Recently we asked a friend who is color blind if they would try a FireFox Web Browser add on to see if it helped improve their computer experience.
Think about that... If you have been color blind your whole life you must have adapted to the way things are for you and as far as you are concerned there is nothing wrong. So, the idea of improving something that is not broke must seem kind of dum.
Nevertheless, this person did it as a favor for me. They reported quite an improvement in clarity...
If you are interested let me know and I will guide you with the installation... Ron Thomas
teckron@gmail.com
Saturday, May 10, 2008
TSUNAMI WARNINGS AND EARTHQUAKE REPORTS
We will now have Tsunami and earthquake information sent directly to this website FROM THE PALMER, ALASKA EARTHQUAKE OBSERVATORY FOR THE WEST COAST and published in this area. If you read some of our other blogs that will also be automatically happening to them....
EDITOR -rt
EDITOR -rt
Information Statement
Information Statement: M 4.6 060 SE CORDOVA, AK. 0403Z MAY 11: Tsunami NOT expected
The Acorn - Oak Park supplied with emergency cache
The Acorn - Oak Park supplied with emergency cache: "The facility is packed with emergency items such as first aid supplies for treating trauma, burns and other injuries. It also contains flashlights, batteries, sheltering equipment and nonperishable food and water.
Members of Oak Park's Community Emergency Response Team and the Thousand Oaks Disaster Assistance Response Team, along with Dan Wall of the county Department of Health painted the inside of the trailer, installed shelving and stocked the supplies."
Thursday, May 08, 2008
NewsGator Online
"Sometimes when you look in his eyes you get the feeling that someone else is driving."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
National Geographic News Photo Gallery: PHOTOS: Chile Volcano Hurts Animals, Farms
National Geographic News Photo Gallery: PHOTOS: Chile Volcano Hurts Animals, Farms: "ve of Futaleuf�Chile's 7,000 cattle rest in volcanic ash on May 4, 2008.
The source of the ash, the Chait�n volcano about 75 miles (120 kilometers) away, began erupting May 2. It could continue spewing ash for weeks, experts say"
Europeans turning backs on cars / Astronomical fuel prices stoke use of public transportation, bikes
Europeans turning backs on cars / Astronomical fuel prices stoke use of public transportation, bikes: "The sticker shock at the pump that is now sending Americans reeling has long been a fact of life in Europe, where many countries like France and Britain add on hefty government tariffs. And while the recent hike in oil prices has been felt here as well, many Europeans have long been able to adapt, opting for public transportation and bikes and for smaller, more fuel-efficient cars than their U.S. counterparts, experts say."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | ALL NEWS | Flashing light bulbs to improve emergency response times: "BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- It's a flashy way to improve emergency response time. Broome County Triad is distributing special light bulbs to senior citizens in Eastern Broome County.
When the light switch is turned off and on twice, the bulb becomes a flashing beacon which can be seen up to a mile away. This makes it easier for emergency responders to clearly identify their destination.
'Even a few minutes can save a person's life. It's going to give them peace of mind to know that they may be living alone, but with the flick of a switch, they've got a whole neighborhood knowing that they need help and people will come and respond,' said Shelli Cordisco, Broome County Triad Chair."
Coyote attacks a child in her front yard in Lake Arrowhead - San Jose Mercury News
Coyote attacks a child in her front yard in Lake Arrowhead - San Jose Mercury News: "LAKE ARROWHEAD, Calif.—Melissa Rowley left her children playing in the front yard for only a moment to step into her house.
When she came back a coyote was dragging her daughter away.
It was the third time in five days a coyote had posed a threat to a small child in Southern California, San Bernardino Sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire said.
The coyote grabbed the 2-year-old by the head and tried to drag her towards the street in the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead on Tuesday.
When Rowley came out of the house and ran toward her daughter, the animal released the girl and ran away.
Rowley took her daughter to a hospital where the toddler was treated for several puncture wounds to the head and neck area, and a laceration on her mouth."
When she came back a coyote was dragging her daughter away.
It was the third time in five days a coyote had posed a threat to a small child in Southern California, San Bernardino Sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire said.
The coyote grabbed the 2-year-old by the head and tried to drag her towards the street in the mountain community of Lake Arrowhead on Tuesday.
