The Consumer Vision, September, 2007
Bob Branco, Editor-in-Chief/Publisher

Braille Production: Perkins School for the Blind
CD Production, Robert Zeida
Cassette Production, MAB Community Services
Print Production, Alpha Graphics
Formatting, Diane Bataglia
Proof-reading, Kathy Arruda
Treasurer, Maureen Bussey

Advisory Committee: Dan Germano, Marianne Martin, Lisa Saulnier, Charles Soforenko, Gail Teixeira and Clayton Wall

We, at the Consumer Vision, would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Larry Teixeira. Larry served on our advisory committee for several months, and he will be missed greatly. 

If you would like a free subscription to the Consumer Vision in hard copy six times a year, please let us know by including your name and mailing address in an email to bobbranco93@gmail.com or by phoning the Consumer Vision office at 508-994-4972. For our email subscribers, we will continue to send you the Consumer Vision in this format if you so desire.

We, at the Consumer Vision would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your thoughtful contributions. I believe that our readers enjoy and benefit from the information that you provide. We ask that you please
proof-read your work to the best of your ability before sending it to us. Again, thank you for your very informative articles on issues that we don't discuss often enough.

HUMAN INTEREST STORIES

Blind Customers Take Action Against the Cell Phone Industry
August 2, 2007

Washington, DC - Blind and visually impaired customers are taking legal action against the cell phone industry in an effort to improve cell phone accessibility.  This week, 11 customers from across the country filed complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which enforces Section 255, the law that requires phones to be designed to be accessible for people with disabilities.  Complaints were filed against both the cell phone carriers and manufacturers.

These complaints illustrate a market failure on the part of the cell phone industry to address accessibility," said Paul Schroeder, VP, Programs and Policy Group at the American Foundation for the Blind.  "While some companies have taken steps, consumers with vision loss have few good options for accessibility, and almost no reliable information about accessibility."

There is a growing need for accessible phones given the increasing rates of vision loss.  Experts predict that by 2030, rates of severe vision loss will double along with the country's aging population. For people with vision loss, finding a cell phone with a readable screen or with voice output of essential features like menus or text messages is almost impossible.  Some companies, like AT&T, have taken the lead on providing accessible phones.  But too often the handsets and services are not designed to be user-friendly for those who are blind or visually impaired.  Earlier this month, AFB initiated a campaign called 255 Action to help people with vision loss understand access requirements, and if necessary, file complaints.  As part of that campaign, AFB sent letters to leading cell phone service providers and manufacturers asking what they are doing to meet the needs of people with vision loss.  Frequent complaints from blind and visually impaired cell phone customers include: cell phones which do not provide for audio output of information displayed on the screen; the visual displays on most phones are hard to read; numeric and control keys are not easy to distinguish by touch; and product manuals or phone bills are not available in Braille,  large print, or other formats they can read.  The complaints filed with the FCC came from customers in Florida, Georgia, Colorado, California, and West Virginia.

QUOTES FROM FCC FILINGS

Problems Purchasing Equipment

”In November 2006, I asked for assistance in identifying and purchasing a new telephone.  The agent was completely uninformed regarding available phones with built-in accessibility features for a blind user.  Indeed, the representative did not even understand what features a blind user would need in purchasing a phone. " Melissa Green, Greeley, CO

Phones Features Are Inaccessible

"I cannot text message, surf the Internet, or use the phonebook. Additionally, the numbers displayed on the keypad are too small for me to read, thus I have to use the voice recognition feature to call contacts in my phonebook.  This poses some limitations, because I can only program in ten names, yet I have many more contacts than this amount."  Douglas Brooks, Winston, GA

"Even after setting my phone's level of brightness to the highest level, I still have to use a closed circuit television (CCTV) to read the text displayed.  This magnification device is quite large, encompassing a television set with a similar sized stand.  This defeats the "mobile" aspect of my phone, since I have to wait until I am at home to enter contacts in the phonebook, change settings, etc."  Richard Rueda, Union City, CA.

Documentation Is Inaccessible

"Upon receiving my phone, I was given an inaccessible print manual explaining how to use the phone.  However, because I am totally blind, I cannot read the text on the instruction manual.  My phone's instruction manual is in a pdf file, which I have difficulty accessing with my computer's screen reading software because graphical representations are used to instruct a person on how to use the phone." George Roberts, Orlando, FL

Phones With Access Software Cost More

"In order to access the features of the MotorolaQ, I had to make an additional out-of-pocket purchase of Mobile Speaks (a screen reader) to access the cell phone features.  While this phone is more accessible than the Katana with my add-on software, it was quite expensive, and I would not have purchased it if my previous phone was accessible.  Being blind forced me to stretch my budget to the limits in order to have access to my cell phone's features." Tony Claive, Winter Park, FL

Customer Service Is Inadequate and Accessibility Features/Information are Unavailable

"I went to my local Sprint store, and explained that I was legally blind and looking for an accessible cell phone.  The salesperson did let me know about getting my bill in large print format. Sprint's representatives were unable to provide me with a description of the accessibility and compatibility features of  their phones." Dennis Wyant, Melbourne, FL

Media Contact:
Adrianna Montague-Gray AFB Communications 212-502-7675 amontaguegray@afb.net

Press Release at www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=3596

To subscribe or to leave the list, or to set other subscription options, go to:
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MA Healthcare is Not Affordable
By A. Rivers
Ms. Rivers is a One Family scholar.

Health insurance is extremely important, no matter what type of income individuals have; the entire community deserves affordable healthcare state wide; parents and individuals should not have to be dirt poor in order to be eligible for healthcare. I am grateful for the restoration that MassHealth added regarding coverage with dental, eye, prosthetic and chiropractic care - it's a step in the right direction; however, there is still more adjustments that have to be made.

The following key points are crucial, and The Connector Board, which oversees and promotes health care coverage across the Commonwealth, needs to hear from those who are affected:

§ Make sure that the new health care plans include dental coverage. Dental care is highly important because unhealthy teeth cause detrimental consequences. Gum disease, rotting teeth, and sadly, there have been individuals who have died due to lack of ongoing teeth care.

§ Eliminate unrealistic lifetime limits on benefits.  Right now, there is a $500,000 limit. If this limit runs out, how are individuals supposed to continue to take care of themselves?

§ Limit deductibles and co-pays. Currently, under draft regulations, deductibles are limited to $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families, with an overall cap of $10,000 for all out-of-pocket expenses, including premiums. This is going to be tough for individuals who are on fixed incomes.

I would like to thank The Connector Board for making the following amendments so far: (1), The Connector Board removed premiums for people making fewer than 150% of poverty (about $15,000 for individuals, $30,000 for families of 4); (2) it is now required that subsidized health plans include prescription drug coverage as part of the benefit package, and (3) premiums were removed for children’s health insurance for parents receiving subsidized care whose children receive MassHealth. These amendments have helped the affordability level for affordable healthcare.

