. There's no option for adding new programs to the AutoPlay menu, but it can clean up bad registry entries that will remove programs from that menu that can no longer do anything of importance.
I had a problem with a program called Power DVD. I removed it because its not the easiest program to use with my screen reader. To my surprise, the option for Power DVD to play a DVD rremained on the menu when I inserted a DVD into my drive. This was just an entry that I had to navigate around, and I don't like clutter. After I ran this little program, which needs no installation by the way, Power DVD was removed and life is good!
Worried about carbon monoxide emissions in your home? Worried that your smoke alarms are too old? Put those fears aside with this Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm from First Alert. The unit comes equipped with an actual voice that speaks the type and location of danger in your home. This First Alert carbon monoxide and smoke alarm is perfect because everybody wants to be immediately notified where the danger is in their home, to make the best decisions possible in an emergency situation. The 85 decibel alarm with voice feature makes this process much easier. With the ability to control, mute and test the unit with your everyday household remote, you never have to worry about the inconvenience of a false alarm, or getting a ladder out to press the test button. The unit is powered by two AA batteries which are included with your purchase.
The Voice Alarm with Location is an incredible feature! With the 85 decibel alarm and voice function, it is very easy to hear from a considerable distance. The unit comes equipped
with twelve available programming locations; Basement, Child's Bedroom, Dining Room, Family Room, Guest Bedroom, Hallway, Kitchen, Living Room, Master
Bedroom, Office, Utility Room, and No Location. The voice will provide you with danger and location information within three seconds of alarm activation. It will say, "Smoke in Kitchen," or, "Carbon Monoxide in basement." Etc.
Your TV remote can test and/or program your alarm. The volume and channel buttons are all you need to use, works with virtually all IR remotes.
The battery drawer is located on the side of the unit, enabling easy access when replacing low or dead batteries. No more removing the detector from the wall or removing a faceplate to get to the batteries.
ONELink Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detectors That Work Together
If you have a large home or simply want to provide even more protection for your family, First Alert also offers the ONELink Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detector with Voice.
The ONELink feature enables you to install up to 16 carbon monoxide and/or smoke detectors inside your home. Once installed, ONELink enabled alarms will immediately begin communicating with each other. If one alarm is triggered, they will all sound the alarm. For example; if a fire starts in your basement, normally the smoke would need to rise to the other floors in order for your alarm to go off, or for you to be notified. With the ONELink enabled alarms, you are notified by all other alarms once the initial unit detects the smoke. If the basement catches fire and you're on the second floor, you'll be notified by the other alarms with a voice, "smoke in basement; evacuate." The unit is powered by two (2) AA batteries
which are included with your purchase.
Are you looking to give your dog guide something new and useful? Some people celebrate their dog guide's birthday, and if you're one of them, the Auto Pet Bowl is one of the coolest gifts you can give. This gadget is an electronic bowl designed to keep your guide's food and water free from debris and contamination. It insures that the food is always clean until the time that your guide is ready to eat.
The Auto Pet Bowl's cover is equipped with proximity sensors that are powered by an infrared device. The lid stays on until your dog goes near the bowl and is ready to eat. The bowl can be used by cats, dogs, and other small pets you might have around the house. The bowl will automatically open the moment it detects the presence of your pet or dog guide. Naturally, it will close when they leave.
The compact design of the Auto Pet Bowl is so convenient and durable. The bowl is made of pure stainless steel and can be removed for cleaning. The bowl's compact design also effectively keeps the bugs and dust away from your pet's food, ensuring good health all the time.
The Auto Pet Bowl is best used for free-feeding pets or for giving them access to a fresh supply of water during the night or while outside. The circular bowl measures six
inches across and three inches high. It can hold one and a half cups of
food or water, it runs on 4 double-A batteries.
I have always loved the sound of a piano. It doesn't matter if its Beethoven or Ronnie Milsap, the piano can bring out a variety of emotions by the way its played.
The piano Society offers free mp3s of piano concerts to download. There are tons to choose from. It doesn't matter if you like Renaissance or Modern music, they've got it all.
Here are some other sites for free piano music, and yeah, I'll throw some others in there too.
Whisperings Piano - This is the premier piano site on the web. They offer a free stream or a subscription stream. Whisperings: Solo Piano Radio also has in-person concerts.
