Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

This week Shell Oil signed a very large joint venture agreement down in Brazil.  It has nothing to do with drilling rights or processing plants for crude oil, either.  In fact, Shell has just put two billion dollars down on the table to join forces with Cosan SA Industria & Comercio, the world’s largest producer of sugarcane.  Everything totalled, including stations and processing facilities for the sugarcane waste product, the venture is valued at nearly 12 billion.

So why is Shell looking into sugar?  They haven’t gone crazy, but rather they are investigating another revenue channel that will help them branch out and start utilizing other energy sources that have nothing to do with oil.  Brazil happens to use a ton of sugarcane ethanol, and it represents over 17 percent of the entire country’s source of energy.  It is also a very efficient fuel to produce.  For every unit of fossil fuel used in the production process, 8 units of sugarcane ethanol are produced. 

Shell isn’t the only one getting into the biofuel game, though.  Other energy giants like Exxon and BP have spent tens and sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars acquiring other biofuel companies.  Their sources of fuel range from producing biofuel from algae to producing it from forest biomass.  It seems that if they can squeeze fuel out of it, they will.

While the idea isn’t new, Shell’s joint venture is certainly the largest to date.  Should it prove successful, the other oil giants might be tempted to toss their billions around in an effort to keep up.

It’s always interesting to watch companies, especially oil companies publically attempt to secure their future.  You can almost already hear their commercials about how diverse and environmentally friendly they are now that they’re working on new sustainable fuel sources to reduce our dependence on oil.  The funny part is that they always seem to leave out the fact that while we may be reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, we will always have to depend on them. 

Don’t get me wrong, I like to see that big oil companies are trying to find creative ways to produce energy in our future instead of drilling in Antarctica (something that BP just decided would be a bad idea).  I think that it’s a positive direction to be looking, especially considering the long-term negative affects of the Deepwater incident in the Gulf.  I just hope that they balance the quest for increased profits through new ventures with good business practices.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.fastcompany.com/node/1685007/print

In 1966, Irv Gordon purchased his Volvo P1800 brand new.  He didn’t do it expecting that he’d accomplish anything particularly noteworthy, he was just sick of his other cars breaking down and took a friend’s advice to check out the Volvo. 

Today, Irv has nearly 2.8 million miles on his car, a world record.  In fact, Irv set the record back in 1998 when his car reached the 1.69 million mile mark.  But Irv still plans to squeeze some more mileage out of his little red car.  3 million miles is his goal, and if history is any gauge of the future, it would be surprising if he chose to stop there. 

Irv has a great sense of humor about his car.  The seatbelts confuse nearly every passenger and when asked if his car has air conditioning, Irv replies, “Yeah, the 465.  Four windows at sixty-five miles per hour.”

As he reminisced about the days when he first started driving his car, he recalled that gas was 18 cents a gallon, and that he was shocked when it rose to 25 cents.  Oh how far we’ve come.

Irv’s journey has had some bumpy times, though, as you would expect when you drive the same car for over forty years.  He’s been backed into in parking lots, bumped by trucks while driving, even had incidents with a school bus, twice.  In all the mishaps, the nose has been crushed and the sides popped inwards.  “But that’s why they put paint in a can,” said Irv.

Surprisingly, Irv’s car is only on its second engine.  They certainly don’t make cars like that anymore.  No car company would ever make any money.  Irv does all of the routine maintenance himself, but does rely on a trusted mechanic to take care of the big jobs.  After all, he’s got a goal to meet.

So what happens once he reaches three million?  Well, Irv jokes that he might try to sell it for a dollar per mile he’s put on it, that way he could retire.  He’s just waiting for the offers to come in.  If Volvo was smart, they’d buy the car from him and proudly display it in their headquarters.

To read the original article, please go to http://autos.aol.com/article/3-million-mile-volvo/

Scientists have recently discovered that by inserting a small sliver of collagen into the eye that it actually encourages other cornea cells to begin to regrow, eventually restoring vision to the patient.  It works as a sort of elemental building block for surrounding cornea cells to begin growth.  They need something to attach to, and since the cornea itself is made of collagen, the collagen implant that is placed in the eye is the perfect structure to make that happen.

