The Consumer Vision

July/August, 2008

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher, Bob Branco

CD Production:  Bob Zeida

Treasurer:  Gail Teixeira

Advisory Committee:  Clement Beaulieu, Dan Germano, Marianne Martin, Lisa Saulnier, Bonnie Schachter, Charles Soforenko and Gail Teixeira

Would you like a free subscription to The Consumer Vision six times a year? If so, and if you are not yet on our mailing list, please contact our office at 508-994-4972 or email us at branco182@worldnet.att.net. The Consumer Vision is available in print, Braille, CD, cassette and email.

Disclaimer

The Consumer Vision magazine accepts editorial contributions and letters to the editor at the above address. Contributors agree to, by virtue of their submissions to grant The Consumer Vision magazine the right to publish submissions. They also grant The Consumer Vision magazine the right to make any appropriate editorial changes, if deemed necessary. Contributors also verify by virtue of their submissions that they own the right to publish work submitted. Any claims of copyright infringement will be referred to the contributor, who will also be responsible for any and all costs associated with said claims. Advertisers are responsible for all claims made in their ads. The Consumer Vision is not to be liable in any way for claims made by advertisers. However, readers are encouraged to report any problems with our advertisers.

-Table Of Contents-

My Experience with Jury Duty

By Bob Branco

Gas prices: A blessing in disguise

By AQUILA RIVERS

So You Want to Start Your Own Business

By Dr. Clifford Robbins

Recommended Reading

Bob Branco

Publisher’s Note

Bob Branco

Walkathon, anyone?

By Marcy Scott

Jobs for the Blind

By Jean Marcley

BEYOND THE REASON WHY

BY EDWIN COONEY

Your View

By Jake Joehl, Evanston, IL

Catch a Vision

By Allison Vigna

The Consumer Vision Trivia Contest

Dan’s Kitchen

My Experience with Jury Duty

By Bob Branco

For years, blind people have fought for the right to sit on a jury.  It is believed that it would be difficult for a blind person to serve because he can’t see evidence or facial expressions, making it hard to reach a fair conclusion.  However, the lack of sight does not hinder our ability to make a fair dicision.  We can hear testimony, reactions, attitudes and other aspects of a court case and still consider ourselves objective observers. 

Since I was practicly old enough to vote, I have been receiving jury notices every three years.  Despite my blindness, I not only believe I can sit on a jury, but would be proud to.  I have listened to thousands of court cases over the years, real and fictitious, so to me, the process in a court trial is easy to understand.  This year, when I received my jury summons, I was finally given the chance to actually be in the court.  Usually when I call the jury information line on the business day prior to the date of my jury service, I’m told not to appear because they don’t need me.  This year, things were different, and I went.  On July 14, I reported for jury duty at New Bedford Third District
Court. Even though Court is in session beginning at 9:00, all potential
jurors were asked to report an hour earlier. Apparently, they summoned 18
people, but only 17 showed up. I don't know if the eighteenth person was
ill, delinquent, or somewhere in between.

After waiting in the lobby for a few minutes, we all were escorted to a conference room where we watched a sixteen-minute film about juries and trials. During that time, the Court official who showed us the movie approached me and asked if I wanted to continue with the process. I suppose he felt that I could use my visual impairment as an excuse to leave.  I told him that I wanted to stay, and he said he would speak to the judge about it. Apparently the judge said it was up to me.

The group waited two more hours while all the cases were heard. If a case
needed a jury, the entire group would have to go downstairs to a court room
while a jury of six was hand picked from all 17 of us. At 10:30, we all
were summoned into the downstairs courtroom because one of the civil cases
required a jury. There was no agreement between the parties, so a jury was
necessary. Before the judge picked six people to serve on the jury, he
asked all 17 of us the following questions: Did we know any of the parties
or witnesses, did we have a prejudice about the situation before the trial
starts, etc. The judge picked 6 jurors. One of the jurors was rejected, so
he picked a seventh. After a jury was seated, the rest of us went back
upstairs and waited once again in the conference room. At 12:15, the judge
came into the conference room and told us we could leave, because all of the
remaining cases were decided one way or the other. The judge went on to
tell us how powerful our presence was, because many defendants have a habit
of asking for a jury trial as means to delay their case, figuring that a
jury trial would be rescheduled for a later date. If potential jurors are
waiting, and if there are enough to form at least two separate juries,
defendants can't play the waiting game because jurors are already on stand
by.