Classic Cat is a directory with links to over 4800 free to download classical performances on the internet, sorted by composer and work. It's further categorized into composers' name, country and year of birth, performer's name, country and year of birth, instruments and genres. Music lovers who have no clue about classic pieces can look forward to a quick start by viewing the Top 100 most popular works.
Note that Classic Cat does not host the MP3s itself. It just indexes the free-to-download classical mp3s on the internet. Visitors will be redirected to
external download pages when they click the "Download" button. Some sites may require registration.
Please, don't neglect your eye care because of financial difficulties. Contact any of the following agencies to see if you qualify for services.
Eye Exams and Surgery
EyeCare America, a public service foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Provides comprehensive eye exams and care for up to one year, often at no out-of-pocket expense to eligible callers through its seniors and Diabetes EyeCare Programs. Its Glaucoma EyeCare Program provides a glaucoma eye exam. The EyeCare America Children's EyeCare Program educates parents and primary care providers about the importance of early childhood (newborn through 36 months of age) eye care.
Lions Clubs International provides financial assistance to individuals for eye care through local clubs. A local club can be found by using the "club locator" button found on their website at http://www.LionsClubs.org. If you are unable to find your local Lions club, contact the LCIF Grant Programs Department at 630-571-5466 x393.
Mission Cataract USA, coordinated by the Volunteer Eye Surgeons' Association, is a program providing free cataract surgery to people of all ages who have no other means to pay. Surgeries are scheduled annually on one day, usually in May.
Knights Templar Eye Foundation provides assistance for eye surgery for people who are unable to pay or receive adequate assistance from current government agencies or similar sources. Mailing address:
National Keratoconus Assistance Foundation provides financial support to patients who need surgical and optometric treatment for keratoconus and other corneal problems. This organization does not have a phone number available to the public.
InfantSEE is a public health program designed to ensure early detection of eye conditions in babies. Member optometrists provide a free comprehensive infant eye assessment to children younger than one year.
Sight for Students, a Vision Service Plan (VSP) program provides eye exams and glasses to children 18 years and younger whose families cannot afford vision care.
The Medicine Program assists people to enroll in one or more of the many patient assistance programs that provide prescription medicine free-of-charge to those in need. Patients must meet the sponsor's criteria. The program is conducted in cooperation with the patient's doctor. Mailing Address:
Partnership for Prescription Assistance offers a single point of access to more than 475 public and private patient assistance programs, including more than 150 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies.
Medicare Benefit for Eye ExamsFor People with Diabetes -- People with Medicare who have diabetes can get a dilated eye exam to check for diabetic eye disease. Your doctor will decide how often you need this exam.
For People at Risk for Glaucoma -- Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss. People at high risk for glaucoma include those with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, or African Americans age 50 or older. Medicare will pay for an eye exam to check for glaucoma once every 12 months.
Patients must pay 20 percent of the Medicare-approved amount after the yearly Part B deductible.
State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) For little or no cost, this insurance pays for doctor visits, prescription medicines, hospitalizations, and much more for children 18 years and younger. Most states also cover the cost of dental care, eye care, and medical equipment.
You may also wish to contact a social worker at a local hospital or other community agency. Social workers often are knowledgeable about community resources that can help people facing financial and medical problems.
Prescriptions 4 Free
Use this website to enroll in a free Patient Assistance Program that US drug manufacturers have established in order to assist the financially stressed
individuals or families who have no other prescription drug insurance coverage, have low income, or are not eligible for 3rd party assistance such as Medicare.
Over 1,300 prescription drugs are currently covered under the free Patient Assistance Programs, so saving potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars
is just a few clicks away.
Does your dog have the annoying habit of whining? Dogs usually whine when they want something or when they're trying to get attention from you. Whining
can also be a sign that your dog is suffering or in pain, although the whine emitted from a dog in pain is usually easily distinguishable from the garden
variety, attention seeking whine. It's important before you attempt to stop a dog from whining that you're able to differentiate between a frivolous whine
and a more serious whiney sound that may indicate pain or discomfort.