When Rowley came out of the house and ran toward her daughter, the animal released the girl and ran away.
Rowley took her daughter to a hospital where the toddler was treated for several puncture wounds to the head and neck area, and a laceration on her mouth."
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Low Blood Levels Of Vitamin D May Be Associated With Depression In Older Adults
Low Blood Levels Of Vitamin D May Be Associated With Depression In Older Adults: "ScienceDaily (May 6, 2008) — Older adults with low blood levels of vitamin D and high blood levels of a hormone secreted by the parathyroid glands may have a higher risk of depression, according to a new report .
See also:
About 13 percent of older individuals have symptoms of depression, and other researchers have speculated that vitamin D may be linked to depression and other psychiatric illnesses, according to background information in the article. 'Underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency such as less sun exposure as a result of decreased outdoor activity, different housing or clothing habits and decreased vitamin intake may be secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of poor vitamin D status,' the authors write. 'Moreover, poor vitamin D status causes an increase in serum parathyroid hormone levels.' Overactive parathyroid glands are frequently accompanied by symptoms of depression that disappear after treatment of the condition."
See also:
About 13 percent of older individuals have symptoms of depression, and other researchers have speculated that vitamin D may be linked to depression and other psychiatric illnesses, according to background information in the article. 'Underlying causes of vitamin D deficiency such as less sun exposure as a result of decreased outdoor activity, different housing or clothing habits and decreased vitamin intake may be secondary to depression, but depression may also be the consequence of poor vitamin D status,' the authors write. 'Moreover, poor vitamin D status causes an increase in serum parathyroid hormone levels.' Overactive parathyroid glands are frequently accompanied by symptoms of depression that disappear after treatment of the condition."
Ibuprofen Linked To Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease
Ibuprofen Linked To Reduced Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease: "Long-term use of ibuprofen and other drugs commonly used for aches and pains was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the May 6, 2008, issue of Neurology�, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown conflicting results, but this is the longest study of its kind."
Stinky Dead Whale on North Oregon Coast A Somewhat Rare Find
Stinky Dead Whale on North Oregon Coast A Somewhat Rare Find: "(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – They are somewhat rarely spotted on the coast, about once every two years. But when they do show up, they smell bad because they’re so decomposed.
They are the species known as beaked whales – which normally live quite deep in the ocean and far offshore from Oregon’s beaches. One washed up on Sunday at a rather hidden beach at Cannon Beach, and it too stank to high heaven.
“It had been dead for months,” said Keith Chandler, manager of the Seaside Aquarium, and one of the responders from the north coast’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network. “It smelled really, really bad. When they finally get here, it’s taken their bodies so long, because they live so deep, so that’s why they’re so rotten when they get here.”"
When the Elderly Get to Choose Care - New York Times
When the Elderly Get to Choose Care - New York Times: "For the Elderly, Being Heard About Life’s End” (front page, May 5) demonstrates the importance for the elderly to be in control of their medical care so they can choose whether to receive hospitalization, treatment, medication or nutrition. These are options that are legally available to us, generally, while we are mentally competent."
Monday, May 05, 2008
Digital Grandparents -- Computer Scientists Create New Technology For Elderly Home Owners
Digital Grandparents -- Computer Scientists Create New Technology For Elderly Home Owners: "Computer scientists have designed technologies to help the elderly maintain their independence. One device uses optical sensors to oversee people as they pick up and use items. Another device uses radio frequency identification technology to track which medications have been taken and when. Additionally a variety of sensors at a house can send information on the weather, activity of a person, and other information over the internet to another house, where a picture frame displays the findings graphically."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
Updating Sight Impairment Project...
A couple of days ago we announced that we would be starting a new program to help folks with vision impairment to get where they can operate their computers by themselves... to free them from dependency on others... We have had our first success and this is a story about that.
We were invited to a home where a lady has macular degeneration. I had worked the previous days at the clubhouse lab tracking down all the technical things that could be found dealing with enhancing computer operation for those with vision impairment. I found a lot of stuff and it was free. It just took sometime to absorb how it all worked.
Armed with this technology we set off to put it to use ......