You would be amazed at the number of people who tried to talk me out of jury
duty. Many people wanted me to use my disability as a means to get out of
it. I don't think it's necessary for me to get out of jury duty on account
of my vision loss. I may not see some of the evidence, but I am a good
listener and a good judge of the facts presented to me. In fact, I did
declare hardship weeks ago when I was first notified, but it was only a
transportation hardship because they wanted me to go to Taunton. I switched
to New Bedford because it was closer, but never once did I discuss my
blindness, either in personal dialog or in written correspondence with the
Court. I may have been bored out of my mind yesterday morning, but I was
proud to perform a civic duty that is required by our democracy. I would do
it again, and if I don't get called in as an actual juror, so what. I have
no way of knowing what's going to happen when I make the effort to be a
juror. Once I'm there, the decisions are out of my hands. It depends on
who the litigants are, what the cases are all about, and what's going to
happen in those cases.

Bob Branco

Gas prices: A blessing in disguise

By AQUILA RIVERS

Ms. Rivers is a former New Bedford resident majoring in political science at Northeastern University. She lives in Cambridge.

June 21, 2008 6:00 AM

High gas prices have halted my spending toward many resources, and although I've found different ways to cut back, I'm optimistic about the high prices and find it to be a blessing in disguise.

As a result of the price hikes, Congress and the president will be forced to be more diligent and focus on energy efficiency as a core issue. Indeed, there will be gimmicks that many of those who favor continuing our addiction to oil will attempt in persuading people in a negative way.

For example, regarding offshore drilling, President Bush and Sen. John McCain will speak in support of these efforts and find a way to frame our thinking that this will benefit us immediately toward lowering gas prices, but it won't because consumers won't reap rewards until five years from now.

What have people done to cut back? They have taken an extra job, canceled an extra bill (cell or home phone or cable), gotten rid of one car in a two-car family, or dumped the SUV for a hybrid car. Ridership on public transportation has risen, many folks are purchasing mopeds, and people are biking and walking more.

Sadly, there have been negative effects from the price hikes: job loss, especially with the closing of SUV plants, airlines and gas stations; and many folks will become jobless because they won't be able to afford going to and from work or even be able to search for a job.

Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama differ on their energy policies.

The lurking question for most folks is: "How is Sen. Obama going to pay for his programs?" Folks had the same concerns about Gov. Deval Patrick during his gubernatorial run in the fall of 2006, yet Gov. Patrick proved many people wrong by passing a balanced budget during his first fiscal year, and a lot of people were shocked because they assumed that Democrats were tax-and-spend.

Sen. Obama's plan to pay for his proposed programs will be ending the war in Iraq, closing corporate tax loopholes, and reversing the disastrous tax cuts that President Bush instituted for the top 1 percent of wealthy folks.

Remember, when Bill Clinton was president, there was a balanced budget and rich folks were happy. Sen. Obama plans to roll back the tax cuts that were installed during the Clinton administration.

So, for folks who keep saying that he won't be able to pay for the programs, Sen. Obama has assured a "pay as you go" method. Programs won't be initiated unless he can fund it. Sen. Obama has talked about the importance of fiscal responsibility, and he doesn't want to run a tax-and-spend presidency.

Link: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080621/OPINION/806210355

So You Want to Start Your Own Business

By Dr. Clifford Robbins

Massachusetts Small Business Development Center Network

508-673-9783

Did you quit your corporate job to become self-employed because you want a balanced life? Do you want a full-time or just a part-time job? Don’t kid yourself. There are 168 hours in a week. Use 56 for sleeping, 56 for personal time, and 56 for working and getting your business started.  But you’ll be free to pick and choose the schedule yourself and make time for things that are time sensitive and important to you.