Most dog whining stems from attention seeking behavior. Dogs are social animals and they like to be acknowledged by their owner. If a dog feels he's being
ignored, he may call attention to the situation by emitting a cacophony of high pitched whines. Other times your dog may whine is when he sees you eating
a cookie or other goodie or when he's placed into a cage or otherwise separated from you. Some dogs develop the habit of whining when they're put to bed
at night.
One legitimate reason your dog may whine is when he needs to go outside. This is a form of whiney behavior you don't want to discourage unless
you want very wet carpeting. By observing your dog's behavior you'll come to understand when his whine means something more serious than just the need
to have your undivided attention.
If your dog is whining to seek attention, how should you handle it? To stop a dog from whining, you first need to eliminate the urge to reprimand or otherwise
punish your dog. Punishment usually doesn't solve the problem and may lead to even more distress in your dog which can increase the degree of whining.
The first thing to do to stop a dog from whining is to determine what situations bring on the behavior. Does your dog whine when he's placed in his sleeping
area at night? If so, it's important to make his area as appealing as possible to him. Make sure he has lots of soft pillows and fresh water. You can also
consider adding some soft music next to his bed to help him relax. When you place him in his sleeping area at night, give him a small treat and praise
before leaving to positively reinforce his behavior. If he starts to whine, ignore his whining. By ignoring the behavior and not responding to your dog's
demands, the behavior will likely eventually extinguish over time. Any attention you give your dog when he's whining will further reinforce his unacceptable
behavior.
If your dog whines when he's in the room with you, the best response, again, is to ignore him until the whining stops. At this point, reinforce your dog's
silence by giving him praise and attention. Never acknowledge your dog when he's whining except when you believe your dog is experiencing true discomfort.
If your dog is whining frequently, chances are he's bored. To prevent boredom, be sure to spend time with him when he's not whining by taking him for walks
or playing with him for short periods of time. A dog that's stimulated is less likely to spend time vocalizing. Be sure to also have bones and toys available
to keep your dog occupied.
By being consistent with your positive and negative reinforcement, you can stop a dog from whining over time. Sometimes it takes a bit of patience but the
problem can be solved to the satisfaction of both you and your dog.
The inability to perform indoor or outdoor way-finding, and to easily search and recognize specific objects and signs in the surrounding environment is a problem for people with severe vision loss and for people who have enough vision to move around independently without a cane or other assistance, but who do not have sufficient vision to easily read signs, product packaging or search for and recognize specific objects.
iVisit SeeStar offers persons who are visually impaired access to a remote sighted assistant. Using a camera enabled PDA phone, visually impaired users can transmit live video to remote assistants on a desktop computer who can in turn provide audio guidance to describe the user's surroundings, pointing the location of salient landmarks, pathways to destinations, or locating and recognizing objects and signs. The live GPS position of the visually impaired user is also displayed on Google Maps, enabling the remote assistant to offer navigation guidance to points of interest or other location based information that can be overlaid on such GIS databases.
iVisit SeeScan increases the functional independence of visually impaired users by enabling them to access a state-of-the-art object recognition system to easily and quickly detect and recognize specific objects such as packaged goods, money, CDs, etc.
In 2008, iVisit will release beta versions of iVisit SeeStar and SeeScan services to users in the US over all major 3G networks and windows mobile pda phones including HTC 6800 (Mogul), HTC Flip, HTC Touch, HTC 6700, Samsung i760, Treo 700 Wx and LG Dominator. Symbian, iPhone and BREW versions are also in the pipeline or on the drawing board.
iVisit sees great potential for SeeStar and SeeScan beyond visually impaired assistance. Some other possible applications are elderly care, remote health monitoring, occupational safety, first responder applications and even commercial applications such as dispatch services, field workforce management, remote inspection and technical assistance and more.
Newspaper headlines and community gossip ring clear: individuals and families are now, more than ever, forced to find and purchase their own health insurance policies. Without adequate knowledge, this can be a daunting and scary task. That^D>'s where HealthPlanOne comes in. The website, which describes itself as a health insurance broker, displays important information (deductible prices, co-ins, office visit prices, pharmacy coverage, maternity coverage, and monthly premium price) for a large variety of insurance companies and plans. Potential customers enter in just their age, gender, smoking habits, and zip code to reveal the information.