The problem was not just knowing how to make things work but to guide the person learning along the way... That would prove to be an interesting side experience that was both fun and delightful. As they begin to see doors previously slammed shut on them because of the onset of their disease you begin to experience their joy vicariously as those doors are thrown open again and it is infective, believe me.
We found that it is important to teach the sighted member of the couple as well.. They need to learn so they can help if a problem arises.
Here is what we did to this computer to make it a useful member of this family again...
We downloaded the FireFox web browser and showed her how to use the feature that makes the fonts larger by pressing (ctl +) to get the desired size which is bigger than that on Microsoft Explorer and is very easy to do...
Next we went to the control panel and set her display to the largest setting. Under disability settings we tried all 6 of the displays that make it easier for her to see the display... she chose a high contrast with a white background from the samples which seemed much clearer for her.
Next we showed both of them how the magnifier works to really blow up what she was looking at and worked for awhile playing with that feature. Afterwards we put a new icon on her desktop to turn the magnifier on or off. Back in the control panel again we made the icons on her desktop display as big as possible and while we were at it set all the icons on the toolbars to largest.
The joy in her voice as each layer of new innovation took hold on the computer made my day and I don't who was more excited.. me or her.
Next came the biggie... The text reader... With this free download the computer comes alive and talks to you.. Reads all the stuff on the webpages... your email, the news, etc.. We downloaded and set it up and then went through the process of teaching them how it worked... Have you ever heard joy... pure joy?
I asked that they try it out and learn it for a few days and then be brutally honest about what they thought.. I really did not want to start this project if it was not going to work for her. A couple of days later... We saw them at the PAC theater in Newport and they loved it.... Her husband says she is at the computer constantly.... She says she is learning... and I think she has surpassed me now... Some things I didn't think about... Her husband has to be around to help all the time.. If she was on the computer she was constantly asking him to read something to her ... Now he just hears the computer reading to her... To often we think only of the disabled one and not the caregiver....
Why do this for no pay? I think you can agree I was paid a bonus bigger than any amount of money...
Next up... installing a voice to text program... You speak to the computer and it writes what you say.. Should be good for emailing friends and relatives... It will be interesting to see how that goes. If you have a friend or relative in our community that would like to give this a try.. I can get them started... Let me know... RT
We were invited to a home where a lady has macular degeneration. I had worked the previous days at the clubhouse lab tracking down all the technical things that could be found dealing with enhancing computer operation for those with vision impairment. I found a lot of stuff and it was free. It just took sometime to absorb how it all worked.
Armed with this technology we set off to put it to use ......
The problem was not just knowing how to make things work but to guide the person learning along the way... That would prove to be an interesting side experience that was both fun and delightful. As they begin to see doors previously slammed shut on them because of the onset of their disease you begin to experience their joy vicariously as those doors are thrown open again and it is infective, believe me.
We found that it is important to teach the sighted member of the couple as well.. They need to learn so they can help if a problem arises.
Here is what we did to this computer to make it a useful member of this family again...
We downloaded the FireFox web browser and showed her how to use the feature that makes the fonts larger by pressing (ctl +) to get the desired size which is bigger than that on Microsoft Explorer and is very easy to do...
Next we went to the control panel and set her display to the largest setting. Under disability settings we tried all 6 of the displays that make it easier for her to see the display... she chose a high contrast with a white background from the samples which seemed much clearer for her.
Next we showed both of them how the magnifier works to really blow up what she was looking at and worked for awhile playing with that feature. Afterwards we put a new icon on her desktop to turn the magnifier on or off. Back in the control panel again we made the icons on her desktop display as big as possible and while we were at it set all the icons on the toolbars to largest.
The joy in her voice as each layer of new innovation took hold on the computer made my day and I don't who was more excited.. me or her.
Next came the biggie... The text reader... With this free download the computer comes alive and talks to you.. Reads all the stuff on the webpages... your email, the news, etc.. We downloaded and set it up and then went through the process of teaching them how it worked... Have you ever heard joy... pure joy?