This process is incredibly important for a couple reasons.  For one, the process is designed so that the patient’s cells are regrowing and no artificial tissue is being used that might possibly be rejected by the body.  Also, this will allow doctors to treat more patients who have damaged corneas–either through infection or injury–because it does not require any transplant tissue from another person.  With 42,000 people a year receiving cornea transplants, one can only imagine how many more may be waiting on the sidelines who could be treated with this process as well.

While this study is just beginning, their trials have been very successful.  If future trials confirm those positive results, this treatment could realistically become commonplace in a few short years.

This is a very large step in the right direction.  With more research being conducted to eliminate vision loss, it encourages scientists and doctors to experiment on many different types of vision loss so that they can get the full picture, so to speak, on how the eye works and what treatments can be given to ensure that it works properly.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100825/NEWS02/100829917/-1/headlines

I am writing about a friend of mine who shall go nameless.  He is in a wheelchair, on a fixed income, and doesn’t go out very much because of circumstances I won’t go into.  As a result, the man is frustrated because many times he wants to go out with his friends, but can’t.

I invited my friend out with us to have dinner at one of his most favorite restaurants and, of course, he sincerely wanted to go.  The problem is, as is the case with many people in his situation, he can’t find an accessible and affordable ride to and from the restaurant.  I tried every means at my disposal to help him.  Yesterday, I found a company who provides transportation.  I called the owner and told her the situation about my friend.  She asked if he could transfer his body into a regular car, and I said he could.  In fact, it probably would be easier for him to do that because he can move his legs better than other people in wheelchairs who need an accessible van. 

I thought I was having a great conversation with the owner of this transportation company.  She was very sympathetic about my friend, and wanted to take him to the restaurant.  I gave her his address and the name of the restaurant, and then she quoted her price. 

As I said, my friend is on a fixed income.  He doesn’t work, and makes just enough money to survive.  Despite his limited finances, the owner of the transportation company wanted to charge him $80 for the ride to and from the restaurant.  I realize that the restaurant is 15 miles away, but I don’t think that fully excuses the company.  I can get to this same restaurant for $15, and I don’t live too far from my friend.

For the record, I want to point out that this particular transportation provider is not the only company that charges these outrageous prices. There are numerous providers who have no problem telling a person with a physical disability it will cost them close to $100 of their limited monthly income in order to meet a social need.  In other words, it’s simple: pay the $80 or stay home.  What if we all had those limited choices?  Could we survive socially?

I don’t know how these transportation providers can sleep well at night, knowing what they charge people with disabilities who struggle to make ends meet every month.  After all, we pay rent, buy groceries, pay the utility bills, pay medical co-payments, etc.

I’ve had numerous discussions with people over the years about this subject. I know all about insurance costs, operating costs, labor, and the like. Even though, as a businessman, I understand and respect everything that companies have to go through to be successful at what they do, I find it an injustice when a person with limitations, who wants to do the same things that the rest of us do, has to pay an outrageous amount of money that he doesn’t even have in order to keep up. 

Some of you may be asking about his family.  Well, if he can’t force his family to provide him with rides, then I can’t comment or make that argument.  Therefore, he, like everyone else in his situation, has to live with this terrible injustice.  I am tempted to ask a transportation provider what would happen if he had a loved one in a wheelchair who couldn’t get out that easily, and then had salt rubbed in their wounds by being told he had to spend $80 to go out, and that doesn’t even include his dinner.

I know that these transportation companies are private entities, and therefore, by definition, they can do what they want to do in order to compete with each other.  Again, why does this all have to be at the expense of someone who not only has a limited income, but is physically limited?  I honestly don’t get it, unless someone tries to justify it.  I know about the SRTA Bus Demand Response.  I use it myself.  However, the bus does not run in the evenings and on holidays.

My name is Jorge. I’m a member of the NYC chapter of the National Federation of the Blind the Blind of New York, Inc.

My parents first got involved in the federation back in 2000, with Maria Garcia, the current president of NYPOBC.  In 2002, we went to our first state convention. However, we were not active in the Federation on till 2007.

In that year I remember one of our NYS affiliate members commenting to us about a program called Blind Inc., run by a private corporation which had been certified by the NFB. She personally had attended the College Introduction Program, a 9 month program taught for adults entering college. However, she mentioned that there was a “life one on one” program, which ran for youth ages 13 to 17.