A lot of research into health plans seems to be mostly guesswork. HealthPlanOne removes some of the unknowns, and also provides phone support to help individuals make more informed decisions.
Use this website to enroll in a free Patient Assistance Program that US drug manufacturers have established in order to assist the financially stressed
individuals or families who have no other prescription drug insurance coverage, have low income, or are not eligible for 3rd party assistance such as Medicare.
Over 1,300 prescription drugs are currently covered under the free Patient Assistance Programs, so saving potentially hundreds or thousands of dollars
is just a few clicks away.
Poaching an egg in such a way that it retains its shape and texture is something that many chefs, let alone home cooks, never quite master. It requires a certain amount of skill, care and a great deal of dedication. If you are thinking this is a lot of fuss over something you're occasionally going to eat on toast, let me just point out that eggs cooked in this way have many other uses. For example, they make great salads, are excellent with salmon, perfect with steak and, together with Hollandaise Sauce make one of the classic dishes of the world; eggs Benedict. There are two basic methods of cooking them that work perfectly. I'm going to give them both, but first a word about the eggs.
Eggs must be very fresh and they must be at room temperature. Eggs straight out of the fridge do not cook well, no matter what you are going to use them for, and they take some time to thaw out. At least two hours,
in fact, so plan ahead and leave them out in the kitchen for at least that amount of time before you use them.
Method 1
In a shallow pan bring about 10cm (4 inches) of water to simmering point and add one teaspoon of salt and one tablespoon of white vinegar. This can be of any kind, including wine vinegar. It's purpose is to help hold the whites together.
Crack an egg into a small cup or saucer. Using a wooden spoon, stir the water in the pan until you have a whirlpool effect and then carefully pour the egg into the centre of it. It will immediately form into an oval shape. Leave it to cook for 6 to 8 minutes and then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a basin of cold water.
Method 2
This method requires two pans, a saucepan and a deep skillet, plus a wire basket or steamer that will fit completely inside the saucepan. You'll see why in a minute.
Half fill the saucepan with water and bring it to boil. Don't add any salt or vinegar, nothing that might flavor the eggs.
Put the eggs you intend to poach into the wire basket and lower this into the boiling water. Leave it there for exactly 10 seconds and take it out. What this does is cause the whites of the eggs to thicken slightly, so that they hold together when you crack the eggs.
Pour about 2.5cms (1 inch) of the hot water from the saucepan into the skillet and put this on low heat. You want it to simmer. Reserve the remaining water if you intend to serve the eggs immediately. Crack the eggs into the skillet and allow them to cook until the whites set. You will see that they
hold together very well and don't spread out all over the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water as before.
Why the bowl of cold water? It allows you to cook as many eggs as you need in as much time as you have without having to rush. You can keep the eggs in
the water in the fridge overnight if necessary. They will not deteriorate and can be brought back to life simply by picking them up on a slotted spoon and dipping them in hot water for a few seconds. They can also be drained and served cold in salads, with mayonnaise or dropped into hot broth for an Asian-style soup.
Keep your mirrors, paintings, photographs and prints from crashing to the ground by choosing the right picture hangers or wall fasteners. The type of wall surface and the weight of the objects you want to hang are important things to consider.
Weigh the object you wish to hang.
Purchase a picture hanger, checking the packaging for the maximum weight the hanger can support.
Hang heavy objects like mirrors or shelves with wall fasteners that distribute weight more evenly than a nail or screw.
Use an expansion anchor or a lead shield with a No. 6 wood screw for a plaster wall with a thickness of 2 to 3 inches.
Use a spreading anchor for drywall or a plaster and lath wall; it should be the same size as the thickness of the wall, and long enough to pierce both the drywall and the object you want to hang.
Use a No. 6 wood screw if you're mounting an object of 10 pounds or less onto the wood stud behind drywall. The screw should penetrate at least 1 inch into the stud.
Use a No. 8 or larger wood screw if you're mounting an object of more than 10 pounds onto the wood stud behind drywall; the screw should penetrate at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches into the stud.
If you're uncertain about the type of wall fastener you need, check with a local hardware store.
You can wrap a small piece of masking tape around the center of the wire on a picture frame to prevent it from slipping.