Self-employment is all about being happy and feeling fulfilled working for yourself.  But there’s a learning curve that's steep, both in practical skills and in learning to be self-employed.  Here's the scoop:

· Busy & Stressful. Be prepared to work really hard and live with constant pressure to get things done, while you grow your business and technical skills. It's very stressful.

· Cash Flow. You’ll need some money in the bank to pay the bills while you move over from your regular corporate job. Without the cash to cover the time to get the business going, it is almost impossible to make it.

· Skill Growth. There are many new skills you will learn when you become self-employed. The greatest growth areas are your skills in marketing, sales, time management, and planning. It takes a lot of forethought to plan how to do each task and project, estimate how long it will take, and plan out your work time. If you underestimate the time, it throws off all your other tasks. So you work later to catch up -- but that can come at a price of not getting enough rest. It's so easy to work all available hours, but fatigue eventually catches up. Finding a work/rest balance can be hard the first six months. Besides, didn’t you want a balanced life?

· Self-Discipline & Focus. Another two essential skills are self-discipline and focus of mind. It is so easy to "just relax" while you are at home. The trouble is very little work will get done. You have to make the billable hours to meet your income goals -- no work means no pay!  Hopefully the direct experience and consequence of your undisciplined actions should  bring about improved self-discipline, plus the need to focus your mind and get the work done when planned. You have to meet the delivery times promised to your customers, as well as handle the administrative and marketing tasks at hand. Self-discipline and focus of mind are essential to being self-employed.

· Control of Destiny. Learning and growing are the greatest joys of self-employment, as are being in total control of your own destiny; no one else is calling the shots. Success depends 100% on what you do, having a good business plan and working it.

· Work/Rest Balance. When you have complete flexibility you have to be mindful of working when your mind & body are freshest. I've found the best time to work for me is mornings, then taking a physical break around 3pm, when I'm at my lowest. With this break during the day, I often find myself working into the evenings, which is dangerous -- if you don't have some down time before going to bed, your mind doesn't switch off for the day and you wake the next morning feeling mentally tired and not rested.

· Cabin Fever. Working at home all day?  Beware of cabin fever; you have to get out of the house.  One of my great joys is going for an afternoon walk on the beach at the nearby ocean; seeing the water, sand dunes and sky in the light of day.  It’s things like this that let you know you made the right choice in self-employment -- for you are free!

You’ve become an entrepreneur for three reasons. First, you have bills to pay: food, housing, etc. So you need a job. Second, you deserve to make a profit for the risk you’re taking. And third, you should have an asset to sell in the future.  It’s a big commitment but if you’re successful there’s nothing more rewarding!

Recommended Reading

 I would like to tell the "Consumer Vision" readers about a book I
just read. It is "A complaint Free World" by Will Bowen. It will be
available through the talking book library soon.
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Bowen talk at a convention I
attended in April. I purchased the book on CD a month later. As you can
surmise by the title, the author challenges his readers to stop
complaining and be more positive.
There are purple bracelets you can order for free at
www.acomplaintfreeworld.org and when you put it on your wrist, you stop
complaining. when you catch yourself Jean Marcley
lf complaining, bragging, or gossiping, you change wrists. The goal is
to complete twenty-one consecutive days without complaining and this will
start a new habit. I have taken the challenge and it is just that - a
challenge. I am happier for it and am looking forward to completing
twenty-one days.
Will you take the challenge?

Publisher’s Note

Hi, Everyone,
 
 The Consumer Vision Magazine is looking for material to publish for the
September/October edition. If you represent an agency or consumer organization,
 you may want to tell our readers what's going on these days. If you have a
 pet peeve and wish to let us know about it, please submit your article in
 the "Your View" section, and if we find it constructive and thoughtful, we
 will publish it. If you simply want to write an article or poem about a particular subject that you feel our readers should be made aware of, by all means do so.