When making health insurance more affordable for the community, economically it affords better health for individuals. Lack of affordable healthcare affects low, middle, and high income individuals across the board, and there is simple evidence of that. Unaffordable healthcare puts massive economic, social, and psychological costs on everyone. These costs affect us individually, as a community and as a country. The general public winds up paying a heavy price for allowing unaffordable healthcare to walk among us, and all of society pays the price: hospitals and health insurers spend more time treating preventable illnesses, taxpayers pay for problems that could have been prohibited, and funeral directors bury people who never should have passed away. When we speak of affordable healthcare, these are the issues that truly undermine us and the system as a whole.

As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “True compassion is more than flinging a coin at a beggar; it understands that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.”

My entire life (before my son was born) I didn’t have health insurance because it was too expensive; hopefully, some more changes will take place in the near future, but The Connector Board needs to hear our stories.

Contact The Connector Board, and tell them why the “affordable” healthcare plan is unaffordable:

Jon Kingsdale, Executive Director
Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority
100 City Hall Plaza
Boston, MA 02108

Main Number: 617-933-3030

E-mail: Connector@state.ma.us

Tuesday July 17, 2007
The Guardian


Earlier this year, doctors at Moorfields Eye
Hospital, London, began the world's first gene
therapy trials to treat 12 patients who have Leber's congenital amaurosis, a condition that causes progressive sight loss. Following successful animal trials (said to have restored the vision of blind dogs so they could navigate a maze without difficulty), it is hoped that the technique, which involves injecting working copies of faulty genes directly into the retina, will prove equally effective when carried out on humans. The results will not be made public for a year but, if the technique works, scientists hope it could eventually be used to treat a wide range of inherited sight disorders affecting up to 30,000 visually impaired people in the UK and potentially millions more worldwide. The first viable treatment for blindness is twinkling on the horizon and as one reader said on a national newspaper message board discussing the trials, "The possibility of being able to give improved sight to people with visual impairments is a great development for the human race." But what of the people we seek to repair? Those who have been born blind and those, like me, who are losing or have lost their vision. Is this what we have been waiting for? Is it "a great development for the human race", or a step forward in the eugenic quest for an uber-race, free of imperfection and rid of the unease about disability that nestles quietly in society's pocket?

For the past 13 years I have been losing my sight, due to a genetic and incurable condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP causes the photoreceptive cells on the retina to die off, causing, in my case, tunnel vision. I liken it to looking at the world down the middle of two toilet rolls. My central vision remains intact, but where once was peripheral vision now float only my thoughts. In time these "loo" rolls will shrink to knotholes and then pinholes and then possibly nothing.

In the early years after my diagnosis, blindness remained a repulsive and terrifying concept. Every year I would visit the doctor and he would say the same thing - that I must live and plan my life with the certainty that blindness was inevitable. And so, slowly over time, that is what I learned to do. But now the advent of gene therapy has pushed open a chink in the door. Disabled people have long asked themselves the hypothetical "would you be cured if you could?" question. Now, for the first time, there is a chance, albeit very small, that maybe one day I might actually get my sight back.

Hurrah, you cry. I must be thrilled. Actually, I am a bit confused. It is easy to assume that all visually impaired people will be hammering down the doors should genetherapy prove successful. But to say this is to assume that a blind life is lesser and that all blind people really want to be sighted. Theydon't. The first blind man I ever met, who also happened to be my boss at the time, is one of them. I recently asked him if he would have gene therapy if he could. "No", came his reply. Because, he tells me, regaining sight is more than just seeing again.

There are issues of identity and culture at stake too. "As the blind-from-birth son of blind
parents, I am, in part of my soul, defined by my blindness," he explains. "It directly equates to ethnic or racial origin. If you give a black person the choice to be white there may well be significant advantages in such a deal: more access to better jobs; freedom from the shackles of ignorant prejudice; in short, a step closer to equality. But I'd bet most would turn the offer down flat."

But what if, unlike my old boss, you haven't always been blind? What if, like me, you grew up with full vision and have seen all the cliche-ridden things that those born totally blind are pitied for never having seen - the sunset, your own reflection, the look in your lover's eyes. What if your soul is sighted, and then you go blind?

You will cry and wonder why. You will hope and pray. You will wish it would all go away. But the longer your sight has been on the slide, the more it seeps into every crack of your psyche - until one day
you are no longer the "sighted person" who can't see any more. Somehow, strangely, in the dead of night, your identity has rolled over in bed and you wake up and get out the other side a "visually impaired person" - and it feels like part of you.

It doesn't happen overnight, and perhaps it doesn't happen to all who sail the strange seas of sight loss with me. But for me there came a point when impending blindness was no longer my alien but my friend. I had had my time as a sighted person. I had seen the world through my eyes. Now it was time to touch it and smell it and hear it.

When you lose your vision you have to re-learn the sorts of things that will allow you to survive on the planet, such as crossing the road without being flattened. Next you must tackle the real problem and learn to deal with the attitudes of others as they morph around you. Misconceptions start to spout from even your oldest friends' mouths because negative attitudes about blindness permeate us all.

You are about to cross over into the dark side and see what wriggles and writhes on the underbelly of society. Folk will see you as the sufferer, the pitiful, the afflicted, the subhuman - that's you, yes, you. If you use a cane or a dog, people will stare as you walk down the street. People will assume you are more lacking in intelligence than your sighted counterpart. People you have never met before will ask if you want children, and if you do, they will ask if the kids will have the same condition that you have, and whether that is right or wrong. Welcome. Your reproductive autonomy is in the docks of the moral courts of the nation's minds.

So if this underbelly is so wretched, surely if the time comes when the doctors are looming forth with a needle containing the working version of my faulty gene and heralding the promise of a new day, one with a bright sunset and me at the wheel of a fast car, I'll take it, right? Anything to escape? No. Saying yes toseeing again, even for someone who wasn't born blind, isn't easy. Therepercussions would ripple beyond my eyes into my friendships, my work, my relationship.

Would I retain the unity I have with my disabled brethren if I could see? Or would I have different friends, the type who fall by the wayside now because they are not aware or empathetic, or are too aesthetically obsessed? Would I lose the friends with whom I have nothing in common but who remain in myphone book because they get the blindness thing? And would it be right to dump them just because I can see and don't need their empathy any more? If I stepped into the pool of "normal people" again, where would my identity go?

The kernel of who I am has been sucked into a new body; now it would have to be sucked back into the old one. And what of my relationship? Would we stay together or would I run off to do all the things I never got to do before? There is a high rate of separation among couples where one person gets a guide dog for the first time. Why? Because suddenly they can do things on their own again. This new-found independence shifts the balance and cracks appear. If this can happen with a dog, think what could happen with a pair of fully working eyes and a car

Going blind isn't a smooth ride, though. It comes down and squishes you under an insurmountable weight of grief and disbelief. It is limiting, frustrating and changes the way you do many of the things you used to enjoy - now you must dance with the light on and drive from the back seat. But like the affirmation
of near death, it affects more than just your physicality. It gives you a unique perspective. It is a grand experiment that most don't get to try; to observe as yourbrain rewires and watch as the human body adapts in infinite ways. When my vision began to get worse, I bumped into everything in my path because I was still careering down the pavement at the speed of someonewho could see. As my mind caught up with my eyes, I changed the way I walked - with more caution and less speed - and the perpetual bumping and tripping stopped.