Push & Hang
If you are worried about hammering nails, the Push & Hang system makes it easy to hang up a picture or a mirror without having to use any tools. You just have to push the hanger in the wall at the right angle
and you can use it straight away. Unfortunately, it only seems to work with drywall (unless you're Superman and you can push it into concrete). Each pack has 30 hangers - 10 that hold up to 60 lbs.
each and 20 that hold 10 lbs. each.
PowerHooks, invented by artist George P. Mullen and patented and made in the USA, will hold up to 121 lbs. in 1/2-inch drywall anywhere on a wall; up to 150 lbs. in commercial 5/8-inch drywall (where there is a stud, use a nail). See http://www.powerhook.com for more information.
Have you ever wanted to move a folder from your hard drive to a thumb drive and, after trying, realized that the folder was too big for the thumb drive? You look to see the size of the folder, thinking that you need to remove some files, but you can't find the size listed in Windows Explorer. Why does Windows show file sizes but not folder sizes?
Windows Explorer, by default, doesn't show the size of the folder when you opt for the "details" view. This is one of the little things that users will find lacking in Windows Explorer. This is when Folder Size comes in as a handy tool that adds the "Folder Size" column to the Windows Explorer Details View. Installation is very quick and you'll love having the size of folders displayed the next time you need to move things around.
Yakitome.com allows you to take any electronic text and convert it to voice that can be played on any MP3 player. While you do need to register, use of Yakitome is entirely free and it is easy to use. There are a number of inputs that can be selected for conversion which include: Text that you can convert with a simple cut and paste, Files in doc, pdf or txt formats, RSS by simply cutting and pasting the URL and email by providing your pop3 settings. The service currently supports English, French and Spanish and you can select from a number of different voices supplied by AT&T. You can choose between MP3 or WAV file formats to suit your needs.
This is a great, free service that allows you to convert practically anything into voice and listen to it on the go. The potential applications for this solution are broad and exciting.
Keyboard shortcuts can be very useful, particularly if you're blind or visually impaired or use a laptop and don't have a mouse. If you use an application regularly then learning useful
keyboard shortcuts will not only allow you to work much faster, but can even unlock additional functionality within a given program.
The problem is that most programs don't provide their shortcuts in an accessible format. This is where KeyXL comes in, with its huge database of keyboard shortcuts for hundreds of applications.
Keyxl.com is the largest online database of keyboard shortcuts in the world. It's database is searchable by software title and covers all the major operating ssystems including Windows, Macintosh, Linux and browser-based applications. The shortcuts are also grouped by application
type e.g. web browsers, email programs, photo/imaging etc.
Keyboard shortcuts are always great, but the problem is different applications have different keyboard shortcuts and they can be difficult to remember.
ShortcutWorld is a site which aims to address that problem by providing a keyboard shortcut list for some of the most important
tools we use everyday.
The time will come when your computer will need a format. Yes, you will have to erase your hard drive, reinstall Windows and start over. Don't say it won't happen to you, Windows has a way of forcing the issue.
Let me ask you something. If you did need to format your drive and install Windows, could you find all your driver discs? Do you know how to use them? Can you see the little registration numbers on the discs? Are you sure you know where they are?
Why put yourself through all that when you could install one program and have it backup all your drivers? I'm telling you, this one is it, the one we've been waiting for, and it's FREE!
DriverMax does something that I have never seen before. It can create an archive of all your device drivers. By doing that, you don't have to worry about hunting down disks and downloads for all of the hardware on your computer. You simply run DriverMax, click Export Drivers, select the drivers you want
to backup and then let it work its magic. DriverMax will save all of those hard to find device drivers for you in one folder. You can then store them on a flash drive or burn them to one disk so that you will never have to search for them again!
Then, after you format and reinstall a fresh copy of Windows, simply insert the disk or flash drive that holds your drivers. You can then tell your computer to look on the flash drive or CD for the missing drivers. If you want to make it even easier on yourself, you can reinstall DriverMax on your computer after you're done with the Windows installation and have it install the drivers for you. After installing DriverMax, simply click Import and tell it where to locate the drivers file. It will then handle
the rest!
I love this program and I only wish I would have found it sooner. It would have saved me so much time!
NOTE: This program has a free registration process. You will be required to provide an e-mail address to be able to access the program. Also, it's compatible with Windows XP and Vista only. Enjoy!