I asked that they try it out and learn it for a few days and then be brutally honest about what they thought.. I really did not want to start this project if it was not going to work for her. A couple of days later... We saw them at the PAC theater in Newport and they loved it.... Her husband says she is at the computer constantly.... She says she is learning... and I think she has surpassed me now... Some things I didn't think about... Her husband has to be around to help all the time.. If she was on the computer she was constantly asking him to read something to her ... Now he just hears the computer reading to her... To often we think only of the disabled one and not the caregiver....
Why do this for no pay? I think you can agree I was paid a bonus bigger than any amount of money...
Next up... installing a voice to text program... You speak to the computer and it writes what you say.. Should be good for emailing friends and relatives... It will be interesting to see how that goes. If you have a friend or relative in our community that would like to give this a try.. I can get them started... Let me know... RT
Sunday, May 04, 2008
What we can do about the high cost of gas
Now here is an idea. We as a group can do little to drop the cost of gas but we can do quite a bit actually, to reduce how much we are paying...
For the last couple of years I have watched a couple of residents, Peter and Rose Clarke conduct an alternative lifestyle and thought not much about it. Now I am thinking they are on to something. These folks moved to LVH knowing they would not be using a car and never have.
They use Dial-a-Ride and they have restaurants make free deliveries... They don't pay for car insurance, tires or upkeep, no car payments. They have a free huge storage space attached to their home known to most of us as a garage.
If you are a Veteran and have to go to the hospital in Portland a free shuttle picks you up and brings you home... Want to go on a tour? Pay for a tour bus through the Senior Center. It will cost far less than 1 car payment would. There is a free shuttle to the Casino and back several times a day.
We are Americans though and grew up here where the car WAS king. Now, well now it is looking kind of expensive isn't it? The convenience of having the car at your beck and call does not come cheap anymore and it is slated to get worse. Prices of gas will soon be $10 per gallon predicts some economists.
Hey! WE as seniors do have an advantage that is not available to young folks.. We have time! We don't have to be somewhere at a specific time like people that have to work or tote children around.. Mostly we pick and choose when we want to travel... Dial a Ride works with that concept really well I'm thinking.
Still, I love my car... Question is when will that love begin to fade? At $5 a gallon, $6, $7, $8, $9, or $10 a gallon? $500 a year for insurance... $ 1000 a year, $1500, or $2000? Maybe the last straw will be tires (which are made from petroleum) when they cost $150 apiece? Mine are close to $100 each now. Who knows? I do know though that on a fixed income changes are on the horizon.
I might just try riding the dial a ride to see how it really is... We just had Chinese food delivered from Lee's Wok the other night.. Probably saved $3.00 in gas right there.
For the last couple of years I have watched a couple of residents, Peter and Rose Clarke conduct an alternative lifestyle and thought not much about it. Now I am thinking they are on to something. These folks moved to LVH knowing they would not be using a car and never have.
They use Dial-a-Ride and they have restaurants make free deliveries... They don't pay for car insurance, tires or upkeep, no car payments. They have a free huge storage space attached to their home known to most of us as a garage.
If you are a Veteran and have to go to the hospital in Portland a free shuttle picks you up and brings you home... Want to go on a tour? Pay for a tour bus through the Senior Center. It will cost far less than 1 car payment would. There is a free shuttle to the Casino and back several times a day.
We are Americans though and grew up here where the car WAS king. Now, well now it is looking kind of expensive isn't it? The convenience of having the car at your beck and call does not come cheap anymore and it is slated to get worse. Prices of gas will soon be $10 per gallon predicts some economists.
Hey! WE as seniors do have an advantage that is not available to young folks.. We have time! We don't have to be somewhere at a specific time like people that have to work or tote children around.. Mostly we pick and choose when we want to travel... Dial a Ride works with that concept really well I'm thinking.
Still, I love my car... Question is when will that love begin to fade? At $5 a gallon, $6, $7, $8, $9, or $10 a gallon? $500 a year for insurance... $ 1000 a year, $1500, or $2000? Maybe the last straw will be tires (which are made from petroleum) when they cost $150 apiece? Mine are close to $100 each now. Who knows? I do know though that on a fixed income changes are on the horizon.
I might just try riding the dial a ride to see how it really is... We just had Chinese food delivered from Lee's Wok the other night.. Probably saved $3.00 in gas right there.