Losing your sight is not like just shutting your eyes. The loss is so gradual that as one sense dies others grow. Suddenly you can smell the world and sense when someone is standing out of your line of vision. Your brain grows on the inside and things on the outside start to matter less. I get to live my life twice over in two different bodies (the sighted one I used to have and the partially sighted one I now have), and with that comes the privilege of spying on the world and its intricacies from multiple vantage points.

It's a cliche to say that disabled people are nicer. It is incorrect, in fact. But for me, vision loss has made me more empathetic and more open- minded. I have to take so often that I give more freely. When you rely on friends to take you down Oxford Street or a stranger to get you across the road, you think more consciously about what you give back and battle with the feeling that you need them more than they need you. But, strangely, I am happier like this than if I had carried on down the middle lane to mediocre city never having seen or felt real loss and known how to appreciate the good things around me.

I have met people I would never have met had I been sighted, and we have been joined together by the common bond of disability (and there is no glue that sets as hard as that squeezed from the pores of a minority). When part of your body starts to die you feel what it is to be human. You wake up from the slumber of being just another idiot with an iPod because you are forced to work out the bigger questions. Or at least ask them" Why am I here? Why is this happening?" You are alert to the immediacy and fragility of your life. You know that the choices of the modern age do not and can not extend into every realmof your life. You can't choose to see (at least not yet). This is it. The upshot? You live in the moment. You settle for your lot and love it.

The concept of sight loss as a positive thing is an elusive one. It is hard to grasp when you have experienced it; and even harder to grasp when you haven't. It is not something I would have chosen, but it is not something I wish hadn't happened. Would I like to stop it getting worse? Yes, because I'm only human and sometimes I lie awake worrying how I'll cope when it's all gone. But would I like to have gene therapy and see perfectly again? Five years ago I'd have said yes. Now I'm not sure, because if this experiment of going blind has taught me anything, it is that what you lose in one place you gain elsewhere, and while a blind life is different to a sighted life, it is not lesser.

 And ultimately it is better than having no life at all.
Rebecca Atkinson's play Playing God is at the
Soho Theatre, London, from July 24 to August 4.
sohotheatre.com

Can Grade Two Braille Spell Trouble?
    By Bob Branco

When Braille is taught, it is usually taught in steps.  First, there is “Grade One” Braille, which consists of the entire Braille alphabet and some punctuation. As a Braille user becomes more advanced and efficient with the language, he is taught “Grade Two” Braille. Grade Two Braille offers a series of contractions, which most people would call short-hand. I suppose that the inventor of Braille decided to designate a series of words as abbreviations and then taught to the blind. For example, each letter of the alphabet in Grade Two Braille, accept for the letters A, I, and O, represents a whole word. The letter B is written as “But”, the letter C is written as “Can”, etc. To get to the point of this article, I will now give you a letter that stands for a bigger word. The letter K in Grade Two Braille means the word “Knowledge.” Assuming that most blind children who learn Braille are either in first or second grade, many may be learning these Grade Two contractions before they actually learn how to spell the actual real word as sighted children do. Did you know how to spell knowledge when you were 6 years old? If you learned Braille at age 6, and learned how to write the word knowledge by simply writing the letter K, chances are you’d never have to know how to spell knowledge, unless you took up typing or word processing and needed to learn that word.

Grade Two Braille also offers different symbols for other words, such as "And", "For", "With", "The" and "Of". Am I suggesting that little children didn’t know how to spell these words before learning these Braille contractions? No, but I actually do know a 32-year-old Braille reader who spells the word “With” as “Width.” When I saw that in some of her correspondence recently, I couldn’t help think about the possibility that learning Braille contractions at a very young age may exempt some Braille users from ever having to learn the real spellings.

Here is one more example of my concern. Another feature in Grade Two Braille are abbreviated contractions. For example, the word “Could” is taught as “CD”, the word “good” is taught as “GD”, and the word “Your” is taught as “YR.” One day, a young blind boy was in a spelling class.  He was about 8 years old, and a very good Braille reader. The teacher asked him how to spell “Good”, and he answered, “GD.” I’m sure you can imagine the look on the teacher’s face when he spelled it that way. Yet, to the little boy’s credit, he probably never knew how the word “Good” was really spelled because he learned the Grade Two contraction in first grade, while all sighted first graders would have to learn the real spelling.

For my blind readers of the Consumer Vision, I ask you, am I making too much out of this? For my sighted readers, I have a suggestion. If you know a young blind child who’s learning Braille, it may not be a bad idea for you to make sure that he or she learns the real spellings of Grade Two Braille contractions, if, for no other reason, to avoid embarrassment as he or she gets older. By the way, I have a confession to make. When I learned Braille at 8 years old, I did not know how to spell knowledge until after I learned the Braille contraction for that word.

       A Poem by Susan Small

God's love is like a hot cup of tea on

          a crisp chilly night.

 His love is exciting like the autumn leaves

                 in splendid colors.

 His love is like a brook babbling with love

               that never runs out.

 His love does not condemn, it simply taps

  you on the shoulder and says be careful.

        His love is like a peaceful night,

 with the stars that sparkle in the evening sky.

                He says you are special.

 God reaches out his hand and grasps ours,

             and says you are mine.

 God wants the best for us like a loving

                       friend.

 His love was so strong that he gave the

final sacrifice by dying on a wooden cross,

  so our eyes would be focused on him,

    with purpose, grace, and meaning.

By Susan Small

 Aug 12,2007 

The Culture of Disrespect
by J. Smith
Atlanta, Georgia

Excerpted from Editorial letter section of Ebony Magazine, August 2007 edition. In a letter titled "The Culture of Disrespect," J. Smith from Atlanta, Georgia addresses the "N" word and the firing of Don Imus.

"I recently read the article, "The Culture of Disrespect: How Did We Get Here?" (July 2007 Ebony Magazine article) by Adrienne Samuels. Should Don Imus have been fired? Yes, and so should many other leaders and celebrities for similar or worse comments of disrespect. Many individuals and groups, including rap artists who use vulgar and demeaning lyrics, should be fired from their jobs – and this society. If you believe otherwise, it means that you are practicing a double standard; you are also a hypocrite who will reap what you sow.

If we are so sensitive to racial insults, why do we financially support so many rap and hip-hop artists' productions? As Ben Franklin said: "Common sense ain't so common."

If you agree or disagree, you can write: Letters to the editor:

Ebony Magazine
820 S. Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605

WHY?
by D.L.

Why do people commit suicide?

Why do people cut themselves?

Why do girls become Anorexic and Bulimic?

Why do kids bring guns to school?