You know those large dog food bags that you can buy in bulk? The ones that weigh around forty pounds? Dog guide users are well aware of them I'm sure. Well, that's all good for having lots of food on hand but unfortunately, there isn't much room at home for some living in cramped apartments to keep them. This is where the Wall-tainer Pet Food Bin comes in handy.
Optimize your storage space with the Wall-tainer Pet Food Bin! Just mount it on the wall and spin the lids to lock freshness and flavor in and pests out. The airtight seal keeps your dog guide's kibble crunchy and tasty, while its space-saving design takes up less room than a bulky, awkward bag.
This site serves up a harvest of mystery novels for the genre's devoted fans and newcomers. Subscribers will find the perfect spot to uncover a previously overlooked writer or find the latest heralded new author on the scene.
Stop, You're Killing Me! is a resource for lovers of mystery, crime,
thriller, spy, and suspense books, created by Bonny Brown in 1998. According to the site owner: "I love a good mystery! When I find new authors, I want to read everything they've written. I like to go back to the beginning title and follow the
development of a writer's work. With the exception of Sue Grafton and her alphabet series, it can be difficult to find an author's first book. So I have searched online and in reference books to list the books featuring series characters in the order written.' ... We list nearly 2,200 authors, with chronological lists of their books (over 26,000 titles), both series
and non-series."
The site's strength rests in its lists, and is both searchable by author or
main protagonist, as well as being browsable by writer and character. One
of the highlights of the site is its historical index which offers mystery
titles by period, from "ancient" settings prior to the fall of Rome to
those of Victorian times or the roaring twenties. Additional indices list
suspense novels by location while a new one related to the occupation of
the main character is currently under way. The site also features a handy
reference for the best books in the mystery genre by headlining the winners
of the most prestigious prizes in the U.S., Canada and Australia, among
them the Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Ned Kelly Awards but only for the past
two years.
I love to travel. I really enjoy going to new places and experiencing the sights and sounds of a new city. One thing that really bothers me is trying to find a good hotel and being bombarded with pictures of what the place looks like. Pictures are great, but I can't see them and they're often doctored up to make the room look like its the size of a baseball field. Just give me a good description of the place and tell me what's around it, that's all I need.
Staybooked.com offers one of the internet's largest databases of over 98000 hotels. They are based in Cape Town, South Africa and can offer the best rates around the world, guaranteed. They have a unique speedy 3 step booking process and have been voted as the easiest to use site for booking hotel rooms around. Their guaranteed rates are unbeatable. If you find a lower rate on another website for the same room, at the same hotel, on the same dates, within 24 hours of making your booking with them, they guarantee to match it plus pay you 10% of the difference in price. They have a host of features that will be released soon, including one click rebooking of regular hotels, in depth professional hotel reviews, a generous reward program, and email destination weather forecasts. All bookings are INSTANTLY confirmed via email and your room secured.
Using a screen reader, I found the site to be very friendly with most things set as headers. You first choose the country, state, city and then either the hotel you want, or simply enter room preferences and the website will search availability for that area. It wasn't three steps exactly, but it was simple and quick.
Here's a great site that helps people find hotel accommodations close to a wide range of popular music and sporting venues across the US and Europe. Now you'll know what hotels are around the next Ronnie Milsap concert by visiting this site!
I had a request come in from someone who wanted to know how to sew a button. Sewing buttons is easy once you get the hang of it. It's a very useful skill to possess, as buttons do fall off. These instructions are for buttons with
4 holes (::) and 2 holes (:).
Select a suitable button and thread that matches the button, the garment, and any thread used to sew on other buttons.
If you have a button pop off and you can't take care of it immediately, use a safety pin to hold the garment closed and be sure to keep track of the button. It's best to replace the same button if you have it.
Make a place for the extra buttons that come in baggies with new garments, if they're not sewn into an inner seam somewhere. Label the buttons if you can.
Thread the needle. If you like, you can double the thread to make this job quicker. Simply pull it through the needle so that there is an equal length of thread extending from both sides.
Tie a knot at the end of the thread. One way to tie a knot is to wrap the thread around your finger, roll the thread between your fingers, and pull it tight. If you doubled the thread, tie the ends together. Leave a long tail of thread, whether you are doubling the thread or using a single thread to sew the button.