The Consumer Vision is also looking to sell additional ads in order to keep
running.  Please note that the Consumer Vision is being read in four
continents throughout the world and in nearly half the states in the U.S. I am still trying to find out how other magazines get started. The Consumer Vision may be a brand new magazine which is not well-known, but at one time neither was Time, the Reader's Digest or News Week. At some point, funds had to be generated for those magazines in order for circulation to increase.  The question is, how?
 
      Bob Branco, Publisher
         Consumer Vision Magazine
 
 



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Walkathon, anyone?

By Marcy Scott

They're being organized and held all over the place, and for a myriad
of worthy causes--cures for cancer, hunger, environmental awareness, Etc.
I'd really wanted to participate in many of the ones I heard about while
living in the Boston area, but the majority of them seemed to always be held
on Sundays, and that put them out of the picture for me since I'm a firm
Sunday churchgoer. So I kept longing and waiting.

But about a year after I retired and moved down here to Florida, I was
associated with a non-profit organization for the blind located about an
hour from here, and a fundraising walkathon was organized. It would be held
on a Saturday in October. Finally, I could be a part of something I'd just
heard of.
Exercise and being with other like-minded folks aren't the only benefits to
a walkathon. First, since you're trying to help raise money as well as
create awareness of your organization or cause and its needs, you have to
get sponsors. That means that if you tend to be shy about asking for
things, as I am, you have to learn to take a deep breath when you approach
people you've gotten to know over time and just hand them the sponsorship
form and explain your cause as enthusiastically as possible and hope they'll
fill out the pledge line on the form and put down a generous amount, or that
they'll either make out a nice big check right there or send one in to the
organization's address. Sometimes you don't know whether or how much any
one person will give, but you've stuck your neck out so to speak.

The next stage is getting into shape. I happen to work out at a local gym,
so this wasn't as hard as it would have been up in the Boston area before.
I did more walking on the treadmill instead of warming up for other training
on the stationary bike. I'd been advised to make sure that I had good
workout shoes and thick socks, cooler clothing, and sunscreen and water.
The husband of one of the people working at the facility was my guide. I
was able to stay overnight the night before with the organizer, so I got
there in plenty of time on the day, and after a short opening ceremony, we
were ready.

Since this was just a walkathon and didn't include runners or exact timing,
it was just a lot of fun walking together and discussing things from science
fiction movies to food to activities at the facility. We actually walked a
longer distance than the 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles of the walkathon,
because my guide didn't see where some of the chalkmarks placed for the
route were, and I think we ended up going about two blocks down a main road
past where we were supposed to make a loop back to the park from where we'd
started, but that was okay, since we got a cheer when we got back.

Usually at a well-organized walkathon, there's some sort of food served
either before and after the event, or at least after it. I can still
remember the taste of that hot-fudge sundae I got after finishing that
first walkathon, and I didn't feel a bit of guilt eating it. I can't
remember how much money we raised at our only annual walkathon, but it was
considerable for the small organization. That plus the fun of having
actually done something for a cause and having had fun doing it all made for
a really super feeling of accomplishment.

I've participated in a few walkathons since, including last year's and this
year's Vision 5K Run and Walk events held by five blindness agencies in the
Boston area. These were timed events, with really serious blind runners
getting a chance to be in an official road race, so there was a horn to
signal the start, and the thrill for me of hearing all those really fast
running feet pull ahead as I started walking with a new friend to guide me
during each of the two in which I've participated. It's really great
hearing those cheers from observers as you come to milestones on the route,
too. You can't quite believe you'll make it when people are saying: "You've
got a third of a mile to go!" But you get to that finish line, and know
that you can relax and get  something to eat. You may even see a few folks you didn't see
before the start, and, best of all, you know that you've helped your cause.
No matter how tired you are, you leave with a great feeling, even if you're
tired, sweaty, and aware of some blisters on your feet. It's really worth
it!

So, if you can get connected with a good cause of your choosing, I really
recommend walkathons. Have fun, and best of luck.