Why do kids get depressed...so they start using meds, and abusing them?

Why do girls feel the need to act like sluts to impress guys?

Why can't people show their sexuality freely without worrying about being judged?

In the Bill Of Rights, it says we have FREEDOM OF SPEECH! So why are we so afraid to speak up for ourselves?

I KNOW WHY.

Cliques.

Society in general.

We live in a world where if you're not skinny, not beautiful, not sexy, not straight...you’re tortured, abused and humiliated. We say that we are all equal but there is still racism, sexism, and people judging others based on there religion, color, size, heritage, etc.

IS THIS AMERICAN?

IS THIS THE NATION WE LIVE IN AND FIGHT WARS TO SUPPORT?

Social Security Offers Choices for Individuals Who are Blind and/or Deaf
By Chuck Stovall

About 28 million Americans are deaf or hard of hearing, and more than
eight million are blind or visually impaired. Many of these individuals are
older Americans and over the next 30 years, as the baby-boomer generation
ages, the number of adults who are visually impaired or who are hard of
hearing is expected to grow substantially.

That is why Social Security is at the forefront of government agencies
working to make all information and services available to these individuals.

For the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

Deaf and hard of hearing individuals are encouraged to visit Social
Security's website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov to file for benefits or
to find information about a wide range of Social Security topics.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing also can call Social Security
at its TTY number, 1- 800-325-0778. They can ask for information, or can
immediately file for retirement, survivors and Medicare benefits without an
appointment using a TTY/TDD machine. This service is available from Monday
through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Callers applying for benefits should have
certain documents in hand, such as their birth certificate, most recent W-2,
military service and bank account information.

The paperwork completed by TTY/TDD during the initial contact will be
mailed to the applicant for review and a signature. The applicant may return
the printed claim by mail or in person to his or her local Social Security
office. Along with the signed form, Social Security also needs certain
documents, such as a person's birth certificate and proof of citizenship or
residency to establish eligibility for Social Security benefits. An
applicant can either mail or take these items to a local Social Security office.

For the Blind and Visually Impaired:

Blind or visually impaired individuals who have personal computers
with screen readers can access information on our website,
www.socialsecurity.gov.

Screen reading programs "read" text on the screen
and convert the text to speech through a speech synthesizer or sound card.
More detailed information about this capability is available at
www.socialsecurity.gov/accessibility.htm

Visually impaired visitors to our website can quickly change the text
size on their computer to make the information easier to read. This is done
through the "Web Eyes" plug-in, which is available free on the
www.socialsecurity.gov homepage. Web Eyes can increase text size from 10
to 144 points, in two-point increments.

The Social Security web site also lists publications for blind or
visually impaired people. Materials are available in Braille, audio cassette
tape, disk, or enlarged print form. Visitors can order a free copy of a
publication in the format desired while online, or by calling Social
Security at 1-800-772- 1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) .

Chuck Stovall is assistant district manager for the Social Security
Administration, New Albany, Ind. If you have questions about Social
Security, email him at charlesjstovall@ssa.gov. Or, call your local Social
Security Office.

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Pen Pal Section

Please read the following profiles and feel free to respond.  Your responses will appear in the November edition of the Consumer Vision if your pen pal wants that. You may also respond privately if your pen pal asks you to do so. If that’s the case, we will not publish your response.

Hi all I’m Lucia Costa. I live in New Bedford, Massachusetts. I’m a 33 year old female looking to make some new friends in the same age range . I'd like to hear from people who may be totally blind and especially sighted Catholic Christians.

I’m a Roman Catholic and my relationship with Jesus Christ is my most important relationship.

I’m a very adventurous person, meaning I like to explore many different hobbies.

I enjoy swimming ,horseback riding, playing the piano and listening to all types of music. I hate rap, though.

I’m very involved in church activities and I love reading Catholic books. My favorite Catholic author is Jason Evert. I also enjoy public speaking, doing chastity talks, roller-skating, going out with friends, etc.

I’d love to maintain a friendship with you.

You may contact me by email at Lucia5704@comcast.net.

REPORTS FROM AGENCIES, BUSINESSES, AND CONSUMER GROUPS

Speech Systems for the Blind
  By Stephen Theberge

The mission of Speech Systems for the Blind has changed much since its inception. Although we still offer our Screen Readers, we consider that we are not quite able to match forces with the larger companies. We also offer an encryption system which can be used for computer security/privacy.

Our main focus/mission now is individual computer training. We/I have done a lot of web testing, usability studies, and helped (trained) people to use the computer. My approach is to tailor the approach to the individual or business involved. Our approach is as unique as our customers.

Stephen A. Theberge
Speech Systems...

Work At Home Firms that want to pay you now! Assemble products at home, take surveys online, commission mailing, data entry, mystery shopping and more! For this complete report of over 300 firms please PayPal $25.00 to wheels7080@aol.com and we will send the report to your e-mail address. You also may send check or money order to (Robert Pacheco, 17 Third St. Swansea, Ma. 02777. If you want any additional information before ordering please e-mail me at wheels7080@aol.com  Thank You. You won't be sorry!

        ASK MARIANNE

Marianne Martin is on staff at the American Cancer Society, and has agreed to answer your questions about cancer prevention and detection. If you’d like to ask Marianne a question for the Consumer Vision, please email it to me or call it in at 508-994-4972.

Should I Be Tested for Prostate Cancer?

As part of your yearly checkup, your doctor should offer to test you for
prostate cancer. Before being tested, the American Cancer Society wants
you to know the facts:
  One man in six will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his
  lifetime, and it is most common in African Americans, men over 50, and
  men with a family history of the disease.
  In its early stages, prostate cancer has no symptoms.
  Yearly testing is the best way to find prostate cancer early, which may
  help save your life.
   Testing involves both a prostate-specific (PSA) blood test and a rectal
  exam. If either test is abnormal, a biopsy is usually done to make an
  accurate diagnosis.
  Testing isn't perfect. An abnormal test result may not mean you have
   cancer. And while testing and biopsy find most cancers, they may miss
  others.
  Doctors are not sure that all men with prostate cancer need to be
  treated. Testing cannot always tell whether or not a cancer needs to be
  treated.
  There are many treatment options for early prostate cancer.  Treatment
  cures some men, though it can also cause urinary and sexual problems for
  some.
  Men over 75 might not benefit as much from testing since prostate cancer
  often grows slowly in people in this age group.


Source: American Cancer Society, Inc.
                 No. 265000-Rev. 03/06


Marianne Arruda Martin
Community Executive, Cancer Resource Network
American Cancer Society
1115 West Chestnut Street
Brockton, MA 02301-7501

Direct Line:  (508) 897-4345
Toll Free: (888) 648-4880, press 3, x4345
National TTY: (866) 228-4327
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Marianne,

Please give a brief explanation about inflammatory breast cancer. It is quite a new discovery and many women know nothing about it. Mammograms do not work in detecting it.

