California Telephone Program For Hard Of Hearing

This is the internationally recognized symbol for accessibility (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you live in California there is a program that can provide you with a free telephone if you are hard of hearing or deaf.

They have special phones if you have problems seeing too.

The phones are made by a company called Clarity and you can buy them too if you are not in California or need/want more than one phone.

I got one corded phone through the program and just bought a set of sweet cordless phones.  Way better than the phones I had.

I have some limitations hearing and am damn near bblind so I appreciate the big buttons and the backlit buttons as well.  I can see!!!

You can print out an application from California Phones dot org  fill out your info (name, address, etc) and have your doc sign it and send it in.  They are real nice folks and will help you pick out the right kind of phone and best model for you.  A week or so you will have your new FREE phone!

You aren’t in California?  Or need extra phones or just want to pay your way?  Check out Clarity phones or any of the companies that sell them.  They have corded and cordless, many models.

You will appreciate the big buttons, back-lighting, lights when the phone rings, sound boost (can get really LOUD), remote-controlled speaker phones, digital answering machines and so much more.

No.  I don’t own stock in the ompany.  I just appreciate how their products help me and helped my mom when she was still with me.

If you need help check them out.  Phones for seniors or just for peeps like me that need some help to see and/or hear.  Excellent!

Independent reviews.

Related articles

• Deafness/Hearing Loss in Kids (john9blog.wordpress.com)
• An iPhone app to help the hard of hearing (kevinmd.com)
• CES: Clarity phones for seniors get customer service redo (ces.cnet.com)

The Vancouver Motorcycle Show 2012

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The 2012 Vancouver Motorcycle show is scheduled for:

January 19th thru January 22nd, 2012

Straight.com says

“Although the weather says otherwise, January means motorcycles in B.C. Specifically, the Vancouver Motorcycle Show, which takes place from next Thursday to Sunday (January 19 to 22) at the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford. As well as the usual array of new bikes, ATVs, clothing, and accessories, there will be other attractions such as a vintage-bike display, a stunt-rider show courtesy of the Westcoast Freestyle Stunt Team, touring seminars, a She Rides get-together for female riders, dynamometer shootouts, bike giveaways, and live music.”

How much??          $13 for Adults—$30 for the 4 day pass

$8 for youth, 8-15 years old

for more choices follow the link below

And you can buy your tix online HERE

It’s a very big show with more than 34,000 in attendance in 2011

Traveling to Vancouver?  The show hotel is the Best Western Regency Inn & Conference Center.  $95.99 (Canadian) for rooms .  Make reservations by January 17th to get the preferred rate of $95.99.    1-800-771-3077    or 604-853-3111 ext 436, and quote group code 605155

The Straight.com site has a list of many of the cool & interesting bikes you can expect to see.

 

 

Daylight Savings Time: Clock Change

Do not forget.  Gentle Reminder:

Change your clocks back one hour on the First Sunday in November at 2 am.

Yeh right I can picture you getting up and changing all of your clocks!!

So by reading this little post you are reminded to change your clocks.

And….

…..fall back one full hour!!

“With leaves swirling and an autumn chill in the air, nature reminds us it’s time  for most Americans to set the clock back.”

And your watches.

And clocks in your car.

And check your computer, smartphonem DVD, microwave, oven and anything else with a little clockster in it.

Because it’s that good old “we get an extra hours worth of sleep” time.

Plus take this time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarm.

Cute little Energizer bunny!!!

But if you have sleeping problems:

“Tips for return of daylight standard time

Early Sunday, daylight-saving  time ends. You get an extra hour – to sleep or do whatever you want – so you  shouldn’t complain.

But the change can still be a bit discombobulating.

Here are  some tips to make the change smoothly.
1. Reset your clocks early  Saturday so you can start to adjust to the time shift. (Do remember not to mess  up any appointments.)
2. Try to shift your bedtime in increments – it  may help.
3. You may feel extra-hungry because your meals will come  later. Again, try to shift eating times incrementally.
4. Kids might  find their outdoor play time cut short by the early darkness. You might want to  come up with some indoor games to help them burn off a little energy before  bedtime.
5. Be aware of and plan for comfort and safety issues,  especially with older kids who may be walking home in the dark. Parents might  have to do more schlepping.
6. Try to make time today and during the  day Saturday to get outside and see some sunshine, so that you don’t feel too  daylight-deprived.
Sources:

sleepdisorders.about.com; http://www.mayoclinic.com.

2011 World Yo-Yo Champion

Yo, I’m really not a yo-yo enthusiast.  But this Yo is actually amazing as he spins two yo-yos at a time in his winning set.

But really dude, quit playing with your yo-yo and get a job.  You’re 24 years old.

Check out Shinji Saito and his yo-yo’ing, yo…..

Suiseki Japanese Rock Art

Suiseki.  The art of stone appreciation.  Rocks cut, formed and shaped by nature into beautiful and stunning works of art.

In Japanese culture very often smaller stones that represent the much larger formations that actually live as our hills and mountains.  Volcanic formations and other geological wonders all around us.

The love of my life had an uncle who made these  sculptures. They are not formed or cut, but natural rocks placed on hand-made bases which fit only one rock.

He always said the rocks called to him. He would be driving in the mountains, suddenly pull over slamming on his brakes and go scurrying down the hill, bringing back an incredible rock.

I have four of his pieces. This one below is from an artist in Japan.

More about Suiseki art here.

Suiseki is in essence the art of appreciation of stones, but may also refer to the stones or sculptures themselves.

The Mellow Monk has some good photos on his Green Tea Blog here

Stones shaped by nature.  Once you begin to see the beauty in these stones you cannot escape them..