Jobs for the Blind

By Jean Marcley

I have been legally blind since about age 10. My eyesight has gotten
progressively worse over the years from this degenerative condition. I
have been able to work several jobs over the years and even own my own
business. I realize I have been and still am fortunate to have some
sight. I have not been able to read, even with a CCTV, for over 14 years

The most important thing I have learned over the years is to look at a
challenge and say, "How can I do this," instead of, "I don't know how I
could ever do this."
. Here are some of the things I have done that may help some of you with
your job search.
1. I did party-plan selling for a copper giftware company that is no
longer in business. I arranged for transportation by paying my partner
half of what I made. She drove me to meetings as well as home parties
and she helped with the paperwork at the parties. I became a district
manager and even earned a company car.
2. I partnered with my sister and we developed and presented stress
management programs at local libraries, businesses, and colleges. We
made some money and hoped to get into the "big business" corporate world.
We never did. We lived on Long Island at the time.
I took that experience and used it when I moved to North Carolina and partnered with
a woman and we presented programs on stress management, enriching your
lives,, and several other topics. We did make money and it was hard
work. I did love the work.
3. I taught low-fat cooking classes in my home and at a local community
center. I just used the information I had been gathering over the last
several years to stay on my own low-fat diet. I also taught it as
continuing education at a local high school for 2 or 3 semesters.
4. I worked as a salesperson in a futon shop, then became manager, then
bought it. I went out of business in 1994.
5. Services for the Blind in NC paid for me to go to school and take the
classes necessary for me to become a substance abuse counselor. I began
working at a halfway house for men in recovery 30 hours a week for a
grand total of $7.50 per hour in 1996. I did get dental benefits and the
hours were from noon until 7 p.m. I absolutely loved that job and was
able to continue collecting disability. The job went away after a few
years because of lack of funding.
6. I reworked part of my stress management program and presented "Worry
Shmorry" programs at churches as I traveled around the country with my
husband. This was very challenging as our schedule had to be planned
months in advance. I made some money at it and am now working on my
"Worry Shmorry" book.
7. I am now a Marketing Executive with a MLM company, FreeLife
International. I share the joys of drinking Himalayan Goji juice, called
GoChi, and am making a few hundred dollars a month. All I have to do is
be able to talk on the phone, buy one case of juice per month, (which my
commission is paying for), and I can just keep moving up the ladder. My
goal is to be earning $1000 per month part time by the end of this year.
The business investment is less than $40 and all the tools you need are
available from the company.
I would be happy to share any of these experiences with you. You can
email me at: jmarcley@juno.com 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2008

BEYOND THE REASON WHY

BY EDWIN COONEY

Like most everyone else, almost any time I hear of a tragedy, the first reaction that enters my mind or crosses my lips consists of the word—why?  Very often, however, the question why just isn’t enough.

The tragedy that has recently gripped my attention happened during the third week in January in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania about six miles from Center City, Philadelphia.  Fifty-three year-old Barbara Killian -- blinded from an accident when she was a baby -- and her little white lap dog A-Rod died in the basement of their home by the hand of Barbara’s eighty-four-year-old father Robert Killian who then turned the gun on himself.  Mr. Killian had just been released from a local hospital having been treated for advanced cardiovascular disease.  Convinced that he didn’t have long to live, Mr. Killian apparently believed he had to provide a permanent solution for what he perceived would be Barbara’s troubles in his earthly absence.  Thus, believing, as he did, that Barbara would be both alone and helpless in the world, he decided that her life should end with his.  So, sometime between Tuesday, January 15, when Killian was released from the hospital, and Saturday evening, January 19 at six pm, Robert Killian shot Barbara, their little dog, and himself to death in the basement of their home on Cheswold Road. 

According to the sum of all reports out of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania:  Barbara and Robert Killian had lived alone since the death of Shirley, Barbara’s mother and Robert’s wife, in 2001; the Killians “minded their own business”; Robert Killian was extremely protective of Barbara; and, finally, there was a lot of love in the Killian home as evidenced by Mr. Killian’s constant devotion to Barbara.

So there you have it: the who, the what, the where, the when, and, superficially, the why of the story. Surely, however, knowledge of these guidelines which every news reporter knows brings one no satisfaction.  If you’re anything like me, perhaps you need to pause and take it all in before reading on.