Thanks,
Joan

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to3% all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm and gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a  lot like an orange peel. Doctors now know that these changes are not caused by inflammation or infection, but rather by cancer cells blocking lymphvessels or channels in the skin. The affected breast may become  larger or firmer, tender, or itchy. Inflammatory breast cancer is often  mistaken for infection in its early stages.  Inflammatory breast cancer has a  higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than typical invasive ductal  or lobular cancer.

 For additional information about breast cancer, including prevention and early detection guidelines, contact your American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or www.cancer org. and the phone numbers above.

         YOUR VIEW

I get so mad when I see 11 and 12-year-olds walking the streets of New Bedford at midnight. Where are the parents? Don’t they know or care where their children are? I don’t have a child of my own, but I love kids and don’t want to see them get hurt.----Sharon Costa

         TRIVIA

Here is the answer to the trivia question submitted in the July Consumer Vision. On the television series, the Odd Couple, Oscar Madison’s ex wife’s name was Blanche. Congratulations to the following winners:

Ron Febba of Netcong, New Jersey

Jan Colby of Brockton, Massachusetts

Maureen Bussey of New Bedford, Massachusetts

Here is the next trivia question. According to Rick Dees, who is the youngest female singer to have a number-one hit song on the top 40? If you know, please email the Consumer Vision at bobbranco93@gmail.com or call our office at 508-994-4972.

           DAN’S KITCHEN

This is a combined breakfast recipe for pancakes, bacon and maple syrup and butter--enjoy!

Baked Pancakes:

This recipe makes one large rectangular pancake 9 by 13 inches.

Ingredients:

1 cup of flour.
4 table spoons of sugar( or 1/3 cup).
4 shakes of salt.
1 cup of milk.
 4 eggs.
1/2 stick of butter.

Utensils:

1 large mixing bowl.
square shaped spatula.
Wisk.
Mug for eggs.
A couple of small bowls.
One 9 by 13 inch by 2 inches deep casserole dish.
2 dinner plates to serve the pancakes.
A kitchen timer.

Directions:

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

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Take out 4 eggs and place them into the mug.

4. Measure out all of your ingredients and put them in containers or small bowls.

5. Beat the 4 eggs thoroughly with the wisk.

6. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, milk and eggs and beat with the wire whisk until smooth. You can tell if your mixture is smooth by dipping your finger into the mixture and moving it about gently.

7. With your glove on your hand, put your 9 by 13 inch casserole in the oven for about 5 minutes or until it gets hot.

8. In a mug place a half stick of butter, with a cover, into the microwave and cook until it melts, about a minute or so.

9. Drizzle the melted butter across the bottom of the hot casserole dish.

Be sure the bottom of your casserole dish is covered with the melted butter.

Do this by tipping or by gently rocking your casserole dish back and forth a couple of times. Be sure to use your potholders or gloves to hold the casserole dish as it will be very hot.

10. Carefully pour ingredients from the mixing bowl into the pan.

11. Place the casserole dish into the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.

12. When the timer rings, use a cake tester or tooth pick to check to see if the pancake is done. If the cake tester or toothpick comes up clean, your pancake is done. If particles of batter stick to it ,cook for another 2 minutes.

13. Let the pancake cool for a while.

14. With a butter knife cut the pancake in half (across the width,) so that each half is about 6.5 inches by 9 inches.

15. Then with the thinnest side of your spatula go around the bottom of the pan and lift up the edge of the pancake a bit.

16. With your fingers gently roll up one half of your pancake and put it on a dinner plate. Now unroll your pancake so it lies flat.

17.Do the same thing with the other half of your pancake

18. If you are going to serve your pancakes later, you can reheat them in the microwave.

19. Pancakes with or without butter and syrup can be kept in the fridge a couple of days, if well covered.

Enjoy.

Recipe: Bacon in the Microwave

Ingredients:

In determining how much bacon you will need, consider 4 or 5 strips of bacon per person.

Utensils:

A minimum of 6 squares of paper towels.
1 dinner plate.
Another plate (smaller than a dinner plate) to put your stacked, cooked bacon strips on.
A food scissors to cut open your package of bacon.
Your fingers and a kitchen timer.

Directions:

1. Begin by setting out all of your ingredients and utensils first.

2. When cooking bacon in the microwave, never leave the microwave unattended.

3. The bacon should be defrosted before cooking .

4. Place two paper towels on your dinner plate so that it is entirely covered.

5 Gently peel each strip of bacon from the package and lay it straight on the plate right next to the next strip.

6. Peel off the next strip until the plate with the paper towels are fully covered with strips of bacon.

You should be able to get 5 or more strips on the plate.

7. Lay two paper towels over the bacon strips so that they are fully covered.

8. Next, lay a second layer of bacon strips, as you did before, except this time lay the strips sideways so they crisscross with the first layer.

9. Place another paper towel over the second layer of bacon strips. Be sure the layer of bacon is well covered. You may need two paper towels.

Return the rest of the bacon to the fridge, well wrapped.

You should never cook more than three layers of bacon at one time.

I recommend 2 layers at one time.

10. With the microwave at it highest setting put in the dinner plate with its layers of bacon and paper towels. Tuck in the paper towels so that the plate can turn around easily.

11. Set the timer for 5 minutes for each layer of bacon, and turn on the microwave.

The first time you cook bacon you will need sighted help. He or she can peek into the microwave to see how long it takes to have the bacon cooked the way you like it.

12. Note the time it took the bacon to cook. When preparing bacon again you can set your timer to the same amount and do it alone. Repeating these recipe instructions carefully with a similar amount of cooking time should yield similar results.( But do keep in mind that each microwave oven is different so timing can vary in this way.)

13. Always use a pot holder to safely remove the cooked bacon from the microwave.

The plate will be very hot and most likely contain some grease which you can clean afterwards when it cools.

14. Carefully remove the top layer of paper towel(s) and dispose of it into the waste basket.

15. Transfer the bacon to a plate when removing each layer of paper towel.

16. To keep the bacon warm cover it right away with a couple of paper towels or with a light pan lid.

17. If it will be some time before you serve, you can always reheat the bacon in the microwave.

Maple Syrup and Butter

Prepare your syrup and butter just before serving your pancakes.

Ingredients:

A couple ounces of maple syrup or fill half of a shot glass.
A tablespoon of butter (equal to 1/8^th of a stick).
Vary the amount to your personal preference.

Utensils:

A shot glass.
A small mug with a handle.

Directions:

1. Set out all the ingredients and utensils needed.

2. Using a shot glass, pour the syrup into a mug.

3. Add one tablespoon (or 1/8 stick) of butter.

4. Place the mug in the microwave and set it for about a minute- or less.

5. Open the microwave and dip your finger into the mug to be sure your butter is melted. Be careful, because the syrup will be hot.

