Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind

Quesadillas with Salsa Mexicana

Yield: makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

For the salsa

2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

½ onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 fresh hot green chile, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

juice of ½ lime

salt

For the tortillas

8 flour tortillas

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar

guacamole

Directions

1. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season with the salt. Set aside for about 1 hour to blend the flavors.

2. Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla in the pan and heat for 30 seconds. Flip over and sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese over the surface. Fold in half and press down lightly with a spatula.

3. Cook, turning once, until the quesadilla is lightly toasted on both sides and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while making the remaining quesadillas.

4. To serve, cut each quesadilla in half and serve immediately with the Salsa Mexicana and guacamole.

Variation

BBQ Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas

Toss 1 cup shredded cooked chicken with 2 tbsp barbecue sauce, and mix in 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese instead of Cheddar. Serve with sour cream instead of guacamole.

While it’s doubtful that the Amish business owner was updating his location on Facebook via his mobile telephone, his shed business was being routinely broken into nonetheless. After the sixth break in, the man decided he’d had enough and went to discover a solution to his problem.

The man came to the conclusion that the best way to catch the criminal was to catch him in the act with a security camera. While Amish law forbids them to be photographed, it doesn’t say anything about taking someone else’s picture, the man said. By using an infrared hunting camera, normally reserved for taking pictures on animals at night, he was able to catch a perfect glimpse of the criminal breaking in for a seventh time.

Other Amish business owners in the area had also been reporting break ins at their stores and are now planning to fight back in the same way. One man now has a video camera hidden in some horse harnesses in an attempt to stop the criminal. His store has been broken into 4 times.

Police say that the video they’ve reviewed already shows the criminal coming in and going through drawers looking for loose cash. A picture of him is up on the website accompanying the article and police are asking that anyone with any information on the individual please come forward.

To read the original article, please go to

 http://www.wgal.com/news/22632753/detail.html

Many people today are involved in some sort of social networking on the internet. They use MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, among others, to keep in touch with friends and family, share pictures, and communicate with the world in general. But aside from the fact that they are essentially eliminating their own privacy, they might be risking more than they think, and their home owner’s insurance, of all things, may increase because of that.

Why home owner’s insurance you ask? Well, with new updates to these social media websites, as well as the dawn of smart mobile telephones that can access them, people are now able to post where they are and what they’re doing remotely. They can even do something called geo tagging, where they use the GPS chip in their phone to post their exact location on a virtual map. The problem arises when this information is uploaded to the site for anyone to see, thus alerting anyone able to view that information that you are not at home but you’re actually, “Getting a foot long sub from the deli,” or “Wow, the post office is so slow!” Any criminal smart enough to access this information can stake out the person who routinely posts what they’re doing when not in their home. That person inevitably leaves themselves completely open to burglary, and insurance companies may start monitoring this information as well to cover themselves should anything happen to the house when the owner is out.

While it seems like a crazy premise, it makes sense that the insurance companies would seek to protect themselves from their own policy holders who choose to act irresponsibly and eliminate their own privacy so nonchalantly. For those who continue to post their business on these sites while away from home, they’d better learn how to modify their privacy settings so that they can control who sees the information they upload or else they might come home one day to find a few broken windows, property missing, and an insurance company with a copy of their facebook updates tucked into folded arms.

To read the original article, please go to

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/22/facebook-twitter-users-co_n_471548.html

Animals are often used to comfort people when they’re sick or injured, but now they are being incorporated into courtrooms as well so that they can relax those giving testimony who have been victims of violent crimes.  Some of the subjects covered in testimony of violent crimes can be especially hard for people to revisit and by allowing them to sit with an animal trained to comfort them it makes the process much easier and, more importantly, allows them to give a better statement.

The dogs used in the courtrooms go through a rigorous training school at the Canine Companions for Independence school in Santa Rosa, California.  The school has trained 300 dogs, seven of which are now being used in courtrooms.  The training school trains dogs to help people with a number of disabilities, including blindness. In some cases, the dog is just not meant to help certain people and so they need to undergo a “career change.”  For example, one dog was being trained to assist the blind, but they could get it to stop pulling on the leash, an act that could be detrimental in the future.  So, they transitioned that dog into the courtroom program and it now serves to help people in a different fashion.

The dogs have shown to be especially helpful when children who have witnessed or been victims of domestic abuse enter a courtroom.  They act as a non-judgmental and soothing presence for the children and allow them to speak about the incident without being nervous or uncomfortable in such an exposed setting.

Using dogs in a courtroom has been so successful that the practice is now expanding across the country and there are multiple organizations who donate money to train the dogs who will be used to comfort those who have suffered from violence. 

To read the original article, please go to http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=ozarksnow&sParam=37631128.story

I’ve gotten feedback from many of you requesting that I get rid of the proposed topics and allow the readers to submit anything that they would like included in the magazine. After consulting multiple people, I’ve decided that this section of the magazine belongs to all of you, and you should feel unencumbered when writing your submissions. That said, I would like to see the reader’s forum reflect on the content presented in the magazine so that the submissions have a clear context. Though, if something does come up that you feel the need to talk about and it hasn’t appeared in the magazine, don’t hesitate to submit it to me and I’ll look it over.