Position the button on the fabric. Line the button up with the other buttons on the garment.
Check the buttonhole. Close the opposite flap or panel where you want it and make sure that the button lines up with the buttonhole.
If the button was on correctly before, you can often go by the little holes in the fabric where the button used to be. These little holes should be easy to feel.
Push the threaded needle up through the fabric and through one hole in the button. Pull the thread all the way through on each stitch.
Place a pin or toothpick across the center of the button and hold it there until the next stitch. This helps keep things in place. When the pin is withdrawn later, it will allow the slack necessary to create a "shank" so that there will be space between (behind the button) for the material that will need to go there when the garment is buttoned.
Push the needle down through the next hole and through the fabric. Still holding the pin in place, pull the thread all the way through. Once that is done, the pin will be kept in place by the thread.
On a 4-hole button, choose the one diagonal to the first hole if you want the threads to cross in an "X" formation.
If you want two parallel lines of thread showing, choose the next hole that is opposite the first.
Bring the needle up through the first hole (for a 2-hole button) or a new hole (for a 4-hole button) and pull the thread all the way through the fabric.
Repeat the sewing process enough times to make sure the button is securely in place. On 4-hole buttons, make sure that the stitches have been made evenly, so that all four holes are equally used.
On the last stitch, push the needle through the material, but not through a hole in the button.
Pull the thread out into the area between button and material, remove the pin and pull up the button a little.
Wrap the thread six times around the thread between the button and the material to reinforce the shank you have created.
Push the needle back down through the material.
Make three or four back stitches to secure the thread.
Cut off the excess thread.
Ordinary thread is fine to use, but there is such a thing as button thread. It is thicker and stronger than regular thread. If the buttons you are sewing need extra strength, such as on a coat, try button thread. I have been known to have this used in dress pants, where buttons are often known for popping off.
Automatic Needle Threader
Threading needles can be difficult for people, blind or not. Here's a nifty tool to get the job done. You put a needle in one of the little funnels (eye down), drop the thread over the slot next to the funnel, and press a button. The thread is pushed through the eye of the needle and it comes out the other side of the funnel. I love it, it's so simple and yet ingenious and can save so many people a lot of trouble.
You know, there's times when you just need a simple recorder to insure you don't forget to take medicine or to pick up something at the store. This handy keychain does pretty much what its name says, it's shaped like a microphone and capable of recording messages up to 10 seconds in length.
You will never forget to pick up milk from the store again. Press the record key and speak in a normal voice (about 50mm from the front of the MIC). Press the play key and release, and listen to the recorded message. Doesn't get any easier than that does it?
Nearly two million cataract surgeries are performed every year across America, yet most of us still know very little about this very common eye disorder.
Age-related cataract is the leading cause of vision loss worldwide.
The prevalence of cataract doubles every decade after age 40.
Over the past 20 years the annual number of USA cataract operations has quadrupled.
Cataract surgery accounts for 10% of all Medicare reimbursements.
In 1980 an average cataract procedure required 45-90 minutes; today that average is closer to 15-20 minutes.
If a way could be found to delay the onset of cataract for 10 years half of those cataract operations would never be needed, saving billions in health care spending.
Observational studies suggest multivitamin supplements may delay cataract progression.
It is unclear if multivitamins are more helpful for people with clear lenses or for those who are already starting to have cataracts.
20 million people are blind from cataract worldwide and most have no access to affordable cataract surgery.
In 1980 most cataract surgery patients spent between 2-3 nights in the hospital. Nowadays most are home in time to make their own lunch.
What do you do when your old towels become worn? Hopefully you can still use them. One thing I'm learning is that old towels still have uses, even those with holes in them. If you're like me, you probably have a stack of old towels you don't wish to display. Here are some other uses:
Make into washcloths. Cut the towel into quarters and sew the edges. Now you have several new washcloths.
Use for rags.
Keep in car to clean up spills.
Use to line pet beds.
Use when dying or perming your hair.
Cut into strips to make a rag rug.
Cut into strips for crocheting.
Make into dishtowels.
Use for cleaning pets.
Donate to your local animal shelter.
Fold towel in half, sew the ends together and stuff to make a pillow.