6. Cut your pancakes into bite size pieces.

7. Drizzle the syrup and butter over the pancakes.

Enjoy

         SOAP COLUMN, by Gert Moore

All My Children

Comings and Goings

*Welcome J. Q. DePaiva, who will play a profoundly deaf boy who appears on New Beginnings with Erica on September 20, 21 and 24.
*Welcome back, Stacy Haiduk, Hannah! Zach's ex is returning to Pine Valley. Her first air date is set for September 14th.
*Billy Miller will portray the new recurring role of Wes beginning August 30th. Sources tell us that Wes will work at The Comeback and be interested in Babe!
*Sterling Sulieman is coming to Pine Valley to play the part of Dre, part of a garage band that practices near the new Martin home! His role will be a contract role.
*Also coming to Pine Valley is Jenna DiMartini, Corrina. She will be part of the garage band.
*Welcome Alexander, Benjamin and Caleb Eckstein, Spike! These 1-year-old triplets are taking over the role of Spike, Kendall's son! Goodbye, Kelli Giddish!

 Contract News:
*Fans of Zach and Kendall can rest easy. Soaps. com has learned that Thorsten Kaye, Zach, has extended his contract and will be staying in Pine Valley!
*Jacob Young, JR, has lengthened his contract with AMC.

Leaving Pine Valley:
*Justin Bruening, Jamie, is leaving Pine Valley! Sources tell us that Justin will not renew his contract when it is up in August. Real life wife, Alexa Havins, Babe, will also be coming to the end of her contract in the fall. There is no official word if she will follow Justin out of Pine Valley. Justin's last air date is set for August 24.

Sneak Peeks

Zach decides to tell Ryan the truth about Kendall and Dr. Hilliard!
Ryan tells Kendall she is no different than Greenlee with her scheming ways!
JR has a new business idea: create a social network that is all about Ava! He pitches the idea to Amanda.
Adam impersonates Stuart - again! - and tells Krystal that stealing Jenny was a horrible mistake!
Annie can't believe Ryan is investigating her family.
Annie turns to Zach to figure out whether to tell Ryan her secrets.
Annie eventually decides to come clean with Ryan about her past. She tells him about the weird calls and that her disturbed brother is in prison for a crime he didn't commit! Turns out she turned him in for their mother's death - she really committed suicide - in the hopes that he would get help.
Ryan stands by Annie and helps her get over the past by symbolically throwing her past into the sea.
Greenlee and Aidan make love; he suggests that they just be friends, which hurts Greens' feelings

Ava and Jonathan make love - and the press is there to see and photograph it!
Kendall can't believe she put Spike's life in danger.
Annie has more disturbing memories.
Hannah's back in town - with a secret!
Erica and Jack face several hurdles in their new relationship.
Tad learns Kathy is really Kate!
Julia and Tad start to develop a close relationship.
Seeing the attraction between Babe and Wes, JR grows jealous.
Dre, Ren and Corrina begin practicing their hip-hop flava next door to Tad and Krystal.
Spike gets a sign language teacher.
Ritchie, Annie's jailbird of a brother, comes to Pine Valley!

As The World Turns

Comings and Goings

*Lacy Kohl appears as "Jewel" and Sarita Covington appears as "Krista". The girls have information for Lily!
Ron Domingo appears as Dr. Akido on September 5th.
Alex Draper appears as Ed, who is interested in Carly, on September 6th.
*Daniel Hugh Kelly is returning to Oakdale for a small stay as Noah's military father! No word how long he will be on the canvas.
*Justine Cotsonas, Sofie Duran, is joining the cast. She will play a waitress at The Lakeview.
*Chris Heuisler, Cole, also joins the cast later this summer. He plays a bully who crosses Aaron; he is in a relationship with "Sofie"
Welcome, Ryan Serhant!

Goodbye, Robin Mattson, Cherie! Dusty finally gets his way and the Oakdale madam is ousted from town!
Kelley Menighan Hensley, Emily, is leaving Oakdale - for a short time! Kelley is on maternity leave and her character is headed to Europe to deal with the fallout surrounding her and Dusty's burgeoning relationship.

Sneak Peeks

Alison volunteers to be a surrogate for Gwen and Will!
Will doesn't like the idea at first but finally agrees to go ahead with the plan.
Dusty and Lily get closer to the killer.
Col. Mayer is certainly glad that Maddie is in Noah's life.
Oh to be in love! Luke confronts Noah - again!
Maddie learns a small part of the truth about Noah; she also finds out Col. Mayer has been investigating her!
Jack and Katie profess their love - again!
Carly accepts the fact that Jack has moved on and blames Brad for it!
Noah sees Luke with someone else - and is jealous!
Noah begins acting strangely, making Maddie curious about what is going on.
Luke makes a huge decision. Carly takes a fall.

The Bold and The Beautiful

Comings and Goings

HENRY LEBLANC portrays the minister beginning on Thursday, September 6.
Industry sources say CONSTANTINE MAROULIS (Constantine Parros) will be recurring, appearing when storyline dictates.
BETTY WHITE may return as Ann (Stephanie's Mother) in the coming weeks depending on her availability!

Sneak Peeks

Eric tells Ashley that Brooke and Ridge are meant to be together.
Just when Stephanie decides to support him, Thorne opts out.
Someone makes a play for Eric.
Nick realizes the truth about the baby.
Stephanie is found out! Ridge pops the question.
With the help of a private investigator and cell phone records, Ridge realizes Stephanie was Andy's accomplice.
Forrester Creations and Forrester Originals go head-to-head.
Stephanie has it out with Brooke. Jackie is upset! Whispers Stephanie goes missing!
B&B has an opportunity coming up for the return of Betty White(Ann, Stephanie's Mother) in the next few weeks - no word yet on whether Betty has agreed.

Days of Our Lives

Comings and Goings

The role of Pete Brady will be played by Tom Archdeacon. Pete first airs Wednesday, September 26th in the Irish church.
* September 28th, Chelsea and Stephanie visit the Alpha Chi Theta sorority house!! Look for them to meet Morgan (Kristen Renton), Carmen (Kimberly Williams) and Cordy (Jamie Chung.)
* Here's a treat! Bob Harper, who is one of the fitness trainers on “The Biggest Loser” will play himself on Thursday, September 13th! Drake Hogestyn has alluded to SOD that he may be leaving the show after his contract is up in 6 months. No insider news on this as you know that the show doesn't comment on contracts.
To quote, "Turns out that yes, Drake Hogestyn (John) had a deeper meaning when he named his fan event "The Final Mission". " At some point, everybody is going to leave the show. I have six months left on my contract, so... after 20 years of throwing fan club gatherings, this is the final mission. The reality of it is, sooner or later, you're at the tail end of your talent cycle, whether it be here or somewhere else....." So this could mean that he will not renew. If we hear more on this we'll let you know. Please do not email us about this, as we don't have any other information! If we find out more, we will post!
* RUMOR dispelled. Good news. Lucas (Bryan Dattilo) is not going to be let go by summer's end.