In the emotional wake that occurs as one learns of this tragedy, there is the natural tendency to be outraged, not only with Killian’s murder of his daughter, but even more with what was clearly his demeaning attitude about Barbara’s very existence as a person with blindness.  There are reports that neighbors called area social services from time to time to complain that Barbara was being “held captive” by her parents in her home, the response to which caused the Killians to retreat further into seclusion with their daughter.  Inevitably, one wonders what exactly went on in that household upon Mr. Killian’s January 15th return from the hospital.  How long had Robert Killian contemplated this irrevocable deed?  What religious or moral matters did Mr. Killian consider before taking Barbara to the basement of their home to meet her death?  Did Killian tell Barbara in advance of his intention or was there a reasoned or even gentle pretext to the basement visit?  Did Robert Killian see his act as one of love or one of despair?

Information out of greater Philadelphia regarding Barbara Killian’s existence is sketchy but still revealing.  A 1973 graduate of Overbrook School for the Blind, Barbara was shy, intelligent and fun loving.  She was a baseball fan of the Yankees, especially Alex Rodriguez whom she had met through an organization for the blind.  Thus, she named her little dog A-Rod.

What happened to Barbara Killian has to be very personal on some level to everyone who lives with a disability—especially those who live with blindness.  All of us, whether born able-bodied or disabled, are vulnerable to our parents’ individual environments, values, and attitudes.  Even more relevant to the Killian family tragedy is the strong parental instinct, the overwhelming need to protect our children from the world’s many outrages.

While we’re certainly justified in our righteous anger toward Robert Killian, that anger alone is as destructive to you and me as Killian’s thirty-eight caliber pistol was to Barbara.  It would be more helpful, I think, for us all to re-examine what it means to love and protect one another as well as one’s children.

It would be arrogant for any of us to question Mr. Killian’s love for his daughter.  However, Robert and Shirley Killian’s love for Barbara was clearly misdirected as evidenced by their decision to reject a college scholarship, choosing to have her stay at home instead of broadening her horizons.  Their legitimate mission was to protect her life and to empower others to ensure her security after they were gone.  It’s quite apparent that Mr. Killian was more overwhelmed by his fears than he was sustained by “the better angels of his nature.”

Nothing we can say or write, no wish we can wish, no prayer we may pray can undo what was done to Barbara Killian by her father.    Love is a powerful force.  As such it can nurture, sustain, encourage, and therefore foster growth and even greater love.  However, if love is administered with jealousy or fear, it can destroy.  It appears that the Killians’ powerful love for Barbara went awry and, hence, it destroyed.

Sadly, Robert Killian believed that the world wasn’t sufficiently trustworthy to match his love for Barbara, hence he took her with him for her own protection.

Happily, most of us know that the world is worthy because you and I are worthy of the kind of love that sustains and nurtures.

So, in the words of a hit song from the 1970s:  “Let your love flow…”