With the reader’s forum transitioning back to its former structure, its strength in the magazine will greatly depend on you. I would really like to see this section become something overflowing with comments and I encourage you all to submit to it when you can. Again, submissions will be accepted via email or on the website by commenting on a particular article. Also, from now on, the reader’s forum will appear in the magazine only when there are enough submissions to warrant its inclusion. If submissions are scant, then I’ll save what I do receive for a time when more have come in and will make for a more valuable portion of the magazine.

I hope this change pleases you all and that it will stimulate those of you who have been waiting to add something to it but did not relate or enjoy the topics that I had proposed. I also appreciate your patience as I tried to figure out how this would work best. You’re a great audience.

Moving on, I did receive some entries last week that pertained to both the topic I had proposed as well as other articles in the magazine. The entries I received are below.

I have been watching the Olympics off and on, particularly the figure skating which I enjoy as a totally blind person because of the music and commentary. One disappointment though has been that special segments featuring people speaking languages other than English not being translated in an auditory fashion, so there have been whole segments that were entirely out of my reach. It used to be that there would be interpretation as well as the visual input on the screen. I tried to contact NBC about this but could never get to a feedback form to express my concern.

Sharon Strzalkowski

In response to the February 22nd question about coverage of the Olympics, I think that MSNBC did an excellent job by providing ongoing descriptions of the Hockey competitions taking place. During previous years, I have paid little attention to Olympic coverage, but am glad I did this year and was pleasantly surprised by the excellence of the coverage.

From Terri Winaught,

Pittsburgh, PA

The story regarding police entering a home and waking the homeowner is absurd and extremely dangerous. It assumes that every law enforcement person is honest and trustworthy. This isn’t true for every one of them. And, as a blind person, if someone enters my home in the night or any other time, my intention will be to attack and do serious harm even kill before asking questions. Please follow this story and report on it in the future. I’m sure it will be repealed.

Greg

In response to the topic for reader’s forum here are some thoughts. I always enjoy following the Olympics both summer and winter games. I have two questions. One is why is there less media coverage for the Paralympics than the Olympics and will venues be definitely used for the community after the games? The Olympics will be in London in 2012 and I hope it will be a success and boost this country. I wonder what Canadians feel about the winter games in Vancouver?

Yours sincerely Franek Kozorowski, Hartleppool, UK

Hi Ross, you asked us to express our opinion regarding the article about police officers in one British town trying to get into people’s homes in the night, just to test the security of the homes. I hereby express my opinion about this. I think the plan to have police officers in one British town try to get into the doors and windows of people’s homes at night, to see if they are secure, is an absolutely terrible one! First, I see the dangers to the police officers, who may face loaded guns, knifes and large heavy objects, wielded by startled or frightened citizens. Could a person who might shoot such a police officer be charged? I don’t think so. How is such a person to know that this is not a real criminal? As a blind person, I can say that I would be very frightened and intimidated if someone attempted to break into my home, even if they were only testing the door. How would I know who this was? How would I know whether or not the person was wearing a uniform, even if he/she said this was a police test? It’s really a bad idea.

Tim Hendel

Huntsville, Alabama

We are pleased to announce that Peggy Trail of Paragould, AR has won the 2009 James H. Veale Humanitarian Award for her excellent service in the blind community. She received multiple nominations for her work done at the Arkansas Council of the Blind as well as other organizations and events. As the winner, she will receive a monetary prize as well as a letter of recognition from our president.

Congratulations, Peggy, and on behalf of the Matilda Ziegler Publishing Company for the Blind, I’d like to thank you for your efforts to make the lives of blind people better.

We will begin accepting nominations for the 2010 James H. Veale Award in the fall.

Get up and go!

