Is Braille outdated? Great article

Who was Helen Keller? We know the answer, and yet the answer has changed with time. Thursday marked the 133rd anniversary of her birth. While most of us are familiar with the story of the miracle that occurred when a little girl who was both deaf and blind suddenly grasped the power of language, Helen Keller's image has transformed dramatically over the decades. Her only access to classroom lectures and textbooks was the relentless interpreting of her teacher, spelling into Helen's hand. She graduated with honors and became internationally known as an author, speaker, and humanitarian, but her image was once a bit removed from regular people. She was a phenomenon, yes, but society also viewed her as a kind of freak of nature, a paragon untouched by the more common human needs. Her image has changed-and for the better. Today we know that she was a complex, multi-dimensional woman-not asexual or unaware of earthly matters, but rather a feminist, a socialist, an advocate for disability rights-and a flesh-and-blood woman whose one true romance was thwarted by her "handlers" just short of her elopement. You might say that, with time and more knowledge of her humanness, Helen Keller has gone beyond legendary and remarkable; she has become cool. This same transformation has occurred with our perceptions of other disability trappings. American Sign Language (ASL), once perceived as that odd business of a couple of people frantically, silently waving their hands around in public, is now recognized by all immediately as just another way of talking. Mothers teach it to their babies. Colleges and universities offer it for credit. Most people think that to know at least a few words and phrases in ASL is decidedly, yes, cool. At the first-ever Braille Summit last week, a conference organized by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (a division of the Library of Congress) and that same Perkins School, where Helen Keller was a student, one hundred of the most passionate advocates for Braille literacy from throughout the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and France gathered to talk about the future of literacy for people who can't read conventional print. The problem is of crisis proportions. Although we recently celebrated the two hundredth birthday of the blind Frenchman who invented the tactile system of reading and writing for blind people, only 10 percent of blind people currently use it. Schools often assign a low, if any, priority in lieu of teaching blind kids to use their ears to listen to recorded texts and computerized voices. Adults losing sight consider it a badge of failure, so they learn it only if they have the good fortune to find a teacher who knows its value. Without Braille a person who cannot effectively read or write print is illiterate. Although employment rates for blind adults are deplorably low (about 30 percent), 85 percent of those who are employed use Braille on the job. So how do we fix it? was the question posed to those gathered at the Watertown, Massachusetts, event. A solid list of solutions was developed, a list for the Library of Congress staff and others to contemplate and try to implement. But one of the leading suggestions was this: Braille needs a better marketing campaign. It needs to be perceived as cool. For those of us fortunate enough to use it, of course it's cool. Reading and writing and language are recognized universally as keys to information, knowledge, and success. Braille is just another literacy medium, a system of dots rather than lines and squiggles. You see it on elevator panels and restroom doors. Why not look it up in the encyclopedia and puzzle out those numbers and letters? Teach it to your children and grandchildren. It can be a fun tool for writing secret messages. That's how it began, after all. Nineteenth-century French military developed "night writing" as a way for soldiers to relay messages after dark. One of them shared it with a school for the blind; young Louis Braille got his hands on it and turned it into a system that could convey to the fingertips any text ever written. Every word I've ever written was read by me in Braille. It's not quirky or complicated or obsolete. It's just literacy-and that is 100 percent cool. Like Helen Keller and American Sign Language before it, Braille needs to be seen in a more positive light; it needs an image makeover.

Hump day 11-13-13

Hello everyone,
I am posting early as I must trudge back to Springdale to take Mom to her primary care doctor. After only 4 hours on the phone with the expiring insurance, we have no solutions! Trying to navigate the insurance network is not fun. I can't imagine sick folks having to cope with this. No one has the authority to make decisions!
Enough ranting- I will be back tomorrow night with a new update!

Krystal is calling those who have not replied.....check your voice mail.
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Date: 11-12-13

Good morning all,
If you haven't thought about the date take a look at the numbers: 11-12-13. This phenomenon doesn't occur every year. The month of December this year is also unique. If you haven't noticed, we have less shopping days between now and Christmas. That means double up and spend faster!

Last call on notifying Krystal. Ms. Helen needs to know how much to cook! The menu is shaping up to be a great one!

Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Hugs to Veterans!