For the next three years we applied and researched the program, until at the start of 2010, I got an email from them letting me know I could go and should start talking with my CBVH counselor to start the process of requesting the funding.

When I first began the program, I was shocked to discover that all our counselors were blind. Not that I had any misgivings, as I had seen successful blind people before. The thing was, back then I had been used to “camps for the blind” run by the sighted.

Let me just start with the fact that the blind teaching the blind is perhaps one of the most unique experiences I’ve had, and at the same time one of the best.

To learn techniques certified by the NFB and corresponding authorities for everything from cooking, to industrial arts, to cane travel, and have these techniques taught by blind roll models with day-to-day enforcement in the various activities that we did after school and during the weekends is the best part of the camp.  To make it even better, we were learning everything with almost no modifications from the standard tools and techniques of the sighted.

It’s one of the best experiences I can remember, and I can say with full confidence that I truly began to believe in the NFB’s philosophy and gain real confidence and independence.  It was rewarding to both learn, and have to use these techniques, and be able to have people who could help me if I needed help.  Many times, I turned to my friends or counselors for quick help, and they always gave me exactly what I needed, while always challenging me to achieve new levels of independence.

I would certainly recommend this program to any parent of the blind for their kids, especially if their kids are between the ages of 13 and 17.  When sighted kids start gaining real independence from there parents, I think it’s crucial for our blind kids to learn and understand that they are not and should not be left behind, and just as their friends get to go to the movies by themselves, etc., so do they. The only exception is that there aren’t any blind drivers–yet. But who knows, with the blind-driver-challenge pushing onwards, someday we may be giving learner’s permits to 16 year old blind and low vision students.

The key is that you have to learn from these centers. Once you know the techniques and use them, your life is truly in your hands, and the road to independence begins.  It is a road that will lead you to success in every area of your life.

Jane Lang traveled to a Yankees game as she always does with her guide dog named Clipper to the Morris Plains train station on a particular Tuesday. However, this Tuesday would be different because the Yankees would be accompanying her.

The Yankees who met her at her home and went to the train station included Manager Joe Girardi, pitchers Joba Chamberlain, David Robertson, Chad Gaudin, and former Yankee Tino Martinez.

To say the least, Lang was surprised to see them there.

The Yankees give back to the community as part of Hope Week, which stands for Helping Others Persevere and Excel.

Lang is totally blind but this doesn’t prevent her from enjoying the game. She brings a radio to the game and reacts to the action on the playing field by listening to Yankee broadcasts.

Lang doesn’t think of herself as totally blind, The Yankee manager agrees.

“She’s obviously a person who’s very humble,” Girardi said while waiting for the train. “She was saying she didn’t think Hope Week was for someone like her.”

Gaudin was also impressed by her approach to life. “She’s excited about being alive … That’s the inspiration she gives everybody,” he said.

While at her home, the Yankees gave her a bouquet of flowers. Lang couldn’t believe this was happening. She couldn’t see the Yankees but she knew them from hearing them on TV.

Everybody in the borough knew about the Yankee visit but Lang. “Hey guys! What do you think?” she called to them. “I was so surprised.”

Lang is an inspiration to everyone. She doesn’t let her blindness get the best of her and she enjoys her life to the fullest. She takes the train and enjoys the Yankee games both at home and at Yankee stadium.  She is a great example of what we should all be: easy going.

More people, sighted or not, should take a page from her book and realize that a positive and laid back attitude will simply make for a much better quality of life.

To read the original article, please go to

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20100817/UPDATES01/100817033/New-York-Yankees-surprise-blind-Morris-Plains-woman-ride-train-with-her-to-stadium

When you think of video games, you likely don’t think of the blind playing them, but this isn’t the case. From games that have been adapted to be playable by the blind, to mainstream games that the blind figure out how to play without modifications, the blind are definitely a part of the video gaming world. I myself just started playing a game online called Kingdom of Loathing, and when I was a PC user, I played games all the time.

So the question is what kind of games are out there, and where can you get them. I think the best place to start is a visit to a site called audiogames.net. Their database includes hundreds of games, many of which are free. The categories also range from fun word and card games to first person shooter and strategy games. All the games that are listed on this site are designed to be playable by the blind.