SPACE.com -- NASA Predicts Huge Cosmic Explosions
SPACE.com -- NASA Predicts Huge Cosmic Explosions: "Astronomers are now able to predict when a certain type of star will let loose a powerful eruption.
The explosions occur on a neutron star, a city-sized remnant of a giant star that exploded in a supernova long ago and collapsed into a hyperdense ember. It now siphons material from a companion star while the two objects orbit each other every 3.8 hours."
The explosions occur on a neutron star, a city-sized remnant of a giant star that exploded in a supernova long ago and collapsed into a hyperdense ember. It now siphons material from a companion star while the two objects orbit each other every 3.8 hours."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
7 dead as giant wave hits South Korea - CNN.com
7 dead as giant wave hits South Korea - CNN.com: "At least seven people were killed and 14 others injured Sunday after being swept away by a sudden large wave that crashed onto a bulwark, South Korea's Coast Guard said.
The wave -- believed to have been as high as 5 meters (16 feet) -- crashed over the bulwark where dozens of people were fishing and enjoying sightseeing, said Lee Won-il, a local Coast Guard officer.
Lee earlier said at least eight people were killed but later revised the death toll to seven, saying there had been confusion over a name.
Fifteen people were earlier believed to be missing, but the number could turn out to be lower, Lee said.
Two of the injured were in critical condition, he said."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
The wave -- believed to have been as high as 5 meters (16 feet) -- crashed over the bulwark where dozens of people were fishing and enjoying sightseeing, said Lee Won-il, a local Coast Guard officer.
Lee earlier said at least eight people were killed but later revised the death toll to seven, saying there had been confusion over a name.
Fifteen people were earlier believed to be missing, but the number could turn out to be lower, Lee said.
Two of the injured were in critical condition, he said."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
Free Internet Press :: New Clues On Stonehenge Origin
Free Internet Press :: New Clues On Stonehenge Origin: "The mysterious circle of stones that rises on Salisbury Plain near Amesbury, England, has stood as an archaeological marvel for thousands of years, its origins and purpose shrouded in the mists of history; but a just-completed excavation of Stonehenge, the first within the ancient circle in more than 40 years, could provide some of the first reliable explanations for one of the greatest wonders of the prehistoric world."
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
For the "FULL STORY" click the title box
NewsGator Online
"Typos are very important to all written form. It gives the reader something to look for so they aren't distracted by the total lack of content in your writing."
NewsGator Online
"If it weren't for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we'd still be eating frozen radio dinners."
A Swallow in the Hand - New York Times
Full story.. click the underlined words below
A Swallow in the Hand - New York Times: "A couple of times in the past few weeks, I’ve stopped by a local swamp where the peepers live. It’s hard to believe that the high-pitched chorus of such small frogs could amount to a roar, but it does. It rises into the night sky and swallows the listener. My internal compass seems to go awry in the midst of such an outcry. In the darkness, there is no horizon except a silence somewhere on the far edge of that cacophony. To the extent that any one peeper has a sense of identity, it must dissolve completely in that night song, because I certainly feel myself dissolving when I hear it."
A Swallow in the Hand - New York Times: "A couple of times in the past few weeks, I’ve stopped by a local swamp where the peepers live. It’s hard to believe that the high-pitched chorus of such small frogs could amount to a roar, but it does. It rises into the night sky and swallows the listener. My internal compass seems to go awry in the midst of such an outcry. In the darkness, there is no horizon except a silence somewhere on the far edge of that cacophony. To the extent that any one peeper has a sense of identity, it must dissolve completely in that night song, because I certainly feel myself dissolving when I hear it."
Pursuing the Next Level of Artificial Intelligence - New York Times
Full Story.. click the below underlined linkPursuing the Next Level of Artificial Intelligence - New York Times: "PALO ALTO, Calif. — Like a good gambler, Daphne Koller, a researcher at Stanford whose work has led to advances in artificial intelligence, sees the world as a web of probabilities.
There is, however, nothing uncertain about her impact.
A mathematical theoretician, she has made contributions in areas like robotics and biology. Her biggest accomplishment — and at age 39, she is expected to make more — is creating a set of computational tools for artificial intelligence that can be used by scientists and engineers to do things like predict traffic jams, improve machine vision and understand the way cancer spreads."
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