Sneak Peeks

Colleen and Santo finally lose their inhibitions as their relationship intensifies. (They have sex!) EJ and Sami kiss...
Jett is shot by Rawlings. He goes into shock while Chelsea holds him in her arms and sobs. Rawlings hijacks the plane and hits Max with the butt of his gun.
Lucas asks Sami, "I've got to ask you something. Are you talking about Santo and Colleen or EJ and you?" and Philip go off to Texas together. They bond while in Tulsa. Triangle ahead between Shawn, Belle and Philip. Things get steamy... a little too steamy, and Belle must choose between the two men.
EJ gets close to Sami while reading Colleen and Santo’s love letters.
Tony prepares to double cross Stefano!
Jett gets shot, much to Chelsea's surprise. Jeremy goes on the lam!
Nick doubts that China Lee is Dee and Artemis' mother! Is he on to something?
EJ takes on Bo, Roman, and Steve. Max and Stephanie get intimate in the cave!
Andre holds Sami at knife point. Santo proposes to Colleen!
Kate is forced to lure Roman into a trap.
Rawlings forces Max and Stephanie to take a jump. Max and Stephanie grow closer!
There are a few casualties of the Brady/DiMera feud. This means that some of the cast will be let go in the coming months.
Pocket's health is threatened. Jeremy tries to go straight.
It's back to school for the University crew. We'll see a few fun pledge shows and Uni fun!!!
Death is upon us. One of our recurring characters will not be long for the show in October.
The DiMera/Brady vendetta will soon be coming to a close.

Fall preview:
Stefano will reveal Shawn's secret. Two DiMeras are not long for 'this world'.
Max gets a new job. Sami and Lucas' marriage will be in jeopardy when she connects with EJ.
Claire is affected by SORAS - Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome when Philip tells Belle that Claire wants to go to the new 'CGI' movie! Looks like we'll be seeing a Claire replacement at some point.
(This spoiler has yet to happen, but was directly from the source, so we leave it for the time being.)

General Hospital

Comings and Goings

*Brandon Barash has been cast to play Johnny Zaccharo, the son of the NYC mob boss. His first air date is September 20th.
*Jessi Morales (the dependable Leticia Juarez) exits the show at some point in September. The boys are sure going to miss her! (And Carly might actually have to stay home!)
*Anthony Geary returns in October. Welcome back Luke!
*Kelly Monaco's contract expires in September! Sources are guessing that she will NOT resign this time around, but you never know!
*As you may know, Lindze Letherman (Georgie) isn't sure whether or not she will be offered a contract, or IF she'll sign. Signs are pointing to a love match between Georgie and the show's new darling, Spinelli. If the signs are right, it seems that something will work out.
*Just because Stan (Kiko Ellsworth) has opted to leave, don't count his on-screen mom out. Sonya Eddy (Epiphany) is finally under contract!
*Ingo Rademacher is likely to sign his new contract.
*Natalia Livingston's new contract is for one year.
*Leslie Charleson (Monica) has a shiny new, multi-year, contract.  Jackie Zeman (Bobbie Spencer) has a new one-year contract!*Annie Wersching (Amelia) has been offered a contract but hasn't signed yet. Stay tuned!
*Graham Shiels is currently in to Port Charles playing an old war pal of Logan's named Cody. (Casting trivia: Who was the guy behind Coop's #3 mask during the hostage crisis? Graham Shiels!)

Sneak Peeks

Nikolas goes into full planning mode. Carly asks Jason if she needs to move her boys.
A shirtless Lucky opens his door and finds Sam getting ready to knock.
Ric threatens Trevor to stay away from his daughter.
Georgie gets a new confidant - Spinelli. Lucky and Liz decide to make their marriage work.
Carly and Jason rush to the aid of the "first murder victim".
Ric accuses Trevor of being behind the crime.
Jax and Sonny argue about what's best for Carly and the boys.
Jerry assures Jax that he is going to protect his family whether they want him to or not. Jerry and Sam merge forces to get info out of Trevor.
Sam goes to Jason for help. Trevor warns Sonny to get off his back.
Sonny tells Jason to make Trevor disappear. Kate ends it with Sonny.
Sonny is furious and he insists that Jason take Trevor out!
Jake receives a special gift from his secret daddy. Alexis makes a move out of her lake house.
Jerry insists that Carly return a favor.
Luke's return to Port Chuckles isn't all fun and games - he's immediately lands in the middle of a mob war.
A Port Charles hottie shows lack of control and it could lead to his downfall.
Lucky's refuses to let go of his son even if his marriage is over. Sam and her cousin get closer and closer. Robin considers having a baby on her own.
Big (Sugar) Daddy Trevor blackmails his lady. Zacchara (through Trevor) makes Jerry an offer. Jerry wants to meet the mob boss himself, and Jax overhears his request.
Trevor uses his granddaughter Molly to meet his goals with Sonny.
Some PC residents fall to their deaths via the mob, first of whom is a nanny!
Ric hands Molly over to Alexis at Wyndemere and makes Alexis promise to keep her safe from the brewing mob war. Lulu becomes enraged.
Russell (who is that?) threatens Emily and Nikolas goes all Cassadine on him, leaving Emily shocked by his ugly behavior.
Logan won't sleep with Maxi and she plans revenge.
Cousin Nikolas wants Sam to go into business with him.
Elizabeth's heart is broken and Bobbie does her best to help.
Robin dumps Patrick and he's crushed!
Emily wants her man to see Lainey professionally!
Cooper rubs Lucky the wrong way.
Lucky doesn't get the boys, but Audrey watches them until Jason and Liz can.
Spinelli goes to Georgie with his woes.
Sonny is affected by some news from Carly and Kate doesn't like it.
Scott orders a sabotage on a paternity test. Lucky goes to bed with…Sam.
Logan goes to bed with…Maxi. Sonny marries…Kate!
Spinelli figures out who his father is. Alexis dishes it out to Ric.
Alexis and Jerry get close (r).
Coop's past is connected to Port Charles.
Alan and Monica's 30th anniversary (on GH) is this fall. There be a heartfelt storyline to commemorate this couple's unique history together!

Guiding Light

Comings and Goings

Donna Mitchell will stroll into town as as Leona, someone familiar with Cyrus' mischievous ways, on Wednesday, September the 5th.  