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY

Your View

Hi Bob. I'm glad the email version of "The Consumer Vision" is not in
jeopardy. It is a great magazine, and I always look forward to each new
issue. I would like to bring up the issue of vocational/rehabilitation
services. Lately I've been thinking a lot about them and how they need to be
improved. One question that has crossed my mind over the past several years
is how can it be that some states are better off than others in this regard?
Illinois, the state in which I have resided for more than 20 years, used to
have a separate commission for the blind but it was then consolidated with
the rest of the Department of Human Services. How is it that the American
Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind simply refuse
to see eye to eye in this regard? After years of separation, one would think
that these two organizations could at least make some type of amends with
one another. What's more, there is already so much hostility in the world
over other things. Take the war in Iraq for example, and other wars in which
the US has taken place or is currently involved with. Regardless of how one
feels about war, services for those of us with disabilities have improved so
little that one cannot help but stop and wonder what is going on. I think
this raises the question of to what extent politics and disability should
mix, or should they mix at all. I've also been curious about what tactics
the ACB and NFB took when they were together. Were they constantly at odds
with each other, as they are now? What about counseling services? Have these
two organizations ever considered the idea that some of their members and/or
leaders might seek help from a mental health therapist or other
professional? Disability is not something to be ashamed of. It's merely part
of the human experience, just as race, sex, religion or anything else is. At
least that is how I view disability. That also seems to be the credo
embraced by the NFB these days. I'm not trying to steer people away from
seeking professional help if they need it. I have friends who are being seen
by these kinds of therapists, and I did so for a brief period of time. I
don't wish to detail anything about my experience with my therapist, but
what I will say is that I did something and got in some serious trouble.
However, I am now moving on with my life and have put all ill will on my
part behind me. There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in seeking help
from a therapist. What I am trying to say, however, is that nobody should be
allowed to tell others with disabilities how to think or what to do. That
includes VR services. The counselors and their superiors aren't the
recipients and we are. Furthermore, what one person needs differs from what
another person needs. This is what has been happening to a large extent in
the blindness community though, and it needs to stop. Let's talk about
Illinois, for a brief example. We have the greatest number of people with
disabilities still living in institutions and not out in the community. By
being institutionalized, these people don't have much of a social life if
any social life at all. We have what might be one of the worst public
transit systems in the country, possibly with the exception of California.
I've never lived in California, but I've heard their public transit system
discussed online and off line. Then there is the VR agency in Illinois. What
the heck is state government doing, if they're not interested in improving
these services? Are they simply spending all that money on unnecessary and
costly wars and other perks, and then retaliating against people who don't
go along with that way of thinking? I think I can answer that one with an
emphatic "yes!" Have the ACB and the NFB actually made any good attempts at
sitting down with public officials and trying--yes trying--to come to some
sort of agreement here? Aside from the sit-in which took place in San
Francisco a number of years ago, has there ever been any kind of attempt to
straighten things out? Those of us with disabilities pay taxes just as
anyone else does. Therefore, it is only fair for us to expect services which
are of good quality and which don't exclude anyone at all. Other minority
groups--even other disability groups--have for years had rights that we in
the blindness community don't have. This is simply outrageous and something
needs to be done about it! Stop spreading the myths about blind and
visually-impaired people! I think those people to whom I'm referring know
who they are.
Once again, thanks for a wonderful magazine and keep up the good work.


Yours sincerely,
Jake Joehl, Evanston, IL

Catch a Vision

By Allison Vigna

Hello Everyone!

I am going to respond to a question that I have recently been asked several times and that is: "Who is Jesus Christ?"

I have 50 statements that I have compiled according to the Word of God. (Aka... The Bible).

If there are any questions or comments please email me @
Allisonallyktz7@aol.com

Please do your homework on this subject matter because if you are not seeking him for oneself then one cannot find.

The Word of God says SEEK and YOU SHALL FIND.

Thank you to all the readers

GOD BLESS YOU

The Consumer Vision Trivia Contest

Here is the answer to the trivia question submitted in The Consumer Vision, May/June edition.  On the soap opera, Days of Our Lives, Steve Johnson’s nickname is Patch.  Congratulations to the following winners:

Sharon Costa of New Bedford, Massachusetts

Jan Colby of Brockton, Massachusetts

Gert Moore of New Bedford, Massachusetts

Valerie Morris of Westfield, Massachusetts

Emily Wong of Dartmouth, Massachusetts

Brandi Bills of Monoma, Wisconsin

Retha Reed of Harrisonburg, Virginia

Mary Reis of Fall River, Massachusetts

And now, here is your trivia question for the July/August edition of the Consumer Vision:  Who is the sister of tennis player Venus Williams?  If you know the answer, please email us at branco182@worldnet.att.net or give our office a call at 508-994-4972.

Dan’s Kitchen

Potato Salad   

This is a simple dish to make, but if you are going to make more than four portions, you should give yourself three hours to prepare the salad and three hours to cool the salad in the fridge.   So you may want to prepare this dish one day ahead of serving.

You can make a semi large potato salad and use it over a three or four day period.