As I mentioned, when I was using a PC I played lots of these games. Here are a couple of my favorites. Spoonbill software offers many free card and puzzle games. All you have to do is email the developer with your request and he sends you the game. L-Works Games offers arcade style and word games and the developer himself is visually impaired. Finally, if you want to play with people online, a great option is All In Play. There is a subscription fee to play these games, but there is a free trial. Also, the games are playable by the blind and sighted so it’s a great option for families.

What are your favorite video games? If there was a game you wish was more playable for the blind, what would it be?

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed the last full week of August.  It’s incredible that summer has come and gone so quickly.  Looking back, it was a decent time, even if it was short-lived.  There were some things that I was able to do that I didn’t think would happen, and there were some things that happened which I wish didn’t (like getting Lyme disease).  It was definitely a hot dose, though, and I’m certainly glad that I can turn off my air conditioner and give my electric bill a little bit of a break.  Besides, sleeping with the windows open at night is one of those cheap pleasures that you come to miss when it’s just too hot outside. 

I hope all of you had a great summer as well and you were able to enjoy yourselves.  Feel free to share any interesting summer experiences in reader’s forum submissions.  I’d love to see how the hot season treated the rest of you.  And for all you parents out there, I hope getting the kids back to school was an easy process and that they’re heading out the door looking forward to another year instead of dreading it.

I’m also happy to report that as far as email is concerned, things seem back to normal.  Though, if you’re still experiencing problems, please let me know so I can fix them and get you the magazine as quickly as possible.

That should cover everything.  Have a great week and thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Ross Hammond, Editor

Turkey and Spinach Manicotti

This manicotti stays heart-healthy without sacrificing great taste by using ground turkey and fat-free ricotta cheese. From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:30 min

Start to Finish:50 min

makes:4 servings

Ingredients:

8 uncooked manicotti pasta shells

1/2 lb lean (at least 90%) ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 box (10 oz) Cascadian Farm® frozen organic cut spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain

1 1/2 cups Muir Glen® organic pasta sauce (any flavor) or marinara sauce

2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom and sides of 11×7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Cook pasta shells as directed on box, omitting salt. Rinse with cool water; drain well.

3. Spray 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until turkey is no longer pink. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning and spinach.

4. Spoon turkey mixture into shells; arrange in baking dish. Spoon marinara sauce over shells. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 350 (Calories from Fat 50); Total Fat 6g (Saturated Fat 1 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 45mg; Sodium 440mg; Total Carbohydrate 45g (Dietary Fiber 5g, Sugars 10g); Protein 30g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 130%; Vitamin C 6%; Calcium 25%; Iron 20% Exchanges: 2 1/2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1/2 Skim Milk; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Lean Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 3

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

When I was younger, I used to always fight with my mother about turning down the volume of everything from my headphones to the television.  Now, it seems that I’m lucky that she won so many of those fights.  A new study reveals that one in five teens have hearing loss.  In fact, since a study done from 1988 to 1994, hearing loss in teens aged 12 to 19 has increased 30 percent–a huge jump.

While the majority of the loss was considered mild, there was a sharp increase in those who experienced a loss of 25 decibels or more.  Doctors couldn’t definitively conclude that an increase of ear infections or volume of music was what caused the increase.  Rather, they believe that the relationship between volume and related side effects has become highly underestimated by today’s youth.

Most teens don’t pay attention to things like tinnitus, a ringing in the ears after they’ve been exposed to loud noises, and that may be the cause for increased hearing loss.  If it doesn’t cause noticeable pain, they may not think that there’s a problem and are less likely to report the issue to a parent or doctor.

Doctors are concerned that increased exposure to loud volumes without any intervention or personal prevention might lead to difficulties with language development and learning in general.

As I’ve gotten older, loud music has become less and less enticing and can, at times, be outright annoying if it lasts for too long.  When I was a kid, I used to listen to my music at a level that would make normal people cringe.  Hopefully today’s teens will grow out of the habit as I have, or else there might be serious issues that they’ll have to address in years to come.  Unfortunately, with hearing, once it’s gone, you can’t get it back.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/teen-hearing-loss-soars-30-percent-in-three-decades/19591439