Sneak Peaks

The breakup impacts on Harley's kids in different ways.
Daisy and Rafe take the next step in their relationship.
Mallet is alienating Dinah.
Cyrus starts to flinch thanks to the women in his life.
Ava goes after Ashlee's secrets.
Cassie teams up with Lizzie.
Lizzie won't let Billy's drinking ruin things for her.
Alan and Reva try to bury their secret.
Alan gets a tip about Jonathan.
Cyrus stands up for Alex.
A building collapses, putting a couple in harm's way.
Remy's date doesn't go as planned.
Cyrus comes clean with Marina.
Desperation can make anyone a thief.
Monday
Pre-empted
Tuesday Jeffrey starts to worry when Reva's missing.
Harley can't hide her pain from her daughter. Remy has a surprising date with Lola.
Wednesday
Cyrus remembers his wild days as a continental thief. Marina gets a tantalizing offer.
Thursday
Cassie is frustrated when she sees that Reva still occupies Josh's mind.
Billy's drinking becomes a threat to more than just himself.
Marina and Alexandra go another round over Mr Foley.
Friday
Pre-empted

One Life to Live

Comings and Goings

Jason-Shane Scott (Will Rappaport) will make an appearance in Llanview during the week of September 3, 2007.
* Tuc Watkins (David) will return to the show again - sometime in September!
* Hunt Block (ex-Craig ATWT) will appear as FBI agent Lee Ramsey on October 18, 2007.
* Farah Fath (Ex-Mimi of DAYs) will join the show as Gigi Morasco, who will air on October 24, 2007.
Word has it, Tim Adams (Ron Walsh) will be back in Llanview sometime in October.
* Trevor St John (Todd) will appear on the ABC nighttime soap Dirty Sex Money as a younger Mr. George in flashbacks.
* Although fans won't be seeing Erika Slezak (Viki) for a while, don't worry, she'll be back after her annual vacation.
* Looks like Markko will be staying in Llanview! The show has just signed a deal with Jason Tam!
Farah Fath to play Gigi Morasco!

The show is casting for the role of Judy - someone who will be involved with Marcie and Michael.
* There's a casting call out for Mrs. Woodrow - a woman from Social Services.
* JQ DePaiva, son of Kassie (Blair) and James DePaiva (ex-Max), will make an appearance on AMC on September 20, 21 and 24, 2007.

Sneak Peeks

Marty is released. Blair is confronted by Starr. Marcie escapes Todd's path!
Jessica sees Jared with Nash at the vineyard. Todd demands his son back!
Watch out, Rex, Todd wants revenge! Starr & Langston get ready for school. Marcie & Michael get one last night with Tommy.
Todd walks away from Blair! Starr finds out about Tommy. John is suspended! Michael & Marcie are heartbroken.
John & Marty kiss! Blair does some soul-searching. Blair pleads her case to Todd. Rex helps Michael & Marcie.
& Adriana worry for Tommy! More Tidbits!
It'll come out that Langston has been living without parental supervision, and she'll be taken in by social services - Thanks to Britney! Buchanan Enterprises takes a dive for the worse after Asa dies.
David finds out he's Asa's son (In September)!
Marcie & Michael's marriage is in trouble.
Todd & Blair reunite! Just as Todd & Blair decide to remarry, Todd has second thoughts!
Bo & Lindsay rekindle their relationship!
Will Rappaport will make an appearance in Llanview sometime in September.
Jared knows Jessica as Tess - the girl who had him thrown in jail!
Jared demands answers as to why Jessica is keeping their connection a secret from Nash! Natalie drowns her sorrows with Jared!
Jared blackmails Jessica! Miles flips out after seeing John & Marty kiss!
Look for an FBI agent named Lee to come to Llanview on the hunt for a mother and her child.
A new character named Gigi will come to town and get involved with one of Llanview's hottest men!
When Viki returns from her trip, everyone will be surprised by where she was - and what she was up to  

The Young and The Restless

Comings and Goings  

Rueben Grundy will appear again as Dr. Peter Ryan on September 6, 2007.
* Obba Babatunde (ex-Clay OLTL) will appear as a reporter named Carter beginning on September 6, 2007
* Tatyana Ali will appear as Roxanne on September 17 and 18, 2007.
* Judith Chapman (Gloria) has just received a six month extension on her contract and will remain with the show until at least April 2008.
* Sources say Doug Davidson (Paul) just signed a new contract with the show!
* The show has put out a casting call for the role of Holly (someone who will be acquainted with Devon).
* Richard Riehle will play the prison warden beginning September 5, 2007.
* Although the actress was given a three-year contract back in June, rumor has it Deanna Russo (Logan) could be bumped to recurring contract soon. We'll keep you posted should further details become available. Until then, Deanna will again appear as Logan on September 4, 2007.
* Sources say Eric Steinberg (Ji Min) has wrapped up taping and will be leaving the show. His last air date is September 4, 2007.
* Carlease Burke will appear as a prison official on September 5, 2007.
* Christopher Judd will portray a paramedic on September 5, 2007.

Sneak Peeks

Michael gets word that Nick is banned from the prison!
Jill asks for Victor's help in exposing Jack! Nikki & Jack have a difference of opinion.
Jill goes to Victor to get revenge against Jack! Devon will bring a date named Roxanne to Lily's divorce party! Lily takes an interest in an older man - Cane!
Devon struggles with his feelings and wants to profess his love to Lily!
After proof of Jack's past schemes become public, Sharon is angered by his tactics.
Amber finds the hidden loot! Kevin & Amber have sex!
Cane's uncle comes to Genoa City with a story of his own, his eye on Jill and a plan to rob Kay & Jill blind!
Unfortunately, Cane is in on it too - and is NOT Jill's son! While looking into Cane's past, JT finds some very interesting secrets!
Cane will find a new love interest! (Although Daniel Goddard hinted to me about this exciting twist, he couldn't tell me with who.) Cane & Lily kiss! (Could Lily be Cane's new interest?)
We've all been waiting for this advanced spoiler I listed months ago... Michael will find Katherine's ring!
A secret reemerges, which could destroy Michael & Lauren's marriage   forever.
Nikki & David make love! Nikki uncovers a secret that proves Victor is still suffering from the effects of epilepsy!
Although Phyllis is sentenced to jail, she will ultimately not do her prison term - Look for a big revelation to come to light while she's in the slammer! Victor may end up being Phyllis's savior!
Nick & Sharon get into an argument!
Brad schemes to break up Jack & Sharon's marriage - and wants Phyllis's help! Yes, from behind bars! Will Sharon & Nick's secret be let out of the 'vault'?
After Summer takes ill, Nick and Noah prove NOT to be a match to aid in her illness!
The truth will come out that Jack is Summer's father!
Phyllis is forced to reveal what really happened with Summer's paternity test - and Jack is not happy! (What's listed here is all we know as of it. How or why Phyllis will have to 'explain' is still up in the air. On one hand, she may have known about the 'results." Were they fixed? Or it could be to mean that she'll have to explain why she never looked at the results and took Nick's word for it, which would surely cause Jack to be angry. Again, this is all we know as of yet.)
Here's an update to another storyline we've all been waiting for: Adrian's identity is revealed and the residents of Genoa City are shocked to find out who he really is - Rumor has it, Adrian will end up being a half brother to someone in GC! Is it Brad or Jana?
Watch for Heather to be a big part of another revelation regarding Adrian's past!
Evan comes back to GC with a vengeance - watch out Gloria!
Rumor has it Tricia Dennison will rock GC once again with her evil ways - Watch Vikki, your baby could be in danger!

Passions

Passions has left the N. B.C. line up . But will continue on the soapnet channel . which can be seen on Direct T. V. And if you have  Comcast Cable T. V . you can now order the Soapnet channel