Use as mat for outside of your bath or shower.
Keep in your mudroom to wipe muddy paws and shoes.
Make into baby bibs - Cut out desired shape and size and sew around the ages.
Use over cloth diapers for extra protection.
Make pot holders - Follow the same instructions for washcloths, bibs and dishtowels.
Use as bath lather sponge - cut into washcloth sized pieces, take one, sew three ends together, fill with odd soap pieces and sew closed.
This padlock will protect your bike, garage door, garden shed, side gate, tool box or locker not only with the strength of the actual lock, but to make things even sweeter, it also sports a 96 - 98 db alarm that is triggered when someone tries to tamper with your stuff. You can choose between siren and no siren, so you can use it as an ordinary lock if you prefer, but why would you want to?
High security design made of durable steel, suitable for all weather conditions. The lock is powered by 6 lithium batteries and comes with three High-security cut keys.
The Heavy Duty Alarm Siren Padlock couldn't be easier to operate. You can choose between armed and unarmed with a simple twist of the wrist. Once you decide
how you want to use the lock (armed or unarmed), simply look at the shackle and place it properly in the Siren Alarm Padlock. The shackle has a notch on
both ends. When you insert the shackle into the padlock, you'll hear a single beep; this means the lock is armed. If you want to use the lock without the
alarm, simply turn the shackle around and there will not be a beep. When tampered with, the alarm will sound for 10 seconds and
then re-enter arm mode, so if the lock is tampered with again, the alarm will sound for another 10 seconds, and so on. It sounds just like a siren. The alarm is located at the bottom of the lock. Dimensions: 4" H x 3 3/4" W x 1 1/4" D
When testing this product I found that the lock by itself was worth the $19.99. Once I used the lock in both modes (armed and unarmed), I found this to be an incredible deal for the money. The lock is extremely durable and 100% secure, leaving no doubt that this is one of the best lock for multiple applications.
Before there were all these fancy products, what did people use to clean things? Salt, was one of them. A twenty-six ounce canister of table salt generally costs less than a dollar. I recently found the store brand for 33 cents, so I grabbed more than one. I have heard salt mentioned many times as a replacement for more expensive products, so I began to investigate, here's what I found:
Salted water is a good cleaning solution for wicker baskets and furniture. Clean with salted water then place items in the sun until completely dry. Wicker will generally look much lighter in color afterward, as there is a bit of a bleaching effect.
Salt is said to help control ants. No matter how clean your home is, there is the possibility that ants will find their way inside. As the weather grows
warmer, they are especially persistent. One frequently used method is to sweep ant powder into cracks, crevices, and corners to keep ants out. However,
many of us don't want to use poisons, especially if we have children or pets. Try replacing ant powder with salt. I haven't tried this one yet, but if
I start seeing any ants, it's exactly what I'm going to do.
Copper pans or other accessories look their best when sparkling clean. To get them back to "like new" condition, cover pot bottoms with a paste of barely
dampened salt, allow to sit for a moment, and then scrub with a clean cloth soaked in vinegar. Rinse well and air dry.
Have you ever left flowers in a vase too long? Yuck. You can use salt to scrub away the telltale ring inside the vase. If you can't reach the ring, even with a brush, you can simply fill the vase with a strong solution of hot salt water. Allow it to sit until the water cools then carefully cover the mouth of the vase with your hand and shake it over the sink. Repeat as necessary, adding a drop of dish-washing liquid for tough stains.
Don't worry about stained coffee pots or cups. A mixture of salt and lemon juice will help you scrub away those stains. Adding an ice cube or too will help keep the salt from dissolving as quickly.
After eating fried eggs, pancakes, oatmeal, or anything else that tends to leave dishes tougher to wash, try sprinkling a bit of salt on plates or in bowls before washing.
A box of salt in the bathroom? Sure, why not? Salt makes a great gargle or mouth rinse. While it can sting a little, salt dissolved in warm water can help heal infection, sores inside the mouth, and sore throats. It is sometimes used to exfoliate as well (dampen to soften a bit first and rub gently).
While you have it handy, poor some salt into the sink to help remove any rust stains under the faucets or around the mouth of the sink. You can also use a strong mixture of salt and hot water to clean drains.
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