On Average, you can figure on: 2 medium to large potatoes, 1 egg and a quarter of an onion per portion.  So, for six portions you would use about 12 medium to large potatoes, six eggs and a quarter of an onion per person, or 1 and one half good-sized onions.    

The day you are going to eat the salad, you mix in the mayonnaise into the portion you are going to use or you can put in the mayonnaise for the entire recipe.

Ingredients for six portions:

About 12medium to large potatoes, or two potatoes per person,

6 eggs, or one egg per portion,

A teaspoon of mayonnaise per person,

1 shake of salt for each person and one twist of black pepper.

And 1/2 teaspoon of bacon bits per person optional.

You can buy the bacon bits at your grocery store, or make them at home. 

   The bacon recipe has been given to you under a triple recipe, which included pancakes, bacon and syrup and melted butter in Your October 2007 edition of this magazine.

Utensils:

I use a cutting board inside a cookie sheet to cut up all of my ingredients so as to limit my mess to the interior of the cookie sheet.  Because I am lazy, I do all of my chopping at the kitchen table sitting down. 

One semi large saucepan with cover,

Medium bowl for your eggs,

One small bowl for your onions,

One small container for your bacon bits,

One large container or bowl to mix the entire salad and store it in the fridge,

Cutting board,

Knife,

Potato peeler,

Cookie sheet,

Piece of foil or Saran wrap to cover your bowl of salad. 

And timer. 

Directions:

1.  Check to make sure you have all of the needed ingredients and utensils.

2.  Take your eggs out of the fridge to partially bring them to room temperature.

3. Fill your pan half full of water and put your burner on high.  Also cover the pan. 

4.  Begin washing your potatoes under running water and take out the eyes if there are any.

5.  Fill your large bowl with water and, at the sink, start peeling your potatoes and putting them in the bowl with water. 

   As a rule, you should keep raw potatoes under water so that they will not turn brown.

6.  When your water begins to bubble gently, drop your eggs in to the pan so that they will not break.

7.   Now, set your timer for 7/8 minutes.

8.  Return to peeling your potatoes.

9.  Now cut your potatoes in to bite size pieces and keep them under water

10. Peal and chop your onions.  If pressed for time you can use your food processor to chop your onions,

   But it is better if you chop your onions by hand, but finely.

11. By now your timer should have rung.  When it does pour your eggs gently into a colander in the sink.

12. Refill your pan half full of water and put your heat on high in preparation for your potatoes.

13.  After your eggs have cooled somewhat, crack them on the edge of the sink and remove shells..   

   You can save your eggs shells for your compose pile, if you have one.

14.  Go back to chopping your onions.

15.  When your water begins to boil, bubble gently pour in your potatoes so that they will not splash and burn you.

16.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and put your heat on medium high.

17.  Now begin chopping up your eggs in to small pieces and place into a bowl, which you can put temporarily in the fridge.

18.  When your timer rings, get out your slotted spoon and spoon up some potatoes.  Then carefully bring your spoon to the sink and put on some cold water to cool your potatoes so that you can taste them for their "doneness". 

You want your potatoes cooked but not soft.

   You will get the hang of it after a few tries.

19.  You now pour in all of your ingredients into a large bowl. Only some at a time, so they will mix well.  Use your squarish rubber spatula to do the mixing.

20.  This is the time to mix in your shakes of salt and twists from your peppermill One shake or twist per serving.

21.  If you prefer to only mix in the mayonnaise just before serving, you just spoon into a separate bowl the amount of potatoes, eggs and onions you plan on serving that day.

22.  I am lazy so I mix in all of the mayonnaise at one time and keep the salad well covered in the fridge until I finish eating it in the next four or five days.

23.  Regardless, You now mix in your teaspoons of mayonnaise. The recipe calls for one teaspoon per portion, you will probably want to use more than prescribed, it is a matter of taste and everyone's taste is different.

24.  Optional, after mixing in my mayonnaise, I mix in my bacon bits a half a teaspoon per person or portion.

25.  As noted above you can keep this salad for 4 or 5 days in the fridge, if it is well covered. 

The end!!