By Romeo Edmead

When traveling long distance via bus, train, or plain, the blind are often told to sit and wait. Sometimes the very promise of assistance could be the exact reason you wind up missing your method of transportation. This harsh reality does not always derive from neglect, but many stations in major cities across the nation can not always respond in a timely fashion. For example, a couple of weeks ago I arrived at a major bus station in New York City and made my way to the information booth. After inquiring about purchasing a ticket, I was told I would have to go to another building. The gentleman also asked if I would like assistance getting there, and I accepted. He promptly made the call, but no one ever came. Eventually, I asked for directions and left on my own, easily making it to the gate just in time for the next departure. When speaking with others about travel philosophy, I discovered that the independent approach was the preferred method. Singer-song writer Selena Sang, who attends The Berklee College of Music, and travels for performance purposes, fashions herself as an aggressive traveler. Sang, a 24-year-old totally blind Boston resident, who also lived in California and New York, does not wait around. “I just go to the airport and start walking”, said Sang, “even if I am not familiar with it I don’t let that intimidate me.” She added that getting around the airport is not always the most difficult aspect, it is finding out her departure gate. If Ms. Sang took a little tactic from 26-year-old high partial Sarah Baebler, she may not have to ask for gate numbers anymore. According to Ms. Baebler, who is the Vice President of The Wisconsin Association of Blind Students (WABS), which is a division of the National Federation of the Blind, there is an easy way of finding gate numbers over the telephone. Baebler, a student at Madison College, who also organizes WABS tours said, “I just call 800-555-8355 and the automated system provides me with that information.” She continued by saying, “even if you don’t remember your flight number, you can find your gate number via your departure and arrival cities.” Certainly, there are a few things that can be done in order to facilitate traveling, but at the end of the day it comes down to courage. If you have some training and safety is not an issue, do not let fear dictate your life experiences. Sometimes you can get slightly lost, but of course that even happens to sighted people too. As always, share your knowledge with all of us, and maybe we can have a Readers Forum topic about travel tips. Difficult experiences are also important to mention, because it would be helpful to know how you overcame them. Finally, keep in mind that the public can be more helpful than we sometimes give them credit for. You don’t always have to depend on customer service, because I find that other passengers frequently ask me if I need help. When I am exiting plains and trains, they often offer assistance to baggage and or taxis if necessary.

My name is Steven Famiglietti and I am 37 years old. I was born 3 and a half months pre maturely and weighed only 1 pound 15 ounces at my birth. My head literally fit in the palm of my mother’s hand. As a result of my early arrival, I was placed in an incubator to assist me with breathing. This caused my retinas to detach, which caused me to lose vision completely in my right eye. My parents did some research and found a doctor who was able to save some of the vision in my left eye. I am able to see everything to the best of my ability and I am able to write and read large print. I do not have enough vision to use eye glasses or contact lenses but, I do use hand held magnifiers and a variety of other devices to assist me with daily living and work tasks.

I graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. While at Western, I studied meteorology with Dr. Mel Goldstein and wrote and broadcast my daily weather forecasts on the campus radio station. I also won a National Collegiate Weather Forecasting contest, in which I had to predict the daily precipitation and temperatures for a specific location for a period of two weeks.

Currently, I am the Blind Services Vocational Manager at The Connecticut Institute for the blind / Oak Hill in Hartford, CT. Part of my responsibilities include training people to effectively use adaptive software programs to enable them to become employed. These programs include JAWS for Windows, Window-Eyes, Zoom text, Magic, Openbook and Guide. Another facet of the Blind Services Vocational Program is a week long summer program called “LEEP”. “LEEP” stands for Low Vision/Blind Educational Employment Program. During “LEEP”, young adults learn a variety of skills designed to help them transition from high school to college, or high school to employment.

When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family, friends and my Fidelco Guide dog, Whitlee. I have a large clock collection that contains 18 cuckoo clocks, two grandfather clocks and one mantle clock. Since I have always been a weather freak, I love tracking thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes. When I was a child, I could tell anyone who would listen the names of every major hurricane that hit the United States from 1900 to 1980! When I need a complete change to the wild side of life, I travel to the mid west and participate in tornado chase tours.

I will be sharing my life’s experiences with you and will also share some technology tips and resources to help you with situations you may encounter. I am excited to write for this magazine and hope everyone finds these articles to be interesting and informative.

Hello Everyone,

This week I am very pleased to announce that we’ve got a new writer contributing to the magazine.  He specializes in adaptive technology for the blind and his experience is sure to benefit all of you.  His introduction will follow.

For those still wondering about Newsline, I sincerely appreciate your patience.  It’s an ongoing process that requires collaboration and programming strategies between both us and the NFB.  I am hoping that it will be available very soon, and I will give you all and update as soon as I know something difinitive.

Also, I’d like to apologize if this week’s edition seems a little light.  I had to attend funeral services at the end of last week and could not contribute as much as I would’ve liked to as a result.  The next edition will be larger.

I believe that covers all of the updates for this week.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that you enjoy this week’s magazine.

Take care, and thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Ross Hammond, Editor

Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy, otherwise known as FEVR is an inherited disease that causes the blood vessels in the retina do not fully develop.  Researchers studying this disease found that a specific gene, known as TSPAN 12, is at fault by disrupting cell signals as the blood vessels develop in the back of the eye.

What makes their finding so important is that by screening family members to see if they have a TSPAN 12 gene mutation, they may be able to eliminate any chance of blindness in the affected person before the disease has a stronghold.  The gene can lie dormant in family members of those who are affected by the disease and if doctors can establish that the gene has mutated and been passed along, they can perform surgery before any retinal damage has occurred.

While these findings will immediately aid in helping those who suffer from FEVR, it will also broaden the understanding of how other genetic diseases affect blindness.  With gene science becoming increasingly more advanced, research like this could mean that someday soon, doctors will know exactly what gene is causing a certain blindness disorder and will be able to treat it effectively without the patient’s sight ever being compromised.

To read the original article, please go to http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/gene-discovery-may-offer-blindness-cure-2_100318805.html