Good morning everyone,
Here's a big hug and our eternal gratitude to those who served our country. You are appreciated! Hug a Vet today!

Did you know men are 6 times more likely to develop cancer than women? Today's statistics indicate men stand an 80% chance of developing some type of cancer during their lifetime. November is being touted as men's cancer awareness month. Please schedule a physical if you haven't done so. You men. Who have skipped the dreaded appointment know who you are! Toughen up and see your doctor!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Sunday recipes

Good morning world!
The weather outside is perfect! We need to enjoy it as I heard there will be a drastic cool down midweek. Here are a couple of recipes for your enjoyment.

LEMON LUSH
 1 stick butter - melted
 1 cup flour 
1 1/2 cup pecans - chopped (reserve 3/4 cup for topping)
 1 16 oz. container Cool Whip 8 oz. cream cheese - softened 
1 cup sugar
 2 boxes Lemon Instant Pudding - regular size (made to directions and refrigerated) 

Directions: Making 4 layers in a 9 x 13 glass dish 1st layer - butter, flour and 3/4 cup pecans mixed together and pressed into the bottom of glass dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 min until light brown. COOL completely. 

2nd layer - cream cheese, sugar and 1 cup Cool Whip. Blend until creamy and spread over 1st layer. 3rd layer - Lemon pudding (made to box directions) spread evenly over 2nd layer. 4th layer - extra Cool Whip spread evenly over 3rd layer and topped with remaining pecans. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

And my favorite:

Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken 
Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
1 can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup 
1 cup milk 
1 1/2 cups Ritz Crackers (one sleeve) 
4 tablespoons of melted butter (you can use more) 
8 ounces frozen broccoli 
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
 Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make can of Cheddar cheese soup mix according to package directions (one can of soup mix to one can of milk). Place chicken breasts in a baking dish. Season with seasoned salt. Pour 3/4 of the prepared soup over the chicken breasts. Add broccoli to chicken that has been covered with the cheddar soup. Melt butter and combine with Ritz crackers, sprinkle buttered crackers over the broccoli. Add remaining soup mix, and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the chicken is done. (Check chicken by cutting the thickest part and look to see that the chicken is uniform in color). When chicken has been removed from oven sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese. 

Saturday notes

good morning everyone,
I hope everyone had a productive week. Just a couple of quick reminders for today:

1. Call Krystal to reserve your spot for our Thanksgiving bash next Saturday, November 16, 11-2
2. If you received a cancellation notice on your insurance, please let us know. We are tracking the numbers and trying to get you some help.

Hang in!
Until tomorrow,
Dr. Janet

Apple progress-interesting article

Apple aims to control devices based on your location A newly-awarded patent describes a way to monitor your remote location as a way to control devices at home or elsewhere. by Lance Whitney November 5, 2013 6:26 AM PST Follow @lancewhit (Credit: Apple/USPTO) Imagine a technology that can automatically turn on the heat or the stove at home based simply on your location. That's exactly what Apple has in mind in a freshly-awarded patent. Awarded on Tuesday by the US Patent and Trademark Office, a patent with the lengthy title of " System and method of determining location of wireless communication devices/persons for controlling/adjusting operation of devices based on the location " envisions a system that would not require your manual input to control remote devices, as most of today's home automation system do. Instead, you'd customize the system to automatically perform certain tasks based on your whereabouts. Your location would be tracked via your iPhone or other mobile device. The home automation system would then respond accordingly. As one example, the heating or air conditioning in your house could be turned on as you make your way home from work. As another example, the lights in your house or the garage door opener could be activated as you drive onto your street. The technology could even function directly in your home, automatically turning lights on and off as you enter or exit a room. As the patent describes it: One or more relay servers can access first data received from one or more first devices (e.g., a phone, tablet computer, vehicle tracking device, or badge reader). The one or more relay servers can aggregate the data and infer a location of a person. The one or more relay servers can transmit second signals including second data to one or more second devices (e.g., lighting systems, security systems, garage-door openers, music controllers, climate controllers, or kitchen appliances), the second data being based at least in part on the estimated location. As always, an awarded patent doesn't mean we'll see this technology pop up anytime soon. In this case, your home would have to outfitted with the necessary equipment for all of this to work. But it does conjure up a possible next step in the world of home automation. ( Via AppleInsider ) .